What is the difference between жума and апта?

In the literary standard, апта is the week and жума is Friday — the latter borrowed from the Arabic name for the day of communal prayer. In everyday speech plenty of people use жума for \'week\' too, so you will hear both. Write апта; expect жума.

What are the days of the week in Kyrgyz?

Seven, and most of them are built openly around the week itself — which means they come easier as a set than one at a time. Learn them in a row, in order, out loud.

Does Kyrgyz have its own month names?

Yes, and they are worth meeting. Alongside the international names there is a traditional set tied to the herding and farming year. Both are in use; the traditional names show up more in formal and literary writing.

Days of the week and months in Kyrgyz

The seven days

Five of the seven end in -шемби or -шембе. That shared ending comes from the Persian word for Saturday, and the days are literally counted from it, which is why they rhyme so strongly.

дүйшөмбү: düyshömbüMonday
шейшемби: sheyshembiTuesday
шаршемби: sharshembiWednesday
бейшемби: beyshembiThursday
жума: jumaFriday
ишемби: ishembiSaturday
жекшемби: jekshembiSunday

Жума or апта: which one means "week"

In the literary standard the split is clean. Апта is the week, the seven-day stretch. Жума is Friday, borrowed from the Arabic name for the day of congregational prayer.

The confusion is real, though, and it is not your mistake. In everyday speech many people also use жума to mean "week", and you will hear өткөн жума for "last week" as readily as өткөн апта. Kyrgyz is doing something its Turkic neighbours also do: Turkish keeps the same pair, hafta for the week and cuma for Friday, and lets them blur in casual use.

The practical rule: when you produce Kyrgyz, use апта for the week and жума for Friday. When you hear жума, let the context tell you which one is meant. Neither usage will make you hard to understand.

бул апта: bul aptathis week
өткөн апта: ötkön aptalast week
келерки апта: kelerki aptanext week
жума күнү: juma künüon FridayКүнү, "on the day of", is how you say a day is when something happens.

Days around today

бүгүн: bügüntoday
эртең: erteñtomorrow
кечээ: kecheeyesterday
бүрсүгүнү: bürsügünüthe day after tomorrow
Бүгүн кайсы күн?: Bügün kaysy kün?What day is it today?
Бүгүн жума.: Bügün juma.Today is Friday.

Months: the everyday names

In ordinary speech, on phones and in most writing, Kyrgyz uses the international month names that came in through Russian. These are the ones to learn first, because these are the ones you will actually hear.

январь · февраль · март: yanvar · fevral · martJanuary · February · March
апрель · май · июнь: aprel · may · iyunApril · May · June
июль · август · сентябрь: iyul · avgust · sentyabrJuly · August · September
октябрь · ноябрь · декабрь: oktyabr · noyabr · dekabrOctober · November · December

Months: the traditional Kyrgyz names

Kyrgyz also keeps a full set of its own month names, from a calendar built around herding, hunting and the position of the Pleiades (Үркөр) in the night sky. You will meet them in almanacs, poetry, journalism and cultural writing rather than in casual conversation, and knowing them tells you a great deal about how the year was once organised.

The word ай means both "moon" and "month"; айы is its possessive form, so Үчтүн айы is literally "the month of the three".

Үчтүн айы: Üchtün ayyJanuary
Бирдин айы: Birdin ayyFebruary
Жалган Куран: Jalgan KuranMarchLiterally "false Kuran": the first, deceptive warmth.
Чын Куран: Chyn KuranAprilThe "true" one: spring has actually arrived.
Бугу: BuguMayNamed for the deer.
Кулжа: KuljaJuneNamed for the wild mountain ram.
Теке: TekeJulyNamed for the wild goat.
Баш оона: Bash oonaAugust
Аяк оона: Ayak oonaSeptemberБаш is "head" and аяк is "foot": the start and end of the same season.
Тогуздун айы: Toguzdun ayyOctober
Жетинин айы: Jetinin ayyNovember
Бештин айы: Beshtin ayyDecember

Putting dates into sentences

Ай сайын: Ay sayynevery month
Аптасына эки жолу: Aptasyna eki jolutwice a week
Дүйшөмбү күнү жумушка барам.: Düyshömbü künü jumushka baram.I go to work on Monday.
Келерки аптада көрүшөбүз.: Kelerki aptada körüshöbüz.We will see each other next week.

FAQ

Common questions

What is the difference between жума and апта?: In the literary standard, апта is the week and жума is Friday — the latter borrowed from the Arabic name for the day of communal prayer. In everyday speech plenty of people use жума for \'week\' too, so you will hear both. Write апта; expect жума.
What are the days of the week in Kyrgyz?: Seven, and most of them are built openly around the week itself — which means they come easier as a set than one at a time. Learn them in a row, in order, out loud.
Does Kyrgyz have its own month names?: Yes, and they are worth meeting. Alongside the international names there is a traditional set tied to the herding and farming year. Both are in use; the traditional names show up more in formal and literary writing.

Dates need numbers. Here is the counting system.

Learn Kyrgyz numbers