Content in Kazakh: translation or adaptation
Translation is fine for reference and official texts: instructions, contracts, newsletters with medical facts. Social media, video and advertising need adaptation, and sometimes separate content with its own topics and heroes. A Kazakh-speaking audience immediately sees when a text was not written for them.
Why it matters
According to the 2021 census, the share of Kazakhs in the country's population rose to 70.4% (from 63.1% in 2009). Among young audiences and in the regions, the share of people who consume content mainly in Kazakh is especially high. At the same time, there is less quality brand content in Kazakh than in Russian, and competition for attention there is lower.
There is also a legal side: advertising in Kazakhstan must be distributed in Kazakh, with Russian and other languages at the advertiser's discretion; there are exceptions for periodicals and online resources.
Three levels of working with language
| Level | What it is | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Translation with proofreading | an accurate translation checked by a native speaker | instructions, contracts, medical and reference texts, a website |
| Adaptation | the same meaning, but its own headlines, examples, jokes and rhythm | posts, ad copy, video, leaflets |
| Separate content | its own topics, bloggers and formats for a Kazakh-speaking audience | social media, influencers, local special projects |
Examples from cases
- “Abai Quotes” with Yandex Books. We matched quotes from the “Book of Words” (Qara sözderi) to the type of place (a university, a museum, a gym, a business centre) in six cities. This is not a translation but content that lives in Kazakh from the start. 715,000 views in the first week.
- “Novyi Den”. A B2B video for Almaty cafés and restaurants with the phrase “Әрбір күн — жаңа күн!” (“Every day is a new day!”) gathered more than 500 sampling requests in five weeks.
- Leaflets for pharma brands. The “Newborn. Instructions for Use” leaflet for Bepanthen and the runners' guide for Teraflex Ultra came out in two languages, with the medical facts matching word for word in both versions.
Common mistakes
- Machine translation without proofreading: the text is formally correct but sounds bureaucratic.
- Literal translation of wordplay and jokes that do not work in the other language.
- The Kazakh version comes out a few days after the Russian one, and the audience notices.
- The same heroes and bloggers for both audiences, even though they have different opinion leaders.
- No glossary: the same product is called different things in different posts.
Sources: Azattyq Ruhy: 2021 census results · Zakon.kz: 2024 advertising rules