Shopping and money in Kazakh
83 words Kazakh words on the topic “shopping and money”: Қанша тұрады? — how much does it cost?, Теңге — tenge, Дүкен — store, Базар — bazaar. 83 words can be played from recordings.
83 words on the topic
- Қанша тұрады?how much does it cost?Literally "how much does it stand". "Turu" means both "to stand" and "to cost".
- ТеңгеtengeThe ng is a nasal n, like the last sound of English "sing". From the Turkic "tenge" — coin, balance.
- ДүкенstoreFrom the Persian "dukan", a shop. The store is "duken" and the market is "bazar": for Kazakh these are two different places.
- БазарbazaarA Persian word, the same one you already know. "Bazarlyq" is a treat brought back from the market — a custom with a name of its own.
- Сөреstallo like German o with the lips pushed forward: so-re
- Сатушыseller"Satu" is "to sell", "-shy" is "the one who does it": satu-shy. The same piece in "zhurgizushi", "driver".
- Сатып алушыbuyer"Satyp alu" is "to buy", literally "to take by selling". Plus the same "-shy": satyp alu-shy.
- ТаразыscalesAlso the constellation Libra and the zodiac sign — one word for all of it.
- Келіkilogram (market unit)At the bazaar people count in "keli", not kilograms: "bir keli alma" is a kilo of apples.
- 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".
- Баға белгісіprice tag"Baga" is "price", "belgi" is "mark", and "-si" glues the two nouns into one notion.
- ҚымбатexpensiveAlso "dear" in a letter: "qymbatty dos" is "dear friend".
- АрзанcheapThe partner of "expensive". The comparative is "arzanuraq", "cheaper".
- Жеңілдікdiscountng is a nasal n, as in English "sing": zhe-ngil-dik
- Қайтарымchange (money back)From "qaitaru", "to return". In full it is "qaitarym aqsha", "the returned money".
- Қанша төлеймін?how much do I owe?Literally "how much will I pay". "Qansha turady" from unit 2 was about the thing; this one is about you.
- Бұл қымбатthis is expensiveAt the bazaar this is the opening of a bargain, not a refusal: say it and wait for a counter-price.
- Арзанырақ бола ма?can it be cheaper?"Arzan" plus "-uraq" is "cheaper"; "bola ma" is "will it be?". More polite than demanding.
- Мен аламынI will take it"Alu" is both "to take" and "to buy". "Alaimyn" is "I take": -a- is the present, -myn is "I".
- Керегі жоқI do not need itAssembled from familiar pieces: "kerek", "needed", plus "zhoq", "not". A soft refusal at the bazaar.
- Азық-түлік дүкеніgrocery store"Azyq-tulik" is a paired word: both halves mean "edibles", together — groceries. "Duken" you know from unit 3.
- СебетbasketThe basket in the store, the wicker basket, and the online cart alike.
- Кезекqueue"Kezek sizdiki" is "the queue is yours". Hence also "kezekshi", "the person on duty".
- КассаcheckoutA loanword you do not need to learn: it is written and read as you expect.
- ДорбаbagSack, bag, carrier bag — one word. At the till the question usually comes in Russian: paket kerek pe?
- АшықopenFrom "ashu", "to open". Also "clear" about the sky: "ashyq aua raiy".
- ЖабықclosedFrom "zhabu", "to close". The pair "open — closed" is built alike: root plus "-yq".
