LingoflyThe city and its places in Kazakh
83 words in Kazakh on the topic “the city and its places”: Қала (Qala) — city, Көше (Köshe) — street, Банк (Bank) — bank, Дәріхана (Därikhana) — pharmacy. 83 words can be played from recordings.
83 words on the topic
- ҚалаQalacityHence "qalalyq", "urban". The village is "auyl", and that word means far more in Kazakh than a mere address.
- КөшеKöshestreetIn addresses it stands after the name and takes the possessive tail: "Abai koshesi" is "Abai Street".
- БанкBankbankA loanword that takes cases as its own, with devoicing at the seam: "bankke" is "to the bank", "bankten" is "from the bank".
- ДәріханаDärikhanapharmacyAgain "-khana", "house": "dari", "medicine", plus house. Like "meiramkhana".
- ТобырTobyrcrowdA disorderly crowd, with a shade of "rabble". Simply many people is "kopshilik", and "top" is a group gathered on purpose.
- БағдаршамBağdarshamtraffic lightgh voiced, a g gargled deep in the throat: ba-ghdar-SHAM
- ВелосипедVelosipedbicycleThe dictionaries carry an old jesting name — "the devil's cart"; it is a real historical name. In the city only the borrowed word is said.
- Автобус аялдамасыAvtobus ayaldamasybus stop signThe word for "stop" comes from "to linger". The sign on the pole in Almaty is labeled exactly with this phrase.
- Жол жүру картасыZhol zhüru kartasytransit passu rounded: zu-RU
- БағытBağytroutegh voiced throaty: ba-GHYT
- Жаяу жүргіншілер өткеліZhayau zhürginshiler ötkelicrosswalku, i and o in a row: zhur-gin-shi-LER ot-ke-LI
- Жол кептелісіZhol keptelisitraffic jami short three times: kep-te-li-SI
- ТұрақTūraqparking lotu short and tense, q deep: tu-RAQ
- Жанармай құю бекетіZhanarmai qūyu beketigas stationu short, q deep: qu-YU be-ke-TI
- Жүргізуші куәлігіZhürgizushi kuäligidriver's licenseu rounded, a wide: zhur-gi-zu-SHI ku-a-li-GI
- СаябақSayabaqparkq deep at the end: sa-ya-BAQ
- КітапханаKitapkhanalibraryi short: ki-tap-kha-NA
- МұражайMūrazhaimuseumu short and tense: mu-ra-ZHAI
- ТеатрTeatrtheaterA loanword. It is said in two syllables, without the opening vowel: te-ATR.
- КинотеатрKinoteatrcinemaThe word taken whole. In speech people more often say just "the movies": "let us go to the movies".
- ШіркеуShirkeuchurchi short: shir-KEU
- СтадионStadionstadiumAn international word. The Almaty stadium is called simply "the Central one" — in Kazakh with the native word for "central".
