Kazakh, the official language of Kazakhstan, belongs to the Turkic language family. It has its own unique set of rules and characteristics that distinguish it from other languages. One of the intriguing aspects of Kazakh is its numerical system and the way it handles quantities. In this article, we will delve deep into the quantitative vocabulary in the Kazakh language, exploring numbers, counting, and related expressions that will help you become more proficient in Kazakh.

Numbers in Kazakh

Understanding numbers is the foundation of quantitative vocabulary. In Kazakh, numbers are straightforward, but they come with their own set of rules. Let’s start with the basics:

1. Zero – нөл (nöl)
2. One – бір (bir)
3. Two – екі (eki)
4. Three – үш (üsh)
5. Four – төрт (tört)
6. Five – бес (bes)
7. Six – алты (alty)
8. Seven – жеті (jeti)
9. Eight – сегіз (segiz)
10. Nine – тоғыз (toǵyz)
11. Ten – он (on)

Once you have these basic numbers down, you can start building larger numbers. For example, numbers between 11 and 19 are formed by combining “ten” with the units:

– 11 – он бір (on bir)
– 12 – он екі (on eki)
– 13 – он үш (on üsh)
– 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 toǵyz)

For multiples of ten, you simply combine the word for ten (он) with the appropriate unit:

– 20 – жиырма (jiyirma)
– 30 – отыз (otyz)
– 40 – қырық (qyryk)
– 50 – елу (elu)
– 60 – алпыс (alpys)
– 70 – жетпіс (jetpis)
– 80 – сексен (sekseń)
– 90 – тоқсан (toqsan)

Hundreds, thousands, and beyond are constructed similarly:

– 100 – жүз (jüz)
– 200 – екі жүз (eki yüz)
– 1000 – мың (myń)
– 2000 – екі мың (eki myń)

Counting in Kazakh

Counting objects in Kazakh follows certain grammatical rules that are important to understand. When counting objects, the number usually comes before the noun, and the noun remains in its singular form. For example:

– One apple – бір алма (bir alma)
– Two apples – екі алма (eki alma)
– Three apples – үш алма (üsh alma)

This rule simplifies the process of counting and makes it easier to learn. However, it’s worth noting that in some contexts, the noun may take on a specific case to indicate quantity. For instance:

– I have one book – Менде бір кітап бар. (Mende bir kitap bar.)
– I have two books – Менде екі кітап бар. (Mende eki kitap bar.)

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position or order of things. In Kazakh, ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix “-шы/-ші” to the cardinal number, but there are some variations depending on the last letter of the number. Here are some examples:

– First – бірінші (birinshi)
– Second – екінші (ekinshi)
– Third – үшінші (üshinshi)
– Fourth – төртінші (törtinshi)
– Fifth – бесінші (besinshi)
– Sixth – алтыншы (altynshi)
– Seventh – жетінші (jetinshi)
– Eighth – сегізінші (segizinshi)
– Ninth – тоғызыншы (toǵyzynshi)
– Tenth – оныншы (onynshi)

Ordinal numbers are essential when giving directions, describing sequences, or discussing dates and appointments.

Fractions and Decimals

When dealing with fractions and decimals, Kazakh uses specific terminology. Fractions are generally expressed by stating the numerator followed by the word “бөліктен” (bölikten), which means “of a part.” For example:

– 1/2 – жарты (jarty) or бір бөліктен екі (bir bölikten eki)
– 1/3 – үштен бірі (üshden biri)
– 1/4 – төрттен бірі (törtten biri)

Decimals are indicated by the word “үтір” (ütir), which means “comma.” In Kazakh, the decimal point is represented by a comma rather than a dot, which is different from English. For example:

– 0.5 – нөл үтір бес (nöl ütіr bes)
– 1.25 – бір үтір жиырма бес (bir ütіr jiyirma bes)

Quantitative Expressions

In addition to numbers and counting, there are various expressions in Kazakh that convey quantity. These expressions are useful in everyday conversations and help you describe amounts more precisely.

Common Quantitative Expressions

– Many – көп (köp)
– Few – аз (az)
– Some – кейбір (keybir)
– Several – бірнеше (birneshe)
– All – барлық (barlyq)
– None – ешқандай (eshqanday)

These expressions are often used with nouns to indicate the quantity of something:

– Many people – көп адам (köp adam)
– Few books – аз кітап (az kitap)
– Some apples – кейбір алма (keybir alma)
– Several cars – бірнеше машина (birneshe mashina)
– All students – барлық студенттер (barlyq studentter)
– No money – ешқандай ақша (eshqanday aqsha)

Expressions of Approximation

Sometimes, you need to express approximate quantities or ranges. Kazakh has specific words and phrases for this purpose:

– About – шамамен (shamamen)
– Approximately – шамамен (shamamen)
– More or less – шамамен (shamamen)
– Around – шамамен (shamamen)

For example:

– There are about ten people – Он шамасында адам бар. (On shamasynda adam bar.)
– The meeting will last approximately two hours – Жиын шамамен екі сағатқа созылады. (Jïyn shamamen eki saǵatqa sozylady.)

