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#tt_newbie Adjectives Adjectives describe or define a noun. This week, we’re going back to the basics and taking a look at everything you need to know about how adjectives work in the Tatar language. Some of the most commonly used adjectives in Tatar are: küp (many, much) – az, əz (few, little) yaña (new) – iske (old) zur (big) – keçkenə (small) yaxşı (good) – naçar (bad) yəş (young) – qart (old) matur (beautiful) – yəmsez (ugly) ozın (long) – qısqa (short) yıraq (far) – yaqın (close) irtə (early) – soñ (late) qaynar, esse (hot) – cılı (warm) – salqın, suwıq (cold) Some adjectives are commonly expressed by a compound adjective in Tatar: ozın buylı keşe (a tall person) – qısqa/təbənək buylı keşe (a short person) isən-saw (healthy) In today’s Tatar literary language, predicate endings in adjectives are uncommon and are only used for emphasis. Compare the first form (common) and the second one (uncommon): min şat – min şatmın – I am happy sin şat – sin şatsıñ – you are happy ul şat – he (she, it) is happy bez şat – bez şatbız – we are happy sez şat – sez şatsız – you are happy alar şat – alar şatlar – they are happy ❗️Emphatic Forms Min bik (ütə, ğəyət) köçle. – I’m very strong. ... məs’ələ artıq citdi, ütə qatlawlı. (Ayaz Ğiləcev, “Tınıçlanu zararlı”) … the matter is extremely serious, very complex. bigrək matur – especially beautiful ➕ Comparative degree If you want to say that one thing is bigger, better, or more interesting than another, the formula is very simple: just add -raq/-rək! zur (big) – zurraq (bigger) yaxşı (good) – yaxşıraq (better) qızıq (interesting) – qızığraq (more interesting) şəp (good) – şəbrək (better) biyek (high) – biyegrək (higher) Aznaqay Qazannan keçkenərək. / Qazanğa qarağanda Aznaqay keçkenərək. – Aznaqay is smaller than Kazan. Sin minnən olıraq. / Sin miña qarağanda olıraq. – You are older than me. Borçaqta isə aqsım, boday belən çağıştırğanda, ikelətə kübrək ... (Marsel Zaripov, “Otışlı əyləneş.) But compared to wheat, peas have twice as much protein, ... 💡 It might sound unusual, but the comparative  -raq/-rək is often attached to other parts of speech, e.g. nouns or pronouns, to express “more”, “more or less”, “somewhat.” Mondaraq kil, mondaraq! (Fətxi Burnaş, “Kamali qart”) – Come closer, closer! (lit. “more over here”) Ul şulayraq uylıy. – He thinks more or less like that. 👑 Superlative degree To express that something or someone is, for example, the most beautiful in the world, you can say: (dönyada) iñ matur –  the most beautiful (in the world) iñ zur qazanışlar – the greatest achievements iñ qart keşe – the oldest person 💡 İñ can be used with many different adjectives. Döm and ör can only be used with certain adjectives: döm qarañğı (very dark), döm suqır (completely blind), döm iserek (very drunk) ör-yaña (brand new) 💡 Some adjectives can become more emphatic by partial reduplication of the first syllable and replacing the last consonant with -p or -m. It is very common in adjectives representing colors (e.g. yəm-yəşel), but we will cover it more extensively when we cover this topic later. For now, here are some other examples: tüm-tügərək or tüp-tügərək – perfectly round bup-buş – absolutely empty tıp-tın – completely quiet, silent qıp-qısqa – very short tup-turı – perfectly straight ap-ayaz – completely clear, cloudless yap-yaqtı – very bright What if you want to compare two people or things that possess the quality to the same degree? We will cover that in a future post. (I promise, it will be as informative as this one!)

