In English we say: "As soon as he arrived, we started" or "Call me as soon as you're free." We use "as soon as" to show that one action happens the very instant another one ends.
In Kyrgyz, for these lightning-fast reactions there's a wonderful word — замат (instant / moment), which attaches to the verb.
🧠 Logic
The word замат on its own means a very short span of time (you may have heard the word заматта — instantly).
To link it to an action, we take a verb and turn it into a future-tense participle using the short suffix -р (or -ар).
The literal translation of «келер замат» is: "At the instant of coming..."
🧮 Formula
Verb root + suffix -ар-ер-ор-өр-р + замат
The suffix — chosen according to vowel harmony:
If the stem ends in a vowel — just add -р: оку + р = окур замат, башта + р = баштар замат.
If it ends in a consonant — add a vowel according to vowel harmony:
| Vowel group | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| а, я, ы, у, ю | -ар | бар → барар замат, ук → угар замат |
| э, е, и | -ер | кел → келер замат |
| о, ё | -ор | бол → болор замат |
| ө, ү | -өр | көр → көрөр замат |
⚠️ Important phonetic rule: If the root ends in voiceless "К" or "П", they become voiced "Г" and "Б" before a vowel suffix!
Ук- (to hear) → угар замат; Тап- (to find) → табар замат
Alternative formula: -ар/-ер/... + possessive suffix + менен
The "as soon as" construction has a second variant — instead of замат, a possessive suffix + менен (with / together with) is used:
Verb stem + suffix -ар-ер-ор-өр-р + possessive suffix + менен
| -ар замат | -ар... менен | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ал келер замат... | Ал келери менен... | As soon as he comes... |
| Мен үйгө келер замат уктадым. | Мен үйгө келерим менен уктадым. | As soon as I got home, I fell asleep. |
| Жумуш бүтөр замат келем. | Жумуш бүтөрү менен келем. | As soon as the work is done, I'll come. |
келерим мененкелrootерfuture participleимpossessive "my"мененpostposition "with"→ as soon as I come
Both variants are fully interchangeable. The choice comes down to personal preference and habit.
💡 Examples
Like other temporal forms, -ар замат has no tense of its own. You can use it for stories about the past or plans for the future. Everything is decided by the final verb!
| Root | Example | Tense | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| кел- (to come) | Мен үйгө келер замат уктадым. | Past | As soon as I got home, I fell asleep. |
| бошо- (to free up) | Бошор замат мага чал. | Future | As soon as you're free, call me. |
| көр- (to see) | Аны көрөр замат тааныдым. | Past | As soon as I saw him, I recognized him. |
| чык- (to come out) | Күн чыгар замат жолго чыгабыз. | Future | As soon as the sun rises, we'll set out. |
⚠️ Important notes
-гандан кийин vs. -ар замат
These two constructions are very similar in meaning (one event follows another), but they have different energy:
| Form | Energy | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After (-гандан кийин) | No hurry. Time may pass between the two actions. | Жумуш бүткөндөн кийин келем. — After work is done, I'll come (maybe grab a coffee, take a walk, then come). |
| As soon as (-ар замат) | The action happens instantly, without any pause! | Жумуш бүтөр замат келем. — As soon as work is done, I'll come (I'll fly out of the office!). |
бүткөндөн кийинбүтrootкөнpast participleдөнablative caseкийинpostposition "after"→ after finishing
See also:
- Introduction to verbs — the concept of stems and conjugation
- Vowel harmony — choosing the vowel in the suffix
- When (-ганда) — other temporal connectives
- After (-гандан кийин) — a similar construction
- Until (-ганча) — other temporal connectives