Learning a new language is always an exciting journey, and Kazakh is no exception. As a Turkic language spoken primarily in Kazakhstan, Kazakh offers unique linguistic and cultural insights. For those of you at the A2 level, you’ve already covered the basics and are now ready to expand your vocabulary and improve your conversational skills. This article aims to introduce you to some essential Kazakh words and phrases that are suitable for A2 learners. We’ll cover various topics, including greetings, numbers, common verbs, and everyday expressions, to help you build a more comprehensive vocabulary.
Greetings and Basic Phrases
Starting with greetings is always a good idea because they are often the first words you’ll use in any conversation. Here are some common greetings and basic phrases in Kazakh:
– Сәлеметсіз бе? (Sälemetsiz be?) – Hello (formal)
– Сәлем! (Sälem!) – Hi (informal)
– Қалайсыз? (Qalaysiz?) – How are you? (formal)
– Қалыңыз қалай? (Qalıñız qalay?) – How are you? (formal)
– Жақсымын, рахмет! (Jaqsymyn, rahmet!) – I’m fine, thank you!
– Сау болыңыз! (Saw bolyñız!) – Goodbye (formal)
– Сау бол! (Saw bol!) – Bye (informal)
– Рахмет! (Rahmet!) – Thank you!
– Оқасы жоқ! (Oqasy joq!) – You’re welcome!
Numbers
Knowing numbers is crucial for various day-to-day activities, such as shopping, telling the time, and asking about prices. Here are the numbers from 1 to 20 in Kazakh:
1. бір (bir)
2. екі (eki)
3. үш (üş)
4. төрт (tört)
5. бес (bes)
6. алты (alty)
7. жеті (jeti)
8. сегіз (segiz)
9. тоғыз (toğız)
10. он (on)
11. он бір (on bir)
12. он екі (on eki)
13. он үш (on üş)
14. он төрт (on tört)
15. он бес (on bes)
16. он алты (on alty)
17. он жеті (on jeti)
18. он сегіз (on segiz)
19. он тоғыз (on toğız)
20. жиырма (jiyrma)
Common Verbs
Verbs are the backbone of any sentence. Here are some essential verbs that will help you construct basic sentences in Kazakh:
– бару (baru) – to go
– келу (kelu) – to come
– істеу (isteu) – to do
– жасау (jasaw) – to make
– сөйлесу (söylesu) – to speak
– тыңдау (tıñdaw) – to listen
– оқу (oqw) – to read
– жазу (jazw) – to write
– көру (köru) – to see
– білу (bilw) – to know
– түсіну (tüsinu) – to understand
– келу (kelw) – to arrive
– отыру (otıru) – to sit
– тұру (turw) – to stand
Everyday Expressions
Incorporating everyday expressions into your vocabulary will make your conversations more natural. Here are some useful phrases for daily interactions:
– Кешіріңіз (Keshiriniz) – Excuse me / Sorry
– Маған көмектесіңізші (Mağan kömektesinizshi) – Can you help me?
– Мен түсінбеймін (Men tüsinbeymin) – I don’t understand
– Сіз ағылшын тілінде сөйлейсіз бе? (Siz ağılşın tilinde söylesiz be?) – Do you speak English?
– Қанша тұрады? (Qanşa turady?) – How much does it cost?
– Менің атым … (Meniñ atım …) – My name is …
– Мынау не? (Mınaw ne?) – What is this?
