In English we often say: "I'm going to the cinema," "We were supposed to meet," or "I was planning to do that."
In Kyrgyz, a special suffix -мак is used to express plans, intentions, and arrangements. Don't confuse it with the optative mood -айын/-алы, which expresses a wish or invitation ("let's go!").
🧠 The Logic and Literal Translation
The -макмын construction expresses intention. It's a plan that exists in your head, or an arrangement with someone.
This form often carries a slight nuance of an action that wasn't carried out or a plan that fell through (like "I was actually going to..."), but it can also simply state a fact ("according to the plan, I'm supposed to...").
🧮 The Formula
Verb root + -мак-мек-мок-мөк + personal ending
The intention suffix — chosen according to vowel harmony:
| Vowel group | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| а, я, ы | -мак | бар → бармак |
| э, е, и | -мек | кел → келмек |
| о, ё, у, ю | -мок | бол → болмок |
| ө, ү | -мөк | көр → көрмөк |
бармакмынбарrootмакintentionмынI→ I'm going to go / I was going to go
Personal endings show whose plan it is:
| Person | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Мен | -мын-мин-мун-мүн | бармакмын |
| Сен | -сың-сиң-суң-сүң | бармаксың |
| Сиз | -сыз-сиз-суз-сүз | бармаксыз |
| Ал | — (no ending) | бармак |
| Биз | -пыз-пиз-пуз-пүз | бармакпыз |
| Силер | -сыңар-сиңер-суңар-сүңөр | бармаксыңар |
| Сиздер | -сыздар-сиздер-суздар-сүздөр | бармаксыздар |
| Алар | — (no ending) | бармак |
Negative Form
Negation is built using the word эмес, which takes over the personal ending:
| Person | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Мен | бармакмын | бармак эмесмин |
| Сен | бармаксың | бармак эмессиң |
| Ал | бармак | бармак эмес |
Question Form
The question suffix -бы/-би goes at the very end:
| Person | Affirmative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Сен | бармаксың | бармаксыңбы? |
| Сиз | бармаксыз | бармаксызбы? |
| Ал | бармак | бармакпы? |
💡 Examples
Sharing plans:
| Root | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| бар- (go) | Эртең айылга бармакмын. | I'm planning to go to the village tomorrow. |
| жолугуш- (meet) | Саат беште жолугушмакпыз. | We're set to meet at five. |
| кел- (come) | Ал бүгүн келмек. | He was supposed to come today. |
| сатып ал- (buy) | Телефон сатып алмакмын. | I was planning to buy a phone. |
Negative:
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| Мен бүгүн иштемек эмесмин. | I wasn't going to work today. |
| Биз урушмак эмеспиз. | We weren't planning to argue. |
Mini-dialogues
— Эртең келесиңби? — Are you coming tomorrow?
— Келмекмин, бирок билбейм. — I was planning to, but I'm not sure.
— Эмне кылмаксың бүгүн? — What are you planning to do today?
— Үйдө отурмакмын, чарчадым. — I'm planning to stay home, I'm tired.
— Эмнеге келген жоксуң? — Why didn't you come?
— Келмекмин, бирок жумуш чыкты. — I was going to, but something came up at work.
⚠️ Important Nuances
When -макмын Becomes a Conditional
This suffix has a second life — the subjunctive mood.
The rule is simple: if the sentence contains a condition with the suffix -са ("if"), then the intention automatically turns into a dream or an unreal action:
- Миллионер болсом, унаа сатып алмакмын. — If I were a millionaire, I would buy a car.
- Убактым болсо, сага жардам бермекмин. — If I had the time, I would help you.
For more on how to express wishes and unreal conditions, see the article Шарттуу ыңгай: conditional mood.
See also:
- Introduction to Verbs — basic principles of working with verbs
- Vowel Harmony — choosing the right suffix variant
- Optative Mood — wishes and invitations (-айын/-алы)
- Conditional Mood — "if I were" (-са + -мак)
- Modality "want" — expressing desire
- Modality "can" — expressing physical ability