Food and drink in Kazakh
188 words Kazakh words on the topic “food and drink”: Кофе — coffee, Шай — tea, Су — water, Нан — bread. 188 words can be played from recordings.
188 words on the topic
- КофеcoffeeA loanword, unchanged. The home drink is still tea: coffee is ordered in city cafes, where the word travels.
- ШайteaThe main drink of the house: a guest is poured tea before anything else.
- СуwaterThe same word as Turkish. The Turkic languages are closer kin to each other than they look.
- НанbreadA Persian loanword — the same "nan" you hear in "lavash" and "naan".
- ІрімшікcheeseA firm homemade cheese. The salty dried curd balls are "qurt" — a separate treat, not a kind of cheese.
- ЕтmeatAlso lives in the name of the main dish — "beshbarmak", where there is the most of it.
- БалықfishBoth the live fish and the fish on the plate. Hence "balyqshy", "fisherman", with the same tail -shy as in "satushy", "seller".
- СалатsaladA loanword meaning only the dish. Lettuce the plant is "zhapyraqty salat", literally "the leafy kind".
- СорпаsoupAbove all a meat broth, served as a course of its own, not the opener of the meal. A thick noodle soup is "koje".
- Тұзsaltu is a short "u" with the lips barely rounded: TUZ
- ЖемісfruitOne form covers "fruit" and "fruits" alike. A vegetable is "kokonis", from "kok", "green".
- АлмаappleThe source of Almaty — "apple-rich". The city is named by the word from lesson one.
- АпельсинorangeOnly the fruit. The color orange is "qyzghyld sary" and does not share the fruit's name.
- ҚызанақtomatoFrom "qyzyl", "red".
- Дәмдіtasty"Dam" is "taste" and "-di" is "with": literally "with taste".
- Жеуto eatOnly about food: "eat" in the sense of "exist" is a different word, "bar". Inviting you to the table, they say "zhengiz" — do eat.
- Ішуto drinkAlso "to take medicine": "dari ishu". Soup is "drunk" too, not eaten.
- Балғынfreshgh is a voiced throaty g, like a French "r": bal-GHYN
- ПіскенripeFrom "pisu", which means "to ripen" and "to cook" at once. "-ken" is the participle: "having ripened". Hence "piskin et" is "boiled meat".
- Таңғы асbreakfastng is an n said in the nose; gh is a throaty g on the exhale: tan-GHY as
- Түскі асlunchu with the lips shaped for "ee", like German u: tus-KI as
- Кешкі асdinnerthe i in "keshki" is short, between "ee" and the i in "bit": kesh-KI as
- Шайнауto chewIt looks like "shai", "tea", but the kinship is imaginary. Chewing gum is "saghyz".
- Жұтуto swallowu is a short "u" with a shade of "o", the lips barely stretched: zhu-TU
- Тәбетappetitea midway between "a" and "e": ta-BET
- КесекpieceFrom "kesu", "to cut". About meat and sugar it is "kesek"; about bread more often "slice".
- Иісsmelltwo vowels in a row, "ee" and a short i — they do not fuse into one syllable: i-IS
- Таңғы ас кіредіbreakfast is includedng nasal, gh throaty: TAN-GHY
- СиырcowHence "cow meat" — beef. On a menu the combination is met more often than the animal itself.
- МайbutterButter, vegetable oil, fat, and the month of May. The neighbor word specifies: "yellow butter" is the dairy kind, "sunflower" the other.
- КартопpotatoThe Russian kartofel reworked by Kazakh phonetics into kartop. At the bazaar only this form is heard.
- Ұнflouru short, lips tense: UN
- БалhoneyHoney and "sweet" in the figurative sense: "honey-tongued". There is a homonym meaning "divination".
- Жаңғақnutsng nasal before gh, q at the end: zhang-GHAQ
- ПиязonionA word of Persian root. Green onion is "the green onion", where the color word means greens.
