Language/Kazakh/Grammar/Instrumental-Case

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Kazakh → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Instrumental Case

Welcome to our lesson on the Instrumental Case in Kazakh! This is an important grammatical aspect that allows you to express how actions are performed or the means by which something is done. Understanding the instrumental case will enable you to communicate more effectively and add depth to your conversations in Kazakh.

In this lesson, we'll explore the following topics:

What is the Instrumental Case?

The instrumental case is used to indicate the means, methods, or tools by which an action is accomplished. In English, we often use prepositions like "with" or "by" to convey similar meanings. Understanding how to use the instrumental case correctly can help you articulate your thoughts more clearly in Kazakh.

Structure of the Instrumental Case

In Kazakh, nouns in the instrumental case usually take on a specific suffix. Here, we will look at the general rules for forming the instrumental case, including examples.

Singular Nouns

For masculine nouns, the suffix is -мен or -пен. For feminine nouns, it is typically -мен or -пен as well.

Plural Nouns

For plural nouns, the suffix is -лармен or -дермен.

Examples of the Instrumental Case

Let's dive into some practical examples. Below are tables that illustrate the use of the instrumental case in various contexts.

Singular Masculine Nouns

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
кітаппен	kitappen	with the book
қаламмен	qalammen	with the pen
столмен	stolmen	with the table
үймен	uimen	with the house
адаммен	adammen	with the person

Singular Feminine Nouns

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
гүлмен	gülmen	with the flower
машинамен	mashinamen	with the car
аяқпен	ayaqpen	with the foot
терімен	terimen	with the skin
кітаппен	kitappen	with the book

Plural Nouns

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
кітаптармен	kitaplar men	with the books
балалармен	balalar men	with the children
машиналармен	mashinalar men	with the cars
адамдармен	adamdar men	with the people
гүлдермен	gül der men	with the flowers

Using the Instrumental Case in Sentences

Now, let's look at how the instrumental case is used within complete sentences to convey meaning.

Examples in Context

1. Мен кітаппен оқыдым.

Men kitappen oǵydym.

(I read with the book.)

2. Ол қаламмен жазады.

Ol qalammen jazady.

(He writes with the pen.)

3. Біз гүлмен безендірдік.

Biz gülmen bezendirduk.

(We decorated with the flower.)

4. Сен машинамен жүресің.

Sen mashinamen juresin.

(You drive with the car.)

5. Олар адамдармен сөйлеседі.

Olar adamdar men soilesedi.

(They talk with people.)

6. Мен үймен келдім.

Men uimen keldim.

(I came with the house.)

7. Сіз терімен жұмыс істейсіз.

Siz terimen jumys isteysiz.

(You work with the skin.)

8. Ол аяқпен секіреді.

Ol ayaqpen sekiredi.

(He jumps with his foot.)

9. Біз балалармен ойнаймыз.

Biz balalar men oynaymyz.

(We play with the children.)

10. Мен гүлдермен сурет саламын.

Men gül der men suret salamin.

(I draw with flowers.)

Practice Exercises

Now it’s time for you to practice! Below are ten exercises designed to help reinforce your understanding of the instrumental case.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using the correct form of the noun in the instrumental case.

1. Мен __________ (книга) __________ (оқыдым).

2. Ол __________ (қалам) __________ (жазады).

3. Біз __________ (гүл) __________ (безендірдік).

4. Сіз __________ (машина) __________ (жүресіз).

5. Олар __________ (адам) __________ (сөйлеседі).

Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Kazakh using the instrumental case.

1. I write with a pencil.

2. She plays with the children.

3. We travel with a bus.

4. He reads with a magazine.

5. They study with books.

Exercise 3: Match the Nouns

Match the English words with their Kazakh counterparts in the instrumental case.

| English | Kazakh |

|--------------|----------------|

| with the book | _____________ |

| with the flower | _____________ |

| with the car | _____________ |

| with the table | _____________ |

| with the pen | _____________ |

Exercise 4: Sentence Creation

Create sentences using the instrumental case for the following nouns:

1. ауа (air)

2. су (water)

3. аспан (sky)

4. дос (friend)

5. музыка (music)

Exercise 5: Correct the Mistakes

Identify and correct the mistakes in the following sentences.

