Verb chart - a template using Getmək

Getting to know which verb tense to use can be tricky, especially if you want to learn it without resorting to a lot of grammatical rules. I have devised a chart that situates the verbs along a continuum of past - present - future. It makes sense to me - I hope it will help you too. I print these out on an A3 page for study and reference.

Let's start in the middle with the present tense.

Imperative mood

The imperative mood, as normally understood in English, is easy in Azerbaijani. You want to tell someone to go - verb getmək - you just use the verb root for the 2nd person singular and add a -(y)in4 ending for the 2nd person plural. It gets more complicated when you learn that verbs take suffixes for the other persons as well. This is unlike English, where we use Let me go, Let him go, etc.

Var (to exist)

That ubiquitous "var" takes some getting used to for a native English speaker. You simply can't say that you have something in Azeri. OK - you can say that you possess something - but for most purposes you can't get by without var.

Let's look at a few examples first, and then we can go into more of the grammar.

Indefinite future

Use this tense when you would use "will" in English. It connotes a new decision to do something. After using this tense to describe a decision, you would refer to that decision using the regular future (-əcəm) since now it is something that you are definitely going to do. That is, decision has been made.

Let's look at some other verbs.

-miş past

This tense is used for events that have occurred in the past and are significant to the present. Using this tense suggests that you do not have direct knowledge of the event, but heard about it secondhand.

In spoken language, this is what the miş-past looks like this (using gəlmək as the example):

Examples of sentences using gəlmək (to come) that would use this tense: I have come here so many times; You have come here before?; He has come all the way from New York.

Let's look at other verbs.

Definite future

The future suffix is - əcək (yəcək following vowels). This chart uses gəlmək (to come) as an example:



Let's look at other examples.

-di past

To say something was or happened in the past (and is now over), you use the so-called di-past. You should have firsthand knowledge of the event being referred to.

This guide will show you how the di-past is constructed, using gəlmək (to come) as an example.




Let's look at a few more verbs.

Present

Once you have the "to be" suffixes, you just add - ir (ır, ür, ur) - y before if following a vowel - and you have the present tense.

Here is a guide using the verb gəlmək = gəl (root meaning "come") + mək (infinitive ending)





So, I am coming, You are coming, He is coming, We are coming, You plural are coming, They are coming.

Let's look at other verbs so that you can see how the vowel harmony is working.

I am ... using TO BE suffixes

The simplest sentences tell people something about yourself - I am a doctor, a librarian; I am sick, tired, happy. Or something about someone else - You are late, beautifulç selfish.

Present tense "To Be" suffixes are: