LingoflyPhrases that save you in Kazakh
16 words in Kazakh on the topic “phrases that save you”: Түсінбеймін (Tüsinbeimin) — I do not understand, Жай (Zhai) — slowly, Қайталаңыз (Qaitalañyz) — repeat, please, Ағылшынша білесіз бе? (Ağylshynsha bilesiz be) — do you speak English? 16 words can be played from recordings.
16 words on the topic
- ТүсінбеймінTüsinbeiminI do not understandNegation is the syllable -be- slipped inside the word: tusinemin, "I understand", becomes tusinbeymin. The whole sentence fits into one verb.
- ЖайZhaislowlyAlso "just so, for no reason": zhai aittyim is "I said it just so". In requests it is boosted to zhaiiraq, "a bit slower".
- ҚайталаңызQaitalañyzrepeat, pleaseThe command form of qaitalau, "to repeat". The polite tail -ynyz already carries "please" inside it, so no extra word is needed.
- Ағылшынша білесіз бе?Ağylshynsha bilesiz be?do you speak English?The tail -sha turns a people into their language: agylshyn becomes agylshynsha, orys becomes oryssha. Literally it asks "do you know English?".
- КөмекKömekhelp"Komektesiniz!" is "help!" — already turned into an appeal.
- Адасып қалдымAdasyp qaldymI am lostFrom "adasu", "to lose one's way". "Qaldym" adds "and here I stayed": not "I was losing my way" but lost and standing there.
- Күте тұрыңызKüte tūryñyzwait a momentLiterally "wait while standing". "Turu" here is not "to stand" but "for a while, just a bit": it softens the request.
- Аша алмай тұрмынAsha almai tūrmynI cannot open it"-a alu" is "to be able": asha alaimyn — "I can open"; "almay" is the same with a negation.
- Жедел жәрдемZhedel zhärdemambulance"Urgent" plus "aid", the bookish partner of "help". The number to call is 103.
- Маған дәрігер керекMağan däriger kerekI need a doctorThe pattern "for me ... needed" works with any word: I need water, I need a doctor.
- АбайлаңызAbailañyzbe carefulFrom "to be attentive" plus the polite tail. The signs say it short: "Careful!"
- ҚауіптіQauiptihazardous"Danger" plus "-ti", "with" — as in "tasty", "with taste". Literally "with danger".
- Полицияны шақырыңызPolitsiyany shaqyryñyzcall the policeThe same polite "call" as with the repairman. The police number in Kazakhstan is 102.
- Паспортымды жоғалттымPasportymdy zhoğalttymI have lost my passportThree tails in a row: passport + my + the object tail. "To lose" is zhoghaltu.
- Халім нашарKhalim nasharI feel bad"State" plus "my" plus "poor". A more bookish neighbor of the word for "bad".
- ҰстамаңызŪstamañyzdo not touchu is a short "u" with no lip rounding: us-TA-ma-ngyz
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
The CSV contains spelling, reading guides, translations and links to word pages. Use the browser menu to save the printable sheet as a PDF.
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
Түсінбеймін (Tüsinbeimin) — I do not understand. Negation is the syllable -be- slipped inside the word: tusinemin, "I understand", becomes tusinbeymin. The whole sentence fits into one verb.
Жай (Zhai) — slowly. Also "just so, for no reason": zhai aittyim is "I said it just so". In requests it is boosted to zhaiiraq, "a bit slower".
Қайталаңыз (Qaitalañyz) — repeat, please. The command form of qaitalau, "to repeat". The polite tail -ynyz already carries "please" inside it, so no extra word is needed.
Ағылшынша білесіз бе? (Ağylshynsha bilesiz be?) — do you speak English? The tail -sha turns a people into their language: agylshyn becomes agylshynsha, orys becomes oryssha. Literally it asks "do you know English?".
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 Түсінбеймін (Tüsinbeimin) — I do not understand.
- What is this word?
It is Аша алмай тұрмын (Asha almai tūrmyn) — I cannot open it.
- What is this word?
It is Халім нашар (Khalim nashar) — I feel bad.
- What is this word?
It is Адасып қалдым (Adasyp qaldym) — I am lost.
- What is this word?
It is Полицияны шақырыңыз (Politsiyany shaqyryñyz) — call the police.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “I do not understand” in Kazakh?
Negation is the syllable -be- slipped inside the word: tusinemin, "I understand", becomes tusinbeymin. The whole sentence fits into one verb.
- How do you say “I cannot open it” in Kazakh?
"-a alu" is "to be able": asha alaimyn — "I can open"; "almay" is the same with a negation.
- How do you say “I feel bad” in Kazakh?
"State" plus "my" plus "poor". A more bookish neighbor of the word for "bad".
- How do you say “I am lost” in Kazakh?
From "adasu", "to lose one's way". "Qaldym" adds "and here I stayed": not "I was losing my way" but lost and standing there.
- How do you say “call the police” in Kazakh?
The same polite "call" as with the repairman. The police number in Kazakhstan is 102.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“I don't understand”, “say that again”, “slower, please”, “help”. They are learned first for a reason: they bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong.
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 “I do not understand” in Kazakh?
«Түсінбеймін» (Tüsinbeimin), read “Tüsinbeimin”. Negation is the syllable -be- slipped inside the word: tusinemin, "I understand", becomes tusinbeymin. The whole sentence fits into one verb. It is one of 16 words in the set “phrases that save you” — the rest are in the table above.
How many emergency phrases do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 16 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, 16 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.