Contents

Introduction
Greetings and Civilities
Useful Words and Phrases
Getting Around
Accommodation
Food
Money and Shopping
Emergencies
Time, Days and Dates
Numbers
Rankings



Introduction

Karakalpak is only one of the languages spoken in Karakalpakstan - the other main language is Uzbek. The Karakalpaks make up about one third of the population, another third being Uzbek (mainly in the south and around Qon'ırat), and the final third Kazakh (in the northeast delta and the southern right bank). However many of the local Kazakhs speak either Karakalpak or Uzbek. Certainly in the delta the main spoken language is Karakalpak. Furthermore many rural people do not speak Russian, so without a Karakalpak speaker you will not be able to communicate.

See our Language page for information on the history of the Karakalpak language. We also have a Glossary with many more Karakalpak words.

The Cyrillic script was used from the 1940's until 1994 when a new Karakalpak Latin alphabet was introduced. There has been a gradual move to using the Latin script but you will find that many signs are still in Cyrillic. As this is particularly true of menus we have given both scripts below.

When travelling in the villages in the northern part of the delta it is important to have a Karakalpak translator to be able to communicate with the local people.

The best places to contact translators are either through the museums or the Jipek Joli Hotel.

Below we give some useful word and phrases. Please note that the dotless letter 'i' (ı) is pronounced 'uh'. To listen to the pronunciation of awıl click here . Many of the pages of this website have sound files with the pronunciation of Karakalpak words that you can listen to. We hope to add sound files to this page in due course.



Greetings and Civilities


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
Peace be with youAssalam a’leykumАссалам әлейкум
HelloSa’lamСәлам
GoodbyeQosh bolҚош бол
How are you?Qalaysız?Қалайсыз?
Okay, thanksJaqsı ra’xmetЖақсы рәхмет
What is your name?Sizin’ atın'ız kim?Сизиң атыңыз ким?
My name is David/Susan - no gender difference  Menin’ atın David/SusanМениң атын Давид/Сюсан
Where are you from?Siz qayaqtan keldin’iz?Сиз қайақтан келдиңиз?
I come from England/GermanyMen Angliyadan/Germaniyadan keldin  Мен Англиядан/Германиядан келдин  
I live in London/ParisMen Londonda/Parisda jasawmanМен Лондонда/Парисда жасаўман
How old are you?Siz neshe jastasız?Сиз неше жастасыз?
I am 20 years oldMen jigirma jastamanМен жигирма жастаман
PleaseIltimasИлтимас
Thank youRa’xmetРәхмет
Excuse meKeshirersızКеширерсыз
YesAwaАўа
NoYaqЯқ
MaybeMu’mkinМүмкин
   




Useful Words and Phrases


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
Do you speak English?Siz inglizshe so’yleysizbe?Сиз инглизше сөйлейсизбе?
I don’t understandMen tu’sinbedimМен түсинбедим
TranslatorTilmashТилмаш
GoodJaqsıЖақсы
BadJamanЖаман
NewJan’aЖаңа
OldGo’neГөне
BigU’lkenҮлкен
SmallKishkeneКишкене
HotΙssıΙссы
ColdSuwıqСуўық
LongUzınУзын
ShortKelteКелте
ToiletTualetТуалет
MosquitoMoskitМоскит
MuseumMuzeyМузей
Post officePochtaПочта
Postage stampMarkaМарка
   




Getting Around


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
LeftShepШеп
RightOn’Оң
NorthArqaАрқа
SouthQublaҚубла
EastShıgısШыгыс
WestBatısБатыс
NearQasındaҚасында
FarAlıs/uzaqАлыс/узақ
One ticket for Bukhara, pleaseBuxarg’a bir bilet berin’Бухарға бир билет бериң
I want to go to MoynaqMoynaqqa barmaqshı edimМойнаққа бармақшы едим
Is it far?Bul uzaq pa?Бул узақ па?
Where is?Bul qa'y jerde?Бул қәй жерде?
How often?Bul qansha tez?Бул қанша тез?
DailyKu’ndeҚүнде
AirportAeroportАэропорт
Railway stationTemir jol stantsiyasıТемир жол стантсиясы
Route taxi (in town)Jo'nelisli taksiЖөнелисли такси
Road taxi (between towns)Jol taksiЖол такси
StreetKo'shesiҚөшеси
   




