Sebebi, eger, kezde, dep: two thoughts in one sentence
Until now the course has spoken in short sentences, and that was honest A1. Past this point connectives are unavoidable: "I did not come because I fell ill" is a first-week-of-real-life sentence, not a B1 exercise. Kazakh joins thoughts in two ways at once, and the way closer to English habit is the secondary one in Kazakh. For example: “Мен келмедім, себебі телефоным отырып қалды” — I did not come, because my phone…
How it works
Until now the course has spoken in short sentences, and that was honest A1. Past this point connectives are unavoidable: "I did not come because I fell ill" is a first-week-of-real-life sentence, not a B1 exercise. Kazakh joins thoughts in two ways at once, and the way closer to English habit is the secondary one in Kazakh.
Way one, the familiar one: a conjunction. Sebebi and öitkeni — because; both stand before the second clause, like English "because": men kelmedim, sebebi auyryp qaldym. Eger — if, and with it the verb takes the ending -sa/-se: eger uaqytyñ bolsa, habarlas — if there is time, get in touch. The eger itself is optional — the ending -sa has already said everything, and living speech often drops it. Sondyqtan — therefore, sets the consequence: zhañbyr zhaudy, sondyqtan üide qaldyq.
Way two, the native Kazakh one: there is no subordinate clause at all, there is a verb form. Time: the verb in -ğan plus the postposition kezde or kezinde — sen kelgen kezde — when you came. Word for word this is "at the time of your coming": the clause is rolled up into a noun phrase — the same trick English keeps fossilized in "upon your arrival". The same device with -ğanda: kelgende — when you come. Cause is rolled up into -dyqtan: auyrğandyqtan kelmedim — I did not come because of illness. Purpose goes into -u üşin: bilet alu üşin kezekke turdym.
Separately stands dep — the most Kazakh word on this list. It is the adverbial form of deu (to say), and it introduces other people's words, thoughts and intentions: erteñ kelemin dep aıtty — he said he would come tomorrow. Note the order: first the words themselves, then "dep", then the verb of speech — the mirror image of English. And there is no indirect speech as such in Kazakh: the person inside the quote does not change. Ol kelemin dep aıtty is word for word "he said: I am coming", and you translate it as "he said he would come". Through dep pass thought (dep oilaimyn — I think that...) and purpose (kömekteseıin dep keldim — I came to help). Next to it lives the connective without which no story survives — the -yp/-ip/-p adverbial form. It chains two actions of one person: dükenge baryp, nan aldym — I went to the shop and bought bread. English puts "and" here; Kazakh manages with a verb form, and the last verb in the chain carries the tense and the person for everyone. This is the most frequent construction of Kazakh text — you have already seen it in every passage you have read.
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
- Мен келмедім, себебі телефоным отырып қалдыI did not come, because my phone died
- Егер жаңбыр жауса, пикникті кейінге қалдырамызIf it rains, we will postpone the picnic
- Ол бүрсігүні қайтамын деп айттыHe said he would return the day after tomorrow
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?
Until now the course has spoken in short sentences, and that was honest A1. Past this point connectives are unavoidable: "I did not come because I fell ill" is a first-week-of-real-life sentence, not a B1 exercise. Kazakh joins thoughts in two ways at once, and the way closer to English habit is…
What does it look like in an example sentence Kazakh?
“Мен келмедім, себебі телефоным отырып қалды” — 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.