-an kimi

As-soon-as Clause

Level 4

[Verb Stem] + -an/-ən + kimi
Indicates immediate succession ('as soon as').

How It Works

This pattern is the most common way to say 'as soon as' in Azerbaijani. It is highly productive and used across all registers.

1. Formation:

  • If the verb stem ends in a consonant: Add -an (back vowels) or -ən (front vowels).
    Example: gəl (come) → gələn kimi.
  • If the verb stem ends in a vowel: Insert the buffer consonant -y- before the suffix.
    Example: oxu (read) → oxuyan kimi.

2. Subject and Case:
Unlike some other Turkic languages, the subject of an -an kimi clause remains in the nominative case. You do not use the genitive case for the subject.

3. Tense and Context:
The -an kimi part itself does not change for tense. The overall time of the sentence (past, present, or future) is determined by the main verb at the end of the sentence. It can be used for past narratives, present habits, or future instructions.

Examples (5)

  1. Evə çatan kimi mənə zəng et.

    Call me as soon as you reach home.

    Word by Word: Home reaching like to-me call do.

    Here, the pattern is used for a future command. The action of calling should happen the moment the person arrives.

  2. Qapı açılan kimi uşaqlar içəri qaçdılar.

    As soon as the door opened, the children ran inside.

    Word by Word: Door being-opened like children inside they-ran.

    This shows the pattern in a past context. The main verb 'qaçdılar' sets the time to the past.

  3. Müəllim otağa girən kimi hamı ayağa qalxdı.

    The moment the teacher entered the room, everyone stood up.

    Word by Word: Teacher room-into entering like everyone foot-to rose.

    This emphasizes the lack of delay between the teacher entering and the students standing.

  4. Yağış yağan kimi güllər açılır.

    As soon as it rains, the flowers bloom.

    Word by Word: Rain falling like flowers open-up.

    Used here to describe a general habit or natural occurrence in the present tense.

  5. O, məni görən kimi güldü.

    As soon as he saw me, he smiled.

    Word by Word: He me seeing like smiled.

    A simple past narrative showing immediate reaction.

Common Mistakes

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

    O, kitabı oxuan kimi ağladı.
    O, kitabı oxuyan kimi ağladı.

    When a verb stem ends in a vowel like 'oxu-', you must add 'y' before '-an' to avoid two vowels clashing.

  • Using the genitive case for the subject.

    Mənim gələn kimi işə başladıq.
    Mən gələn kimi işə başladıq.

    In Azerbaijani, the subject of this clause stays in the nominative (Mən), not the genitive (Mənim).

How It Connects

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

-an kimiLevel 4As-soon-as Clause

Learn This First

To understand the '-an kimi' pattern, learners need to be familiar with the basic postposition 'kimi' and how the '-an/-ən' participle suffix attaches to verb stems using vowel harmony to create a temporal clause meaning 'as soon as'.

Words in This Pattern

-ankimi