sən

Second Person Singular Pronoun

Level 1

sən is the informal 'you' used for friends, family, and children. It is singular and triggers specific endings on verbs and nouns.

How It Works

The pronoun sən is used to address a single person in casual or intimate settings. Using it correctly is vital for social etiquette.

1. Social Usage:
Use sən with:

  • Close friends and peers
  • Family members
  • Children or people much younger than you
  • Pets

Avoid using it with strangers, elders, or superiors, as it can be perceived as disrespectful. In those cases, use siz.

2. Grammatical Agreement:
When sən is the subject, the predicate must have a matching suffix:

  • For nouns/adjectives (to be): -san/-sən (e.g., Sən tələbəsən - You are a student).
  • For present tense verbs: -san/-sən (e.g., Sən gəlirsən - You are coming).
  • For past tense verbs: -n (e.g., Sən gəldin - You came).

3. Case Forms:
The pronoun sən follows regular vowel harmony in all case forms, including the dative case:

  • Nominative: sən (you)
  • Genitive: sənin (your/yours)
  • Dative: sənə (to you)
  • Accusative: səni (you - direct object)
  • Locative: səndə (at/on you)
  • Ablative: səndən (from you)

Examples (5)

  1. Sən harada yaşayırsan?

    Where do you live?

    Word by Word: You where-at live-present-you?

    This uses the pronoun 'sən' with the matching verb ending '-san'.

  2. Sən mənim ən yaxın dostumsan.

    You are my closest friend.

    Word by Word: You my most close friend-my-are.

    Here, 'sən' is used with a nominal predicate ending in '-san'.

  3. Mən səni dünən gördüm.

    I saw you yesterday.

    Word by Word: I you-accusative yesterday saw-I.

    This shows 'sən' in the accusative case (səni) as the direct object.

  4. Sənə bir kitab aldım.

    I bought a book for you.

    Word by Word: To-you one book bought-I.

    This shows the dative case 'sənə' (to you/for you).

  5. Sən çox ağıllısan.

    You are very smart.

    Word by Word: You very smart-are.

    A simple informal compliment using the nominal suffix '-san'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the familiar 'sən' with a teacher.

    Different MeaningMüəllim, sən necəsən?
    Müəllim, siz necəsiniz?

    sən is the familiar form, used with friends and family. With a teacher or someone you do not know well, siz is the expected polite form.

  • Omitting the personal suffix on the predicate.

    Sən tələbə.
    Sən tələbəsən.

    Even if you include the pronoun 'sən', the suffix '-san/-sən' is mandatory on the noun or verb.

  • Using 'sən' for a group of people.

    Dostlar, sən haradasan?
    Dostlar, siz haradasınız?

    'sən' is strictly singular. Even for close friends, if there is more than one person, you must use 'siz'.

How It Connects

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sənLevel 1Second Person Singular Pronoun

Learn This First

The second person singular pronoun 'sən' is a foundational element of Azerbaijani grammar. To use it effectively, learners should understand the concept of personal pronouns (introduced with 'mən') and how subjects appear in the unmarked nominative case.

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