Locative Case (Жатыш): -да

In Kyrgyz, Жатыш жөндөмө indicates location — it answers the question Кайда? Кимде? (Where? At whose?).

The name "Жатыш" comes from the verb жатуу (to lie), which hints at its function — pointing to the place where something is, where it "lies".

🧠 Logic

The locative case is used to show:

1. Location — Where?

   • Мен үйдө — I'm at home
   • Китеп столдо жатат — The book is lying on the table

2. Time of an event — When?

   • Жайда сүзөбүз — We swim in summer
   • Түндө уктайбыз — We sleep at night

3. At someone's — At whose place?

   • Менде акча бар — I have money (lit. "at me there is money")
   • Апамда калдым — I stayed at my mum's

🧮 Formula

Stem + suffix -да-де-до-дө or -та-те-то-тө

The vowel in the suffix is determined by vowel harmony:

Examples: балада, тойдо, үйдө, мектепте

💡 Examples

Location

• Мен үйдөмүн. — I'm at home.
• Ал мектепте окуйт. — He studies at school.
• Китеп столдо жатат. — The book is lying on the table.
• Балдар бакчада ойноп жатышат. — The children are playing in the garden.

Cities and countries

• Мен Бишкекте жашайм. — I live in Bishkek.
• Ал Кыргызстанда туулган. — He was born in Kyrgyzstan.
• Москвада суук. — It's cold in Moscow.

Time

• Жайда иштебейм — I don't work in summer
• Кышта тоого барабыз — In winter we go to the mountains
• Түштө тамак жейбиз — We eat at lunchtime
• Саат беште келем — I'll come at five o'clock

With pronouns

Examples:

• Менде убакыт жок. — I have no time.
• Сенде ручка барбы? — Do you have a pen?
• Анда көп китеп бар. — He/she has a lot of books.

⚠️ Important Details

1. Locative Case + Personal Endings

As discussed in To Be: жак мүчөлөр, the locative case often combines with personal endings to express location:

• Мен үйдөмүн — I am at home
• Сен мектептесиң — You are at school
• Биз жумуштабыз — We are at work

2. The "To Have" Construction

To express "to have" in Kyrgyz, use the locative case + бар/жок:

• Менде унаа бар — I have a car
• Сенде убакыт жок — You have no time
• Аларда көп акча бар — They have a lot of money

3. The "When" Construction (-ганда)

The temporal construction -ганда uses the locative ending:

• Мен келгенде ал жок болчу — When I came, he wasn't there
• Уктаганда түш көрдүм — When sleeping, I had a dream

4. Difference from the Dative

The locative shows static position (where something is), while the dative shows direction of movement (where something is going):

• Мен үйдө (where?) — I am at home (being here)

• Мен үйгө барам (where to?) — I'm going home (movement)

• Китеп столдо жатат (where?) — The book is on the table

• Китепти столго кой (where to?) — Put the book on the table

5. With 3rd Person Possessive Suffix

When a word already has a 3rd person possessive suffix, the letter «н» appears before the case ending:

көчөсүндө
көчө
root
сү
possessive "his"
н
linking letter
дө
locative case
→ on his street

Examples:

• Анын үйүндө мейман көп. — There are many guests at his house.
• Шаардын көчөсүндө унаа көп. — There are many cars on the city street.
• Досумдун үйүндө жашайм. — I live in my friend's house.

6. Seasons

The locative case is used for seasons:

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See also:

• Overview of the 6 Cases — the full picture of the case system
• To Be: жак мүчөлөр — personal endings
• When: -ганда — temporal construction
• Dative Case (Барыш) — difference between "where" and "where to"
• Vowel Harmony — rules for choosing vowels
• Sound Assimilation — choosing the consonant (д/т)