Kazakh, the official language of Kazakhstan, is a member of the Turkic language family. It is spoken by over 10 million people and is written in the Cyrillic script. If you’re just starting your journey into learning Kazakh, you’re at the A1 level, which is the beginner level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This means you’re focusing on basic phrases, common expressions, and essential vocabulary that will help you navigate daily life.

In this article, we’ll explore essential Kazakh words and phrases that every A1 level learner should know. These words will help you build a strong foundation and allow you to communicate basic needs, introduce yourself, and engage in simple conversations.

Basic Greetings and Courtesies

When learning any language, it’s crucial to start with basic greetings and courtesies. These words and phrases are often the first interaction you have with native speakers and set the tone for your conversation.

– Сәлем (Salem) – Hello
– Қайырлы таң (Qayyrly tan) – Good morning
– Қайырлы күн (Qayyrly kün) – Good afternoon
– Қайырлы кеш (Qayyrly kesh) – Good evening
– Сау болыңыз (Sau bolynyz) – Goodbye
– Рақмет (Rakhmet) – Thank you
– Өтінемін (Ötinemin) – Please
– Кешіріңіз (Keshiriniz) – Excuse me / I’m sorry

These words are essential for polite conversation and will help you make a positive impression when speaking with Kazakh speakers.

Introducing Yourself and Others

Being able to introduce yourself and ask about others is a fundamental skill in any language. Here are some key phrases to get you started:

– Менің атым … (Menin atym …) – My name is …
– Сіздің атыңыз кім? (Sizdin atynyz kim?) – What is your name?
– Мен … тұрамын (Men … turamyn) – I live in …
– Мен студентпін (Men studentpin) – I am a student
– Сіз қайдансыз? (Siz qaydansyz?) – Where are you from?
– Мен … еліненмін (Men … elinenmin) – I am from …

These phrases will help you start conversations and get to know others, which is an important step in language learning.

Numbers and Counting

Numbers are a crucial part of any language. Knowing how to count and express quantities is essential for shopping, telling time, and many other daily activities. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Kazakh:

– Бір (Bir) – One
– Екі (Eki) – Two
– Үш (Üsh) – Three
– Төрт (Tört) – Four
– Бес (Bes) – Five
– Алты (Alty) – Six
– Жеті (Zheti) – Seven
– Сегіз (Segiz) – Eight
– Тоғыз (Toğız) – Nine
– Он (On) – Ten

Once you’re comfortable with these, you can move on to higher numbers and learn how to combine them to form larger numbers.

Common Phrases for Everyday Situations

To navigate daily life, you’ll need to know some common phrases that can help you in various situations. Here are a few that you might find useful:

– Бұл не? (Búl ne?) – What is this?
– Бұл қанша тұрады? (Búl qanşa turady?) – How much does this cost?
– Мен түсінбеймін (Men túsinbeýmin) – I don’t understand
– Қайда? (Qayda?) – Where?
– Қашан? (Qashan?) – When?
– Неге? (Nege?) – Why?
– Мынау (Mynau) – This
– Анау (Anau) – That

These phrases will help you ask questions, seek clarification, and understand responses, making it easier to manage everyday interactions.

Essential Vocabulary for Shopping

Shopping is a common activity, and knowing the right vocabulary can make the experience much smoother. Here are some essential words for shopping:

– Дүкен (Dúken) – Store / Shop
– Нарық (Naryq) – Market
– Баға (Bağa) – Price
– Ақша (Aqsha) – Money
– Сату (Satu) – To sell
– Сатып алу (Satyp alu) – To buy
– Тауар (Tawar) – Product
– Төлеу (Töleu) – To pay

With these words, you’ll be able to communicate your needs and understand the responses when you go shopping.

Describing People and Objects

Being able to describe people and objects is an important part of communication. Here are some basic adjectives and phrases that will help you describe various things:

– Үлкен (Ülken) – Big
– Кішкентай (Kişkentay) – Small
– Жақсы (Zhaqsy) – Good
– Жаман (Zhaman) – Bad
– Әдемі (Ädemi) – Beautiful
– Ұзын (Uzyn) – Long
– Қысқа (Qysqa) – Short
– Жас (Zhas) – Young
– Кәрі (Käri) – Old

These adjectives will help you provide more details and make your conversations more descriptive and interesting.

