LingoflySebebi, eger, kezde, dep: two thoughts in one sentence
To say I did not come because I fell ill, you need a joint. Kazakh offers two of them. For example: “Мен (Men) келмедім (Kelmedim), себебі (Sebebi) телефоным (Telefonym) отырып (otyryp) қалды” (qaldy) — I did not come, because my phone died. A rule from the Kazakh course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say I did not come because I fell ill, you need a joint. Kazakh offers two of them.
One way is a conjunction. Sebebi and öitkeni mean because and stand before the second half: men kelmedim, sebebi auyryp qaldym. Eger is if, and its verb takes -sa: eger uaqytyñ bolsa, habarlas. Sondyqtan is therefore.
The way that belongs to Kazakh uses a verb form instead. For time, -ğan plus kezde: sen kelgen kezde, at the moment of your coming. Cause folds into -dyqtan: auyrğandyqtan kelmedim. Purpose folds into -u üşin: bilet alu üşin kezekke turdym.
The trap: eger itself is optional. The tail -sa has already said it, and in live speech eger often drops out.
Table
| The relation | By conjunction | By verb form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| cause | sebebi, öitkeni | -ğandyqtan | auyrğandyqtan kelmedim |
| consequence | sondyqtan | — | kesh boldy, sondyqtan kettik |
| condition | eger | -sa / -se | uaqytyñ bolsa, habarlas |
| time | — (kezde, keiin) | -ğan + kezde, -ğanda | kelgen kezde aıt |
| purpose | — (üşin) | -u üşin, -yin dep | körü üşin keldim |
| quoted speech | — | dep + a verb of speech | kelemin dep aıtty |
| enumeration | (jäne, da) | -yp / -ip / -p | baryp, alyp keldim |
By example
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Sebebi, eger, kezde, dep: how does it work in Kazakh?
To say I did not come because I fell ill, you need a joint. Kazakh offers two of them.
What does it look like in a Kazakh example sentence?
“Мен (Men) келмедім (Kelmedim), себебі (Sebebi) телефоным (Telefonym) отырып (otyryp) қалды” (qaldy) (Men kelmedim, sebebi telefonym otyryp qaldy) — I did not come, because my phone died. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.