Tölem, öndiris, kelissöz: how a verb becomes a noun
Half the words about money and contracts are verbs that turned into nouns. Several tails do this, and each says something of its own. For example: “Жеткізу құны төлемге кірмейді” — The delivery cost is not included in the payment. A rule from the Kazakh course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Half the words about money and contracts are verbs that turned into nouns. Several tails do this, and each says something of its own.
The tail -u gives the action itself: töleu is both to pay and payment; zhetkizu is both to deliver and delivery. The -u form takes tails and behaves as any noun: zhetkizu quny, the cost of delivery.
The tail -ym names a result, a portion, a finished thing: töleu gives tölem, the sum that is paid. The tail -ys names the whole process: öndiru gives öndiris; tekseru gives tekseris.
The trap: -ma gives a thing or a paper. Tapsyrma is a task, mindetteme an obligation, köshirme a copy. One English word often has two Kazakh partners.
Table
| the tail | what it names | the verb | the noun |
|---|---|---|---|
| -u | the action in general | töleu — to pay | töleu — payment |
| -u | the action in general | zetkizu — to deliver | zetkizu — delivery |
| -ym / -im | the result, the amount | töleu | tölem — a payment |
| -ym / -im | the result, a thing | qoiu — to stage | qoiylym — a play |
| -ys / -is | the process, reciprocity | öndiru — to produce | öndiris — production |
| -ys / -is | the process, reciprocity | surau — to request | suranys — demand |
| -ma / -me | a made thing, a paper | mindet — a duty | mindetteleme — a commitment |
| -ma / -me | a made thing, a paper | toptau — to collect | toptama — a collection |
By example
- Жеткізу құны төлемге кірмейдіThe delivery cost is not included in the payment
- Зауытта өндіріс тоқтады, тексеріс басталдыProduction stopped at the factory, an inspection began
- Міндеттемені жазбаша рәсімдеу керекThe commitment must be put in writing
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
Tölem, öndiris, kelissöz: how does it work in Kazakh?
Half the words about money and contracts are verbs that turned into nouns. Several tails do this, and each says something of its own.
What does it look like in an example sentence Kazakh?
“Жеткізу құны төлемге кірмейді” — The delivery cost is not included in the payment. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.