Time and Dates

Another important aspect of quantitative vocabulary is related to time and dates. Being able to express time and dates accurately is crucial for scheduling appointments, making plans, and discussing historical events.

Telling Time

Telling time in Kazakh follows a similar structure to English, but with some differences. Here are the basics:

– Hour – сағат (saǵat)
– Minute – минут (minut)
– Second – секунд (sekund)

To express time, you usually state the hour first, followed by the minutes. For example:

– It’s 3:00 – Үш сағат (Üsh saǵat)
– It’s 3:30 – Үш жарым (Üsh jarym) (literally “three and a half”)
– It’s 4:15 – Төрт сағат он бес минут (Tört saǵat on bes minut)

To ask for the time, you can say:

– What time is it? – Сағат неше? (Saǵat neshe?)

Days, Months, and Years

Understanding days, months, and years is essential for discussing dates. Here are the Kazakh words for days of the week and months of the year:

Days of the Week:

– Monday – дүйсенбі (düysenbi)
– Tuesday – сейсенбі (seysembi)
– Wednesday – сәрсенбі (särsembi)
– Thursday – бейсенбі (beysembi)
– Friday – жұма (juma)
– Saturday – сенбі (senbi)
– Sunday – жексенбі (jeksenbi)

Months of the Year:

– January – қаңтар (qañtar)
– February – ақпан (aqpan)
– March – наурыз (nauryz)
– April – сәуір (säwir)
– May – мамыр (mamyr)
– June – маусым (mawsym)
– July – шілде (shilde)
– August – тамыз (tamyz)
– September – қыркүйек (qyrküyek)
– October – қазан (qazan)
– November – қараша (qarasha)
– December – желтоқсан (jeltoksan)

To express dates, you typically use the format “day-month-year.” For example:

– December 25, 2023 – 25 желтоқсан 2023 жыл (25 jeltoksan 2023 jyl)

Practical Applications

Learning quantitative vocabulary in Kazakh has numerous practical applications. Here are some real-life scenarios where this knowledge will come in handy:

Shopping

When shopping, you’ll need to discuss prices, quantities, and measurements. Here are some useful phrases:

– How much does it cost? – Бұл қанша тұрады? (Búl qanşa turady?)
– I need two kilograms of apples – Маған екі килограмм алма керек. (Maǵan eki kilogramm alma kerek.)
– Do you have a smaller size? – Сізде кішірек өлшем бар ма? (Sizde kishiirek ölsem bar ma?)

Cooking

In the kitchen, recipes often require precise measurements. Knowing how to express quantities is essential:

– Add one cup of sugar – Бір кесе қант қосыңыз. (Bir kese qant qosyńyz.)
– Use half a teaspoon of salt – Жарты шай қасық тұз қолданыңыз. (Jarty shay qasyq tuz qoldanyńyz.)
– Bake for 30 minutes – 30 минут пісіріңіз. (30 minut pisirińiz.)

Traveling

When traveling, you’ll need to discuss distances, times, and schedules:

– How far is it to the city center? – Қала орталығына дейін қанша қашықтық бар? (Qala ortalyǵyna deýin qanşa qaşıqtyq bar?)
– The train leaves at 5:00 PM – Пойыз сағат 17:00-де жүреді. (Poyız saǵat 17:00-de jüredi.)

Work and Business

In professional settings, you’ll often need to discuss quantities, statistics, and deadlines:

– We need to complete this project in two weeks – Біз бұл жобаны екі апта ішінде аяқтауымыз керек. (Biz búl jobany eki apta işinde ayaqtaýymyz kerek.)
– The budget is 1 million tenge – Бюджет 1 миллион теңге. (Býdjet 1 million teñge.)

Conclusion

Mastering quantitative vocabulary in Kazakh is a crucial step in becoming proficient in the language. Whether you’re counting objects, telling time, discussing prices, or describing quantities, having a solid grasp of these concepts will greatly enhance your ability to communicate effectively in Kazakh. Remember to practice regularly and immerse yourself in the language to reinforce your learning. With dedication and perseverance, you’ll find that expressing quantities in Kazakh becomes second nature, opening up new opportunities for meaningful conversations and deeper cultural understanding.