#tt_advanced Concessive Clauses Concessive clauses are subordinate clauses that introduce a contrasting or unexpected idea to the main clause, often starting with words like although, even though, though, despite, in spite of, or while, showing a relationship where something happens even though something else might prevent it. 🔶 Conditional + particle da / də / ta / tə Kön kiçkə awışsa da, haman esse. (Tahir Tahirov, “Ğaliyə”) Although evening is drawing on, it is still hot. 🔶 Interrogative pronoun (‘whoever’, ‘whatever’, ‘wherever’, etc.) + conditional Qayda barsam, qayda torsam, nişləsəm də, Xəteremdə məñge qalır tuğan ilem. (Ğabdulla Tuqay) Wherever I go, wherever I stay, whatever I do, my home country will forever be in my memory. 🔶 Imperative forms, often rhetorical in meaning (a rarer literary form) Tışta issen açı cillər, tuzsın qarlar, <...> Sezneñ öylər cılı, əybət: ni qayğı bar? (Ğabdulla Tuqay, “Qışqı kiç”) Though biting winds are blowing outside, though snow is swirling, <...> your houses are warm and nice. What troubles do you have? 🔶 Negative imperative + interrogative pronoun (affirmative meaning) Qaya ğına qarama — xalıq. (Söbbux Rafikov, “Tın yılğa buyında”) Wherever one looks, there are people. 🔶 Verbal adverb -p/-ıp/-ep + ta/tə Ğömer buyı şulay eşləp tə, ul oçın oçqa köç-xəl belən genə yalğıy ide. (Ğömər Bəşirov, “Tormış suqmağı”) Although he worked like that all his life, he struggled to make ends meet.

#tt_intermediate Sneaky words II Do you remember our first lesson on words that sneak their way into the speech of a lot of Tatars? Let’s add some more to that list! ⛔️ чуть не … – ✅ …-a yazdım (almost) Min sikerep tora yazdım. (Ğomər Bəşirov, “Tuğan yağım – yəşel bişek”)  I almost jumped up. ⛔️ кстати – ✅ süz uñayınnan (by the way), ✅ … digənnən (speaking of, apropos) Süz uñayınnan, min də şulay uylıym. – By the way, I also think so. Uqu digənnən, Gölşatnı közgə şəhərgə uqırğa cibərəbez. (Kərim Tinçurin, “Alar öçəw ide”) Speaking of studies, this autumn we are going to send Gölşat to the city to study. ⛔️ … , хотя – ✅ …-sa da (... even though) Yəmle cəyge yul buyınça cəyələw ciñelçə kiyengən yəşlər öçen awır bulmasa da, awılğa qaytıp citü belən, buwınnarıbızda arığanlıq sizelde. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Ağidel”)  Although walking along the pleasant summer road was not difficult for lightly dressed youths, we felt fatigue in our limbs when we reached the village. ⛔️ тогда – ✅ ul çaqta, alaysa (then) Əgər də Zöhrə apa sezne yaratmıyça, yazmışın başqa berəw belən bəyləgən bulsa, ul çaqta sez anı onıta alır idegez. Ləkin bit ul kilde. (Xəy Waxit, “Soñğı xat”)  If Zöhrə had not loved you, and if she had linked her life with someone else's, then you would be able to forget her. But she has come, you see. Əydəgez, alaysa kerik. (Əmirxan Yeniki, “Wöcdan”)  Then come on, let’s go in. ⛔️ же, ведь – ✅ bit / iç (dialectal) (you see, you know, after all)  Kirəgennən artıq maqtaw küp keşelərne həlaq itə dilər bit. (Riza İşmorat, “Yaqın dus”)  After all, they say that excessive praise ruins many people. Tanış cirlər iç bolar! (Ayaz Ğiləcev, “Öç arşin cir”)  These are familiar places, after all! ⛔️ только – ✅ tik (before the word), ğına/genə/qına/kenə (after the word) (only, just) Ul köne buyı yoqladı həm barı tik qarañğı töşkəndə genə uyandı. (Nurixan Fəttax, “Sızğıra torğan uqlar”)  He slept all day and awoke only when darkness just began to fall. ⛔️ сразу – ✅ şunda uq, şunduq,  şulçaq (immediately)   Səydər anı şunduq tanıp aldı, ul tege yulı tanışqan xanım ide. (Ğaziz Üzile, “Ğifrit”)  Seydər recognized her immediately.

