-mı/-mi/-mu/-mü (ümumi sual)
Yes-no Question Particle
The particle -mı / -mi / -mu / -mü is a common way to ask a yes-no question in Azerbaijani. Unlike in Turkish, it is always attached directly to the word it follows.
How It Works
In Azerbaijani, the yes-no question particle is an enclitic, meaning it is written as part of the word but does not usually take the word stress.
1. Vowel Harmony:
It follows the 4-way vowel harmony rule:
- -mı: after a, ı (e.g., hazırdırmı?)
- -mi: after e, i, ə (e.g., gəlirmi?)
- -mu: after o, u (e.g., oxuyurmu?)
- -mü: after ö, ü (e.g., gördümü?)
2. Placement after Personal Endings:
Unlike some other Turkic languages, in Azerbaijani, the question particle is placed after the personal endings of the verb. For example: Gəlirsənmi? (Are you coming?) or Tələbəsinizmi? (Are you a student?).
3. Usage with the Copula:
When questioning a noun or adjective, the third person nominal ending is typically retained before the particle. For example: Bu, kitabdırmı? (Is this a book?) instead of just Bu, kitabdır?.
4. Register:
The particle is used in everyday speech. A rising pitch alone can also mark a question in conversation, so both are natural.
5. Emphasis:
If you want to emphasize a specific part of the sentence, you can attach it to that word instead (e.g., Sənmi gəldin? - Was it you who came?).
Examples (4)
- Bu gün iclas olacaqmı?
Will there be a meeting today?
Word by Word: This day meeting will-be-?
A formal written question using the future tense and the question particle.
- Siz məni eşidirsinizmi?
Do you hear me?
Word by Word: You me hear-you-?
Using the particle adds a layer of politeness and clarity in a formal address.
- Kitabımı sənmi götürdün?
Was it you who took my book?
Word by Word: Book-my you-? took
Here, the particle is attached to the pronoun 'sən' (you) to focus the question on the subject.
- O, Bakıda yaşayırmı?
Does he/she live in Baku?
Word by Word: He/she Baku-in lives-?
A standard formal question about a state or habit.
Common Mistakes
Writing the particle as a separate word.
Gəlirsən mi?Gəlirsənmi?In Azerbaijani, the question particle must be attached to the word. Writing it separately is a common error influenced by Turkish orthography.
Using the particle with 'Wh-' question words.
Kim gəlirmi?Kim gəlir?You cannot use the yes-no particle in a sentence that already contains a question word like 'kim' (who) or 'nə' (what).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use the yes-no question particle, learners must first understand the principle of four-way vowel harmony to select the correct form of the suffix. Additionally, familiarity with basic sentence structures (nominal or verbal predicates) is required to know where to attach the particle.
- Vowel harmony in basic suffixes
The question particle follows four-way vowel harmony (-mı, -mi, -mu, -mü), which requires an understanding of how vowels harmonize in Azerbaijani suffixes.
Level 1 - Zero third person nominal predicate
Understanding how basic sentences are formed without the question particle is necessary before learning how to transform them into yes-no questions.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- yoxsaOr in Alternative Questions
Used when providing a choice between two options, often paired with the question particle.
Level 3 - varmı/yoxmuExistential Yes No Question
Specific application of the question particle to the existential words 'var' and 'yox'.
Level 1 - -acaqmı/-əcəkmiFuture Yes-no Question
Demonstrates how the particle combines specifically with the definite future tense.
Level 2 - -mı/-mi/-mu/-mü (keçmiş zaman)Past Yes-no Question
Demonstrates how the particle combines with past tense forms.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice -mı/-mi/-mu/-mü (ümumi sual) in Bubblegum
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