Translation · Kazakh
Kazakh translation services
Audiovisual translation is our specialisation, but our native Kazakh translators also handle any text — corporate documents, technical and marketing material, articles and eLearning. Kazakh's move to Latin script is scheduled to run to 2031, so we agree which script you receive.
EN · 00:05
Welcome to the course.
KK · 00:05
Курсқа қош келдіңіз.
About Kazakh translation
Kazakh is still read in Cyrillic while its switch to Latin runs to 2031, so the script is a brief decision
Kazakh is in the middle of a change of script, and the English source cannot tell you where your audience stands in it. A presidential decree of October 2017 set a gradual move from Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet by 2025. That target was later replaced by a phased transition from 2023 to 2031, and the Latin alphabet itself has been revised along the way, most recently in a version presented in 2021.
In practice, Cyrillic is what Kazakh readers use today. Reporting in 2024 noted that the 2021 Latin alphabet had not yet been officially adopted and that most textbooks and tests were still available only in Cyrillic. A translation delivered in Latin script now is therefore not automatically more current: it may simply be harder for your audience to read, and tied to an alphabet that can still change.
That is why we treat the script as a decision rather than a default buried in a style guide: Cyrillic unless you tell us otherwise, and a Latin version as a separate deliverable when your project needs one. At GoLocalise the choice is recorded at the brief, and every text is reviewed by a second native linguist before it reaches you.
How can we help you?
Your project manager has everything covered
One point of contact from brief to delivery, and a second linguist on every text before it reaches you.
Brief review
We review your source material and your audience, and agree up front the decisions this language forces before anyone starts translating.
Linguist assignment
Your project goes to a native Kazakh translator who knows your sector and writes in the script agreed at the brief — Cyrillic by default, Latin when your project calls for it.
Translation and review
The text is translated and then checked by a second native linguist for accuracy, consistency, and register.
Delivery and script check
Files arrive in the format you need, and the review pass confirms that each version uses one script only, with no Cyrillic and Latin forms mixed inside a file.
Regional varieties
Kazakhstan, and which script applies
Kazakh is the state language of Kazakhstan, a country of roughly 19.2 million people at the 2021 census (Bureau of National Statistics). Under Article 7 of the constitution, Russian is officially used on equal grounds with Kazakh in state institutions, so it is worth deciding at the brief whether your project needs Russian as well.
Standard Kazakh in Cyrillic is our default, because it is what the audience reads today. We prepare a Latin-script version on request, and confirm before starting which version of the Latin alphabet it should follow, since the alphabet has been revised more than once.
Varieties we cover
- Cyrillic by default
- Latin version on request
- Russian alongside, if needed
Areas of expertise
What we specialise in
From corporate video and eLearning to documentary, advertising and subtitles — always audiovisual, in the script your Kazakh audience reads today.
Corporate and brand video
Company films and internal communications, written to fit the shot rather than overflow it.
eLearning and training video
Course modules and training films, with terminology kept consistent across the programme.
Documentary and interviews
Factual programming and interviews, where the register shifts between speakers and has to survive the move.
Advertising and social video
Campaigns and short-form video, cut to land inside the time available.
Subtitles and captions
Frame-accurate subtitles kept within a comfortable reading speed.
Voice over and dubbing scripts
Scripts timed to the original, ready for a native voice in the booth.
Built for video and audio
Getting Kazakh right on screen
Kazakh asks a question with a date attached: which script your audience reads now, and whether your content has to outlive the switch.
Cyrillic is the working script
The move to Latin is scheduled in phases through 2031, and in 2024 most textbooks and tests were still Cyrillic-only. For content published now, Cyrillic is the script the audience reads fluently.
Latin is a separate deliverable
When a project needs Latin script — for a client policy, a pilot or content meant to last — we prepare it as its own version and review it as such, rather than running the Cyrillic text through a converter.
Russian often travels with it
The constitution gives Russian official use on equal grounds with Kazakh in state institutions. If your material goes to a public body or a mixed audience, we ask at the brief whether a Russian version is needed too, and run both from one glossary.
Timed, not dumped
We deliver spotted subtitle files and two-column voice-over scripts timed to the original — never a loose document that still needs spotting.
Deliverables
How your Kazakh translation arrives
Subtitle files
SRT, VTT, STL or TTML, burnt in or as separate files, ready to drop into your edit.
Script agreed at the brief
Cyrillic by default, Latin as a separate version when you need it, and Russian alongside when your audience calls for both.
Dual-column scripts
Source and target side by side with timecodes, the format the studio records from.
Reviewed, never single-pass
Every script is checked by a second native linguist before it reaches the studio.
Translation rates
Professional Kazakh translation
For internal documents, correspondence and material where accuracy is the main requirement.
- Native subject-matter translator
- Second-linguist review
- Subtitle files or a timed script
For marketing, eLearning and technical content, with review, terminology management and layout adjustment.