- Сәбізcarrota open, i short: SA-biz
- Бұрышpepper (spice)u short: BU-rysh
- Бұршақbeansu short, q at the end: bur-SHAQ
- Дәмдеуішspicesa open, i short: DAM-de-uish
- Тамақ дайындауto cook"Food" from unit 7 means both the throat and the meal; here it is the meal. The verb is "to prepare".
- Жууto washTo wash anything: dishes, hands, the car. You have already seen it in "doing the laundry".
- Пышақknifeq at the end: py-SHAQ
- Қайнатуto boilq at the start: QAI-na-tu
- Қуыруto fryq at the start: QU-y-ru
- Пісіруto bakei short twice: PI-si-ru
- Турауto chopTo cut into small pieces. To cut in two is a different verb, and to cut a finger yet another phrase.
- Кәстрөлpota open, o rounded: kas-TROL
- Табаfrying panHence "pan bread" — bread baked in the pan. A short and thoroughly native word.
- ПешstoveThe stove, the oven and the range at once. In Almaty people say the Russian plita, but in the instructions pesh stands.
- Тәрелкеplatea open: ta-rel-ke
- Кесеtea bowlThe handleless bowl for tea — the central object of the Kazakh table. A cup with a handle is a different phrase, but tea is drunk from this.
- Стақанglassq in the middle: sta-QAN
- Қасықspoonq at the start and the end: QA-syq
- Шанышқыforkq before y: sha-nysh-QY
- Бөтелкеbottleo rounded at the start: bo-tel-ke
- Тоңазытқышrefrigeratorng nasal, q deep: to-NGA-zyt-Qysh
- Майлықnapkinq at the end: mai-LYQ
- Шәйнекteapota open: SHAI-nek
- Табақtrayq at the end: ta-BAQ
- Ып-ыстықscalding hotq at the end: yp-ys-TYQ
- Мұздайice coldu short: MUZ-dai
- АшhungryA short word, a full homonym of the command "open!". The place in the sentence tells them apart.
- Дәмtastea open: DAM
- Тұздыsaltedu short: TUZ-dy
- Қышқылsourq twice: QYSH-Qyl
- АщыbitterBitter and biting at once — the taste that stings. Spelled without the doubling you might expect.
- Өткірpungento rounded, i short: OT-kir
- Тоқsatedq at the end: TOQ
- Дәмін татуto tastea open: DA-min
- Мәзірmenua open, i short: MA-zir
- ДаяшыwaiterFrom "ready": the one who stands ready. The familiar doer tail, as in "seller" and "fisherman".
- ТапсырысorderFrom "to hand over, to entrust". An order in a cafe, online and in a factory — one word.
- Тапсырыс беруto place an orderAnother "noun + give" pair, like "to promise". Kazakh builds half its verbs this way.
- Тағамdishgh throaty between vowels: ta-GHAM
- ПорцияportionA loanword that stands in menus too. The native word means rather a share in a division than a cafe portion.
- Екі кісілік үстелtable for twoi three times, u rounded: KI-si-lik US-tel
- Тәтті асdesserta open: TAT-ti
- Етсізmeatlessi short: et-SIZ
- Шайлықtipq at the end: shai-LYQ
- Тортcakea borrowing with no pair; do not mix it up with the number tort, four — one dotted letter apart, and the meaning is worlds away
- Қонақасыguest feastdeep back q: QO-na-QA-sy
- Кешкі ас дайындауto cook dinnershort i: kesh-KI
- Макаронpastain Kazakh the word stands in the singular, though English pasta is a mass noun anyway: I cooked pasta; the plural would be about sorts
- Йогуртyogurta borrowing, but long since at home; the relatives live beside it: the sour milk drink, the thick set kind and the camel one
- Кілегейcreamshort i: ki-le-GEI
- Балмұздақice creamback tense short u, throaty q: bal-muz-DAQ
- Шоколадchocolatea bar is a chocolate bar and a candy is kampit; a chocolate cake keeps the word as a modifier
- Печеньеcookiesthe borrowing settled as is: the language grew no word of its own for cookies; the nearest kin are the bun and the fried dough bites
