Listen to Lesson 1 (WAV, 2.4 MB - be patient with modem!)   or   RealAudio version (need RealPlayer G2)

1. Letters

Iradi language is Turkic language, close to Kyrgyz and Kazakh. We write with Latin letters - 32 letters, from the law of 1995 and 1997. Most letters you say like in English. But some letters are special:

Attention: In English newspapers in Talas you will see other spelling. They write ch, sh for ç, ş, they write y for ı, and sometimes zh for j (from Russian). So kımız (mare milk) in newspaper is "kymyz", and jılkı (horses) is "jylky" or "zhylky". Also before 1995 we wrote with ch, sh, ng, and many old signs in the city are still like this. Don't be confused. (I am confused sometimes too.)

Full table of all 32 letters is in Lesson 3.

2. Hello and goodbye

Polite and not polite: Like Russian and French, Iradi have two "you": siz (polite, for older people, for teacher, for people you don't know) and sen (friends, children, family). If you are not sure, always say siz. Nobody was ever angry because you was too polite. If you say sen to grandmother in bazar, she will forgive you because you are foreigner, but she will remember.

3. Numbers - Sandar

It is very logical: 11 = on bir (ten one), 25 = jıyırma beş (twenty five), 300 = üç jüz. Easier than French!

Useful: Kança turat? (kan-CHA tu-RAT) = How much it costs?   Answer maybe: Beş som. = Five som. (One dollar! Good price!)

Note: In Nurzhan many people say numbers in Russian, even when they speak Iradi. Don't be surprised.

Homework

1. Say "Jakşısızbı" to your driver tomorrow. Look at his face.
2. Count to ten in Iradi before you sleep.
3. Ask in bazar: "Kança turat?" (You will not understand the answer. It is OK. Lesson 3!)