Indirect Speech: деп

In English, when we want to relay someone's words or express a thought, we use the word "that": "I think that...", "He said that...", "I believe that...".

If you look up the word "that" in a Kyrgyz dictionary, you'll find the question word эмне. But saying «Мен ойлойм эмне...» is a huge mistake! The word used to link thoughts is деп.

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🧠 Logic

At the heart of this is one of the oldest and shortest Kyrgyz verbs: де- (to say / to utter).

The word деп is the gerund of that verb (де + п). Literally, it translates as "saying" or "having said."

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🧮 Formula

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⚠️ Important notes

Word order

The quote always comes before деп:

• ✅ «Келем» деп айтты.
• ❌ Деп «келем» айтты.

Direct speech vs. Indirect speech

Direct speech (Түз сүйлөө)

An exact quote with quotation marks:

• Ал: «Мен бүгүн келбейм» деди. — He said: "I won't come today."

Indirect speech (Кыйыр сүйлөө)

Retelling someone's words without quotation marks:

• Ал бүгүн келбейм деп айтты. — He said that he wouldn't come today.

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💡 Examples

1. Verbs of thought

Examples:

• Бул туура деп ойлойм. — I think this is right.
• Ал жардам берет деп ойлодум. — I thought he would help.

2. Verbs of speech

3. Verbs of perception

Examples:

• Жамгыр жаайт деп уктум. — I heard it's going to rain.
• Ал чет өлкөгө кетти деп билдим. — I found out he went abroad.

4. Verbs of feeling and hope

үмүттөнөм
үмүт
root (hope)
тө
word formation
н
reflexive voice
ө
pres.-fut.
м
I
→ I hope

Examples:

• Баары жакшы болот деп ишенем. — I believe everything will be fine.
• Кечигип калабыз деп корком. — I'm afraid we'll be late.

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5. ДЕП with participles (written speech)

In written and formal speech, participles are often used after деп:

Examples:

• Китепте «Билим — күч» деп жазылган. — The book says: "Knowledge is power."
• Мыйзамда ар ким эркин деп айтылган. — The law states that everyone is free.
• Бул шаар эң байыркы деп эсептелет. — This city is considered the oldest.

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6. ДЕП АТАЛАТ — "Is called"

A very common construction for names:

• Бул көчө Манас деп аталат. — This street is called Manas.
• Бул тамак эмне деп аталат? — What is this dish called?
• Бул жер Ысык-Көл деп аталат. — This place is called Issyk-Kul.

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Tense in indirect speech

In Kyrgyz, the verb tense inside the quote stays exactly as it was in the original:

The verb after деп, however, changes depending on when the reporting takes place:

Questions in indirect speech

Questions are also reported using деп:

• Ал «качан келесиң?» деп сурады. — He asked: "When will you come?"
• «Бул эмне?» деп өзүмдөн сурадым. — "What is this?" — I asked myself.

Commands in indirect speech

• Ал «кел» деп буйруду. — He ordered: "Come" / He told someone to come.
• Апам «тамак же» деп айтты. — My mother said "eat."

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🗣️ Conversational forms

"How should I put it..."

When you're searching for the right words:

(Literally: "If I say how?")

"They say that..."

For rumors and retellings:

• Ал кетет дешет. — They say he's leaving.
• Жамгыр жаайт деп угуп жүрөм. — I've been hearing it's going to rain.

"Like," "supposedly"

In colloquial speech, деп is sometimes used like "supposedly" or "like":

• Ал, мен билбейм деп, кетип калды. — He, like "I don't know," just got up and left.

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See also:

• Introduction to verbs — the concept of stems and conjugation
• Gerund — how деп is formed
• Participle — деп жазган, деп айтылган
• Past definite tense — деп айтты
• Past indefinite tense — деп айткан