Öte, tym, äbden: how strong and how sure
Two different questions are answered with look-alike words in Kazakh, and that is why they get confused. The first: how strong — very, too, quite. The second: how sure I am — probably, certainly, it seems. Take them one at a time. For example: “Бұл кітап өте қызық” — This book is very interesting. A rule from the Kazakh course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Two different questions are answered with look-alike words in Kazakh, and that is why they get confused. The first: how strong — very, too, quite. The second: how sure I am — probably, certainly, it seems. Take them one at a time.
Degree stands before the adjective or the adverb and does not change itself. Öte — very, an even amplifier: öte ädemi. Tym — too, with a shade of "more than is good": tym qymbat — too expensive. The recurring mistake here: "very expensive" is öte qymbat, while tym qymbat already means "dearer than I am ready to pay" — the same split English makes between "very" and "too". Äbden — completely, finally, to the limit: äbden sharshadym — I am worn out altogether. Onsha works only with a negation: onsha qymbat emes — not all that expensive. And -raq/-rek attaches to the word itself and softens it: arzanyraq — a bit cheaper, kişirek — a bit smaller.
Judgment is the second half. Ärine — of course, without doubt, usually the first word of a reply. Shamasy — apparently, by all appearances; literally "its measure", a polite guess about what you see: shamasy, ol uyiqtap qağan — apparently he has fallen asleep. Mümkin — maybe, probability with no observation behind it. Sirä — most likely. Bälkim — the same, but more bookish.
The two groups stand in different places, and that is worth memorizing separately: degree hugs the word it amplifies, while judgment covers the whole sentence, stands at the beginning and is set off by a comma. Ol öte zhaqsy oinaidy — he plays very well. Shamasy, ol zhaqsy oinaidy — apparently, he plays well. Swap them and you will get a phrase that is understood — and in which a foreigner is heard.
Table
| The word | The meaning | Where it stands | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| öte | very | before the word | öte ädemi |
| tym | too, excessively | before the word | tym ystyq |
| äbden | completely, to the limit | before the word | äbden sharshadym |
| onsha ... emes | not very | around the word | onsha alys emes |
| -raq / -rek | a bit, somewhat | on the word itself | zhaqsyraq |
| ärine | of course | at the beginning | Ärine, kelemin |
| shamasy | apparently | at the beginning | Shamasy, ol uyiqtap qağan |
| mümkin | maybe | at the beginning | Mümkin, erteñ |
By example
- Бұл кітап өте қызықThis book is very interesting
- Дыбыс тым қатты, ақырын, өтінемінThe sound is too loud, quieter, please
- Шамасы, курьер кешігедіApparently, the courier will be late
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
Öte, tym, äbden: how does it work in Kazakh?
Two different questions are answered with look-alike words in Kazakh, and that is why they get confused. The first: how strong — very, too, quite. The second: how sure I am — probably, certainly, it seems. Take them one at a time.
What does it look like in an example sentence Kazakh?
“Бұл кітап өте қызық” — This book is very interesting. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.