Case-marked participles

Level 4

In Azerbaijani, participles (like 'the one who comes' or 'what I said') can act as nouns. When the noun they would modify is removed, the participle itself takes on the case endings, plural markers, and possessive suffixes that the noun would have had.

How It Works

When a participle is substantivized (acts as a noun), it follows a specific morphological order: [Verb Stem] + (Negative) + [Participle Suffix] + [Plural] + [Possessive] + [Case Ending].

Subject vs. Object Participles:
It is important to understand the semantic difference between subject and object participles. Subject participles (like -an/-ən) describe the doer of the action and need no possessive ending to identify that doer. When used as nouns, they can nevertheless take possessive endings for belonging or relationship: sevənim (the one who loves me / my admirer), gələnimiz (the one of ours who comes). Object participles (like -dıq/-dik) describe the receiver or result of the action, and the possessive marker indicates who performed the action.

Common suffixes used in this pattern include:

  • -an/-ən (Present/General Subject): Gələnlər (those who come).
  • -mış/-miş/-muş/-müş (Past Subject/Result): Oxumuşlardan (from those who have read/the educated).
  • -acaq/-əcək (Future): Gələcəyimiz (our future).
  • -ar/-ər / -maz/-məz (Aorist/Indefinite Future): Görünməzlər (the unseen), olmazlar (things that are impossible/forbidden).
  • -dıq/-dik/-duq/-dük (Relative Object): Typically requires a possessive marker to function as a relative participle (e.g., bildiyim - that which I know). However, there are lexicalized exceptions that function as nouns without a possessive marker, such as tanıdıqlar (acquaintances).
  • -malı/-məli (Necessitative): Görülməlilər (things that must be done).
  • -ası/-əsi (Potential/Obligation): Deyiləsini dedi (He said what was to be said).

Negation:
Because these forms retain their verbal properties, they can be negated by adding the negative suffix -ma/-mə directly to the verb stem before the participle suffix. For example: gəl-mə-y-ən-lər (those who do not come) or oxu-ma-mış-lar-dan (from those who have not read).

Phonological Notes:
1. Consonant Mutation: When a vowel-initial suffix (like a possessive ending) is added to a participle ending in -q or -k, the q mutates to ğ and the k mutates to y (e.g., gələcək → gələcəyimiz, bildik → bildiyim).
2. Buffer Consonant 'n': When a case ending follows a 3rd person possessive suffix (like the -i in -dığı), a buffer 'n' is required (e.g., yazdığına). Be aware that dediyinə can mean both 'to what he said' (3rd person + buffer n) or 'to what you said' (2nd person singular) depending on context.
3. Buffer Consonant 'y': When a vowel-initial participle suffix attaches to a stem ending in a vowel (which is always the case for negated forms ending in -ma/-mə), a buffer 'y' is required (e.g., gəl-mə-y-ən-lər).

Vowel Harmony:
Choose each ending from the last vowel of the form built so far. -an/-ən and -acaq/-əcək use two-way harmony; -mış/-miş/-muş/-müş and -dıq/-dik/-duq/-dük use four-way harmony. A following possessive or case ending harmonizes with that result, not directly with the original verb stem.

Examples (6)

  1. Gələnləri qapıda qarşıla.

    Greet those who are coming at the door.

    Word by Word: Coming-ones-[acc] door-at greet.

    Here, the participle -an takes the plural suffix -lər and the accusative case -i to function as the direct object.

  2. Eşitdiklərinə inanma.

    Do not believe [in] what you hear.

    Word by Word: Heard-things-your-[dat] believe-not.

    The relative participle -dik takes the plural -lər, the 2nd person possessive -in, and the dative case -ə.

  3. Görülməliləri bitirdik.

    We finished the things that must be done.

    Word by Word: Be-done-must-plural-[acc] finish-past-we.

    The necessitative participle -məli takes the plural -lər and accusative case -i to function as a noun.

  4. Onun dediyinə görə sabah gələcək.

    According to what he said, he will come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: His said-his-[dat] according-to tomorrow come-will.

    In 'dediyinə', the buffer 'n' appears between the 3rd person possessive -i and the dative case -ə. Note that without the pronoun 'onun', this form could also mean 'to what you said'.

  5. Görüləsini mənə ver.

    Give me the one that is to be done.

    Word by Word: To-be-done-[acc] me-to give.

    The participle -əsi (indicating potential or obligation) is substantivized here with a 3rd person possessive and accusative case.

  6. Oxumalılarından birini seç.

    Choose one from those that must be read.

    Word by Word: Read-must-plural-poss-from one-poss-acc choose.

    The necessitative participle -malı is followed by plural, possessive, and ablative case suffixes.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the mandatory buffer 'n' before case endings.

    Onun dediyiyə inanma.
    Onun dediyinə inanma.

    When a case suffix follows a 3rd person possessive (-(s)ı/-(s)i/-(s)u/-(s)ü), you must use the buffer 'n'. In 'dediyi' (what he said), the 'i' is the possessive, so the dative becomes 'dediyinə'.

  • Dropping the possessive suffix with the -dıq participle.

    Gördükdən qorxdum.
    Gördüyümdən qorxdum.

    The -dıq participle typically requires a possessive suffix to indicate who performed the action when used as a relative clause. 'Gördüyümdən' means 'from what I saw'. Without the possessive, it sounds incomplete unless it is a lexicalized noun like 'tanıdıq' (acquaintance).

How It Connects

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

Case-marked participlesLevel 4

Learn This First

To understand case-marked participles, you must first be familiar with the formation of participles themselves (like -an and -dıq). Additionally, since these participles function like nouns when case-marked, you need to understand how case suffixes are applied to nouns and possessed forms.

Sources
  1. M. Hüseynzadə — Müasir Azərbaycan Dili, Morphology (Ministry-approved university grammar)