Language/Kirghiz/Grammar/Negation
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Hi Kirghiz learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation in Kirghiz sentences. Negation is a way of expressing the opposite meaning of a sentence. For example, instead of saying "I am going to the store", you can say "I am not going to the store". Negation is a basic concept in any language, and it is important to master it in order to understand and communicate in Kirghiz language.
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Subject Object Verb Order, Personal Pronouns, Noun Cases & Adjectives.
Negating the Verb
To negate the verb in Kirghiz, the word «эмес» (emes) is used. This word is equivalent to the English word "not". Here are some examples:
| Kirghiz | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Мен сабакка кирип жокпуз | Men sabakka kirip jokpuz | I did not attend the lesson |
| Сени көргөнүмдүн жакшы көрөт эмесмин | Seni kөrgөnөmdün jashy kөrөt emesmin | I am not feeling well since I last saw you |
| Бул арзан эмес | Bul arzan emes | This is not cheap |
In Kirghiz, the word «емес» (emes) comes after the verb it negates. Therefore, it is easy to spot negation in a sentence in Kirghiz.
Negating Other Parts of a Sentence
Negation can also be used to negate other parts of a sentence such as adjectives, nouns, and pronouns. In this case, the particle «жок» (jok) is used. Here are some examples:
| Kirghiz | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Булбардак жок | Bulbardak jok | There are no glasses |
| Меним атуым Айжан. Айша жок | Menim atuum Aijan. Aisha jok | My name is Aijan. Aisha is not my name |
In the first example, the use of «жок» (jok) after the noun «булбардак» (bulbardak) negates its existence. Similarly, in the second example, the use of «жок» (jok) negates the pronoun «Айша» (Aisha) as the speaker's name.
Double Negation
In Kirghiz, it is possible to use double negation to emphasize the negative meaning of a sentence. In this case, the second negation is expressed by the word «жок» (jok). For example:
| Kirghiz | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Менин телефонум жок | Menin telefonum jok | I do not have a phone |
| Менин телефонум жок, кесиптиктерде дизенсижок | Menin telefonum jok, kesiptikterde dizensis jok | I do not have a phone, and I do not intend to get one. |
In the second example, the double negation is expressed by using the word «дизенсижок» (dizensis jok) after the word «жок» (jok).
Tips
- Kirghiz language has many negation words. Be sure to use them in the right context. - Practice, practice, practice! The more you use negation in your Kirghiz language, the better you will get at it. - For advanced learners, try to incorporate double negation in your Kirghiz sentences to emphasize the negative meaning.
Practice Dialogue
- Person 1: Муздатпаталак. (Muzdatpatalak.) - I am not a workaholic.
- Person 2: Анда секелүүм? (Anda sekelyum?) - Don't you work hard?
- Person 1: Жок, да кандай кылып жүрүңүз? (Jok, da kanday kylup jyruunguz?) - No, what makes you think that?
Sources
Other Lessons
- Give your Opinion
- Conditional Mood
- Pronouns
- How to Use Be
- Questions
- Nouns
- Gender
- How to Use Have
- Adjectives
- Future Tense
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