-ar-maz/-ər-məz

Immediate Succession Converb

Level 6

The -ar-maz / -ər-məz pattern indicates immediate succession. It translates to 'as soon as' or 'the moment that,' emphasizing that there is no time gap between two events.

How It Works

The -ar-maz / -ər-məz construction is a temporal converb (zaman bağ-feli) used to link two actions where the second follows the first instantly.

1. Formation:
The pattern follows vowel harmony (2-way):

  • -ar...-maz: Used with back vowels (a, ı, o, u). Example: baxar-baxmaz (as soon as looking).
  • -ər...-məz: Used with front vowels (e, ə, i, ö, ü). Example: gələr-gəlməz (as soon as coming).

2. Vowel Stems:
If the verb stem ends in a vowel, the buffer consonant -y- must be inserted before the positive suffix (the first part).
Example: oxu + -y- + ar + oxumaz → oxuyar-oxumaz.

3. Usage and Nuance:
While similar to -an kimi, this pattern is more emphatic about the 'automatic' or 'instantaneous' nature of the sequence. It is common in both literature and daily speech. Note that the two verb stems must be identical; you cannot mix different verbs in this specific construction.

4. Invariability:
Crucially, this converb is invariable. It does not take personal endings or tense markers. The subject and the time of the action are determined entirely by the main verb at the end of the sentence. For example, in "Mən evə çatar-çatmaz yatdım" (I slept as soon as I arrived home), the first person singular and past tense are indicated by yatdım, not the converb.

Examples (4)

  1. O, xəbəri eşidər-eşitməz ağlamağa başladı.

    As soon as he heard the news, he started to cry.

    Word by Word: He, news hear-as-soon-as to-cry started.

    The verb 'eşitmək' (to hear) uses the front-vowel version '-ər-məz' to show the immediate reaction.

  2. Gün çıxar-çıxmaz yola düşməliyik.

    We must set out the moment the sun rises.

    Word by Word: Sun rise-as-soon-as road-to fall-must-we.

    Here, 'çıxmaq' (to come out/rise) uses the back-vowel version '-ar-maz'.

  3. Qapı açılar-açılmaz uşaqlar içəri qaçdılar.

    No sooner had the door opened than the children ran inside.

    Word by Word: Door open-as-soon-as children inside ran.

    This uses the passive form 'açılmaq' (to be opened) to show the sequence of events.

  4. Mən evə çatar-çatmaz yağış yağmağa başladı.

    As soon as I reached home, it started to rain.

    Word by Word: I home reach-as-soon-as rain to-rain started.

    The action of reaching home and the rain starting are presented as happening back-to-back.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Turkish 'short' positive suffix (-r) instead of the Azerbaijani full suffix (-ar/-ər).

    Gəlir-gəlməz mənə zəng et.
    Gələr-gəlməz mənə zəng et.

    In Azerbaijani, the first part must be the full aorist form (-ar/-ər). The Turkish style 'gəlir-gəlməz' is incorrect in standard Azerbaijani.

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

    O, kitabı oxuar-oxumaz qaytardı.
    O, kitabı oxuyar-oxumaz qaytardı.

    When a verb stem ends in a vowel like 'oxu-', you must add -y- before the -ar suffix.

  • Reversing the order of the positive and negative parts.

    Gəlməz-gələr işə başladı.
    Gələr-gəlməz işə başladı.

    The positive form (-ar/-ər) must always come before the negative form (-maz/-məz).

How It Connects

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

-ar-maz/-ər-məzLevel 6Immediate Succession Converb

Learn This First

The immediate succession converb is a paired structure formed by repeating the verb stem with the positive aorist suffix (-ar/-ər) followed by the negative aorist suffix (-maz/-məz). To understand this pattern, learners must be familiar with the aorist tense markers and how they harmonize with verb stems.

Words in This Pattern

-ər-ar-məz