Numbers and counting in Kazakh
11 words Kazakh words on the topic “numbers and counting”: Бір — one, Екі — two, Үш — three, Төрт — four. 11 words can be played from recordings.
11 words on the topic
- БірoneDoubles as the indefinite article "a": "bir kofe" is "a coffee, please".
- ЕкіtwoAfter a numeral the noun stays singular: "eki kitap", not "kitaptar". This holds for every number without exception.
- Үшthreeu like German ü, lips pushed forward: ush
- Төртfouro like German ö: tort
- БесfiveOne root for the whole row: "bes zhuz" is five hundred, "besinshi" is fifth, "beseu" is a group of five.
- АлтыsixEnds in a vowel, so its ordinal takes a shortened tail: "altynshy", not the full "-ynshy" form.
- ЖетіsevenThe number of the week and of memory: "zheti ata" — the seven generations of ancestors one is supposed to know by name.
- СегізeightThe ordinal is "segizinshi": the i in the stem pulls the soft tail. Its hard partner is "togyzymshy".
- Тоғызninegh is a voiced, deep-in-the-throat g, like a French "r"
- ОнtenBeyond it numbers are added: "on bir" is eleven, "zhiyrma bir" is twenty-one.
- санnumberFrom "sanau", "to count". A phone number is "nomir", a loanword.
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
What is worth knowing about these words
Бір — one. Doubles as the indefinite article "a": "bir kofe" is "a coffee, please".
Екі — two. After a numeral the noun stays singular: "eki kitap", not "kitaptar". This holds for every number without exception.
Үш — three. The same word carries the whole row: "ush zhuz" is three hundred, "ushinshi" is third. The place is simply written on, nothing fusing.
Төрт — four. The ordinal is "tortinshi", with the soft tail: the o in the stem pulls the i of the ending with it.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is Бір — one.
- What is this word?
It is Сегіз — eight.
- What is this word?
It is Төрт — four.
- What is this word?
It is сан — number.
- What is this word?
It is Жеті — seven.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “one” in Kazakh?
Doubles as the indefinite article "a": "bir kofe" is "a coffee, please".
- How do you say “eight” in Kazakh?
The ordinal is "segizinshi": the i in the stem pulls the soft tail. Its hard partner is "togyzymshy".
- How do you say “four” in Kazakh?
The ordinal is "tortinshi", with the soft tail: the o in the stem pulls the i of the ending with it.
- How do you say “number” in Kazakh?
From "sanau", "to count". A phone number is "nomir", a loanword.
- How do you say “seven” in Kazakh?
The number of the week and of memory: "zheti ata" — the seven generations of ancestors one is supposed to know by name.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
A price, the change, a house number, the time you agreed on, the floor. Numbers are the first thing you have to catch by ear — and the first thing people say fast.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “one” in Kazakh?
«Бір». Doubles as the indefinite article "a": "bir kofe" is "a coffee, please". It is one of 11 words in the set “numbers and counting” — the rest are in the table above.
How many numbers do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 11 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 11 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.