- Таңдауto chooseng before d sounds nasal: ta-ng-dau
- Өлшемsizeo at the start of a word is "yo" without the "y": ol-SHEM
- Кепілдікwarrantyshort i twice: ke-pil-DIK
- Тауарды қайтаруproduct returndeep back q, short y: ta-u-ar-DY qai-ta-RU
- Жарнамаadvertisingfrom zhar salu, to announce to all; the word covers an ad and an announcement — the job ad is zhumys zharnamasy; an ad break is zharnama uzilisi
- Жарнамалық роликcommercialdeep back q: zhar-na-ma-LYQ RO-lik
- Брендbranda loanword with no pair; beside it lives the trade-mark word from documents; a well-known brand is belgili brend
- Логотипlogothe word taken whole; in documents people write emblem and remiz, a symbol — the latter sounds solemn and names state symbols
- Сатылымsaleshort y twice: sa-ty-LYM
- Тиімді ұсынысbargainshort i, tense short u, short y: ti-im-DI u-sy-NYS
- Бағаларды салыстыруto compare pricesthroaty g, short y: ba-gha-lar-DY sa-lys-ty-RU
- Қаптамаpackthroaty q: qap-ta-MA
- Шыныglass as a materialglass as a material and a glass as tableware: a glass of tea; the adjective is the same word before the noun: a glass vessel
- Металлa metal (material)a borrowing; temir beside it means iron, and in daily life people use it for any metal: a metal spoon
- Пластикplastic (material)a plastic bag keeps the word, a plastic window too; the synonym plastic-mass is also in use
- Қағазpaperthroaty q, soft throaty g: qa-GHAZ
- Берікsturdyshort i: be-RIK
- Сапалыwell-madefrom sapa, quality; the negative is shoddy and quality service keeps the word
- Сауда орталығыshopping mallsoft throaty g: sau-DA or-ta-ly-GHY
- Витринаdisplay windowthe borrowing settled in; the bookish variant is literally an exhibition shelf
- Кассирcashierthe register is kassa and the line for it is the queue-at-the-register; a woman cashier is called the same — the language has no gender
- Сатып алуpurchaseliterally to take, having bought: satu is to sell and alu to take; the action noun on -u serves as the verb to buy and the noun purchase alike
- Бонустық картаloyalty cardthroaty q: bo-nus-TYQ KAR-ta
- Сыйлық орамыgift wrappingthroaty q, short y: syi-LYQ o-ra-MY
- Дүкен арбасыshopping cartround u: du-KEN ar-ba-SY
- Тауарды айырбастауto exchange an itemaiirbastau is to swap one for another: goods and currency alike; the course already knows the product return
- Қайтаруды рәсімдеуto process a returnthroaty q, wider than e, short i: qai-ta-ru-DY rae-sim-DEU
- Ақаулыdefectivethroaty q: a-qa-u-LY
- Өлшемі келмедіthe size did not fitrounded lips, short i: ol-she-MI kel-me-DI
- Чекті сақтап қоюto keep the receiptthroaty q, short i: chek-TI saq-TAP qo-YU
- Бұл жалған тауарit is a fakeback tense short u, soft throaty g: BU-LUH zhal-GHAN ta-u-AR
- Тауар қолда барin stockthroaty q: ta-u-AR qol-DA BAR
- Басқа түске ауыстыруto exchange for another colorthroaty q, round u: bas-QHA tus-KE a-u-ys-ty-RU
- Қол сағатыwristwatchthroaty q, soft throaty g: QOL sa-gha-TY
- Иіссуperfumeshort i: i-IS-su
- Косметикаcosmeticsa loanword without translation; lipstick is the lip-color word or simply the borrowed lipstick, and mascara is the eyelash paint
- Қолданылғанsecondhandthroaty q, soft throaty g: qol-da-nyl-GHAN
- Саудаласуto hagglefrom sauda, trade; the -las adds mutuality, as in to talk with each other; at the bazaar they haggle, in a shop with price tags they do not
- Кітап дүкеніbookstoreshort i, round u lips forward: ki-TAP du-ke-NI
- Көтерме саудаменwholesalerounded lips at the e: ko-ter-ME sau-da-MEN
- Кепілдік мерзіміwarranty periodshort i three times: ke-pil-DIK mer-zi-MI
- Тапсырыспенmade to orderthe instrumental of the order word: by order; there is no separate under preposition — the case carries it all
- алуto takeAlso "to buy" and "to get". One of the most heavily loaded verbs in the language.
