When we want to say "like you," "just like a child," or "similar to ice," we're making a comparison. In English we use the words "like" or "similar to." Kyrgyz has several ways to express likeness.
🧠 The Logic
Comparison in Kyrgyz is expressed in three ways with different stylistic registers:
- -дай/-дей (suffix) — neutral, colloquial, most common
- сыяктуу (postposition) — bookish, formal
- өңдүү (postposition) — literary, elevated
The choice depends on the tone you want to convey: a simple comparison, a formal likeness, or a poetic "as though."
🧮 The Formula
Suffix -дай/-дей (The Main Way)
The most common way to say "like X" is to add the suffix -дай/-дей to a noun. Formula: Noun + -дай-дей-дой-дөй or -тай-тей-той-төй
The variant is chosen according to vowel harmony and sound assimilation:
- After vowels and voiced consonants: -дай / -дей / -дой / -дөй
- After voiceless consonants (к, п, с, т, ш, ч): -тай / -тей / -той / -төй
| Word | + Suffix | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| сен (you) | сендей | like you |
| бала (child) | баладай | like a child |
| муз (ice) | муздай | like ice |
| күн (sun) | күндөй | like the sun |
| жылан (snake) | жыландай | like a snake |
| түлкү (fox) | түлкүдөй | like a fox |
| таш (stone) | таштай | like a stone |
| ит (dog) | иттей | like a dog |
💡 Examples
In Sentences
| Kyrgyz | Translation |
|---|---|
| Сен баладай сүйлөйсүң. | You speak like a child. |
| Бул суу муздай муздак. | This water is cold as ice. |
| Мен сендей болгум келет. | I want to be like you. |
| Ал түлкүдөй куу. | He's cunning like a fox. |
| Таштай катуу. | Hard as a rock. |
Postpositions сыяктуу and өңдүү
For a more formal or literary style, the postpositions сыяктуу and өңдүү are used. They follow the noun without any change to the noun's form.
Сыяктуу — "like, similar to" (bookish style):
| Kyrgyz | Translation |
|---|---|
| Бала сыяктуу сүйлөйт. | Speaks like a child. |
| Ал адам сыяктуу ойлойт. | He thinks like a human. |
| Түш сыяктуу. | Like a dream. |
Өңдүү — "resembling, akin to" (literary style):
| Kyrgyz | Translation |
|---|---|
| Периште өңдүү. | Like an angel. |
| Адам өңдүү жаныбар. | An animal resembling a human. |
When to Use Which?
| Construction | Style | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| -дай/-дей | Colloquial, neutral | The most common option. Use by default. |
| сыяктуу | Bookish, formal | In writing and official texts. |
| өңдүү | Literary | Poetry, elevated style. |
💡 In everyday speech, -дай/-дей is used almost exclusively. Сыяктуу and өңдүү sound more "bookish."
⚠️ Important Nuances
The Question Word кандай
The word кандай (what kind? what like?) is a separate interrogative word. Learn it as a fixed form:
| Question | Translation |
|---|---|
| Ал кандай адам? | What kind of person is he? |
| Аба ырайы кандай? | What's the weather like? |
Don't Confuse It with -гандай!
There is a similar construction -гандай, but it is used only with verbs and means "as if, as though" (about an action, not an object).
| Construction | Formula | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -дай | noun + -дай | Баладай сүйлөйт. | Speaks like a child. |
| -гандай | verb + -гандай | Билгендей сүйлөйт. | Speaks as if he knows. |
🛑 Common mistake: Балагандай or Сенгендей — these are wrong! Only -дай (without -ган) is added to nouns.
Read more about the -гандай construction in the article "As if" (-гандай).
See also:
- "As if" with Verbs (-гандай) — comparing actions
- Degrees of Comparison — bigger, the most
- Vowel Harmony — choosing vowels in suffixes
- Sound Assimilation — why д changes to т