1. Мен кітаптармен оқыдым.

2. Ол қаламмен жазады.

3. Біз машинамен келдім.

4. Сіз гүлдермен сөйлесесіз.

5. Олар адамдармен ойнайды.

Solutions to Exercises =

Here are the solutions to the exercises, so you can check your understanding!

Solutions to Exercise 1

1. кітаппен

2. қаламмен

3. гүлмен

4. машинамен

5. адамдармен

Solutions to Exercise 2

1. Мен қарындашпен жазамын.

2. Ол балалармен ойнайды.

3. Біз автобуспен саяхаттаймыз.

4. Ол журналмен оқиды.

5. Олар кітаптармен оқиды.

Solutions to Exercise 3

| English | Kazakh |

|--------------|----------------|

| with the book | кітаппен |

| with the flower | гүлмен |

| with the car | машинамен |

| with the table | столмен |

| with the pen | қаламмен |

Solutions to Exercise 4

1. Мен ауа мен тыныс аламын. (I breathe with air.)

2. Мен су мен ішемін. (I drink with water.)

3. Мен аспанмен қараймын. (I look at the sky.)

4. Мен досыммен сөйлесемін. (I talk with my friend.)

5. Мен музыкамен тыныстаймын. (I relax with music.)

Solutions to Exercise 5

1. Мен кітаппен оқыдым. (Correct)

2. Ол қаламмен жазады. (Correct)

3. Біз машинамен келдік. (Correct)

4. Сіз гүлдермен сөйлесесіз. (Correct)

5. Олар адамдармен ойнайды. (Correct)

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've taken a significant step in learning the Kazakh language by mastering the instrumental case. This grammatical structure is crucial for expressing means and methods, enhancing your ability to communicate effectively. Continue practicing, and don't hesitate to use these structures in your conversations. Remember, language learning is a journey, and every small step counts!

Table of Contents - Kazakh Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Kazakh Pronunciation

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Stress and Intonation

  ---

Greetings and Basic Expressions

• Meeting and Greeting
• Expressions for Asking Questions
• Numbers and Counting

  ---

Kazakh Cases

• Nominative Case
• Accusative Case
• Genitive Case
• Dative Case
• Locative Case
• Instrumental Case

  ---

Food and Drink

• Basic Food Vocabulary
• Restaurant Phrases
• Cooking Verbs

  ---

Verbs

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense
• Imperative Mood

  ---

Traditions and Customs

• Wedding Celebrations
• Festivals and Holidays
• Music and Dance
• Cuisine and Culinary Art

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Basic Family Vocabulary
• Romantic Relationships
• Friendship and Socializing

  ---

Adjectives

• Attributive and Predicative Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Degrees
• Possessive Adjectives

  ---

Traveling and Directions

• Transportation Vocabulary
• Asking for and Giving Directions
• Accommodation and Lodging

  ---

Pronouns

• Personal Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns

  ---

Shopping and Consumerism

• Basic Shopping Vocabulary
• Sizes and Measurements
• Money and Payments

  ---

Art and Literature

• Famous Writers and Poets
• Folk Tales and Legends
• Visual Arts and Crafts

  ---

Adverbs

• General Adverbs
• Temporal Adverbs
• Modal Adverbs

  ---

Health and Medical Emergencies

• Basic Medical Vocabulary
• Expressions for Medical Emergencies

  ---

Sports and Recreation

• Popular Sports in Kazakhstan
• Traditional Games and Pastimes
• Entertainment and Nightlife

  ---

Prepositions and Postpositions

• Simple Prepositions
• Compound Prepositions and Postpositions

  ---

Nature and Environment

• Basic Nature Vocabulary
• Weather Expressions
• Ecology and Conservation Terms

Sources

• A Grammar of Kazakh Zura Dotton, Ph.D John Doyle Wagner
• Kazakh language - Wikipedia
• Intermediate Kazakh - Language Canvas

Other Lessons

• Temporal Adverbs
• Nouns
• Comparative and Superlative Degrees
• Attributive and Predicative Adjectives
• Plurals
• Adjectives
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• General Adverbs
• Consonants
• Negation

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