Particles
Particles are words that do not function independently in a sentence. Unlike adverbs or modal words, they cannot stand alone as answers to questions. They don’t change the core meaning of a sentence but add nuance, emphasis, or structure to it.
Tatar has a rich variety of particles, many of which don’t have direct equivalents in English. While English relies on word order, grammar, and intonation, Tatar uses these particles to express emphasis, contrast, and convey different shades of meaning. Since there are so many, I won’t be able to list them all here, but we’ll go over the most commonly used ones and try to categorize them.
Emphatic Particles
🟡 da/də (ta/tə)
One of the most versatile particles in Tatar, it is used to:
• emphasize the preceding word: bezgə monda berni də kirəkmi – we don’t need anything
• expresses a continuous action: yañğır yawa da yawa – it keeps raining
• introduces additional elements: bez də şulay eşlik – let’s do that too
🟡 bit
Another very popular particle. It indicates strong emotional affirmation or denial.
• bez yalğışqanbız bit – we were wrong (it turns out)
• şulay bit, yaratmıysız bit? – isn’t that so, you don’t love him, do you?
• beləseñ bit, … – you know (already)
🟡 iç (more used in certain districts)
Similar to bit, but used slightly less often.
• beləseñ iç, … – you know (already)
🟡 şul
Confirms or acknowledges the statement expressed by the preceding phrase.
• belmim şul – no, I don’t know
🟡 inde
Intensifies emotions and is used a lot in our speech.
• şundıy inde min, açulanma – I am like that, don’t be mad (expresses sadness)
• kürdem inde, kürdem – I saw, I saw (expresses annoyance)
• nişlərgə soñ inde? – what do we do? (expresses despair)
🟡 tağı(n)
• intensifies emotions (usually negative): nərsə uylap çığarasıñ tağın? – what nonsense are you saying?
nindi ser ul tağın? – what secret, then?
• intensifies comparison: tağın da qızığraq – even more interesting
• indicates repetition or addition: tağın berniçə kön uzdı – another few days have passed
🟡 soñ
Adds emphasis to a question and various emotions (doubt, amazement, regret, etc.).
• nilər eşlədeñ soñ? – what did you do?
• bulmas, ul eşlime soñ? – impossible, will he do it? (amazement, disbelief)
🟡 əle
Enhances an opinion or remark:
Əytməweñ, bəlki, xəyerlegəder əle ... (Kərim Tinçurin, “Cilkənsezlər”)
Perhaps it is only to the good that you did not tell them.
🟡 uq / ük
• emphasizes the preceding word (equivalent to English “even, exactly”): söyləşüləreñ ük qızıq – even the way you talk is interesting
• means “right”, “exactly” in spacial or temporal expressions: xəzer uq – right now
maşinada uq yoqlap kitte – he fell asleep right in the car
🟡 ə
• gives more force to a question: ə sin qaya barasıñ? – and where are you going?
• emphasizes amazement, joy, anger, etc.: nindi eş bu, ə? – just what kind of a thing is this?!
• draws a listener’s attention: ə, iskə töşte – ah, I remember
• as ə-ə-ə gives force to phrases like şulaymeni? – is that so?
🟡 xətta – even (example)
Limiting Particles
🟢 ğına/genə (qına/kenə), barı and tik
Convey the meaning of “just, only” with ğına being the most used and all of them often being combined (barı tik, barı ğına, tik … genə, barı tik … genə). There is also an Arabic particle fəqət with the same meaning used less frequently and may be combined with ğına.
• Əminə barı səğət altı tulğanda ğına yoqlap kitə aldı. (Fatıyx Əmirxan, “Xəyət”)
Əminə was able to fall asleep only when it was six o’clock.
🟢 əle
In temporal sentences, indicated limit or continuation and is equivalent to “still, yet, just”:
• əle (genə) qaytıp kerdem – I just came home
• əle yartı səğət waqıt bar – there is still half an hour
• anda bulğanım yuq əle – I haven’t been there yet
🟢 diyərlek – almost
🟢 içmasa(m) – at least
Interrogative Particles
🟡 -mı/-me
A neutral interrogative particle
🟡 -mıni/-meni, mikən
An emphatic interrogative particle
• şulay mikən? – is that so? (more expressive than just “şulaymı?”)
Mikən is a contraction of mı + ikən, so with interrogative pronouns only ikən is used, and in yes/no questions, mikən is used:
Bu kem ikən? Bu Marat mikən?
Demonstrative Particles
Modal Particles
🟡 -dır/-der (-tır/-ter)
Conveys uncertainty, doubt, supposition
• minem turıda söyləşələrder – they’re probably talking about me
• bardır, nik bulmasın – I guess I have, why wouldn’t I?
🟡 əllə:
• softens a question (sometimes a rhetorical one): Bu könnərdə sabaqqa kilmədegez, əllə kəyefsez idegezme? (Fatıyx Əmirxan, “Urtalıqta”) You haven’t come to the class recently, were you in a bad mood?
• expresses uncertainty: əllə üzeñ eşliseñme? – or perhaps you do it yourself?
• əllə + -me = məllə: keçkenə bala məllə min? – am I a little child, or what?
🟡 əle
In the past tense, it indicates doubt, confusion, or embarrassment. With verbs in the future tense, indicative, it conveys a shade of indifference. Used with interrogative pronouns, it emphasizes uncertainty.
• şayartıp qına əytə torğansızdır, əle? – you probably say this as a joke, right?
• bulır əle – it will happen (kind of dismissing concerns)
Negative particles
🟢 tügel – not
• yaxşı tügel – not good
🟢 hiç
Intensifies the negation and is equivalent to “at all”
• bolay hiç uylamağan idem – I didn’t think like that at all
Comparative Particles
🟡 uq / ük
• with adverbs or postpositions mens “exactly, just”: sin uylağança uq tügel – it isn’t exactly as you think
• with ber means “the same”: ber uq kitaplar uqıybız – we read the same books
• with some pronouns, uq / ük denotes the following: şundıy uq “exactly the same” (comparison), şul uq “that same” (still the same person, place, etc.); “that same” (time); şunda uq (şunduq) “exactly, right there; immediately; şuşında uq “exactly, right there"; bolay uq, şulay uq “also”
🟡 nəq – exactly, just
• Min nəq sez əytkənçə eşlədem. (Mirxəydər Fəyzi, “Asılyar”) – I did exactly as you said.
Attenuating particles
Used to ask a person to do something with varying degrees of insistence:
🟢 -sana/-sənə: söyləsənə – tell me! (somewhat impatient)
🟢 söylə inde – tell me (moderately insistent)
🟢 -çı/-çe: söyləçe – tell me
🟢 söylə əle – please tell