#tt_beginner Gerund (the verbal noun) The verbal noun is formed by adding -u, -ü to the verb stem (e.g., yaz → yazu, qara → qaraw, bel → belü, eslə → eşləw). A few verbs drop the stem vowel in the affirmative form (uqı → uqu, taşı → taşu, biye → biyü). 💡 Compare: yazu – writing yazarğa – to write This is the form in which Tatar verbs appear in dictionaries. It can be pluralized, declined, and take possessive suffixes. The gerund can be used in the: ✅ Nominative ... monı teldən añlatu hiç mömkin tügel, ... (Əmirxan Yeniki, “Göləndəm tutaş xatirəse”)  … explaining this in words is not at all possible ... ✅ Genitive Bolar xaqında uylawnıñ faydası yuq inde xəzer. (Rinat Möxəmmədiev, “Kenəri – çitlek qoşı”)  Now there is no more use in thinking about these things. ✅ Dative Qaytuwıma inde ike atna waqıt uzdı. (Ğamir Nasrıy, “Qəderle minutlar”) Two weeks have already passed since my return. Yaqınnan tanışuwıbızğa bik şat. (Riza İşmorat, “Şawlıylar dulqınnar”) I am very glad that we are getting acquainted more closely. ✅ Accusative Diqqət belən tıñlawığıznı ütenəbez. (Şərif Kamal, “Matur tuğanda”) We ask you to listen attentively. ✅ Locative Kilüwendə şik tə yuq. (Şərif Kamal, “Xaci əfənde öylənə) There is no doubt at all that he will come. ✅ Ablative Tuydım min bolay yəşəwdən. (Rinat Möxəmmədiev, “Kenəri – çitlek qoşı”) I am tired of living like this. Biş tapqır işetüdən ber tapqır kürü yaxşıraq. (Təwfiq Əydi, “Bocra”) Seeing it once is better than hearing about it five times. 💡 Gerunds can also be combined with postpositions (e.g. uqıtu belən qızıqsına, yal itü öçen kilde) or modal words (e.g. berençe tapqır kürü tügel, əytkən süzeñdə toruwıñ kirək, kitüwem mömkin).

The wedding at the groom’s home took place much later. Post-nikax rituals included the preparation of a special room for the newlyweds, the exchange of gifts, and the husband's periodic visits to his wife's home, known as kiyəwləp yörü. The groom’s arrival at the bride’s house (kiyəw alu) was highly significant, as it could mark the first meeting of the newlyweds, particularly in cases where earlier celebrations had been gender-segregated. It was accompanied by customs such as presenting gifts, making a ritual payment for entry, and engaging in specific rituals like setting up the marital bed. The newlyweds spent their initial days together in seclusion, before the final move of the bride to her husband's house (kilen töşü), marked by festive events and additional customs. In the wedding traditions of Kazan Tatars, the groom would often accompany his bride with only his younger sister, while in other groups, the groom would come with a group of friends. Special covered carts, called köymə or köyməle arba, were prepared for transporting the newlyweds. The reception of the newlyweds in the husband's house involved various rituals, including symbolic acts, gift exchanges, and the presentation of livestock. Seber and Əsterxan Tatars burnt hay for the köymə to pass through the fire. The groom’s mother put something soft under the bride’s feet when she was crossing the threshold, saying: “Tökle ayağıñ belən”. To ward off evil spirits, among Seber Tatars the groom was brushed with flax fiber, while among Əsterxan Tatars he was brushed with a live rooster. The newlyweds were sprinkled with hops or raisins, Qasim Tatars used rice or flour, and Əsterxan Tatars used coins. Upon entering the house, the bride would hang a towel and eat a piece of bread with butter and honey, and drink a couple of cups of tea. Öy kiyenderü (dressing the house) was a universal tradition, replacing the textile decorations at the husband’s house with the ones from the wife’s dowry. Noqrat, Mişər, Kerəşen Tatar women didn’t participate in this ceremony, while Kazan Tatar women were more actively involved upon arrival at the husband’s house. If you found this overview interesting and would like to see a part two exploring how Tatar wedding traditions evolved in the 20th and 21st centuries, feel free to let me know in the comments!

