Azerbaijani/Contents (Latin)/Adjectives

Adjectives are placed before nouns, as in English. They are indeclinable, retaning the same form whatever the number, gender, or case of the noun may be.

yaxşı at the good horse isti su hot water çox evlər many houses pis vərdişlər bad habits

When an adjective is used with the indefinite article, it is customary to put the adjective before the article, and not after it as in English.

gözəl bir gün a beautiful day yaxşı bir at a good horse

Azerbaijani adjectives are also used as adverbs, with a corresponding shade of meaning; in fact, there is no distinction between these two parts of speech.

yaxşı good (adjective) also means well (adverb) çox many (adjective) also means much (adverb)

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES The comparative and superlative degrees of all adjectives are formed quite simply, by placing in front of them the words daha (more) and ən (most).

"More than" is expressed by the use of the ablative case. yaxşı good böyük big daha yaxşı better daha böyük bigger ən yaxşı best ən böyük biggest Məndən daha varlısınız. You are richer than me. Sizdən daha güclüyəm. I am stronger than you.

Apart from this regular way, the Azerbaijani language makes use of a peculiar method of forming superlatives, by introducing a syllable closely resembling the first syllable of the adjective itself. The result is a curious expression like the English phrases "shilly-shally", "dilly-dally".

yam-yaxşı very good qap-qara "jet" black bös-böyük very big yep-yeni "brand" new dop-dolu "brim" full büs-bütün the absolute whole

Bu gün daha yaxşıyam. Today I am better. Yam-yaxşıyam. I am very well.