LingoflyNumbers and counting in Kazakh
11 words in Kazakh on the topic “numbers and counting”: Бір (Bir) — one, Екі (Eki) — two, Үш (Üsh) — three, Төрт (Tört) — four. 11 words can be played from recordings.
11 words on the topic
- БірBironeDoubles as the indefinite article "a": "bir kofe" is "a coffee, please".
- ЕкіEkitwoAfter a numeral the noun stays singular: "eki kitap", not "kitaptar". This holds for every number without exception.
- ҮшÜshthreeu is "ee" with rounded, forward lips: ush
- ТөртTörtfouro as in "her", said with rounded lips: tort
- БесBesfiveOne root for the whole row: "bes zhuz" is five hundred, "besinshi" is fifth, "beseu" is a group of five.
- АлтыAltysixEnds in a vowel, so its ordinal takes the short tail: "alty" + "-nshy" gives "altynshy". After a consonant the tail is longer: "on" gives "onynshy".
- ЖетіZhetisevenThe number of the week and of memory: "zheti ata" — the seven generations of ancestors one is supposed to know by name.
- СегізSegizeightThe ordinal is "segizinshi": the i in the stem pulls the soft tail. Its hard partner is "togyzymshy".
- ТоғызToğyzninegh is a voiced g made far back in the throat, almost a gargle
- ОнOntenBeyond it numbers are added: "on bir" is eleven, "zhiyrma bir" is twenty-one.
- санsannumberFrom "sanau", "to count". A phone number is "nomir", a loanword.
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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 (Bir) — one. Doubles as the indefinite article "a": "bir kofe" is "a coffee, please".
Екі (Eki) — two. After a numeral the noun stays singular: "eki kitap", not "kitaptar". This holds for every number without exception.
Үш (Üsh) — 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 (Tört) — 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.
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.
- Study spread over days wins 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» (Bir), read “Bir”. 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?
The whole set on this page is 11 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
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.