#tt_culture Wedding traditions The traditional wedding customs of the Tatars exhibit a striking variability across regions, reflecting social, legal, and religious norms. Despite this diversity, there are common structural elements in Tatar wedding rituals, making them a distinct part of their ethnic culture. The traditional Tatar wedding rituals involved various pre-wedding ceremonies, such as yawuçı cibərü / dimləw / yərəşü (matchmaking), the preparation of birnə (dowry) and qalın (bride-dowry), and engagement celebrations. These customs were an integral part of Tatar wedding culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The period between engagement and the wedding was marked by gatherings, feasts, and ituals such as aqlaşu (meetings between the two families) and qız kürənderü. Çebeldek tegü or qızlar aşı is a kind of a bachelorette party, where bride’s friends and female relatives gathered at her place, presented her with coins and gifts, shared traditional wedding dishes, and held an evening tea ceremony. The bachelor gathering, known as sölge qağu or yegetlər cıyını, took place at the groom’s house and involved communal eating and drinking. The groom, in turn, gave small gifts to the guests in exchange for monetary contributions. The main wedding ceremony, known as tuy or nikax tuy, took place at the bride's home, with the groom's parents (töp qodalar) bringing gifts and treats, – a couple of geese, küməç, qatlama, çəkçək, often carried in a chest called küçtənəç sandığı. Among Kazan Tatars, the wedding began with the religious marriage ritual (nikax or kəben), officiated by a mullah. Marriage conditions including the bride-dowry, gifts, tartu (the groom’s financial contribution to the wedding), and the sum the husband was obliged to pay in the event of initiating a divorce were recorded in the məhər (marriage registry). The dowry included clothing, footwear, and various items for the bride, as well as livestock. The wedding feast followed, featuring a specific order of serving traditional dishes, starting with honey and butter (accompanied by the ritual collection of money for the bride), then toqmaçlı aş, bəleş, and the ceremonial sweet treat çəkçək or bawırsaq. In Mişər and Kerəşen weddings, the same dishes were often served in reverse order and accompanied by the singing of special wedding songs. Unlike Kazan Tatars, who usually celebrated separately by gender, other Tatar groups did not strictly observe this division. Wedding celebrations typically lasted several days and included numerous rituals, gift exchanges, and farewell feasts featuring pilmən (dumplings) or botqa (porridge).

Wedding costume of a young woman from a wealthy Kazan Tatar family, mid-19th century. Fully reconstructed by the project İSTƏLEK based on Karl Gun’s 1863 watercolor “Tatar Women.”

#tt_advanced More conditionals In our first lesson of the new year, to enrich our speech and build more nuanced and complex sentences, I’d like us to dive into further options of expressing conditional mood! ⭕️ Using the modal word ikən (real conditional) The condition may be in the past, present, or future, but the predicate of the result clause refers only to the present or future. Min anı təqdim itəm ikən, dimək, bu eşne alıp bara alırına ışanam. (Waqif Nurullin, “Aqqan su yulın tabar”)  If I propose him, that means I believe that he can do the work. ⭕️ Conditions expressed by the verbal adverb in -gaç, -gəç, -qaç, -kəç (real conditional) Xat algaç, cawap ta yazarğa kirək bula. (Ğadel Qutuy, “Tapşırılmağan xatlar”)  When one has received a letter, one must write an answer. ⭕️ Conditions expressed by the interrogative particle -mı, -me joined to verbs in the past tense (real conditional) Buş waqıtı buldımı östəl yanına utıra. Tərcemə itə ... (Rinat Möxəmmədiev, “Sirat küpere”)  As soon as he has some free time, he sits down at the table. He translates … ⭕️ Conditions expressed by the past participle in -ğan, -gən, -qan, -kən in the locative or followed by xəldə The condition can express real, potential, or unreal conditions. The conditional clause may be introduced by əgər. Əgər uqıtqanda, öyrətkəndə, çın rəssam çıqmas idemeni?! (Əmirxan Yeniki, “Soñğı kitap”) If they had let him study, learn, wouldn’t he then have become a real painter? ⭕️ A categorical condition can be expressed by a negative verbal adverb in -mıyça / -miçə. The verb in the second part of the sentence is in the third-person imperative or optative and is used either exclamatorily or as a rhetorical question. Min öyrətmiçə, kem öyrətsen sine! (Əmirxan Yeniki, “Saz çəçəge”) If I don’t teach you, who will! ⭕️ Past Tense I + isə (used more rarely) Baqtıñ isə, barısı da üzebeznekelər, ... (Məxmüt Xəsənov, “Yazğı acağan”)  If you take a look, all of them are our people, …