Accommodation


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
HotelMiymanxanaМийманхана
BreakfastAzang’ı awqatАзанғы аўқат
KeyGiltГилт
ShowerDushДуш
TowelSu’lgiСүлги
SoapSabınСабын
ShampooShampunШампун
CandleShamШам
Hot waterΙssı suwΙссы суў
Toilet paperTualet qag’azıТуалет қағазы
BedTo’sekТөсек
PillowDastıqДастық
QuiltKo’rpeКөрпе
   




Food


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
CaféKafe/AsxanaКафе/Асхана
MealAwqatАўқат
Hot mealΙssı awqatΙссы аўқат
SpoonQasıqҚасық
ForkVilkaВилка
I would like a beerMen pivo qa’leredimМен пиво қәлередим
I would like some plov/mantı  Men palaw/mantı jeymenМен палаў/манты жеймен
WaterSuwСуў
Boiled waterQaynag’an suwҚайнаған суў
Carbonated waterGazlı suwГазлы суў
MilkSu’tСүт
Orange juiceApelsin sherbetiАпелсин шербети
Apple juiceAlma sherbetiАлма шербети
TeaShayШай
Green teaKo’k shayКөк шай
Black teaQara shayҚара шай
CoffeeKofeКофе
White coffeeSu’tli kofeСүтли кофе
Black coffeeQara kofeҚара кофе
SugarSekerСекер
BeerPivoПиво
WineVinoВино
Tobacco, cigaretteTemekiТемеки
SaltDuzДуз
BreadNanНан
ButterMayМай
CheeseSirСир
YoghurtQatıqҚатық
JamVareneВарене
HoneyPalПал
EggMa’yekМәйек
MeatGo’shГөш
FishBalıqБалық
Cooked chickenTawıqТаўық
Fried chickenQuwırılg’an tawıqҚуўырылған таўық
MuttonQoy go’shiҚой гөши
PorkShoshqa go’shiШошқа гөши
BeefMal go’shiМал гөши
Smoked sausageKolbasaКолбаса
SoupShorpaШорпа
RiceGu’rishГүриш
NoodlesKesbasКесбас
PotatoKartoshkaКартошка
Fried potatoesQuwırılg’an kartoshkaҚуўырылған картошка
CarrotGeshirГешир
OnionPiyazПияз
CabbageKapustaКапуста
TomatoPomidorПомидор
CucumberQıyarҚыяр
RadishRediskaРедиска
Aubergine (eggplant)BaxlajanБахлажан
Pepper (bellpepper)BurıshБурыш
Red pepperQızıl burıshҚызыл бурыш
PumpkinQabaqҚабақ
GarlicChesnokЧеснок
SaladSalatСалат
MelonQawınҚаўын
Water melonQarbızҚарбыз
AppleAlmaАлма
OrangeApelsinАпелсин
PearAlmurtАлмурт
PeachShabdalШабдал
ApricotYerikЕрик
PlumQa’reliКәрели
LemonLimonЛимон
PomegranateAnarАнар
CherryShiyeШийе
PistachioPisteПисте
   



Some Typical Karakalpak Dishes:


MantıМантыlarge dumplings stuffed with finely chopped meat or pumpkin, seasoned   
with various spices and onion, and then steamed over water
LagmanЛагманthick noodle soup with thinly-sliced fried meat and vegetables
SamsaСамсаpastry pie stuffed with meat and onion or pumpkin, potato, cabbage,   
mushrooms or nuts and baked in a tandyr
KesbasКесбасslices of pasta boiled in water with meat, carrot, onion, potato tomato
and salt. Traditionally made with sheep’s head
Ju’weri gu’rtik      Жүўери гүртик      pasta dish made with ju'weri (dzhugary) wheat rather than normal wheat
ShashlıkШашлыкskewered pieces of meat grilled over charcoal
Plov (palaw)Палаўchunks of fried mutton with onions, thinly shredded yellow turnip or carrot
and rice steamed together in a large iron pot
Bes barmaqБес бармақboiled horse-flesh or mutton boiled in broth with small pieces of pastry,
lavishly sprinkled with dill, parsley and coriander
ShorpaШорпаa meat and vegetable soup
   




Money and Shopping


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
Shop/kioskMagazini/kioskМагазини/киоск
This oneMınawМинаў
That oneAnawАнаў
How much?Qansha?Қанша?
It is too expensive!Bul ju’da’ qımbat!Бул жүдә қымбат!
Do you have a lower price?Arzanıraq bolmayma?Арзанырақ болмайма?
BankBankБанк
   




