All six cases at a glance
- Атооч жөндөмө · nominative · no ending · ким? эмне? (who? what?)
- Илик жөндөмө · genitive · -нын/-нин/-нун/-нүн; -дын/-дин/-дун/-дүн; -тын/-тин/-тун/-түн · кимдин? эмненин? (whose? of what?)
- Барыш жөндөмө · dative · -га/-ге/-го/-гө; -ка/-ке/-ко/-кө · кимге? эмнеге? кайда? (to whom? to what? where to?)
- Табыш жөндөмө · accusative · -ны/-ни/-ну/-нү; -ды/-ди/-ду/-дү; -ты/-ти/-ту/-тү · кимди? эмнени? (whom? what?)
- Жатыш жөндөмө · locative · -да/-де/-до/-дө; -та/-те/-то/-тө · кимде? эмнеде? кайда? (at/in whom or what? where?)
- Чыгыш жөндөмө · ablative · -дан/-ден/-дон/-дөн; -тан/-тен/-тон/-төн · кимден? эмнеден? кайдан? (from whom? from what? from where?)
One noun through all cases
- үй
- üyhouse / home — nominative
- үйдүн
- üydünof the house — genitive
- үйгө
- üygöto the house / home — dative
- үйдү
- üydüthe house — definite accusative
- үйдө
- üydöin the house / at home — locative
- үйдөн
- üydönfrom the house / from home — ablative
What each case does
- Бул үй чоң.
- Bul üy chong.This house is large. — nominative subject
- Үйдүн эшиги ачык.
- Üydün eshigi achyk.The door of the house is open. — possession
- Мен үйгө барам.
- Men üygö baram.I am going home. — destination
- Мен үйдү көрдүм.
- Men üydü kördüm.I saw the house. — definite object
- Мен үйдө отурам.
- Men üydö oturam.I am sitting at home. — location
- Мен үйдөн келдим.
- Men üydön keldim.I came from home. — source
Why the ending changes
The vowel changes to agree with the final vowel of the word: үйгө but шаарга, көлдө but базарда. The first consonant also adapts to the final sound: шаардан, мектептен, Бишкектен. Learn the family of endings, not one fixed suffix.
- шаарга / мектепке
- shaarga / mektepketo the city / to school
- көлдө / автобуста
- köldö / avtobustaat the lake / on the bus
- айылдан / Бишкектен
- ayyldan / Bishkektenfrom the village / from Bishkek
The definite accusative
A specific, identifiable direct object normally takes the accusative: Мен китепти окудум means “I read the book.” A general or nonspecific object can remain unmarked: Мен китеп окудум means “I read a book / did some book-reading.” This contrast is one of the most useful case choices to notice early.
A practical way to learn cases
- Memorize one six-form chain such as үй, үйдүн, үйгө, үйдү, үйдө, үйдөн.
- Attach each form to a question: кайда? (where), кайдан? (from where), эмнени? (what as an object).
- Practice case and verb together: үйгө баруу, үйдө жашоо, үйдөн келүү.
- Expect possessive endings to affect the form; master the basic unpossessed pattern first.
Use the six cases inside reusable sentence patterns.
Build Kyrgyz sentences