-san/-sən (indiki zaman)

Second Person Singular Present Ending

Level 1

Use -san or -sən to say 'you are doing' something in an informal context. It attaches to the present tense marker -ır⁴.

How It Works

The suffix -san/-sən is the second person singular personal ending. When used with the present tense, it follows a specific morphological chain:

Verb Root + (Negation) + Tense Marker + Personal Ending

1. Tense Marker: In the positive present tense, we use -ır/-ir/-ur/-ür (for consonant stems) or -yır/-yir/-yur/-yür (for vowel stems).
2. Negation: To make the verb negative, use the suffix -mır/-mir/-mur/-mür before adding the personal ending (e.g., gəlmir-sən).
3. Personal Ending: We then add -san or -sən based on the vowel of the tense marker:

  • Use -san after -ır or -ur (e.g., alırsan, oxuyursan).
  • Use -sən after -ir or -ür (e.g., gəlirsən, görürsən).

Consonant Change: For the verbs getmək (to go), etmək (to do), and all multi-syllable verbs ending in t (like eşitmək - to hear), the t changes to d before the present tense suffix (e.g., gedirsən, eşidirsən). Most other single-syllable verbs like satmaq (to sell) keep the t (satırsan).

Social Context: This form is informal. Use it with friends, family, or children. For strangers or superiors, you must use the formal -sınız/-siniz/-sunuz/-sünüz ending.

Examples (4)

  1. Sən haraya gedirsən?

    Where are you going?

    Word by Word: You where-to go-ing-you?

    Here, 'gedir' (is going) takes '-sən' because 'i' is a front vowel.

  2. Niyə gülürsən?

    Why are you laughing?

    Word by Word: Why laugh-ing-you?

    The pronoun 'sən' is omitted here, but the '-sən' ending makes the subject clear.

  3. Sən çox sürətli oxuyursan.

    You read very fast.

    Word by Word: You very fast read-ing-you.

    The verb 'oxuyur' ends in a back vowel 'u', so we use the '-san' suffix.

  4. Məni eşidirsən?

    Do you hear me?

    Word by Word: Me hear-ing-you?

    A simple question formed by adding the personal ending to the present tense verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong vowel harmony (Turkish influence).

    Sən gəlirsün.
    Sən gəlirsən.

    Unlike Turkish which uses four-way harmony (-sın/sin/sun/sün), Azerbaijani only uses two-way harmony (-san/sən) for this ending.

  • Using the informal 'sən' form with a teacher.

    Different MeaningMüəllim, haraya gedirsən?
    Müəllim, haraya gedirsiniz?

    This is a good sentence, but -san/-sən is the informal 'you' and can sound too familiar when you speak to a teacher (müəllim). For one person you address politely, use -siniz, as in the right sentence.

  • Forgetting the 't' to 'd' change in common verbs.

    Sən getirsən.
    Sən gedirsən.

    In verbs like 'getmək' (to go) and 'etmək' (to do), the final 't' changes to 'd' when followed by a vowel-starting suffix like the present tense marker.

How It Connects

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-san/-sən (indiki zaman)Level 1Second Person Singular Present Ending

Learn This First

To understand the second person singular present ending (-san/-sən), you should first be familiar with how the present tense is formed and how other personal endings, like the first person singular, are applied to the verb stem.

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Words in This Pattern

-sən