Greet someone, introduce yourself and ask their name.
How the language works
Sız is polite singular “you”; sen is informal “you”. Start with Sälemetsız be! when speaking to an unfamiliar adult. Sälem! is an informal greeting for friends, peers and acquaintances. Menıñ atym — … means “My name is …”; Sızdıñ atyñyz kım? means “What is your name?”. Sau bolyñyz! is a polite goodbye; Sau bol! is informal.
Useful phrases
Read, recall the meaning and say it aloud. Then compare with the audio.
Sälemetsız be!
Hello!
A polite greeting to one person.
Menıñ atym — Aleksei.
My name is Alexey.
Sızdıñ atyñyz kım?
What is your name?
Tanysqanyma quanyştymyn.
Nice to meet you.
Men Qazaqstanda tūramyn.
I live in Kazakhstan.
Sau bolyñyz!
Goodbye!
A polite goodbye to one person.
Dialogue
Sälemetsız be! Sızdıñ atyñyz kım?
Hello! What is your name?
Menıñ atym — Aleksei. Al sızdıñ atyñyz kım?
My name is Alexey. And what is your name?
Menıñ atym — Aidana. Tanysqanyma quanyştymyn.
My name is Aidana. Nice to meet you.
Men de quanyştymyn.
Nice to meet you too.
Check your understanding
Choose an answer before opening the explanation. Then explain your choice.
1. Choose the correct translation: “Sälemetsız be!”
- My name is Alexey.
- What is your name?
- Hello!
- Goodbye!
Answer and explanation
Hello!
Sälemetsız be! — Hello!
2. How do you say: “Nice to meet you.”?
- Men Qazaqstanda tūramyn.
- Sau bolyñyz!
- Tanysqanyma quanyştymyn.
- Menıñ atym — Aleksei.
Answer and explanation
Tanysqanyma quanyştymyn.
Tanysqanyma quanyştymyn. — Nice to meet you.
3. Which pronoun is suitable when politely addressing an unfamiliar adult?
- Sız
- Sen
- Ol
- Men
Answer and explanation
Sız
Sız is polite “you”; sen is informal “you”, men is “I” and ol is “he/she”.
Make it your own
Introduce yourself to a new neighbour: greet them, say your name and ask theirs.
- I greeted them politely
- I gave my name
- I asked their name using sız
Example response
Sälemetsız be! Menıñ atym — Aleksei. Men Qazaqstanda tūramyn. Sızdıñ atyñyz kım?