-andan/-əndən sonra

After-clause

Level 4

Verb Stem + -(y)an/-(y)ən + -dan/-dən + sonra

How It Works

The -andan/-əndən sonra construction is a fundamental tool for sequencing events in Azerbaijani. It is formed in three steps:

  • 1. Participle: Attach the subject participle suffix to the verb stem. Use -an for back vowels (a, ı, o, u) and -ən for front vowels (e, ə, i, ö, ü). If the stem ends in a vowel, insert the buffer -y-. To make the clause negative, add the general verbal negation suffix -ma/-mə before the participle (e.g., gəlməyəndən sonra).
  • 2. Case: Add the ablative case suffix (-dan/-dən). This is required because the postposition sonra governs the ablative case.
  • 3. Postposition: Add the word sonra (after).

Note: The subject of the '-andan' clause can be different from the subject of the main clause (e.g., Sən gedəndən sonra mən yatacağam - After you leave, I will sleep). While -andan sonra is the standard form in speech, you may also encounter the more formal -dıqdan/-dikdən sonra construction in academic or official writing. The tense of the entire sentence is determined by the main verb at the end, not by the '-andan' clause itself.

Examples (4)

  1. Dərs bitəndən sonra kitabxanaya gedəcəyəm.

    I will go to the library after the lesson finishes.

    Word by Word: Lesson finishing-from after library-to I-will-go.

    Here, 'bitmək' (to finish) becomes 'bitəndən sonra' to show the sequence of events in the future.

  2. Məktubunu oxuyandan sonra ona zəng etdim.

    I called him after reading your letter.

    Word by Word: Letter-your reading-from after him-to call I-did.

    Note the buffer 'y' in 'oxuyandan' because the stem 'oxu-' ends in a vowel.

  3. Yemək yeyəndən sonra çay içdik.

    We drank tea after eating food.

    Word by Word: Food eating-from after tea we-drank.

    A common daily routine sentence using the front-vowel version '-əndən'.

  4. Yağış yağandan sonra hava təmizləndi.

    The air cleared up after it rained.

    Word by Word: Rain falling-from after air cleared.

    This shows a completed natural event leading to a result.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the buffer 'y' on vowel-ending stems.

    Oxuandan sonra...
    Oxuyandan sonra...

    Azerbaijani does not allow two vowels to sit together at a suffix boundary; a buffer 'y' must be used between the stem and the participle suffix.

  • Using the locative case (-anda) instead of the ablative case (-andan).

    Gələndə sonra...
    Gələndən sonra...

    The postposition 'sonra' requires the ablative case (-dan/-dən). Using '-anda' changes the meaning to 'when' and makes 'sonra' grammatically redundant.

  • Confusing the negative form with the 'before' construction.

    Gəlmədən sonra...
    Gəlməyəndən sonra...

    To say 'after not doing', you must use the negative suffix -ma/-mə followed by the buffer 'y' and the standard -andan suffix. The form '-madan' is used for 'before' or 'without'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-andan/-əndən sonraLevel 4After-clause

Learn This First

To understand the '-andan/-əndən sonra' construction, learners must first be familiar with the temporal converb '-anda/-əndə' which marks the time of an action. They also need to understand how the ablative case (-dan/-dən) functions as a starting point and how the postposition 'sonra' (after) governs the ablative case to create temporal 'after' clauses.

Words in This Pattern

sonra