Language/Kazakh/Grammar/Plurals

Kazakh Grammar - Plurals

Hi Kazakh learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on plurals in the Kazakh language. Knowing how to form the plural is essential to speak and write Kazakh correctly. We will cover the different ways of forming the plural with examples and cultural information.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Nouns, Consonants, 0 to A1 Course & How to Use Be.

Basic Plural Formation

In Kazakh, plurals are formed by adding the suffix "-lar" or "-ler" to the singular noun. For instance, if we take the word "kitap" which means "book" in Kazakh, to form the plural, we add the "-lar" or "-ler" suffix. The plural form of "kitap" is "kitaplar" or "kitapler". Here are some more examples:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
kitap	/kitap/	book
qol	/qol/	hand
at	/at/	horse
janim	/janim/	dear (term of endearment)
aqsaq	/aqsaq/	one-eyed
jaqsy	/jaqsy/	good

In Kazakh, unlike in English, the word order does not change in the plural form. For example, "Kitap okuy" means "I read the book" whereas "Kitaplar okuyman" means "I read the books". The word "okuy", which means "read", remains the same.

Plural Formation with Consonant Changes

In some cases, adding the plural suffix "-lar" or "-ler" is not enough to form the plural. Some nouns undergo consonant changes in their stem when forming the plural.

Plural Formation with -er/-ar Stems

Many words that end in "-er" or "-ar" change the final "-r" into "-d" when forming the plural. Here are some examples:

• Person 1: Қар ауыртаған еді.(Qar auryrtaghan edi.) (It was snowing.)
• Person 2: Қарлар ауыртаған еді.(Qarlar auryrtaghan edi.) (It was snowing.)

Here are more examples:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
jer	/jer/	place, land
nerke	/nerke/	trail
kar	/kar/	snow

In their singular form, the words, "jer" (place), "nerke" (trail), and "kar" (snow) end in "-er". In the plural form, "-er" is changed to "-der" and "-ar" is changed to "-dar". Here are the plural forms of the words mentioned above:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
jerder	/jerder/	places
nerke(d)er	/nerkedər/	trails
kardar	/kardar/	snows

Note that in "nerke(d)er", the "d" is optional and is usually omitted in spoken Kazakh.

Plural Formation with -t/-d Stems

Many words ending in a vowel followed by "-t" or "-d" convert the final "-t" or "-d" to "-lar" or "-ler" and insert an "-i-" before it to form the plural. Here are some examples:

• Person 1: Бүгін жерде аңғаруға болады.(Bugin jerde angharuga bolady.) (You can collect nuts today.)
• Person 2: Бүгін жерде аңғарыларға болады.(Bugin jerde angharylar'gha bolady.) (You can collect nuts today.)

Here are more examples:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
qalғan	/qalɣan/	remaining
aqtөbe	/aqtœbe/	Aktobe (city in Kazakhstan)
bөyіk	/bœjik/	big
tөrіk	/tœrik/	Turkish

In the plural form, "-t" or "-d" is changed to "-lar" or "-ler", and "-i-" is inserted in between the stem and the suffix. Here are the plural forms of the words mentioned above:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
qalғanılar	/qalɣanɯlar/	remainings
aqtiwbeıiler	/aqtewbeiiler/	Aktobeans ((people) from Aktobe)
bөyіkter	/bœjikter/	big ones
tөrіkter	/tœrikter/	Turks (people from Turkey)

Plural Formation with Vowel Changes

Some words change their vowel sounds when forming the plural. This is called ablaut. Here are some examples:

• Person 1: Өгізге көп сабақтар жоспарланған.(Ogizge kop sabakhtar josparlan'ghan.) (Many lessons were planned for the mouth.)
• Person 2: Өзіңе көп сөздер жоспарлаң.(Ozing'e kop sozder josparylaŋ.) (You plan a lot of words for yourself.)

Here are more examples:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
batyr	/batɯr/	hero
jol	/joɫ/	road
er	/er/	man
or	/or/	sun

In the plural form, some vowels change, and the suffix "-lar" or "-ler" is added. Here are the plural forms of the words mentioned above:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
batırlar	/batɯrlar/	heroes
jұлдар	/joldar/	roads
adamlar	/adamlar/	men
өрлер	/ørlər/	suns/sunflowers

Cultural Information

In Kazakh culture, the way plurals are formed changes in some phrases. One such example is the phrase "Nasılsıŋ?" which means "How are you?" in Kazakh. Instead of saying "Nasılsınız?" which is the correct way to say it when addressing multiple people, Kazakhs use the plural form "Nasılsыnlar?" which translates to "How are you all?". This is because in Kazakh culture, it is considered polite to address a group of people in the plural form, even if they are only two or three people.

Another example is the word "Алға" which means "go forward" in Kazakh. The plural form of "Алға" is "Алға жинақ" which means "go forward together". In Kazakh culture, unity and cooperation are highly valued, and people are encouraged to work together towards a common goal.

Practice Dialogue

Here is a practice dialogue to help you use plurals in context:

• Person 1: Қандай ақпаратқа қажет?(Qanday aqparatqa qajet?) (What kind of information do you need?)
• Person 2: Топқа қолжетімді сұрауым бар.(Topqa qolzhetimdi surewy'm bar.) (I have a question for the group.)
• Person 1: Топқа сұрақты қоясыңыз ба?(Topqa suraqty qo'asyny'z ba?) (Do you have a question for the group?)
• Person 2: Ауыр әрекеттердің пішіндерін қалай тексеруіңіз керек?(Auır areketterdyn pishinderin qalay teksere'ing'iz kerek?) (How do you check the results of other actions?)
• Person 3: Олар ғана тағы жоспарланбайтындар.(Ol'ar ghana taghy josparlanbay'tyndar.) (They are just still being planned.)

Sources

• A Grammar of Kazakh Zura Dotton, Ph.D John Doyle Wagner
• Kazakh Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Don't forget to practice forming plurals with native speakers on Polyglot Club! Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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Other Lessons

• Questions
• Conditional Mood
• Future Tense
• How to Use Have
• Nouns
• How to Use Be
• Adjectives
• Give your Opinion
• Negation