- Сиыр етіbeefshort i at the end: si-YR e-TI
- Қой етіmuttonthroaty q: QOI e-TI
- Асшаянlarge shrimpliterally an edible scorpion: as, food, plus shaian, scorpion, crayfish; a bookish word — in the shop people say the borrowed shrimp
- Жүзімgrapesround u, short i: zhu-ZIM
- Қиярcucumberthroaty q: qi-YAR
- Қырыққабатcabbagethroaty q three times: qy-ryq-qa-BAT
- Сарымсақgarlicshort y, throaty q: sa-rym-SAQ
- Асқабақpumpkinthroaty q twice: as-qa-BAQ
- Баялдыeggplantthe word came from the south with the vegetable; at the bazaar you will hear the borrowed one too; the folksy name means the blue ones
- Лимонlemontea with lemon is lemon-added tea and citric acid is the lemon-sour word
- Қарбызwatermelonthroaty q, short y: qar-BYZ
- Құлпынайstrawberryback tense short u, short y: qul-py-NAI
- Алмұртpearback tense short u: al-MURT
- Шабдалыpeachthe peach and the peach tree; the apricot is orik, and the dried one is orik too
- Тағам рецептіrecipesoft throaty g, short i: ta-GHAM re-tsep-TI
- Көкөністі тазалауto peel the vegetablesrounded lips twice, short i: ko-ko-nis-TI ta-za-LAU
- Қайнатуto bring to a boilthroaty q: qai-na-TU
- Араластыруto stirfrom aralasu, to mix and mingle; keep stirring it is the cooking instruction; the same word is about mixing in general, like mixing languages
- Тұздауto add saltback tense short u: tuz-DAU
- Жылытуto heat upfrom zhyly, warm; it fits food and a room alike: to warm the room; the course knows the same-root zhylu, warmth and heating
- Суытуto cool downfrom suyq, cold; it cooled by itself is one form and to cool it on purpose another; about feelings the same word works: his heart cooled
- Жұмыртқаны шайқауto beat the eggsback tense short u, throaty q: zhu-myrt-QHA-ny shai-QAU
- Су қосуto add waterthroaty q: SU qo-SU
- Грильде қуыруto grillthroaty q, short u: gril-DE qu-Y-ru
- Жарамдылық мерзіміexpiration datethroaty q, short i: zha-ram-dy-LYQ mer-zi-MI
- Бұзылып кеттіwent badback tense short u, short i: bu-zy-LYP ket-TI
- Банкаjara borrowing, but settled: one jar of jam; the native word for a small flask or vial is alive too
- Қосымша порцияextra helpingthroaty q: qo-sym-SHA por-tsi-IA
- Алып кетугеtakeawayliterally so as to take with you; at the coffee place they ask: here, or to take away?
- Қантсызsugar-freethroaty q: qant-SYZ
- Мен вегетарианмынI am a vegetarianthe predicate builds with the person ending straight on the word; a woman says exactly the same — the language has no gender; people also explain it simply: I do not eat meat
- Ас дәмді болсынenjoy your mealwider than e, short i: AS dam-DI bol-SYN
- Майлы тамақfatty foodthroaty q at the end: mai-LY ta-MAQ
- Кәмпитcandyopen ae with an e shade: kaem-PIT
- Ұлттық тағамnational dishback tense short u, throaty q, voiced g: ult-TYQ ta-GHAM
- Көше тағамыstreet foodrounded o, voiced throaty g: ko-SHE ta-gha-MY
- шошқа етіporkThe course keeps "shoshqa" for the animal; the meat is named by the possessive chain, and the tail "-i" on "et" is obligatory.
- тауық етіchicken (the meat)The bird is "tauyq", on the plate it is "tauyq eti". The tail is front-row even though the first word is back-row.
- үйрек етіduck (the meat)The bare "uirek" the course has already given as the bird; for the meat you need the chain, as in "tauyq eti".
- тартылған етminced meatLiterally "pulled meat": a participle of "tartu", to put through the grinder.
- ветчинаhamThere is no native name — the word was borrowed whole, but it takes Kazakh cases as its own: "vetchinany", "vetchinadan".
