Kazakhstan talk · Languages in Kazakhstan  TodayTourism All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels

Languages in Kazakhstan


Languages in Kazakhstan

For too many foreigners the Kazakh language has been seen as very difficult to understand and to pronounce; however, it has been contrasted as easier than some other regional languages like Kyrgyz. Actually, travellers proficient in Turkish might be able to get by because Kazakh is of the same Turkic language family. Nonetheless, Kazakh is considered somewhat harder than Russian; it has seven grammatical cases, no grammatical gender, eight personal pronouns and a lot of tenses. However, years of Russification have left the Kazakh language largely neglected, and only 65% of the population actually speak the language. Russian is the more widely spoken language, with about 99% of the Population speaking it. If you speak and/or understand the Russian language, then you should be fine. At the very least, become familiar with the Cyrillic alphabet and learn a few phrases. Many people under age 20 will know some English as well as many customs officials and airport people know English. It is difficult to get around the country without some Russian or Kazakh language skills; though, within the more modernized cities, it is easier. Have your place of residence written on a card and get a cab if you get lost (you might be somewhat overcharged by the cab, but it is better than being lost).

The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Kazakhstan


Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Kazakhstan - updated Mar 2024

SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Kazakhstan hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!


>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<

WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020


Kazakhstan Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | All Destinations