Convenience Store

18 phrases · Kazakh with romanization, English and audio

  1. Дүкен тәулік бойы жұмыс істей ме?

    Düken täulik boyy jumys istey me?

    Is this shop open around the clock?

    Usage

    Kazakhstan has almost no Japanese-style convenience-store chains; the corner shop (düken, or magazin in Russian) fills the same role. In cities some shops advertise "kruglosutochno" (24 hours), but outside the big cities most close around 22:00, so it is worth checking before you need water or medicine at night

    Grammar Note

    "Täulik" means a full 24-hour day-and-night cycle, as opposed to "kün" (daytime). The question particle changes shape by consonant harmony — me / ma / be / ba / pe / pa — and "istei" ends in the semivowel "i" (й), treated like a vowel, so it takes "me"

  2. Пакет керек пе?

    Paket kerek pe?

    Do you need a bag?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Plastic bags are nearly always charged in Kazakhstan — usually 10-50 tenge, rung up as a separate item. Decline with "Kerek emes, rakhmet" (not needed, thanks). In Russian you will hear the near-identical "Paket nuzhen?"

    Grammar Note

    "Kerek" is a predicative word rather than a verb and can form a sentence on its own. Because it ends in the voiceless consonant "k", the question particle takes its voiceless form "pe" (compare "be" after nasals and "me" after vowels)

  3. Бір пакет беріңізші

    Bir paket beriñizshi

    One bag, please

    Usage

    Because bags are charged, staff will not hand you one unless you ask. Where sizes are priced differently, add "ülkeni" (the big one) or "kishisi" (the small one)

    Grammar Note

    "Ber-" (to give) + polite 2nd-person imperative "-iñiz" + the softening particle "-shi" gives a gentle "please would you". Dropping "-shi" leaves "beriñiz", which is correct but sounds more businesslike

  4. Екі бөтелке салқын су беріңізші

    Eki bötelke salqyn su beriñizshi

    Two bottles of chilled water, please

    Usage

    Corner shops usually keep drinks both on a room-temperature shelf and in a fridge, and you will be handed the warm one by default. In summer in Almaty or Shymkent always add "salqyn" (chilled). Still water is "gazsyz su"

    Grammar Note

    After a numeral the noun stays singular in Kazakh — "eki bötelke", never "eki bötelkeler". Adjectives precede the noun, hence "salqyn su"

  5. Жаңа піскен нан бар ма?

    Jaña pisken nan bar ma?

    Do you have freshly baked bread?

    Usage

    Nan is the staple bread of Kazakh tables and corner shops take a fresh delivery every morning. Flat tandoor-baked rounds are distinguished as "taba nan" or "tandyr nan". It often sells out by evening, so buy in the morning

    Grammar Note

    "Pisken" is the verb "pisu" (to bake / to be cooked) plus the past-participle suffix "-ken", used attributively. "Bar ma" is the all-purpose way to ask whether something is in stock

  6. Мынадан бес жүз грамм өлшеп беріңізші

    Mynadan bes jüz gramm ölshep beriñizshi

    Please weigh out 500 grams of this

    Usage

    Nuts, dried fruit, sweets and cheese are typically sold loose by weight in Kazakh corner shops. Prices are shown per kilo ("1 kg = X tenge") and staff weigh it out for you. Asking for as little as "jüz gramm" (100 g) is perfectly normal

    Grammar Note

    "Myna" (this) plus the ablative "-dan" yields "out of this one", which fits a request for a portion. "Ölshep beriñizshi" is the converb "-p" plus "beru" (to do for someone), marking the action as done on your behalf

  7. Қанша өлшейін?

    Qansha ölsheyin?

    How much shall I weigh out?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Point at a loose-goods bin and this is what comes back. Answer with a number of grams, or just say "osyndai" (about this much) with a gesture. Asking for a little and topping up is a normal exchange

    Grammar Note

    The suffix "-yyn / -yin" is the first-person singular optative, "shall I …?". The stem "ölshe-" (to weigh) has front vowels, so vowel harmony selects "-yin"

  8. Анау сөредегі затты беріңізші

    Anau söredegi zatty beriñizshi

    Could you pass me the item on that shelf?

    Usage

    Soviet-style corner shops still often sell over a counter, with the shelves out of the customer's reach. Point and say this, and staff will fetch it. The etiquette differs from a self-service supermarket ("supermarket")

    Grammar Note

    "Söre" (shelf) + locative "-de" + the adjectivising suffix "-gi" produces "the one on the shelf". This "-dagy / -degi" is a highly productive way to build place-based modifiers

  9. Ұсағыңыз жоқ па?

    Usaghyñyz joq pa?

    Do you have anything smaller?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Corner shops keep little change, so a large note prompts this question first. ATMs dispense only 5,000 and 10,000 tenge notes, so travellers meet this situation constantly — hoard your small notes and coins deliberately

    Grammar Note

    "Usaq" (small, fine) takes the polite 2nd-person possessive "-yñyz" and is used nominally for "your small money". The negative-question framing is a politeness device, much like English "wouldn't you have …?"

  10. Қайтарым жоқ, оның орнына сағыз аласыз ба?

    Qaytarym joq, onyng ornyna saghyz alasyz ba?