- сосискаfrankfurter"Shuzhyq" is the salami kind of sausage; the frankfurter has no native word of its own, and the shop says the borrowed one.
- тунецtunaA brought-in fish, and the name arrived with it; the tin says tunets, the Russian name.
- қызыл балықsalmonLiterally "red fish" — the name for the whole salmon family; price tags often carry the borrowed word instead.
- креветкаshrimpThe course has already given the native "asshaian" as a mass word; piece by piece, on menus and price tags, the borrowed word is what you hear.
- теңіз өнімдеріseafoodLiterally "the products of the sea": the plural "-der" on "onim" plus the possessive "-i".
- қара өрікplum"Orik" is the apricot, and the plum differs from it by the single word "qara", "black". Prunes are called the same way.
- таңқурайraspberryA native, living word; next to it the borrowed name is almost never heard.
- қауынmelonWithout qualifiers "qauyn" is always the melon; the watermelon is a separate word, "qarbyz".
- анарpomegranateA Persian word, long settled in Kazakh; the gemstone with the same borrowed name has nothing to do with it.
- ананасpineappleA loanword with no native pair; the tails are Kazakh and back-row: "ananasty", "ananaistan".
- мандаринmandarinSpelled like the borrowed original, but with Kazakh stress — on the last syllable.
- кивиkiwi (the fruit)The word does not change inside, but it takes cases: "kiwidi", "kiwiden". The course knows no bird by this name.
- авокадоavocadoA new word that arrived by way of Russian; the fruit has no native name.
- мейізraisinThe course knows grapes as "zhuzem", but the dried kind has its own name, and the ear hears no connection.
- інжірfigA front-row word from end to end, so the tails are front-row too: "injirdi", "injirge".
- тәтті бұрышbell pepperThe bare "burysh" is kept for pepper the spice; the garden vegetable is set apart by "tatti", "sweet".
- кәдіzucchini"Asqaqaq" is the pumpkin; the zucchini is its small kin and is called "kadi". In speech the borrowed word is more common.
- қызылшаbeetFrom "qyzyl", "red". The same word names measles — only the conversation tells the kitchen from the clinic.
- шомырradishThe dictionary name for both the radish and the black radish; at the bazaar you will hear the borrowed "rediska".
- көк шөпgreens"Kok" is kept for "blue" by the course, but about food it means "green, fresh"; "shop" is "grass".
- аскөкdillA compound of "as", "food", and "kok", "greens": literally "edible greens", written as one word.
- ақжелкенparsleyLiterally "white sail" — after the look of the leaf. A native word that holds its ground firmly.
- зімбірgingerThe whole word is front-row, so the tails are front-row: "zimbirdi", "zimbirge", not "-du", "-gha".
- жүгеріcornOne word for the cob and the field alike; the cereal from it is "zhugeri zharmau".
- шпинатspinachA new dish on the table, and the name came by way of Russian with no native replacement.
- тоқашrollThe native name for soft pastry; "nan" is kept for bread in general.
- бәлішpieA pie with a filling, usually meat, and the dough closed over it.
- пирожноеpastryThe name arrived whole from the borrowed stock: there is no native word for the patisserie kind of sweetness.
- пончикdoughnutThe native "baursaq" and "shelphek" live alongside, but the round thing in the display case goes by the borrowed name.
- нан-тоқашbaked goodsA hyphenated pair, "bread-roll": that is how Kazakh names the whole class of things baked.
- тосапjamBerries boiled down with sugar. The word is native, but the jar on the shop shelf more often carries the borrowed label.
- шәрбатsyrupAn eastern word of the same root as "sherbet"; it names any thick sweet liquid.
- попкорнpopcornIt arrived from English through the borrowed channel; Kazakh calls corn "zhugeri", and this is only "popcorn".
- чипсыpotato chipsThe word was borrowed in the plural and froze that way: tails attach to it as a whole — "chipsyny".
- сағызchewing gumA native word: the same one names resin and any sticky mass.
- лимонадlemonadeA loanword that lives by Kazakh rules: "limonadty", "limonadtan".
- минералды суmineral waterThe qualifier stands before the noun and does not decline: only "su" takes the case.
