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Basic Kazakh Words

Here is something that was sent to me from one of my excellent former students named Nurdaulet. It’s a handy chart with some good phonetic transcriptions of basic Kazakh words and phrases. Kazakh is a Turkic language that’s existed for very long time.

Basic Kazakh words – Негізгі қазақша сөзтіркестер

How do you do? ; Hello! — Сәлеметсіз бе! [sæle’metsәz ,be]

Hi! — Сәлем! [sæ’lem]

How are you? — Жағдайыңыз қалай? [ʒʌgh’dʌjıŋız ‘khʌla:j ] – *gh – like French ‘r’

Good morning! — Қайырлы таң [,khʌjır’lı ‘ta:ŋ]

Good afternoon (formal) — Қайырлы күн [,khʌjır’lı ‘ku:n]

Good evening (formal) — Қайырлы кеш [,khʌjır’lı ‘keʃ]!

Good night (informal) — Қайырлы түн [,khʌjır’lı ‘tu:n]

What’s new? — Не жаңалық? [,ne ʒʌŋa:’lıkh]

My name is… — Менің есімім (атым)… [me’nәŋ esә’mәm (a’tım)]

It is nice to meet you. — Танысқаныма қуаныштымын [tanıskhanı’ma: khuʌnıʃ’tımın]

How old are you? — Жасыңыз қаншада? [ʒʌsı’ŋız ‘khanʃʌda:]

What do you do for a living?— Қандай жұмыс істейсіз? [‘khʌnda:j ʒɔ’mıs әs’tejsәz]

Are you married? — Үйленгенсіз бе?(ер) [u:jlen’gensәz ,be] Тұрмыстасыз ба?(әйел) [tɔrmıs’tʌsız ,ba]

Where are you from? — Қай жерденсіз? [kha:j ʒer’densәz]

I am an American — Mен Американдықпын [‘men amerıkan’dıkhpyn]

I am from the USA — Mен АҚШ-танмын [‘men ,ʌkhʃ-‘tanmın]

I love you! — Mен сені сүйемін! [‘men se’nә su:’jemәn]

Thank you! — Рақмет! [rakh’met]

Excuse me — Кешіріңіз [ke’ʃәrәŋәz]

I don’t understand — Tүсінбедім [tu:sәn’bedәm]

The weather is nice today — Бүгінгі ауа райы тамаша екен [bu:gәn’gә ʌ’wa: ra’jı tʌmʌ’ʃa: e’ken]

Let’s go outside — Сыртқа шығайық [sırt’kha: ʃı’ghajık]

By Nurdaulét Zattulla

Be Back Soon

Sorry for the long absence between posts but I’ve been studying for the GRE, which I crazily took the day after New Years, and have been writing applications to various graduate schools. I’m almost done and should be back to posting again soon! Hope everyone had a safe and happy holidays!

Kazakh Attack!!

Yesterday I somehow had my highest single day amount of blog hits ever!! Now I don’t know if this is because my blog has gotten better or because your tastes have gotten worse. Nevertheless I’m happy and here is me in some funny clothing, ENJOY!

Me during our English Language festival in some traditional Kazakh

Here are some photos from various times during my first week in Shymkent. These are only a few pictures, I will take and post more in the very near future.

This first picture is after the first class I went to for one of the 10th form classes at the school. Most of the students spoke very well why the others were to shy to speak. These are some of the students who wanted to take a picture with the “American” after class was over.

This next picture is of a few of my co-workers. There are 10 women that I work with that teach in the English department and here are few of them. Gulsum, Janar, Aigul, and Asseyl. We are having tea between classes in our little teachers faculty room. It’s pretty full when all 11 of us are in there for meetings.

This last picture is of two girls who came to our English conversation club that we have on Friday evenings. Volunteers that have been here for a year tell me they are regulars and it is very obvious because they speak English very well. They just happened to be sitting next to me while I was playing with my Camera.

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