    I have no change — will you take a chewing gum instead?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Handing over a chewing gum or a sweet in place of a few tenge of change is a habit that survives across Central Asia. You may decline, but then the odd amount is simply written off. If you want the money, say "Qaitarymdy beriñizshi" (please give me my change)

    Grammar Note

    "Ornyna" is a postposition grown out of "oryn" (place) in the dative; with the genitive pronoun "onyñ" it means "instead of that". "Joq" negates existence, and is distinct from "emes", which negates identity

  11. Менде тек бес мың теңгелік бар

    Mende tek bes myng tengelik bar

    I only have a 5,000-tenge note

    Usage

    The reply when staff ask for smaller money. Sometimes the sale simply cannot go through — either walk away with "Onda kelesi joly" (next time then), or add items so the total absorbs the note. In cities, switching to card payment is the quickest fix

    Grammar Note

    Kazakh has no verb "to have"; possession is expressed as "at me there is …", using the locative "-de" plus "bar". The suffix "-lyq" derives "a note worth X", as in "myñdyq" (a 1,000 note)

  12. Қолма-қол ақшамен бе, әлде картамен бе?

    Qolma-qol aqshamen be, älde kartamen be?

    Cash or card?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Kazakhstan was long cash-first, but Kaspi QR payments spread fast and even tiny shops now display a QR code by the till. Answer with a single word: "Kartamen" for card, "Qolma-qol" for cash

    Grammar Note

    The instrumental suffix "-men / -ben / -pen" marks means and alternates by the preceding consonant. "Älde" links the options in an alternative question, distinct from plain "or" ("nemese")

  13. Терминал істеп тұр ма?

    Terminal istep tur ma?

    Is the card terminal working?

    Usage

    Ask before you fill your basket, so you know whether to go for cash first. Outside the cities connectivity is patchy and the terminal drops out — QR payment rides the same line and fails with it. Note that "terminal" covers both the card reader and the payment kiosk

    Grammar Note

    "Istep tur" pairs the converb "-p" with the auxiliary "turu" (to stand) to express a state holding right now. Plain "isteidi" would state a general property; this form asks whether it is working at this moment

  14. Терминал бүгін істемей тұр, тек қолма-қол ақша

    Terminal bügin istemey tur, tek qolma-qol aqsha

    The terminal is down today — cash only

    Usage

    Said by staff. Power cuts and network outages knock the terminal out fairly often outside the cities. Follow up with "Jaqyn jerde bankomat bar ma?" (is there an ATM nearby?). This is exactly why you keep a cash reserve on you

    Grammar Note

    The negative converb is "-mai / -mei"; the front-vowel stem "iste-" gives "istemei". "Qolma-qol" literally means "hand to hand", which is how it came to mean paying cash on the spot

  15. Осы жерде телефонға ақша салуға бола ма?

    Osy jerde telefongha aqsha salugha bola ma?

    Can I top up my phone here?

    Usage

    Prepaid Beeline, Kcell and Tele2 SIMs can be topped up at the counter or at the payment kiosk beside it (Qiwi, Kaspi and similar) — just give your number and the amount. When a tourist SIM runs out of data, the corner shop is the nearest fix

    Grammar Note

    The verbal noun in "-u" takes the dative "-ga" ("saluga") and combines with "bolu" (to be / to be possible) to ask "may I / can I". The same construction covers both permission and possibility

  16. Орысша сөйлессек бола ма?

    Oryssha söylessek bola ma?

    Could we speak in Russian?

    Usage

    Russian is widely understood in Kazakhstan, and in northern cities or with older shopkeepers it is often the easier language. In the south and among younger people Kazakh dominates. Greeting in Kazakh first and then asking this avoids any impression of imposing a language

    Grammar Note

    The suffix "-sha / -she" forms language adverbs: "qazaqsha" (in Kazakh), "agylshynsha" (in English). The conditional "-sek" followed by "bola ma" is a modest way of asking permission

  17. Үш жұмыртқа ғана алсам бола ма?

    Üsh jumyrtqa ghana alsam bola ma?

    Can I buy just three eggs?

    Usage

    Corner shops sell eggs, cigarettes and sweets individually, so you need not buy a pack of ten. Handy for short stays and apartment rentals. The same phrasing works for half a loaf ("nannyñ jartysy") or a single yoghurt

    Grammar Note

    "Ghana" is a limiting particle that attaches tightly to the word it restricts, unlike the looser "tek". "Alsam bola ma" is the fixed first-person permission pattern: conditional "-sam" plus "bola ma"

  18. Мұның жарамдылық мерзімі қашан бітеді?

    Munyng jaramdylyq merzimi qashan bitedi?

    When does this expire?

    Usage

    Slow-moving stock can linger on corner-shop shelves, so check dairy items (ayran, süt) in particular. Labels read "Jaramdylyq merzimi" or Russian "Srok godnosti", with dates printed day.month.year — not the year-first order used in Japan

    Grammar Note

    "Munyñ … merzimi" pairs a genitive with a possessive "-i", the standard Kazakh possessive noun phrase (izafet). "Jaramdylyq" is the adjective "jaramdy" (suitable) plus the abstract-noun suffix "-lyq"

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