Көзді ашып-жұмғанша
Literally before opening and closing the eye
Means instantly, in a moment
English idiom in the blink of an eye
Example Балалар көзді ашып-жұмғанша үйден шығып кетті.
The children were out of the house in the blink of an eye.
An idiom is a phrase you cannot translate word for word. Here are the 25 most common Kazakh idioms, ranked by how often you will actually meet them, each with its literal translation, real meaning, the closest English idiom where one exists, and an example sentence with an English translation, so you know what natives actually mean.
Common Kazakh idioms are everyday expressions whose meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words. For example, Көзді ашып-жұмғанша literally means "before opening and closing the eye" but is used to mean instantly, in a moment. This free page ranks the 25 most common Kazakh idioms by how often you meet them, each with its literal translation, meaning, the closest English idiom where one exists, and an example sentence with an English translation.
All 25 idioms, most common first.
Guess the meaning, then tap a card to check.
Idiom list verified as of August 2026.
Көзді ашып-жұмғанша
Literally before opening and closing the eye
Means instantly, in a moment
English idiom in the blink of an eye
Example Балалар көзді ашып-жұмғанша үйден шығып кетті.
The children were out of the house in the blink of an eye.
Тіл табысу
Literally to find a language with each other
Means to reach an understanding with someone, to get along
English idiom to find common ground
Example Жаңа көршілерімізбен бірден тіл табысып кеттік.
We found common ground with our new neighbours right away.
Көз бояу
Literally to paint the eye
Means deception, putting up a false front to hide the real state of things
English idiom to pull the wool over someone's eyes
Example Бұл жиналыс көз бояудан басқа ешнәрсе емес.
This meeting is nothing but window dressing.
Note Common in news and political commentary, where it is the usual term for a deceptive show.
Тайға таңба басқандай
Literally like a brand stamped on a colt
Means completely clear and obvious to everyone
English idiom as plain as day
Example Оның кінәлі екені тайға таңба басқандай.
It is as plain as day that he is guilty.
Көз қырын салу
Literally to cast the corner of one's eye
Means to watch over someone or something, to give attention to it now and then
English idiom to keep an eye on
Example Мен дүкенге барып қайтқанша, балаларға көз қырыңды сала жүр.
Keep an eye on the children while I go to the shop and back.
Жүрегі алып ұшты
Literally his heart took flight
Means to be gripped by strong feeling, with one's heart pounding
English idiom one's heart skipped a beat
Example Түнде телефон шырылдағанда жүрегім алып ұшты.
When the phone rang in the night my heart skipped a beat.
Note Works for fright and for joyful excitement alike, so the context decides which one is meant.
Төбесі көкке жетті
Literally the crown of his head reached the sky
Means to be overjoyed at good news or an achievement, to feel on top of the world
English idiom to be on cloud nine
Example Ұлым емтиханды үздік тапсырып, төбесі көкке жетті.
My son passed the exam with top marks and was on cloud nine.
Қолы қолына жұқпады
Literally his hand didn't stick to his hand
Means to work fast and without a break, to have one's hands completely full
English idiom to be rushed off one's feet
Example Той қарсаңында анамның қолы қолына жұқпай кетті.
In the run-up to the wedding my mother was rushed off her feet.
Атүсті қарау
Literally to look at from horseback
Means to deal with something superficially, without proper attention
Example Тапсырмаға атүсті қарамай, мұқият орында.
Do not treat the task superficially, do it carefully.
Note Атүсті is spelled as one word and also stands alone as an adverb meaning hastily or on the surface.
Ит арқасы қиянда
Literally the dog's back is in a distant place
Means very far away, hard to get to
English idiom in the middle of nowhere
Example Ата-анам тұратын ауыл қаладан ит арқасы қиянда жатыр.
The village where my parents live is out in the middle of nowhere, far from the city.
Note Informal in tone and a little dismissive about the place, so it suits conversation better than official writing.
Бетінен оты шықты
Literally fire came out of his face
Means to be deeply embarrassed, to burn with shame
Example Қателескенін білгенде бетінен оты шықты.
When he realised he had made a mistake he burned with shame.
Мұрнын шүйіру
Literally to wrinkle one's nose
Means to treat something as beneath one, to show disdain
English idiom to turn up one's nose
Example Ол ұсынысымызға мұрнын шүйірді.
He turned up his nose at our offer.
Жұмған аузын ашпау
Literally not to open one's closed mouth
Means to stay completely silent, to say nothing at all
Example Ол бүкіл жиналыс бойы жұмған аузын ашпады.
He did not say a single word during the whole meeting.
Қой аузынан шөп алмас
Literally won't take grass from a sheep's mouth
Means extremely meek, gentle and harmless
English idiom wouldn't hurt a fly
Example Асан қой аузынан шөп алмас момын жігіт.
Asan is such a gentle young man that he would not hurt a fly.
Ит пен мысықтай
Literally like a dog and a cat
Means constantly quarrelling with each other
English idiom to fight like cat and dog
Example Көршілер ит пен мысықтай өмір сүреді.
The neighbours fight like cat and dog.
Жерден жеті қоян тапқандай
Literally as if he had found seven hares on the ground
Means wild with delight, unable to contain one's joy
Example Әкесі ойыншық сатып әперген соң, бала жерден жеті қоян тапқандай қуанып қалды.