- газдалған суsparkling waterA participle of "gazdau". The opposite is said through negation: "gazdalmaghan su".
- коктейльcocktailThe soft final sound pulls front-row tails: "kokteildi", "kokteilge".
- какаоcocoaThe word does not change inside; the case attaches at the very end: "kakaonu", "kakao-ğa".
- еритін кофеinstant coffee"Eritin" is a participle of "eru", "to dissolve"; the ground kind is "untaqtalghan kofe".
- шай пакетіtea bagA possessive chain: "shai" stands bare, and the borrowed "packet" takes the Kazakh tail "-i".
- қайнаған суboiling waterA participle of "qainau". The course keeps "uystyq su" for hot tap water — not the same thing.
- арақ-шарапalcoholA paired word, "vodka-wine": that is how Kazakh names spirits in general; in speech the borrowed "alcohol" is heard too.
- сусынbeverageFrom "su", "water": anything you drink. A sign reading "Susyndar" means "Drinks".
- шырынjuiceThe word means both the drink and the juice inside the fruit itself; which one is the possessive chain's job: "alma shyruny", "apple juice".
- Сарымайsarymai"Yellow" plus "butter": the name describes the color.
- БешбармақbeshbarmakKazakhs themselves use the word less than the borrowed one; more often they simply say "meat".
- ҚымызkumysThe sack is churned with a wooden paddle hundreds of times a day — otherwise the kumys is not the real thing.
- ШұбатshubatThe pair of kumys: that one is from mare's milk, this one from camel's.
- ҚұртkurtSour and very salty: hardly anyone likes it at first bite.
- БауырсақbaursakThe shape differs by region: some are diamonds, some are balls — by it you can tell where the hostess is from.
- ҚазыkazyBeside it go the finer sausage and the smoked haunch; all of it is horse meat.
- ҚуырдақkuyrdakThis is the dish of the slaughter day: making it from store-bought meat is not the same.
- ШелпекshelpekIt differs from the baursak in shape and purpose: that one goes to the table, this one to the rite.
- Наурыз көжеnauryz-kozheThe ingredients may vary; the number seven may not — the whole meaning of the dish is in it.
- Тандыр нанtandyr nanThe bread is not cut with a knife but broken by hand — and never laid on the table upside down.
- ТалқанtalkanOften served in a bowl together with butter — the two are mixed right there.
- АйранairanDiluted with water and salted, it gets another name — a different word again.
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
Кофе — coffee. A loanword, unchanged. The home drink is still tea: coffee is ordered in city cafes, where the word travels.
Шай — tea. The main drink of the house: a guest is poured tea before anything else.
Су — water. The same word as Turkish. The Turkic languages are closer kin to each other than they look.
Нан — bread. A Persian loanword — the same "nan" you hear in "lavash" and "naan".
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 Кофе — coffee.
- What is this word?
It is Салат — salad.
- What is this word?
It is Дәмді — tasty.
- What is this word?
It is Кешкі ас — dinner.
- What is this word?
It is Сиыр — cow.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “coffee” in Kazakh?
A loanword, unchanged. The home drink is still tea: coffee is ordered in city cafes, where the word travels.
- How do you say “salad” in Kazakh?
A loanword meaning only the dish. Lettuce the plant is "zhapyraqty salat", literally "the leafy kind".
- How do you say “tasty” in Kazakh?
"Dam" is "taste" and "-di" is "with": literally "with taste".
- How do you say “dinner” in Kazakh?
"Kesh" is "evening" — it has already turned up in "it got late".
- How do you say “cow” in Kazakh?
Hence "cow meat" — beef. On a menu the combination is met more often than the animal itself.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
A menu, a market, a shop sign, the question “what is this?”. Food is the most frequent subject of the first weeks and the safest excuse to start talking.
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 “coffee” in Kazakh?
«Кофе». A loanword, unchanged. The home drink is still tea: coffee is ordered in city cafes, where the word travels. It is one of 188 words in the set “food and drink” — the rest are in the table above.
How many food words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 188 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, 188 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.