әйел
äyel
The Kazakh word for woman is әйел (äyel). Wiktionary also lists қатын (qatın).
Meaning: adult female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Kazakh | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| әйел | äyel |
| қатын | qatın |
The term is used to refer to an adult female person.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean 'woman', әйел is the standard and polite term, whereas қатын can be perceived as derogatory or disrespectful depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
äyel
Did you know?
- The word қатын once held a much higher status than it does today, originally meaning 'queen' or 'noblewoman' in ancient Turkic languages.
- While қатын is often seen as disrespectful today, it is a cognate of the Turkish word kadın, which remains the standard neutral term for 'woman'.
- The linguistic history of these two words shows a 'status flip', where the ancient word for a high-ranking lady became a common/rude term, while a word for 'dependents' became the polite standard.
Examples in context
- Ол ең әдемі әйел.She's the most beautiful woman.This sentence is useful for learning how to use the form әйел with an adjective.Tatoeba #6887567 by tokipona, translation #1845236 by Shishir
- Мен әйел.I am a woman.This sentence is useful for using the form әйел in a simple identity statement.Tatoeba #1521006 by ABChessel, translation #740214 by CC
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Madina and Berik are looking for a specific person at a gathering.
- Мадина MadinaСен сол әйелді танисың ба?Sen sol ayeldi tanisyn ba?Do you know that woman?
- Берик BerikЖоқ, мен оны көрмедім.Zhoq, men ony kormedim.No, I haven't seen her.
- Мадина MadinaОл менің әпкем.Ol mening apkem.She is my older sister.
- Берик BerikЕнді мен оны танимын.Endi men ony tanimyn.Now I know her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries әйел, қатын, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries қатын, әйел, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
