güman ki

Suppositional Stance Güman Ki

Level 5

Use güman ki when you want to express a logical guess or a suspicion that something is true, but you aren't 100% certain. It translates to 'presumably' or 'it is supposed that'.

How It Works

The phrase is composed of the noun güman (supposition/doubt) and the particle ki. In modern Azerbaijani, it functions as a standalone modal unit.

1. Sentence Position:
It is syntactically flexible and can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. However, its position affects punctuation:

  • Beginning: Followed by a comma. (Güman ki, ...)
  • Middle: Enclosed by commas. (O, güman ki, ...)
  • End: Preceded by a comma. (..., güman ki.)

2. Nuance of Probability:
While often translated as 'probably', it carries a specific nuance of 'I suspect' or 'My guess is'. It is used when the speaker has some logical basis for their assumption but lacks definitive proof.

3. Verb Mood:
Unlike some 'that' clauses, güman ki does not require the subjunctive mood. It is almost always used with the indicative (declarative) mood, such as the definite future or reported past.

Examples (4)

  1. Güman ki, o, bu gün gəlməyəcək.

    Presumably, he will not come today.

    Word by Word: Supposition that, he, this day will not come.

    Here, the speaker is making a logical guess about someone's absence.

  2. Məsələ, güman ki, yaxın vaxtlarda həll olunacaq.

    The matter will probably be resolved in the near future.

    Word by Word: Matter, supposition that, near times-in solution will be-become.

    When placed in the middle of the sentence, it is surrounded by commas.

  3. Güman ki, qatar artıq yola düşüb.

    Presumably, the train has already departed.

    Word by Word: Supposition that, train already road-to has fallen.

    Used with the reported past to express a suspicion about a completed action.

  4. Onlar, güman ki, hələ də şəhərdədirlər.

    They are presumably still in the city.

    Word by Word: They, supposition that, still also city-in-are.

    This shows the use of the modal word with a nominal predicate.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the comma after the phrase at the start of a sentence.

    Güman ki o gələcək.
    Güman ki, o gələcək.

    In Azerbaijani orthography, modal words (parenthetical expressions) must be set off by commas.

  • This is a good sentence, but it states a likelihood, not a hope.

    Different MeaningGüman ki, sən sağalarsan.
    Ümid edirəm ki, sən sağalarsan.

    Güman ki, sən sağalarsan is correct and means 'You will probably recover': it is a guess about what is likely. To say 'I hope you recover', which is a wish, use ümid edirəm ki.

How It Connects

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

güman kiLevel 5Suppositional Stance Güman Ki

Learn This First

The phrase 'güman ki' (presumably/likely) is a modal expression used to indicate a suppositional stance. It relies on the 'ki' particle to introduce a clause or set off the supposition from the rest of the sentence. Learners should be familiar with how 'ki' functions as a linker and how Azerbaijani expresses varying levels of certainty through parenthetical words.

Words in This Pattern

gümangümanki