иә
iyä/ijæ/
The Kazakh word for 'yes' is иә (iyä).
иә is the standard particle used to indicate agreement or acceptance. In many spoken contexts, Kazakh speakers may simply repeat the verb from the question to indicate agreement.
Meaning: word used to indicate agreement or acceptance (particle)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is iyä. The IPA is /ijæ/.
Did you know?
- In traditional Kazakh social etiquette, repeating the verb of the question instead of saying иә is often perceived as more polite and natural.
- In some regional dialects, the pronunciation of иә can shift significantly, sounding closer to ие, which is also the Kazakh word for 'owner' or 'master'.
- The history of иә traces back to a Proto-Turkic root meaning 'good' or 'right', which is why it carries the weight of 'truth' in many ancient contexts.
Examples in context
- Сіз депутат болуға дайынсыз ба?Are you ready to become a deputy?
- Иә, мен келемін.Iä, men kelemіn.Yes, I will come.
- Иә, бұл өте қымбат.Iä, bul өte qymbat.Yes, this is very expensive.
- Иә, мен түсіндім.Iä, men tüsіndіm.Yes, I understood.
Example conversation
Berik and Dinara are deciding what to eat.
- Динара DinaraДинара, сен қарсысың ба?Dinara, sen qarsysyñ ba?Dinara, are you against it?
- Берик BerikЖоқ, мен келісемін.Joq, men kelisemin.No, I agree.
- Динара DinaraОнда пиццаға тапсырыс береміз бе?Onda pitsgaga tapsyrys beremiz be?Then shall we order pizza?
- Берик BerikИә, тапсырыс берейік!Iä, tapsyrys bereyik!Yes, let's order!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries иә, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries иә, CC BY-SA 4.0.
