9.0 Some Unusual Structures in Turkmen Grammar

A. Comparisons "As... as"

Your hat is as expensive as hers. =

Seniñ ∫lÿapañ hem onuñky ÿaly gymmat.

Your hat and hers as expensive.

Your dog is as big as his. =

Seniñ itiñ hem onuñky ÿaly uly.

Your dog and his as big.

Their students are as good as ours. =

Onuñ owkuwçylar hem biziñki ÿaly gowy.

Their students and ours as good.

B. I (verb) (noun) to (verb)

I want him to come. =

Onuñ gelmegini isleÿärin.

His to come I want.

She wants you to listen. =

Ol seniñ e∫itmegiñi isleÿär.

She your to listen wants.

I was asking her to do so. =

Onuñ ∫eÿle etmegini haÿy∫ edÿärdim.

Her so to do I was asking.

I want him to come. =

Onuñ gelmegini isleÿärin.

His coming I want.

10.0 Go∫ylmalar

Letters, go∫ylmalar, are added to verbs to change their function.

10.1: Passive

Adding these go∫ylmalar changes the verb to passive voice where the doer of the sentence is unspoken.

-yl/-il; -ul/-ül; -l

Meniñ ejem uly halyny dokady.=

My mother made/wove a big carpet.

∫u haly ÿüñden dokyldy.=

This carpet was made/woven from wool.

∫u ÿyl iki ÿazyjy täze hekaÿalary döretdiler.

This year two writers created new stories.

¥añy-ÿakynda ∫äherimiz hakynda täze go∫gy döretildi.=

A new poem was written about our city.

10.2: Reflexive

Adding these go∫ylmalar make the verb reflexive where the action of the sentence has its effect on the person or thing that does the action.

-yn/-in; -un/-ün; -n

Günde meniñ joralarymy görÿärin.=

I see my girlfriends everyday.

Ol i∫e gidip görenip gaÿtdy.=

He went to work, showed himself and left.

Kakam paltany ma∫yna söÿedi.=

My father leaned the axe against the car.

Men ardamyny diwara söÿendym.=

I leaned my back against the wall.

10.3: Reciprocal

Adding these go∫ylmalar make the verb exchanged between two people or groups, or given and recieved in return.

-y∫/-i∫; -u∫/ü∫; -∫

Maral jigisini gyjaklady.=

Maral hugged her little brother/sister.

Dostlar gyjakla∫dylar we og∫a∫dylar.=

The friends hugged and kissed each other.

Sen Selbini gördüñmi?=

Did you see Selbi?

Biz göre∫ip salamla∫dyk.=

We saw and greeted each other.

10.4: Causitive

Adding these go∫ylmalar makes the subject of the verb also the cause of an action or state.

-dyr/-dir; -dur/-dür;-yr/-ir; -ur/-ür; -uz,-üz; -ar/-er; -der/-dar; -t

Men ∫u kitap bilen gyzyklanamok.=

I am not interested in this book.

Meniñ mugallymym maña Türkmen go∫gularany öwrenmäge gyzyklandyrdy.-

My teacher got me interested in Turkmen poetry.

Mergen öÿe gelip derrew yatdy.=

Mergen came home and went to sleep right away.

Gül∫at çagalaryny giç ÿatardy.=

Gulshat put her children to bed late.

Men Ainabady görenimde güldim.=

When I saw Ainabat, I laughed.

Ol gülkunçli dege∫me aÿdanynda dostlaryny gülderdi.

He made his friends laugh when he told a funny joke.

Men ÿerde çökip gülleri ni çöpledim.=

I knelt on the ground and picked flowers.

Çopan düÿäni çökerdi.=

The shepherd made the camel kneel down.

Tomsuna hemme adama ir turÿar.=

Everyone gets up/wakes up early in the summer.

Sagat onda maña turuzsana!=

Wake me up at 10 o'clock!

Ol i∫ini etdi.=

He did the work.

Ol meni holynda i∫letdi.=

He made me work in the yard.

Only görmek=to see uses go∫ylma -kez in its causitive form:

Olar bizi köçede gördiler.=

They saw us on the street.

Men suratlarymy jorama görkezÿärin.=

I am showing my friend my pictures.