-ma-

Negative Verbs with -ma-

Level 1

kel- + -ma- + -y + -man → kelmayman: I don't come, or I won't come.

How It Works

Where it goes
stem + -ma- + tense + person:
• ich- + -ma- + -y + -miz → ichmaymiz (we don't drink)
• oʻqi- + -ma- + -y + -di → oʻqimaydi (she doesn't read)
• ishla- + -ma- + -y + -san → ishlamaysan (you don't work)
The stem does not change, whether it ends in a consonant or a vowel.

With -yap
The same slot works in the present continuous: ishla- + -ma- + -yap + -man → ishlamayapman (I am not working).

Verbs take -ma-, nouns take emas
An action is made negative inside the verb: Men kelmayman (I won't come). A noun or adjective takes the separate word emas: Men talaba emasman (I am not a student).

Questions
-mi still goes at the very end: Kelmaysizmi? (Aren't you coming?)

Answering no
A short answer uses yoʻq, and the full answer uses -ma-: Yoʻq, ichmayman (No, I don't drink it).

Examples (6)

  1. Men ertaga kelmayman.

    I won't come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I tomorrow come-not-I

    kel- + -ma- + -y + -man.

  2. Biz qahva ichmaymiz.

    We don't drink coffee.

    Word by Word: we coffee drink-not-we

    ich- + -ma- + -y + -miz.

  3. U gazeta oʻqimaydi.

    She doesn't read newspapers.

    Word by Word: she newspaper read-not

    oʻqi- + -ma- + -y + -di. The vowel at the end of the stem stays.

  4. Men goʻsht yemayman.

    I don't eat meat.

    Word by Word: I meat eat-not-I

    yemoq (to eat) → ye- + -ma- + -y + -man.

  5. Hozir ishlamayapman.

    I'm not working right now.

    Word by Word: now work-not-ing-I

    -ma- comes before -yap as well.

  6. Kelmaysizmi?

    Aren't you coming?

    Word by Word: come-not-you-?

    The question particle -mi goes after the person ending.

Common Mistakes

  • Making a verb negative with emas.

    Men kelaman emas.
    Men kelmayman.

    emas makes nouns and adjectives negative, not a tense form such as kelaman. A verb takes -ma- inside the word, right after the stem.

  • Using -a after -ma.

    Men kelmaaman.
    Men kelmayman.

    -ma ends in a vowel, so the present-future sign after it is -y: kel- + -ma- + -y + -man.

How It Connects

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

-ma-Level 1Negative Verbs with -ma-

Learn This First

Builds on Present-Future Tense.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.