Emergencies


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
PolicePolitsiyaПолиция
HospitalAwırıwxanaАўырыўхана
DoctorDoktorДоктор
Dispensary/Outpatient clinicYemlewxanaЕмлеўхана
Chemist shop/drug storeDa’rixanaДәрихана
MedicineDa’riДәри
Cough medicineJotel da’risiЖотел Дәриси
DentistTis doktorТис доктор
   




Time, Days and Dates


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
When?Qashan?Қашан?
What time is it?Saat neshe boldı?Саат неше болды?
YesterdayKesheКеше
TodayBu’ginБүгин
TomorrowYerten’Ертең
TonightBu’gin keshteБүгин кеште
MondayDu’yshenbiДүйшенби
TuesdaySiyshenbeСийшенбе
WednesdaySa’rsembiСәрсемби
ThursdayPiyshembiПийшемби
FridayJumaЖума
SaturdaySha’nbeШәнбе
SundayJeksenbiЖексенби
   


Two versions of months of the year are used in Karakalpakstan and both are correct. Below we give the official name as given in the dictionary followed by the traditional name.


English              Official/Traditional              Official/Traditional             
JanuaryYanvar’/Da’liwЯнварь/Дәлиў
FebruaryFevral’/HutФевраль/Ҳут
MarchMart/HamalМарт/Ҳамал
AprilAprel’/Sa’wirАпрель/Сәўир
MayMay/JawzaМай/Жаўза
JuneIyun’/SaratanИюнь/Саратан
JulyIyul’/Ha’setИюль/Ҳәсет
AugustAvgust/Su’mbileАвгуст/Сүмбиле
SeptemberSentyabr’/MiyzanСентябрь/Мийзан
OctoberOktyabr’Октябрь
NovemberNoyabr’/QawısНоябрь/Қаўыс
DecemberDekabr’/JeddiДекабрь
   




Numbers


English    Karakalpak
Romanized
            
Karakalpak
Cyrillic
                     
English         Karakalpak
Romanized
            
Karakalpak
Cyrillic
            
1BirБир30OtızОтыз
2YekiЕки40QırqҚырқ
3U’shҮш50YelliЕлли
4To’rtТөрт60AlpızАлпыз
5BesБес70JetpisЖетпис
6AltıАлты80SeksenСексен
7JetiЖети90ToqsanТоқсан
8SegizСегиз100Ju’zЖүз
9Tog’ızТоғыз200YarımЯрым
10OnОн300U’sh ju’zҮш жүз
11On birОн бир400To’rt ju’zТөрт жүз
12On yekiОн еки500Bes ju’zБес жүз
13On u’shОн үш600Altı ju’zАлты жүз
14On to’rtОн төрт700Jeti ju’zЖети жүз
15On besОн бес800Segiz ju’zСегиз жүз
16On altıОн алты900Tog’ız ju’zТоғыз жүз
17On jetiОн жети1000Bir mın’Бир мың
18On segizОн сегиз2000Yeki mın'Еки мың
19On tog’ızОн тоғыз3000U'sh mın'Үш мың
20JigirmaЖигирма4000To'rt mın'Төрт мың
      




Rankings


English              Romanized Karakalpak              Cyrillic Karakalpak             
1stBirinshiБиринши
2ndYekinshiЕкинши
3rdU’shinshiҮшинши
4thTo’rtinshiТөртинши
5thBesinshiБесинши
6thAltınshiАлтынши
7thJetinshiЖетинши
8thSegizinshiСегизинши
9thTog’ızınshiТоғызынши
10thOnınshıОныншы
11thOn birinshiОн биринши
12thOn yekinshiОн екинши
13thOn u’shinshiОн үшинши
14thOn to’rtinshiОн төртинши
15thOn besinshiОн бесинши
16thOn altınshiОн алтынши
17thOn jetinshiОн жетинши
18thOn segizinshiОн сегизинши
19thOn tog’ızınshiОн тоғызынши
20thJigirmalanshıЖигирмаланшы
21stJigirma birinshiЖигирма биринши
22ndJigirma yekinshiЖигирма екинши
23rdJigirma u’shinshiЖигирма үшинши
24thJigirma to’rtinshiЖигирма төртинши
25thJigirma besinshiЖигирма бесинши
26thJigirma altınshıЖигирма алтынши
27thJigirma jetinshiЖигирма жетинши
28thJigirma segizinshiЖигирма сегизинши
29thJigirma tog’ıznshiЖигирма тоғызынши
30thOtızınshiОтызынши
31stOtız birinshiОтыз биринши
   






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