Basic Verbs and Actions

Verbs are the backbone of sentences, allowing you to express actions and states of being. Here are some basic verbs that are essential for A1 level learners:

– Жүру (Zhüru) – To walk
– Жүгіру (Zhügiru) – To run
– Оқу (Oqu) – To read / To study
– Жазу (Zhazu) – To write
– Істеу (Isteu) – To do / To make
– Бару (Baru) – To go
– Келу (Kelu) – To come
– Сөйлесу (Söýleýsú) – To speak
– Тыңдау (Týñdaw) – To listen

Learning these basic verbs will enable you to form simple sentences and express a wide range of actions.

Forming Simple Sentences

Now that you have some essential vocabulary, let’s look at how to form simple sentences in Kazakh. Kazakh sentence structure typically follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, which is different from the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order in English.

For example:
– Мен кітап оқимын (Men kitap oqimyn) – I read a book (Literally: I book read)
– Сіз қазақ тілін үйренесіз (Siz qazaq tilin üýrenesiz) – You learn Kazakh (Literally: You Kazakh language learn)

Understanding this structure will help you construct basic sentences and improve your overall fluency.

Days of the Week and Time Expressions

Knowing how to talk about days and time is essential for making plans and understanding schedules. Here are the days of the week in Kazakh:

– Дүйсенбі (Dúýsenbi) – Monday
– Сейсенбі (Seýsenbi) – Tuesday
– Сәрсенбі (Särsenbi) – Wednesday
– Бейсенбі (Beýsenbi) – Thursday
– Жұма (Zhúma) – Friday
– Сенбі (Senbi) – Saturday
– Жексенбі (Zheksenbi) – Sunday

And here are some basic time expressions:

– Бүгін (Bügín) – Today
– Ертең (Erten) – Tomorrow
– Кеше (Keshe) – Yesterday
– Сағат (Sağat) – Hour / O’clock
– Минут (Minut) – Minute

These expressions will help you discuss schedules and time-related activities.

Food and Drink

Food and drink are vital parts of any culture. Knowing the basic vocabulary for food and drink will help you navigate menus and enjoy Kazakh cuisine. Here are some important words:

– Нан (Nan) – Bread
– Су (Su) – Water
– Шай (Shay) – Tea
– Сүт (Süt) – Milk
– Ет (Et) – Meat
– Балық (Balıq) – Fish
– Көкөніс (Kökönis) – Vegetable
– Жеміс (Zhemis) – Fruit

These words will help you understand what you’re ordering and ensure you get what you want when dining out or shopping for groceries.

Family and Relationships

Talking about family and relationships is a common topic in conversations. Here are some basic words related to family:

– Ана (Ana) – Mother
– Әке (Äke) – Father
– Бала (Bala) – Child
– Аға (Ağa) – Older brother
– Іні (Ini) – Younger brother
– Әпке (Äpke) – Older sister
– Сіңлі (Siñli) – Younger sister

These words will help you talk about your family and understand others when they talk about theirs.

Basic Questions

Being able to ask and understand questions is crucial for any conversation. Here are some basic question words:

– Кім? (Kim?) – Who?
– Не? (Ne?) – What?
– Қайда? (Qayda?) – Where?
– Қашан? (Qashan?) – When?
– Неге? (Nege?) – Why?
– Қалай? (Qalay?) – How?

These question words will help you gather information and keep conversations going.

Conclusion

Learning Kazakh at the A1 level involves mastering basic vocabulary and phrases that will help you navigate everyday situations, introduce yourself, and communicate basic needs and questions. By familiarizing yourself with these essential words and phrases, you’ll build a strong foundation that will support your continued language learning journey.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Use these words and phrases in your daily life, engage in conversations with native speakers whenever possible, and immerse yourself in the language. With time and effort, you’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable and confident in your Kazakh language skills. Happy learning!