Merry Christmas in Kazakh
Рождество құтты болсын
Rozhdestvo qutty bolsyn
Say it like this: rozh-dest-VOH koot-TUH bol-SUN
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Kazakh, Merry Christmas is Рождество құтты болсын (Rozhdestvo qutty bolsyn), said like rozh-dest-VOH koot-TUH bol-SUN.
- Happy New Year is Жаңа жыл құтты болсын (Zhaña zhyl qutty bolsyn).
- People say it in Kazakhstan, China (Xinjiang), Uzbekistan, Russia and more.
What Rozhdestvo qutty bolsyn means
Word for word it is 'Рождество' (Rozhdestvo, Christmas, borrowed from Russian) plus 'құтты' (qutty, blessed or happy) plus 'болсын' (bolsyn, let it be). So it means 'may Christmas be blessed'.
In Kazakhstan, Kazakh is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, with extra letters such as қ, ң and ұ.
Other ways to say it in Kazakh
Happy New Year
Жаңа жыл құтты болсын
Zhaña zhyl qutty bolsyn
Say it like this: zha-NA zhuhl koot-TUH bol-SUN
may the new year be blessed
Where people speak Kazakh
KazakhstanChina (Xinjiang)UzbekistanRussiaMongolia
Kazakh (қазақ тілі (qazaq tili)) belongs to the Turkic language family.
Say it with Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train to more than 100 places and teaches kids how to say Merry Christmas at every stop. Practice Kazakh today, then follow his trip.
Follow Rally on Christmas Eve →Christmas traditions where people speak Kazakh
- Ayaz Ata and Kar Kyz: At New Year in Kazakhstan, Ayaz Ata, a Frost Grandfather, brings presents with his granddaughter Kar Kyz, the Snow Girl. Children recite a poem or sing a song for him beside the New Year tree.[1]
- New Year trees and fireworks: New Year is the main winter holiday in Kazakhstan. Shops and streets are decorated with baubles and lights from early December, and there are fireworks. New Year trees stand where Christmas trees would be elsewhere.[1]
- Orthodox Christmas on January 7: Most Christians in Kazakhstan are Orthodox and celebrate Christmas on January 7. The fast ends when the first star appears on January 6, then comes the Christmas meal, and many people attend a midnight service.[1]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Kazakh
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- AzerbaijaniMilad bayramınız mübarək
- UzbekRojdestvo muborak
- Tagalog (Filipino)Maligayang Pasko
- CebuanoMalipayong Pasko
- Korean메리 크리스마스
- Kannadaಕ್ರಿಸ್ಮಸ್ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು
- Malayalamക്രിസ്തുമസ് ആശംസകൾ
- Dari (Afghan Persian)کریسمس مبارک
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Kazakh?
The most common way to say Merry Christmas in Kazakh is Рождество құтты болсын (Rozhdestvo qutty bolsyn). It is pronounced "rozh-dest-VOH koot-TUH bol-SUN". Kazakhs say Рождество құтты болсын to Christian friends and neighbours. Christmas is a minority holiday in Kazakhstan, so many Kazakh speakers will say this kindly rather than celebrate it themselves.[2][1]
How do you pronounce Merry Christmas in Kazakh?
Say it like this: rozh-dest-VOH koot-TUH bol-SUN. The letter қ is a deep k made at the back of the throat, and ы is a short uh sound. Kazakh stress usually falls on the last syllable, so say rozh-dest-VOH, koot-TUH and bol-SUN with a steady beat.
What does Merry Christmas mean word for word in Kazakh?
Word for word it is 'Рождество' (Rozhdestvo, Christmas, borrowed from Russian) plus 'құтты' (qutty, blessed or happy) plus 'болсын' (bolsyn, let it be). So it means 'may Christmas be blessed'. The ending -сын (-syn) turns a noun into a wish, so Kazakh uses the same ending in birthday and other greetings.[2]
How do you write Merry Christmas in Kazakh?
Write it in Cyrillic as Рождество құтты болсын. In Latin letters it is Rozhdestvo qutty bolsyn. Kazakh has extra Cyrillic letters, such as қ, ұ and ы, that Russian does not use. Capitalise Рождество as the holiday name.
How do you say Happy New Year in Kazakh?
Happy New Year in Kazakh is Жаңа жыл құтты болсын (Zhaña zhyl qutty bolsyn), pronounced "zha-NA zhuhl koot-TUH bol-SUN". It means may the new year be blessed. Kazakhs say Жаңа жыл құтты болсын for the new year, using the same pattern as the Christmas greeting. New Year is the biggest winter holiday, with trees, presents and fireworks.[3][1]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say Merry Christmas in Kazakh?
Рождество құтты болсын is polite and suitable for everyone. There is no separate casual form that children need to learn, so the same words work at school, at home and with older people. Children can use it with friends and relatives, and adding the person's name at the start makes it feel warmer.[2]
When do people say Merry Christmas in Kazakh?
Christians say it around January 6 and 7, when Orthodox Christmas is. Some Catholics and Protestants celebrate on December 25. Many people say it to Christian friends and colleagues. Christmas greetings are warm and kind but not widespread, because most families focus on New Year instead.[1]
Which day is the main Christmas celebration for Kazakh speakers: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Orthodox Christmas Eve is January 6, when the fast ends after the first star appears, and Christmas Day is January 7. About 70 percent of people in Kazakhstan are Muslim, so Christmas is a minority holiday, while New Year on January 1 is the main winter celebration for everyone.[1]
What is Ayaz Ata and Kar Kyz?
At New Year in Kazakhstan, Ayaz Ata, a Frost Grandfather, brings presents with his granddaughter Kar Kyz, the Snow Girl. Children recite a poem or sing a song for him beside the New Year tree. Because Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union, New Year grew into the main celebration, and that is still true today.[1]
How can I teach Merry Christmas in Kazakh to kids?
Teach the greeting as three small chunks, Рождество, құтты and болсын, and show the Cyrillic letters. Explain kindly that Christmas is a holiday for Christian families in Kazakhstan, while New Year is for everyone. Children can then practise Жаңа жыл құтты болсын, which uses the same pattern, and note the shared word құтты.
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We check every greeting against dictionaries, language institutes and cultural sources.
- Christmas in Kazakhstan, WhyChristmas.com
- Merry Christmas (translations), Wiktionary
- Happy New Year (translations), Wiktionary