Language/Kazakh/Vocabulary/Expressions-for-Asking-Questions

Kazakh Vocabulary → Greetings and Basic Expressions → Expressions for Asking Questions

As a Kazakh language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am thrilled to share with you some of the most common expressions for asking questions in Kazakh. Understanding these expressions is key to effective communication with native speakers and for navigating daily life in Kazakh-speaking contexts.

General Questions

General questions are used to gather information or seek clarification. Here are some of the most commonly used expressions for asking general questions in Kazakh:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English Translation
Бұл қандай?	Bul qanday?	What is this?
Оған қандай атты?	O'gan qanday atty?	What's his/her name?
Сенің атың қандай?	Senin atyñ qanday?	What's your name?
Қалай жазылуы керек?	Qalai jazylwı kerek?	How do you write it?
Қалай оқуға жүріс беру керек?	Qalai oqyğa jwris berwı kerek?	How do you get to the school?

Remember the Kazakh language follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) syntax, which means the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence. So, when forming a question, the sentence structure changes to Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) syntax. For example, in the sentence "Сіз Алматыға барасыз ба?" (Siz Almatyğa barasız ba?) the verb "бару" (baru) meaning "to go" is placed at the beginning of the sentence while the subject "Сіз" (Siz) meaning "you" is placed next.

Yes or No Questions

Yes or No questions are used to get a direct answer of either "yes" or "no". Here are some of the most common expressions for asking Yes or No questions in Kazakh:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English Translation
Ол келді ме?	Ol keldi me?	Did he/she come?
Сен келдің бе?	Sen keldiñ be?	Did you come?
Ол дауыс берді ме?	Ol dawıs berdi me?	Did he/she give an answer?
Бұл еңбекшінің күні болды ма?	Bul enbekshiniñ kwni boldı ma?	Was it the day of this worker?

To form a Yes or No question in Kazakh, add the particle "ме" (me) at the end of the sentence. An answer to a Yes or No question in Kazakh can be either formed by repeating the verb or by saying "иә" (iä) for "yes" and "жоқ" (joq) for "no".

Wh- Questions

Wh- questions are used for obtaining specific information about a topic or an action. Here are some of the most common expressions for asking Wh- questions in Kazakh:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English Translation
Өтеуге не қажет?	Ötewge ne qajet?	What do we need to leave?
Қайдан келдің?	Qaydan keldiñ?	Where did you come from?
Саған қандай көмек көрсете аламын?	Sağan qanday kömek körsete alamın?	How can I help you?
Қалай тәрбие беруіңіз керек?	Qalai tärbiye berwıñız kerek?	How do you discipline?

Wh- questions begin with one of the question-asking words such as "не" (ne) for "what", "қандай" (qanday) for "how", "қайда" (qayda) for "where", or "неге" (nege) for "why".

Tag Questions

Tag questions are used to confirm information or to seek agreement from the listener. Here are some of the most common expressions for asking tag questions in Kazakh:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English Translation
Сен білесің бе?	Sen bilesiñ be?	You know, right?
Мен дұрыс айттым, дегендей?	Men dury's aıttım, degendenay?	I said it right, didn't I?
Бұл кіші болғаны мүмкін, дегендей?	Bul kishi bolğanı mümkin, degendenay?	It might have been small, don't you think?

Tag questions consist of two parts: the statement and the tagged-on question. The statement generally uses the second person, "сен" (sen) or "сіз" (siz) and is followed by a tag question which confirms the accuracy of the statement.

Learning these expressions will improve your Kazakh language proficiency, making conversations more fluid, and helping you connect with people on a deeper level. Don't be afraid to use them, and with practice, you'll soon have a complete arsenal of tools for communicating in Kazakh.

Sources

• Identification of Basic Phrases for Kazakh Language using ...

Table of Contents - Kazakh Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Kazakh Pronunciation

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Stress and Intonation

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Greetings and Basic Expressions

• Meeting and Greeting
• Expressions for Asking Questions
• Numbers and Counting

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Kazakh Cases

• Nominative Case
• Accusative Case
• Genitive Case
• Dative Case
• Locative Case
• Instrumental Case

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Food and Drink

• Basic Food Vocabulary
• Restaurant Phrases
• Cooking Verbs

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Verbs

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense
• Imperative Mood

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Traditions and Customs

• Wedding Celebrations
• Festivals and Holidays
• Music and Dance
• Cuisine and Culinary Art

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Family and Relationships

• Basic Family Vocabulary
• Romantic Relationships
• Friendship and Socializing

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Adjectives

• Attributive and Predicative Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Degrees
• Possessive Adjectives

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Traveling and Directions

• Transportation Vocabulary
• Asking for and Giving Directions
• Accommodation and Lodging

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Pronouns

• Personal Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns

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Shopping and Consumerism

• Basic Shopping Vocabulary
• Sizes and Measurements
• Money and Payments

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Art and Literature

• Famous Writers and Poets
• Folk Tales and Legends
• Visual Arts and Crafts

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Adverbs

• General Adverbs
• Temporal Adverbs
• Modal Adverbs

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Health and Medical Emergencies

• Basic Medical Vocabulary
• Expressions for Medical Emergencies

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Sports and Recreation

• Popular Sports in Kazakhstan
• Traditional Games and Pastimes
• Entertainment and Nightlife

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Prepositions and Postpositions

• Simple Prepositions
• Compound Prepositions and Postpositions

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Nature and Environment

• Basic Nature Vocabulary
• Weather Expressions
• Ecology and Conservation Terms

Related Lessons

• Sizes and Measurements
• How to say Good Bye?
• Cooking Verbs
• Colors
• Numbers and Counting
• Basic Family Vocabulary
• Parts of the Body
• Feelings and Emotions
• Restaurant Phrases
• Asking for and Giving Directions