- ҚиылысQiylysintersectionthroaty q at the start: qi-y-LYS
- ТротуарTrotuarsidewalka borrowing, and in speech it wins; in native words the same place is the pedestrian path — that is how the rulebooks write it
- ДаңғылDañğylavenuenasal ng, throaty g: dangh-GHYL
- Тар көшеTar kösheside streetrounded lips: TAR ko-SHE
- ЖағалауZhağalauembankmentthroaty g voiced: zha-gha-LAU
- КөпірKöpirbridgerounded o, short i: ko-PIR
- ТоннельTonneltunnela borrowing; the underpass you meet in a city more often is literally an underground crossing
- Көше шамыKöshe shamythe street lamprounded lips: ko-SHE sha-MY
- ОтырғышOtyrğyshbenchthroaty g: o-tyr-GHYSH
- Қоқыс себетіQoqys sebetia public trash basketthroaty q twice, short i: qo-QYS se-be-TI
- Автобус жүргізушісіAvtobus zhürgizushisibus driverround u lips forward, short i three times: zhur-gi-zu-shi-SI
- Соңғы аялдамаSoñğy ayaldamalast stopnasal ng, throaty g: song-GHY a-yal-da-MA
- Бағыт нөміріBağyt nömiriroute numberthroaty g, rounded o, short i: ba-GHYT no-mi-RI
- Қарбалас уақытQarbalas uaqytrush hourthroaty q twice: qar-ba-LAS u-a-QYT
- Автобус кестесіAvtobus kestesibus scheduleshort i at the end: kes-te-SI
- Жол ақысын төлеуZhol aqysyn töleuto pay the farethroaty q, rounded o: ZHOL a-qy-SYN to-LEU
- Орын алуOryn aluto take a seatboth to take a seat and to take a prize place: he took first place; to save a seat for another is a phrase of its own
- Такси шақыруTaksi shaqyruto call a taxithroaty q: tak-SI sha-qy-RU
- Келесіде түсуKeleside tüsuto get off at the next stopshort i, round u lips forward: ke-le-si-DE tu-SU
- АуданAudandistrictboth a city district and a district of the region as an administrative unit; a microdistrict is the small-district word, in speech more often the compact-district one
- Қала орталығыQala ortalyğycity centerthroaty q, voiced g: qa-LA or-ta-ly-GHY
- Қала шетіQala shetithe city edgethroaty q, short i: qa-LA she-TI
- ҚұрылысQūrylysconstruction siteback tense short u: qu-ry-LYS
- Жол жөндеуZhol zhöndeuroad worksrounded lips: ZHOL zhon-DEU
- Бағыт көрсеткішBağyt körsetkishsignpostvoiced g, rounded o, short i: ba-GHYT kor-set-KISH
- Қоғамдық дәретханаQoğamdyq däretkhanapublic restroomthroaty q and g, wider than e: qo-gham-DYQ dae-ret-kha-NA
- ТазаTazacleanclean, tidy and pure in the sense of unmixed: clean air, he speaks pure Kazakh
- ЛасLasdirtyabout a place, water, air; a stained thing gets another word, kir: a dirty shirt; the verb to pollute keeps the root
- Адам көпAdam köpcrowdedrounded lips: a-DAM KOP
- АуылAuylvillagea village, a settlement and the aul as a circle of kin living together; the English village lands on it fully, but not the other way round
- ЕлордаElordacapital cityel is country and people, orda a khan seat; the word was built in the nineties to replace the borrowed capital; the second name is astana — and it became the name of the city
- Қоғамдық көлікQoğamdyq kölikpublic transportthroaty q, voiced g, rounded lips, short i: qo-gham-DYQ ko-LIK
- БалабақшаBalabaqshakindergartenthroaty q: ba-la-baq-SHA
- Балалар алаңыBalalar alañyplaygroundnasal ng: ba-la-LAR a-la-NGY
- СубұрқақSubūrqaqfountainback tense short u, throaty q twice: su-bur-QHAQ
- ЗиратZiratcemeteryfrom the Arabic visit to a holy place: the cemetery is named for the custom of visiting; a single grave is qabir
- Өрт сөндіру көлігіÖrt söndiru köligifire truckrounded lips three times, short i: ORT son-di-RU ko-li-GI
- шағын ауданshağyn audanresidential districtA city micro-district. The bare "audan" means a district of a region.
- скверskversmall parkA loanword; a big park is "saiabaq".
- мұнараmūnaratowerBoth a minaret and a TV tower: "telemunara".
- қала маңыqala mañyoutskirts"Man" is "the surroundings" and takes the possessive "-y": "qala many".
- кентkentsettlementLives in city names: Shymkent, Turkistan. "Kent" itself means "settlement".
- жүргіншіzhürginshipasserbyFrom "zhuru", "to walk". On the road the same root names the walker.
- жаяу жүргіншіzhayau zhürginshipedestrian"Zhayau" is "on foot"; without it "zhurginshi" is just a passerby.
- маңдайшаmañdaishashop signFrom "mandai", "forehead": the board on the forehead of a building.
