Martial Arts

1. Bir günlük məşqə qoşulmaq olar?

   Bir gün-lük məş-qə qo-şul-maq o-lar?

   Is it possible to join a training session for just one day?

   Usage

   Azerbaijan is a powerhouse in wrestling (güləş) and judo, with clubs in Baku and every larger city. Most accept short-stay visitors for a single session, so open with this question

   Grammar Note

   "Infinitive + olar?" asks for permission ("may one ...?"). It is the softest way to request permission in Azerbaijani

2. Əvvəlcə məşqə baxa bilərəm?

   Əv-vəl-cə məş-qə ba-xa bi-lə-rəm?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Use it when you want to see the atmosphere and the coaching before committing. Azerbaijani clubs are generally relaxed about spectators and will let you watch for free; evening sessions are the busiest

   Grammar Note

   Ability is expressed with the verb stem plus -a/-ə followed by the auxiliary bilmək (baxa bilərəm, "I can watch"). Unlike Turkish -abil, it stays a separate word

3. Əlcək və bandaj icarəyə verirsiniz?

   Əl-cək və ban-daj i-ca-rə-yə ve-rir-si-niz?

   Do you rent out gloves and hand wraps?

   Usage

   An essential question at a striking gym. Gloves (əlcək) are usually lent out, but hand wraps tend to be sold rather than rented for hygiene reasons. A judo gi is called "cudo geyimi" or "kimono"

   Grammar Note

   "icarəyə vermək" means to rent out and "icarəyə götürmək" to rent. Since you are asking the club, use the "vermək" (give) side

4. Mən yeni başlamışam, təcrübəm yoxdur.

   Mən ye-ni baş-la-mı-şam, təc-rü-bəm yox-dur.

   I have only just started; I have no experience.

   Usage

   Declaring your level up front lets the coach put you on a basics programme. Azerbaijani clubs are built around athletes who have trained since childhood, so without a word the intensity may not match you

   Grammar Note

   The ending -mışam/-mişəm is a perfect tense meaning "I have (just) done". Lack of possession uses yox, the opposite of var (təcrübəm yoxdur, "I have no experience")

5. Xahiş edirəm, yüngül gedək.

   Xa-hiş e-di-rəm, yün-gül ge-dək.

   Please, let us take it lightly.

   Usage

   Say this when you want lower intensity during grappling or pad work. To ask for the opposite, say "bərk gedək" (let us go hard)

   Grammar Note

   The ending -ək/-aq forms the first-person plural "let us ..." — a proposal to act together rather than an order, which keeps it polite

6. Dizim zədəlidir, təpik məşqlərini edə bilmərəm.

   Di-zim zə-də-li-dir, tə-pik məşq-lə-ri-ni e-də bil-mə-rəm.

   My knee is injured, so I cannot do the kicking drills.

   Usage

   Say this before training starts. Most clubs use no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "dizim" for "çiynim" (shoulder), "belim" (lower back) or "biləyim" (wrist)

   Grammar Note

   Inability is stem + -a/-ə plus bilmərəm ("I cannot"). "zədə" (injury) + -li ("having") + -dir ("is") gives "is injured"

7. Aylıq üzvlük haqqı nə qədərdir?

   Ay-lıq üzv-lük haq-qı nə qə-dər-dir?

   How much is the monthly membership fee?

   Usage

   If you are staying a week or more, a monthly rate is usually cheaper. State-supported sports schools (idman məktəbi) cost far less than private gyms but are aimed mainly at local children

   Grammar Note

   In a noun-noun compound the second noun takes -ı/-i (haqq → haqqı), as in "giriş haqqı" (entrance fee)

8. Bir məşq nə qədərdir?

   Bir məşq nə qə-dər-dir?

   How much is a single session?

   Usage

   The standard way to ask the drop-in rate. To check for a multi-session pass, follow up with "10 məşqlik abunə var?" (do you have a ten-session subscription?)

   Grammar Note

   -dır/-dir/-dur/-dür is the third-person copula, its shape set by vowel harmony. In speech it is often dropped

9. Qadınlar üçün ayrıca qrup var?

   Qa-dın-lar ü-çün ay-rı-ca qrup var?

   Is there a separate group for women?

   Usage

   Women's groups and female coaches are increasingly common in Baku, though traditional wrestling clubs remain male-dominated. Asking in advance avoids an awkward moment

   Grammar Note

   "üçün" ("for") is a postposition placed after the noun. Azerbaijani has no prepositions; relations are shown by postpositions and case endings

10. Bugünkü məşq cədvəlini haradan görə bilərəm?

    Bu-gün-kü məşq cəd-və-li-ni ha-ra-dan gö-rə bi-lə-rəm?

