If there’s one thing you must know about Kazakh culture, it’s this: respect for elders is vital.

When you start to learn Kazakh, you’ll quickly notice that age changes everything about how people speak to each other.

You can’t simply talk to a 60 year old stranger the same way you talk to a 15 year old friend.

As a learner, using the right words for respect (honorifics) is the fastest way to win the hearts of locals. Even if your grammar isn’t perfect, using the correct polite terms shows that you understand and respect Kazakh culture.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the simple rules of age and respect in Kazakh, and how to properly use honorifics in your daily conversations.

The formal “you” (siz vs. sen)

The very first step to showing respect in Kazakh is mastering the word “you.”

Like many other languages (such as Spanish or French), Kazakh has an informal “you” and a formal “you.”

• Sen (Сен): This is the informal “you.” Use it with friends, family members your age, children, and people who are clearly younger than you.
• Siz (Сіз): This is the formal “you.” Use it with anyone older than you, strangers, teachers, bosses, and people in customer service.

When in doubt, always use Siz. It is much better to be too polite than accidentally rude!

Here is a quick table showing the singular and plural forms:

Family terms for strangers (ağa, apke, etc.)

In English, we call strangers “Sir” or “Ma’am.” In Kazakh, we use family words!

Even if you are not related to someone, you address them as an older brother, older sister, uncle, or aunt, depending on their age relative to yours. This is a beautiful way Kazakhs show closeness and respect in the community.

Here are the most common terms you should use:

A quick note on regional variations:

Kazakh is a vast language, and there are some funny regional differences! The word Tate (Тәте) is a great example.

In southern Kazakhstan, tate means “older sister” or “aunt.” But if you travel to northern or western Kazakhstan, tate means “uncle” or “older man”! If you are traveling around the country, keep your ears open for how locals use this word.

Name suffixes for respect and affection (-eke, -jan)

Sometimes, you know the person’s name, but you still want to show them respect. In this case, Kazakhs attach special endings (suffixes) to names.

The “-eke” suffix

This is added to the names of older, respected men. It is often combined with a shortened version of their name. It shows a mix of warmth and high respect.

• Nurlan becomes Nūreke
• Marat becomes Make
• Baurjan becomes Bake

The “-jan” suffix

The word jan literally means “soul.” When added to a name, it means “dear.” You can use this for friends, younger family members, or peers to show affection.

• Aliya becomes Aliyajan
• Arman becomes Armanjan

Professional titles (mırza, hanım)

If you are in a very formal environment, like a business meeting, a university, or writing a formal email, you will use professional titles instead of family terms.

Unlike in English where we say “Mr. Arman,” in Kazakh, the title comes after the name.

• Mırza (Мырза): Mr.
• Hanım (Ханым): Ms. / Mrs.

So, if you are addressing a man named Serik, you would say Serik mırza. For a woman named Gulnaz, you would say Gulnaz hanım.

If you are speaking to a teacher or professor, you can use the word ūstaz (ұстаз) or mūğalim (мұғалім) after their name, or simply on its own.

Putting it all together

Let’s look at how these honorifics are used in real life. Pay attention to how the speakers use titles based on age.

Here is an example of a younger person buying something at a market from an older man:

Here is an example of addressing a teacher in a formal setting:

And an example between friends using affectionate suffixes:

By learning these simple terms, you will navigate Kazakh society with ease and politeness. Locals will truly appreciate the effort you put into learning their cultural norms.