Language/Tatar/Vocabulary/Introducing-Yourself
Introduction
Welcome to the "Complete 0 to A1 Tatar Course"! In this lesson, we will learn how to introduce ourselves and others in Tatar. Introducing yourself is the first step to start a conversation and make new friends. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to ask and answer basic questions about names and origins. Are you ready? Let's get started!
Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Drinks & Food.
Vocabulary
Here are some words and phrases that will help you introduce yourself and others in Tatar:
| Tatar | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| мен | men | I |
| сез | sez | you (formal) |
| син | sin | you (informal) |
| его | ego | he |
| ул | ul | she |
| безнең исемем | bezneñ isemem | my name is |
| сеннеге исемнен килдиң | sennäge isemnen qildiñ | what is your name? |
| исемем Таяна | isemem Tayana | my name is Tayana |
| сеннеге исемем Әзәл | sennäge isemem Äzäl | my name is Azal (lit. "your name is Azal") |
| әйел | äyel | wife |
| җит | jit | husband |
| булмакчысы | bulmaqçısı | interpreter |
| мәслихәтче | mäslíhätçe | consultant |
| һормәтле | hormätlä | respectfully (formal way to end a conversation) |
| нады | nady | see you later |
| ешмәк итегез | yeşmäk itegez | bon appetit (lit. "eat with pleasure") |
| рәхмәт | räxmät | thank you |
| кәлесез | käläsez | goodbye |
Note: Tatar language is written in Cyrillic script. In this lesson, we will use the Latin script to show the pronunciation of the words. If you want to learn Cyrillic script, please refer to the resources provided in the course.
Grammar
In Tatar, there are two ways to address someone: formal and informal. The formal way is used when addressing someone older, of higher status or not familiar to the speaker. To show respect, the formal address uses the third-person pronoun instead of the second person. The informal way is used when addressing someone younger, of lower status, or familiar to the speaker.
To introduce yourself, you can use the phrase "безнең исемем" (bezneñ isemem) followed by your name. For example:
- Безнең исемем Таяна. (Bezneñ isemem Tayana.) - My name is Tayana.
To ask someone's name, you can use the phrase "сеннеге исемнен килдиң?" (sennäge isemnen qildiñ?), which literally means "what is your name?". For example:
- Сеннеге исемнен килдиң? (Sennäge isemnen qildiñ?) - What is your name?
To answer, you can use the following construction:
- Минем исемем ... (Minem isemem ...) - My name is ...
For example:
- Минем исемем Әзәл. (Minem isemem Äzäl.) - My name is Azal.
Now let's look at some examples of conversations:
Example 1:
Taya: Сәлам, мен Таяна.
(Sälam, men Tayana.) - Hello, I'm Tayana.
Әзәл: Сәлам, Рәхим Әзәл.
(Sälam, Räxím Äzäl.) - Hello, my name is Rahim Azal.
Taya: Әзәл, сеннеге исемнен килдиң?
(Äzäl, sennäge isemnen qildiñ?) - Azal, what is your name?
Әзәл: Минем исемем Рәхим.
(Minem isemem Räxím.) - My name is Rahim.
Example 2:
Рамиля: Сәлам, Рамиля.
(Sälam, Ramília.) - Hello, I'm Ramilia.
Әхмәт: Сәлам, Ахмәт.
(Sälam, Ahmät.) - Hello, I'm Ahmed.
Рамиля: Ахмәт, булмакчысы мәслихәтче итегез?
(Ahmät, bulmaqçısı mäslíhätçe itegez?) - Ahmed, are you an interpreter or a consultant?
Әхмәт: Булмакчысым.
(Bulmaqçısım.) - I'm an interpreter.
Рамиля: Ешмәк итегек?
(Yeşmäk itegek?) - Shall we eat?
Әхмәт: Рәхмәт.
(Räxmät.) - Thank you.
Рамиля: Һормәтле. Нады.
(Hormätlä. Nady.) - Respectfully. See you later.
Әхмәт: Кәлесез.
(Käläsez.) - Goodbye.
Practice
Now it's time to practice the vocabulary and grammar you learned in this lesson. Here are some exercises for you to complete:
Exercise 1:
Complete the following conversation with the correct names and pronouns:
Әйсыл: Сәлам, мен Әйсыл.
(Sälam, men Äysil.) - Hello, I'm Aysil.
Рустэм: Сәлам, мен Рустэм. Әйсыл, ... исемнен килдиң?
(Sälam, men Rustem. Äysil, ... isemnen qildiñ?) - Hello, I'm Rustem. Aysil, what is your name?
Әйсыл: ... исемем Ирена.
(... isemem Irena.) - My name is Irena.
What is the correct word to complete the conversation in the blank space?
a) Сеннеге (sennäge) b) Синең (sineñ) c) Урындагы (urındağı)
The correct answer is a: Сеннеге исемем Ирена (Sennäge isemem Irena.) - Your name is Irena.
Exercise 2:
Complete the following conversation with the correct words and phrases:
Әлиа: Сәлам, мен Әлиа.
(Sälam, men Älia.) - Hello, I'm Alia.
Марат: Сәлам, мен Марат. Безнең исемем Марьям.
(Sälam, men Marat. Bezneñ isemem Maryam.) - Hello, I'm Marat. My name is Maryam.
Әлиа: Марьям, тыныштың?
(Maryam, tınıştıñ?) - Where are you from?
Марьям: Мен Казаннан килдим. Аәлә булмакчысы рәссам.
(Men Qazandan qildim. Älä bulmaqçısı rässam.) - I'm from Kazan. I'm also an artist.
Where is Maryam from?
a) Ufa b) Kazan c) Moscow
The correct answer is b: Kazan.
Cultural Points
Language is an important tool to understand and connect with a culture. In Tatarstan, as in many other cultures, introductions are an essential part of social behavior. When meeting someone new, Tatar people prefer to use