- Everything in Standard
- Terminology management
- Layout and expansion handled
- Dedicated project manager
Every project is quoted individually and backed by our Price Match Promise. Send us your files for an exact, no-obligation quote.
Trusted by global brands
We have used GoLocalise on a regular basis for projects in a number of languages. The service we receive is great. The team is always friendly and professional. The voiceovers we receive are of a very high quality and the turnaround is extremely quick. We are very happy to recommend GoLocalise to other businesses.
It was a pleasure to work with David and the team at GoLocalise. David gave me lots of help and advice, guiding me through my first subtitling project. He really knows his stuff! The experience was completely pain-free. I would not hesitate to recommend GoLocalise – outstanding work at a good price.
They're reliable, adaptive and obsessed with quality. And while you can never be 100% guaranteed of perfection, you can be sure GoLocalise will go the extra mile to get it right every time. We've worked with them now for over 5 years and we are truly thankful to have such a strong localisation partner for our business.
Related services
The rest of your Kazakh project
Kazakh voice over
Native Kazakh voice actors, recorded in broadcast-quality studios.
Learn moreKazakh subtitling
Frame-accurate subtitles and captions, burnt in or as separate files.
Learn moreAll translation services
Our full audiovisual translation offer across 100+ languages.
Learn moreKazakh transcription
Verbatim or clean-read transcripts, with timecodes and speaker labels.
Learn moreAudiovisual translation in 100+ languages
Native translators for subtitles, voice over and any content. Browse another language, or ask us about yours.
Most common questions
How much does Kazakh translation cost?
Kazakh translation is priced per word for text and per minute for audiovisual, depending on volume, subject matter and turnaround, with agreeing the script included as part of the brief rather than billed as an extra step. Send your files and we will come back with a free, itemised quote, backed by our Price Match Promise.
Are your Kazakh translations done by native linguists?
Yes. Native Kazakh linguists handle every translation, and a second native linguist independently reviews each text in the script it is delivered in, so a Latin version gets its own review rather than being trusted to a converter.
Do you provide Kazakh subtitling and voice over as well?
Yes — Kazakh translation, subtitling and voice over all come from one team, working to a single glossary. The script decision applies to the written files; the recording itself does not change with it.
Should our Kazakh translation be in Cyrillic or Latin?
For most material published now, Cyrillic. Kazakhstan's move to the Latin alphabet is scheduled in phases through 2031, and in 2024 most textbooks were still printed in Cyrillic. Choose Latin when a client policy or the life span of the content calls for it, and we prepare it as a separate version.
Is Kazakhstan not already using the Latin alphabet?
Not in full. A 2017 decree set a target of 2025; the plan was later changed to a phased transition from 2023 to 2031, and the most recent Latin alphabet, presented in 2021, had still not been officially adopted according to reporting in 2024. Cyrillic remains the everyday script.
Do you deliver Kazakh subtitles and voice-over scripts, not just documents?
Yes — audiovisual is our specialisation. We deliver spotted SRT/VTT and timed two-column voice-over scripts, plus translated text when you need it.
We need a Latin version. Which alphabet will you use?
The one you specify. The Latin alphabet was published in 2017, amended in 2018 and presented again in revised form in 2021, and material made to one version does not match another. We confirm the version at the brief and apply it to the whole project.
Do you also translate into Russian for Kazakhstan?
Yes. Russian is officially used alongside Kazakh in state institutions under the constitution. When a project needs both languages, we run the two versions from one glossary so that terms and names match.
How quickly can a Kazakh translation project be delivered?
Most short documents are delivered within 24 to 48 hours. Word count, subject complexity and turnaround all move the date, and your project manager will confirm the timeline at the start.
What do you need from us to quote Kazakh translation?
Less than people expect: the document, script or subtitle file, its word count, what the text is actually for, and the date you need it by. A draft is fine — we would rather quote on what exists than wait for a final version that eats your deadline. A named project manager comes back with an itemised quote, normally within four working hours.
How quickly will we hear back, and who will we be dealing with?
More than half of enquiries get a reply within thirty minutes during office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm UK time), and the itemised quote normally follows within four working hours. After that you have one dedicated project manager who owns the job from brief to final file — not a ticket queue, and not a different name on every email. If it is easier, call +44 207 095 5730 and ask for them by name.
We are still pitching and the budget is not signed off. Can we still get a Kazakh quote?
Yes, and it is one of the commonest reasons people get in touch. Tell us it is for a pitch and you get a figure you can put in front of your own client, itemised so it stands up to being picked apart, with no obligation and no follow-up sales calls if the pitch goes elsewhere. If it lands, the quote still holds and we already know the project.
Ready to start your Kazakh translation project?
Send us your documents, script or video and we'll come back with an exact, itemised quote.
Professional voice over services for your audio and video productions
Voice over
- State-of-the-art studios
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Translation
- 100+ languages covered
- Tailored to your needs
- Stringent quality control
- Dedicated project managers
Subtitling
- Experienced subtitlers
- Industry-standard software
- Burn-in and graphic editing
- Open and closed captions
Transcription
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