    Where can I see today's training schedule?

    Usage

    Classes at Azerbaijani clubs cluster in the late afternoon and evening once school is out. The timetable is usually on a board at reception or on the club's Instagram page rather than a printed handout

    Grammar Note

    The suffix -kı/-ki/-kü turns time and place words into adjectives: bu gün → bugünkü (today's), sabahkı (tomorrow's)

11. Bu texnikanı mənə bir də göstərə bilərsiniz?

    Bu tex-ni-ka-nı mə-nə bir də gös-tə-rə bi-lər-si-niz?

    Could you show me this technique once more?

    Usage

    You do not need the name of the move — "bu texnika" (this technique) is enough. Azerbaijani coaches teach largely by demonstration, so asking for another showing beats a verbal explanation

    Grammar Note

    A definite object takes the accusative -nı/-ni/-nu/-nü (texnika → texnikanı); an "n" is inserted after a vowel-final stem

12. Neçə məşqdən sonra sərbəst güləşə bilərəm?

    Ne-çə məşq-dən son-ra sər-bəst gü-lə-şə bi-lə-rəm?

    After how many sessions can I do free wrestling?

    Usage

    Free rolling carries injury risk and is normally gated behind the coach's approval; a common answer is anywhere from a few to a dozen sessions, once your stance and breakfalls hold up. "sərbəst güləş" also names the Olympic sport of freestyle wrestling

    Grammar Note

    The postposition "sonra" (after) governs the ablative -dan/-dən (məşqdən sonra, "after the session"). A noun following "neçə" stays singular

13. Duş və soyunub-geyinmə otağı var?

    Duş və so-yu-nub-ge-yin-mə o-ta-ğı var?

    Is there a shower and a changing room?

    Usage

    Private gyms in Baku normally have showers, though hot water can be limited at sports schools in smaller towns. Bring your own towel

    Grammar Note

    "soyunub-geyinmə" pairs "undress" and "dress" to mean "changing". The following noun otaq (room) takes the possessive form otağı, with q softening to ğ

14. Güləş yarışlarını harada izləyə bilərəm?

    Gü-ləş ya-rış-la-rı-nı ha-ra-da iz-lə-yə bi-lə-rəm?

    Where can I watch wrestling competitions?

    Usage

    Wrestling (güləş) is a national sport in Azerbaijan, with a long list of Olympic and world medallists. The traditional folk style is called "milli güləş" and turns up at festivals and regional events. Judo enjoys similar popularity

    Grammar Note

    Endings stack in a fixed order: plural -lar, then possessive -ı, then accusative -nı (yarış-lar-ı-nı). As an agglutinative language, the order cannot be changed

15. Əllərini yuxarı tut, rəqibinin gözünə bax.

    Əl-lə-ri-ni yu-xa-rı tut, rə-qi-bi-nin gö-zü-nə bax.

    Keep your hands up, look at your opponent's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most frequent cues during grappling and striking drills. Instructions come in the familiar "sən" form rather than polite "siz" — this is not rudeness

    Grammar Note

    The second-person singular imperative is the bare stem (tutmaq → tut, baxmaq → bax). "baxmaq" governs the dative, hence "gözünə bax"

16. Bütün gücünlə vur, özünü saxlama.

    Bü-tün gü-cün-lə vur, ö-zü-nü sax-la-ma.

    Hit with all your strength, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The standard call when the coach on the pads wants full power, and a signal that hitting hard is welcome. Half-hearted strikes are actually more likely to hurt your wrist

    Grammar Note

    A negative command is stem + -ma/-mə (saxlamaq → saxlama, "do not hold"). The instrumental -lə/-la means "with": güc (strength) → gücünlə ("with your strength")

17. Beş dəqiqə fasilə, su için.

    Beş də-qi-qə fa-si-lə, su i-çin.

    Five-minute break, drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach between rounds. Baku summers are humid, and you are expected to bring your own water, though some gyms have a water cooler (su kuleri)

    Grammar Note

    A command addressed to several people takes stem + -ın/-in (içmək → için); to one person you say "iç". The single word "fasilə" also works as the call for a break

18. Bugünlük bu qədər. Afərin!

    Bu-gün-lük bu qə-dər. A-fə-rin!

    That is it for today. Well done!

    Usage

    Said by the coach to wrap up the session. "Afərin" is the set phrase of praise, used for children and adults alike. Reply with "Sağ olun" (thank you)

    Grammar Note

    The suffix -lük/-lıq means "worth of / for" (bu gün → bugünlük, "for today"). "Afərin" is a Persian-derived interjection used with the same sense in Turkish and Persian

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