-ıb/-ib/-ub/-üb (nəqli keçmiş)

Reported Perfect Past

Level 3

The -ıb/-ib/-ub/-üb suffix forms the Reported Perfect Past. It is used when you didn't see the action happen but see the result now, or when someone else told you about it. In standard speech, it is primarily used for the 3rd person (he/she/it/they).

How It Works

The Reported Perfect Past is one of the most common ways to talk about the past in Azerbaijani. It follows 4-way vowel harmony:

  • -ıb: after a, ı (e.g., yazıb)
  • -ib: after e, ə, i (e.g., gəlib)
  • -ub: after o, u (e.g., oxuyub)
  • -üb: after ö, ü (e.g., görüb)

Key Usage Rules:
1. Inference: You see wet ground and say Yağış yağıb (It has rained). You didn't see the rain, but the puddles prove it.
2. Hearsay: You hear from a friend that Elşən evlənib (Elshan has gotten married).
3. Person Restriction: In standard Azerbaijani, this suffix is used for the 3rd person. For the 1st and 2nd persons, use -mış with personal endings (e.g., Mən gəlmişəm instead of Mən gəlibəm).
4. Buffer Consonant: If the verb stem ends in a vowel, insert -y- before the suffix (e.g., oxu + y + ub).
5. Formal Register: In writing, you might see the copula -dır added (e.g., gəlibdir), but this is usually dropped in daily conversation.

Examples (5)

  1. Yağış yağıb.

    It has rained.

    Word by Word: Rain has-fallen.

    The speaker sees the ground is wet and infers that it rained earlier.

  2. O, Bakıya gedib.

    He/she has gone to Baku.

    Word by Word: He/she Baku-to has-gone.

    The person is currently in Baku or on their way; the result of the action is what matters.

  3. Deyirlər ki, qatar artıq gedib.

    They say that the train has already gone.

    Word by Word: They-say that train already has-gone.

    This is reported information (hearsay) using the particle ki.

  4. Uşaqlar yatıblar.

    The children have fallen asleep.

    Word by Word: Children have-slept-plural.

    The children are currently sleeping. The plural suffix -lar is added after the tense suffix.

  5. Pəncərə sınıb.

    The window has broken.

    Word by Word: Window has-broken.

    The speaker sees the broken glass now, even if they didn't see the moment it broke.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the -ıb past with 'I'.

    Mən gəlibəm.
    Mən gəlmişəm.

    The -ıb past has no standard first person form. For 'I have come', use -mış: gəlmişəm (and gəlmişik for 'we'). The -ıb form is used mostly with he, she and they (gəlib, gəliblər).

  • Using -ıb for an event you witnessed personally.

    Dünən mən onu gördüm, o gəlib.
    Dünən mən onu gördüm, o gəldi.

    If you saw the action happen with your own eyes and are telling what happened, the definite past (-dı) is the normal choice; -ıb gives a result or reported feel.

How It Connects

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-ıb/-ib/-ub/-üb (nəqli keçmiş)Level 3Reported Perfect Past

Learn This First

To understand the -ıb reported past, learners must first learn four-way vowel harmony to correctly attach the suffix. They should also be familiar with the basic witnessed past tense to understand when to use the reported past instead. Finally, since -ıb functions as a stylistic or third-person alternative to the -mış reported past, knowledge of the -mış form provides the necessary conceptual framework for indirect evidence and results.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-ib-ıb-ub-üb