🪗🪕 Uyın qoralları – Musical instruments 🪈 quray – reed flute qubız – jaw harp ğarmun – accordion mandolina – mandolin dəf – daf (frame drum) saz – saz (seven-string long-necked lute) sornay – zurna (double reed wind instrument) dumbıra – dombra (two-/three-string long-neck lute) göslə – gusli (string instrument) qıl – string sızğıç – bow (for string instruments)

#tt_newbie Music 🎵 muzıka – music cır – song quşımta – chorus köy, moñ – melody, tune tawış – sound, voice qaytawaz – echo səxnə – stage bişek cırı – lullaby yuğarı nota – high note tübən nota – low note 🎤 cırlaw – to sing tıñlaw – to listen uynaw – to play (an instrument) qabızu – to play (to put on a song) biyü – to dance qul çabu – to clap, applaud 🧑🏼‍🎤 cırçı – singer başqaruçı – artist, performer törkem – band tamaşaçı – audience cır avtorı – songwriter 🎧 qolaqçın – earphones, headphones 💬 Min muzıka yaratam. — I love music. Sin nindi muzıka tıñlıysıñ? — What music do you listen to? Minem yaratqan cırım… — My favourite song is… Ul bik matur cırlıy. — He/She sings very beautifully. Əydə, muzıka tıñlıyq! — Let’s listen to music! 💡 Tatar musical instruments After the fall of Kazan in 1552, Tatar musical instruments were burned, and playing traditional instruments was strictly prohibited. The reaction to this repression was the flourishing of Tatar melismatic singing. Only the quray, a simple flute that could be easily made and hidden, survived in memory and practice, while other instruments disappeared. However, manuscripts, sketches, and ethnographic descriptions of Tatar instruments still exist, allowing researchers to reconstruct their forms and functions (as did the Tatar composer Rəşit Kəlimullin for his extensive collection of musical instruments). The loss of Tatar instruments is not only a historical consequence of post-1552 repression but also a modern state-level cultural problem that has remained unresolved for decades.

It feels like a real privilege to live in the same era as this artist, because his work allows us not just to look at history, but to step inside it. And we’re especially fortunate that people in Tatarstan can visit his exhibitions in person. The rest of us can still follow his journey — discovering new paintings, watching his process, and supporting his art — on his Telegram channel or on Instagram.

"Urmannar arasında. Köz" / "Among the forests. Autumn" (2022)

1. "Awıl uramı. Söyləşü." / "Village street. Conversation." (2022) 2. "İske kelət aldında" / "At the old pantry" (2018) 3. "Közge yul" / "Autumn road" (2009)

"Munçadan soñ çəy eçü" / "Tea drinking after the bathhouse" (2017)

1. "Söyləşu" / "Conversation" (2002) 2. "Kötüçe" / "Waiting" (2011) 3. "Babaynıñ əkiyətləre" / "Grandfather's tales" (2008)

1. "Qoş kötüçe" / "Bird shepherd" (2016) 2. "Peçən çabu waqıtında" / "During the mowing" (2019) 3. "Yəşel ülənlektə" / "On the green meadow" (2020)

1. "Yaz yılğada" / "Spring on the river" (2014) 2. "Zəñgər külmək" / "Blue dress" (2013)

1. "Bəyrəm aldınnan" / "Before the holiday" (2025) 2. "Sabantuy. Körəş" / "Sabantuy. Wrestling" (2014)

"Awılda yaz" / "Spring in the village” (2022)

1. "İrtən yulğa" / "On the road in the morning" (1993) 2. "Qışqı işeğaldı" / "Winter courtyard" (2010) 3. "Munçağa" / "To the bathhouse" (2022)