How to use this list
This is an editorial selection of useful beginner vocabulary, grouped by situation. It is not a statistical ranking of the 100 most frequent words: no representative speech corpus or frequency counts are used for that claim.
Do not try to absorb all hundred at once. Take one themed block, say each word aloud, and put three of them into a sentence you would actually use. The Latin column is a reading aid for stress and vowel quality, not a pronunciation standard; see the pronunciation guide for the sounds themselves.
People and family (12)
- адам
- adamperson, human being
- аял
- ayalwoman; wife
- эркек
- erkekman; male
- бала
- balachild; boy
- кыз
- kyzgirl; daughter
- уул
- uulson
- ата
- atafather
- эне
- enemother
- апа
- apamum, motherThe everyday word children use.
- ага
- agaolder brother
- эже
- ejeolder sister
- дос
- dosfriend
Home and everyday things (12)
- үй
- üyhouse, home
- эшик
- eshikdoor
- терезе
- terezewindow
- китеп
- kitepbook
- кагаз
- kagazpaper
- телефон
- telefontelephone
- акча
- akchamoney
- кийим
- kiyimclothes
- шаар
- shaarcity, town
- айыл
- ayylvillage
- базар
- bazarmarket, bazaar
- жумуш
- jumushwork, job
Food and drink (12)
- нан
- nanbread
- суу
- suuwater
- чай
- chaytea
- сүт
- sütmilk
- эт
- etmeat
- күрүч
- kürüchrice
- алма
- almaapple
- жумуртка
- jumurtkaegg
- туз
- tuzsalt
- кымыз
- kymyzkymyzFermented mare’s milk, the national drink.
- боорсок
- boorsokboorsokSmall pieces of fried dough, served with tea.
- аш
- ashfood, meal
Nature, places and animals (12)
- тоо
- toomountain
- көл
- köllake
- асман
- asmansky
- күн
- künsun; day
- ай
- aymoon; month
- жер
- jerearth, ground, land
- жол
- jolroad, way
- гүл
- gülflower
- ат
- athorse; also name
- ит
- itdog
- мышык
- myshykcat
- куш
- kushbird
Time (10)
- бүгүн
- bügüntoday
- эртең
- erteñtomorrow
- кечээ
- kecheeyesterday
- азыр
- azyrnow
- таң
- tañdawn, early morning
- түн
- tünnight
- жыл
- jylyear
- апта
- aptaweek
- саат
- saathour; clock, watch
- убакыт
- ubakyttime
The verbs you will use most (16)
Kyrgyz verbs are listed here in the form ending in -оо / -өө / -уу / -үү, which works like the English "to …". In real sentences the ending changes to carry person, tense and mood.
- баруу
- baruuto go
- келүү
- kelüüto come
- алуу
- aluuto take, to get
- берүү
- berüüto give
- билүү
- bilüüto know
- көрүү
- körüüto see
- угуу
- uguuto hear, to listen
- айтуу
- aytuuto say, to tell
- сүйлөө
- süylööto speak
- окуу
- okuuto read; to study
- жазуу
- jazuuto write
- ичүү
- ichüüto drink
- иштөө
- ishtööto work
- жашоо
- jashooto live
- үйрөнүү
- üyrönüüto learn
- болуу
- boluuto be, to become
Describing things (13)
- жакшы
- jakshygood, well
- жаман
- jamanbad
- чоң
- choñbig, large
- кичине
- kichinesmall
- жаңы
- jañynew
- эски
- eskioldOf things, not of people.
- ысык
- ysykhot
- суук
- suukcold
- сулуу
- suluubeautiful
- кыйын
- kyyyndifficult
- оңой
- oñoyeasy
- ак
- akwhite
- кара
- karablack
Pronouns, questions and small words (13)
- мен
- menI
- сен
- senyouInformal: for friends, children and family.
- сиз
- sizyouPolite: for elders, strangers and formal settings.
- ал
- alhe, she, it; that
- биз
- bizwe
- алар
- alarthey
- бул
- bulthis
- ким
- kimwho
- эмне
- emnewhat
- кайда
- kaydawhere
- канча
- kanchahow much, how many
- ооба
- oobayes
- жок
- jokno; there is not
What to do after the hundred
- Put five words a day into complete sentences rather than adding a sixth word.
- Learn the endings for "at", "to" and "from": they do the work prepositions do in English.
- Add numbers next: they appear in prices, times, ages and addresses every day.
- Read the phrase guide, which shows these words already assembled into working sentences.
Common questions
- What are the most common words in Kyrgyz?
- Start with useful words such as салам (hello), рахмат (thank you), суу (water), үй (home) and мен (I). This guide collects 100 beginner words across eight everyday themes. It is an editorial selection, not a ranked corpus frequency list.
- How many words do I need to speak basic Kyrgyz?
- There is no fixed word count that guarantees conversation. These 100 words give you a starting vocabulary; understanding and speaking also require listening, sentence patterns and practice recalling words in context.
- Should I learn Kyrgyz words in Cyrillic or Latin?
- Cyrillic. That is how the language is written, and reading it will come faster than you expect. The Latin column here is only there to help you hear a word while your eyes are still slow.
Ready to see these words inside sentences?
See useful Kyrgyz phrases