-ınca/-incə

Until or Upon Doing

Level 3

The -ınca/-incə suffix is a versatile temporal marker. It either sets a time limit (until) or indicates an immediate reaction (upon/as soon as).

How It Works

The -(y)ınca/-(y)incə/-(y)unca/-(y)üncə converb serves several main functions in Azerbaijani:

1. The Limit Function ('Until'): It marks the point in time when the main action stops. It implies the action continues right up to that moment.
Example: Mən dönüb gəlincə evdə gözlə. (Wait at home until I return.)
Note: For the 'until' meaning, this suffix is often more literary or formal, whereas everyday spoken Azerbaijani frequently prefers -ana/-ənə qədər.

2. The Immediate Function ('Upon' or 'As soon as'): It marks an action that triggers the main verb immediately. It is more urgent and immediate than the general -anda/-əndə (when) suffix.

3. The Degree or Manner Function: It is used to form adverbs that describe the extent or manner of an action. Common examples include doyunca (to one's fill/until satisfied) or ölüncə (to death).

4. The Preference Function ('Rather than' / 'Instead of'): In modern spoken Azerbaijani, it can express doing one thing instead of another.
Example: Burada gözləyincə, evə get. (Instead of waiting here, go home.)

5. The Negative Form ('Unless' / 'Until not'): By adding the general negation suffix -ma/-mə, we get -mayınca/-məyincə. This expresses that the main action cannot happen until the first action occurs (e.g., oxumayınca - until/unless one reads). Pronunciation note: In this negative form, the word stress falls on the syllable immediately preceding the negation suffix.

Tense Neutrality:
Like other converbs, this suffix is tense-neutral. The time frame (past, present, or future) is determined entirely by the main verb of the sentence. For example: Evə gəlincə zəng etdim (As soon as I came home, I called) vs. Evə gəlincə zəng edəcəyəm (As soon as I come home, I will call).

Subject Case:
If the converb clause has a different subject than the main clause, that subject takes the nominative case (e.g., Sən gəlincə, not Sənin gəlincə).

Idiomatic Usage:
The form gəlincə (from gəlmək - to come) is often used with the dative case to mean 'as for' or 'regarding' (e.g., Mənə gəlincə... - As for me...).

Extended Formal Form:
In highly formal, religious, or literary texts, the suffix is sometimes extended with the dative case and a postposition: -ıncaya qədər (e.g., vədi gəlincəyə qədər).

Morphology:

  • If the verb stem ends in a consonant: Stem + -ınca/-incə/-unca/-üncə
  • If the verb stem ends in a vowel: Stem + -y- + -ınca/-incə/-unca/-üncə

Examples (5)

  1. Sən gəlincə mən burada gözləyəcəyəm.

    I will wait here until you come.

    Word by Word: You coming-until I here-at will-wait.

    Here, the suffix indicates a time limit (until).

  2. Məktubu oxuyunca ağlamağa başladı.

    Upon reading the letter, she started to cry.

    Word by Word: Letter-acc reading-upon to-cry she-started.

    In this context, it shows an immediate reaction (as soon as).

  3. Yağış kəsməyincə çölə çıxma.

    Do not go outside until the rain stops (unless it stops).

    Word by Word: Rain not-stopping-until to-outside do-not-go.

    The negative form -mayınca/-məyincə often translates to 'until... not' or 'unless'.

  4. Mənə gəlincə, mən bu fikirlə razı deyiləm.

    As for me, I do not agree with this idea.

    Word by Word: To-me coming-upon, I this idea-with satisfied not-am.

    The word 'gəlincə' is frequently used idiomatically to mean 'as for' or 'regarding'.

  5. O, məni görüncə güldü.

    He laughed as soon as he saw me.

    Word by Word: He me seeing-upon laughed.

    A classic example of immediate anteriority.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the buffer 'y' after vowel stems.

    oxuunca
    oxuyunca

    When a verb stem ends in a vowel like 'oxu-', you must insert the buffer consonant 'y' before adding the suffix.

  • Ignoring 4-way vowel harmony.

    görincə
    görüncə

    The suffix follows 4-way harmony. Since 'gör-' has a rounded vowel 'ö', the suffix must use the rounded 'ü' variant.

  • Putting the subject of -ınca in the genitive.

    Sənin gəlincə gözləyəcəyəm.
    Sən gəlincə gözləyəcəyəm.

    -ınca is a converb, not a possessed verbal noun, so its subject stays in the plain form: 'Sən gəlincə' ('until you come'). The genitive belongs to nouns like 'gəlməsi'.

How It Connects

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

-ınca/-incəLevel 3Until or Upon Doing

Learn This First

To learn the -ınca/-incə converb, learners must understand four-way vowel harmony to correctly attach the suffix. They should also be familiar with basic verb stems and the general concept of temporal converbs (like -anda) to distinguish between 'when' and 'until/upon' nuances.