After his father bought him the toy, the boy was beside himself with joy.
Note Usually completed by a verb of rejoicing such as қуану, which follows the phrase.
Жүрек жұтқан
Literally one who has swallowed a heart
Means fearless and daring, afraid of nothing
English idiom to have nerves of steel
Example Тек жүрек жұтқан адам ғана мұндай шешім қабылдайды.
Only a person with nerves of steel makes a decision like that.
Note Normally placed before the noun it describes, as in жүрек жұтқан жігіт.
Аузымен орақ ору
Literally to reap with one's mouth
Means to boast and promise a lot while doing nothing
English idiom to be all talk and no action
Example Ол аузымен орақ орады, ал іске келгенде ештеңе тындырмайды.
He is all talk, but when it comes to doing the work he gets nothing done.
Тісін қайрау
Literally to sharpen one's teeth
Means to hold a grudge against someone and wait for a chance to get even
English idiom to have it in for someone
Example Бастық сол оқиғадан кейін маған тісін қайрап жүр.
The boss has had it in for me ever since that incident.
Қолы ашық
Literally his hand is open
Means generous, ready to give and to host others
English idiom open-handed
Example Атам қолы ашық жан еді, келген қонақты құр жібермейтін.
My grandfather was an open-handed man, he never let a guest leave empty-handed.
Ит терісін басына қаптау
Literally to pull a dog's hide over someone's head
Means to scold someone furiously, throwing their fault in their face
English idiom to give someone hell
Example Кешігіп келгені үшін бастығы оның ит терісін басына қаптады.
His boss gave him hell for turning up late.
Note Harsh and informal, it describes a real dressing-down, so it is used about people rather than to their face.
Екі аяғын бір етікке тығу
Literally to stuff both legs into one boot
Means to press someone hard and leave them no room to move
English idiom to put the screws on someone
Example Мерзім жақындаған сайын бастық екі аяғымызды бір етікке тығып жатыр.
As the deadline gets closer the boss is putting the screws on us.
Аузы дуалы
Literally his mouth is blessed
Means said of a respected person whose words and blessings are believed to come true
Example Аузы дуалы қария батасын берді.
The elder whose words carry weight gave his blessing.
Note Tied to the custom of asking an elder for a bata (blessing), so it marks real social authority and is high praise.
Қырық пышақ болды
Literally became forty knives
Means to fall out badly and become bitter enemies
English idiom to be at daggers drawn
Example Ағайынды екеуі мұра үшін қырық пышақ болды.
The two brothers ended up at daggers drawn over the inheritance.
Ағаштан түйін түйген
Literally one who tied a knot out of wood
Means a highly skilled craftsman who can do what looks impossible
Example Атам ағаштан түйін түйген шебер еді.
My grandfather was a craftsman who could work wonders with his hands.
Note Elevated praise, used mostly about traditional craftsmen rather than in everyday chat.
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is fixed by convention, not built from its words. That is why a word-for-word translation fails: Көзді ашып-жұмғанша comes out as "before opening and closing the eye", which makes no sense until you know it means instantly, in a moment.
Learn a few at a time, not a whole list. Pick the ones you keep running into, say them out loud in a real sentence, and you will remember them far longer than by drilling flashcards.
The most reliable way to absorb idioms is to meet them in context, again and again, in things you actually read. Parallel text and audio let you catch an idiom in a real Kazakh sentence and check what it means without breaking your reading. That is what reading in Lingo7 is built for.
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The most common Kazakh idioms, ranked by everyday frequency, start with Көзді ашып-жұмғанша, Тіл табысу, Көз бояу, Тайға таңба басқандай, Көз қырын салу. Each one means something you could not guess from the words alone, which is exactly why learners have to meet them in context. This page lists 25 of them with meanings and example sentences.
In Kazakh, "Көзді ашып-жұмғанша" translates literally as "before opening and closing the eye", but it actually means instantly, in a moment. The closest English idiom is "in the blink of an eye". Example: Балалар көзді ашып-жұмғанша үйден шығып кетті. ("The children were out of the house in the blink of an eye.")
The Kazakh equivalent is "Көзді ашып-жұмғанша", literally "before opening and closing the eye". Example: Балалар көзді ашып-жұмғанша үйден шығып кетті. ("The children were out of the house in the blink of an eye.")
In Kazakh, an idiom is called тұрақты тіркес, and a proverb is мақал. A тұрақты тіркес (fixed phrase, also called фразеологизм) is a figurative expression used inside a sentence, while a мақал is a complete proverb that states a moral, and the related мәтел is a shorter saying that leaves the conclusion unspoken.
Idioms are non-compositional: their meaning is fixed by convention, not built from the individual words. Көзді ашып-жұмғанша translates literally as "before opening and closing the eye", yet it means instantly, in a moment. Translate word for word and you get nonsense, so idioms have to be learned as whole units.
The fastest way is to meet them in context and reuse them, not to memorize a list. Learn a handful at a time, notice them while reading and listening, and try them in your own sentences. Reading real Kazakh with tap-to-translate, the way Lingo7 works, turns every page into idiom practice.