- беруto giveThe recipient takes the dative: "magan beriniz". As an auxiliary it means "to do for someone".
- сатып алуto buyLiterally "to take by selling" — through the seller's act. Used where "alu" would be ambiguous.
- Бір келісі қанша тұрады?how much per kilogram?"Turu" here is not "to stand" but "to cost"; "kelisi" with the possessive means "a kilo of this goods".
- Жеңілдік бар ма?is there a discount?No verb needed: "bar ma" is "is there?". After the voiced "r" the particle sounds exactly like this.
- Сізде бар ма?do you have...?"Sizde" is the locative of the polite "siz": literally "with you, is there?". The goods go in before "sizde".
- Мұны аламынI will take this one"Munu" is the accusative of "bul". The course knows the bare "I will take it"; here what exactly is named.
- Маған дорба керекI need a bag"Kerek" demands the directional case on the person — "magan". The native "dorba" the course knows, but at the till the borrowed word is heard too.
- Касса қайда?where is the checkout?The question word stands at the end, not at the beginning.
- Осы ғанаthat is all"Ghana" is the limiting particle "only"; it closes the order at the counter.
- Қолма-қол ма, әлде картамен бе?cash or card?The particle changes shape by the last sound: after the voiceless "l" it is "ma", after the voiced "n" it is "be".
- Қайтарымның керегі жоқkeep the change"Change" the course knows already; here it stands in the genitive, and "kerek" pulls the possessive "-i".
- сатып алу тізіміshopping listA possessive chain of an action and a noun: "to buy" plus "tizim", which takes the "-i".
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.
- Бұл кітап қанша тұрады?How much does this book cost?
- Бұл нан жүз елу теңгеThis bread costs one hundred fifty tenge
- Дүкен таңғы сегізде ашыладыThe store opens at eight in the morning
- Базарда жеміс арзанFruit is cheap at the bazaar
- Сөреде балғын көкөніс тұрFresh vegetables lie on the stall
- Сатушыдан бағаны сұраңызAsk the seller for the price
What is worth knowing about these words
Қанша тұрады? — how much does it cost?. Literally "how much does it stand". "Turu" means both "to stand" and "to cost".
Теңге — tenge. The ng is a nasal n, like the last sound of English "sing". From the Turkic "tenge" — coin, balance.
Дүкен — store. From the Persian "dukan", a shop. The store is "duken" and the market is "bazar": for Kazakh these are two different places.
Базар — bazaar. A Persian word, the same one you already know. "Bazarlyq" is a treat brought back from the market — a custom with a name of its own.
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 Қанша тұрады? — how much does it cost?.
- What is this word?
It is Таразы — scales.
- What is this word?
It is Жеңілдік — discount.
- What is this word?
It is Азық-түлік дүкені — grocery store.
- What is this word?
It is Таңдау — to choose.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “how much does it cost?” in Kazakh?
Literally "how much does it stand". "Turu" means both "to stand" and "to cost".
- How do you say “scales” in Kazakh?
Also the constellation Libra and the zodiac sign — one word for all of it.
- How do you say “discount” in Kazakh?
From "zhenil", "light": the discount makes the price lighter. Shop windows print it; in speech the borrowed word is more common.
- How do you say “grocery store” in Kazakh?
"Azyq-tulik" is a paired word: both halves mean "edibles", together — groceries. "Duken" you know from unit 3.
- How do you say “to choose” in Kazakh?
An infinitive in "-u", like "to go" and "to read". "Tandadym" is "I chose".
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
How much it costs, whether there is a smaller one, whether cards are accepted. A shop forgives mistakes: miss a word and they will show you the thing with their hands anyway.
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 “how much does it cost?” in Kazakh?
«Қанша тұрады?» Literally "how much does it stand". "Turu" means both "to stand" and "to cost". It is one of 83 words in the set “shopping and money” — the rest are in the table above.
How many shopping words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 83 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, 83 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.