- қоқыс салғышqoqys salğyshlitter bin"Qoqys sebeti" is the indoor bin; the street kind is called "salgysh" — the thing you put things into.
- көше жарығыköshe zharyğystreetlight"Koshe shamy" is the lamp itself; "zharyq" is "light".
- көгалkögallawnThe root "kok" is "green"; "kogal" is the mowed grass of a yard, while a meadow is kept as "shalghyn".
- гүлзарgülzarflower bed"Gul" is "flower" plus "-zar", a tail of place: a plot planted with flowers.
- есік алдыesik aldyporchA possessive chain of two nouns: "esik" bare, "aldy" with the possessive "-y". "Tereze aldy" is built the same way.
- басқышbasqyshstep"Baspaldaq" is the staircase as a whole; "basyqsh" is one of its steps.
- үй нөміріüi nömirihouse numberA possessive chain: "ui" stands bare, and "nomir" takes the front-row "-i".
- көше атауыköshe atauystreet name"Atau" is "name, title"; after the "u" the possessive sounds like "-y".
- бағанаbağanapoleA lamppost, a telegraph pole. The same word with a different stress means "the other day" in conversation.
- ескі қалаeski qalaold town"Eski" is "old" about things; about people one says "qart". The qualifier stands before the noun and does not decline.
- тұрғын жайtūrğyn zhairesidential building"Turgyn ui" is housing in general; "turgyn zhai" is the building itself, the one people live in.
- тыныштықtynyshtyqsilenceOne word for silence and for peace: "tynushtyq saqtanyz" is "keep quiet".
- ғимаратğimaratbuilding"Ui" is the house people live in; "ghimarat" is a structure in general, hence "akimdik ghimaraty", the city hall building.
- залzalhallThe loanword lives in possessive chains: "kutu zaly" is a waiting hall, "mezhilis zaly" a council hall.
- БайқоңырBaiqoñyrBaikonurThe stress is on the last syllable.
- АлматыAlmatyAlmatyUntil 1993 it was written in another language as a reworked form — that was a remodeling, not the original name.
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
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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
Қала (Qala) — city. Hence "qalalyq", "urban". The village is "auyl", and that word means far more in Kazakh than a mere address.
Көше (Köshe) — street. In addresses it stands after the name and takes the possessive tail: "Abai koshesi" is "Abai Street".
Банк (Bank) — bank. A loanword that takes cases as its own, with devoicing at the seam: "bankke" is "to the bank", "bankten" is "from the bank".
Дәріхана (Därikhana) — pharmacy. Again "-khana", "house": "dari", "medicine", plus house. Like "meiramkhana".
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 Қала (Qala) — city.
- What is this word?
It is Автобус аялдамасы (Avtobus ayaldamasy) — bus stop sign.
- What is this word?
It is Жүргізуші куәлігі (Zhürgizushi kuäligi) — driver's license.
- What is this word?
It is Стадион (Stadion) — stadium.
- What is this word?
It is Тоннель (Tonnel) — tunnel.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “city” in Kazakh?
Hence "qalalyq", "urban". The village is "auyl", and that word means far more in Kazakh than a mere address.
- How do you say “bus stop sign” in Kazakh?
The word for "stop" comes from "to linger". The sign on the pole in Almaty is labeled exactly with this phrase.
- How do you say “driver's license” in Kazakh?
"A certificate", from "to witness": the certificate of the driver. With the tail the voiceless "k" voices into "g".
- How do you say “stadium” in Kazakh?
An international word. The Almaty stadium is called simply "the Central one" — in Kazakh with the native word for "central".
- How do you say “tunnel” in Kazakh?
a borrowing; the underpass you meet in a city more often is literally an underground crossing
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
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 “city” in Kazakh?
«Қала» (Qala), read “Qala”. Hence "qalalyq", "urban". The village is "auyl", and that word means far more in Kazakh than a mere address. It is one of 83 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 83 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, 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.