– Бұл … (Bul …) – This is …
Food and Drink
When it comes to food and drink, knowing some basic vocabulary can be very helpful, especially when dining out or shopping for groceries. Here are some common food and drink words:
– Нан (Nan) – Bread
– Сүт (Süt) – Milk
– Су (Su) – Water
– Шай (Shay) – Tea
– Кофе (Kofe) – Coffee
– Ет (Et) – Meat
– Балық (Balyq) – Fish
– Жеміс (Jemis) – Fruit
– Көкөніс (Kökönis) – Vegetable
– Қант (Qant) – Sugar
– Тұз (Tuz) – Salt
– Жұмыртқа (Jumyrtqa) – Egg
Family and People
Talking about family and people is an integral part of daily conversation. Here are some words that will help you discuss family and relationships:
– Ана (Ana) – Mother
– Әке (Äke) – Father
– Аға (Ağa) – Older brother
– Іні (Ini) – Younger brother
– Әпке (Äpke) – Older sister
– Сіңлі (Siñli) – Younger sister
– Бала (Bala) – Child
– Дос (Dos) – Friend
– Отбасы (Otbası) – Family
Days of the Week and Months
Knowing the days of the week and months is essential for planning and scheduling. Here are the days of the week and months in Kazakh:
Days of the Week
– Дүйсенбі (Düysenbi) – Monday
– Сейсенбі (Seysenbi) – Tuesday
– Сәрсенбі (Särsenbi) – Wednesday
– Бейсенбі (Beysenbi) – Thursday
– Жұма (Juma) – Friday
– Сенбі (Senbi) – Saturday
– Жексенбі (Jeksenbi) – Sunday
Months
1. Қаңтар (Qañtar) – January
2. Ақпан (Aqpan) – February
3. Наурыз (Nawryz) – March
4. Сәуір (Säwir) – April
5. Мамыр (Mamır) – May
6. Маусым (Mawsım) – June
7. Шілде (Şilde) – July
8. Тамыз (Tamız) – August
9. Қыркүйек (Qırküyek) – September
10. Қазан (Qazan) – October
11. Қараша (Qarasha) – November
12. Желтоқсан (Jeltoqsan) – December
Colors
Colors are another fundamental aspect of vocabulary that you should know. Here are some basic colors in Kazakh:
– Қызыл (Qyzyl) – Red
– Көк (Kök) – Blue
– Жасыл (Jasyl) – Green
– Сары (Sarı) – Yellow
– Қара (Qara) – Black
– Ақ (Aq) – White
– Қоңыр (Qoñır) – Brown
– Сұр (Sür) – Gray
– Күлгін (Külgin) – Purple
Places and Directions
Knowing how to ask for and understand directions is very useful, especially when you’re in a new place. Here are some words related to places and directions:
– Мектеп (Mektep) – School
– Аурухана (Awrwkhana) – Hospital
– Дүкен (Düken) – Shop
– Мұражай (Mürajay) – Museum
– Кітапхана (Kitaphana) – Library
– Сол жақ (Sol jaq) – Left
– Оң жақ (Oñ jaq) – Right
– Тура (Tura) – Straight
– Артқа (Artqa) – Back
Time and Date
Understanding how to tell the time and ask about the date is another critical skill. Here are some basic words and phrases related to time and date:
– Сағат (Sağat) – Hour/Clock
– Минут (Minut) – Minute
– Секунд (Sekund) – Second
– Күн (Kün) – Day
– Апта (Apta) – Week
– Ай (Ay) – Month
– Жыл (Jıl) – Year
– Бүгін (Bügin) – Today
– Ертең (Erten) – Tomorrow
– Кеше (Keshe) – Yesterday
Common Adjectives
Adjectives are essential for describing things, people, and situations. Here are some common adjectives in Kazakh:
– Үлкен (Ülken) – Big
– Кіші (Kişi) – Small
– Жақсы (Jaqsy) – Good
– Жаман (Jaman) – Bad
– Ұзын (Uzın) – Long
– Қысқа (Qısqa) – Short
– Әдемі (Ädemi) – Beautiful
– Тез (Tez) – Fast
– Баяу (Bayaw) – Slow
Weather
Talking about the weather is a common conversation starter. Here are some weather-related terms in Kazakh:
– Күн (Kün) – Sun
– Жаңбыр (Jañbyr) – Rain
– Қар (Qar) – Snow
– Бұлт (Bult) – Cloud
– Жел (Jel) – Wind
– Ыстық (Istıq) – Hot
– Суық (Suwıq) – Cold
– Жылы (Jılı) – Warm
– Салқын (Salqın) – Cool
Conclusion
As you can see, expanding your Kazakh vocabulary at the A2 level involves learning a variety of words and phrases that will help you navigate everyday situations more effectively. From greetings and numbers to common verbs and adjectives, each category of words plays an essential role in helping you communicate more naturally and confidently. Keep practicing these words and try to use them in your daily conversations. The more you practice, the more fluent you will become. Happy learning!
