Essential Kyrgyz phrases

Hello (Kyrgyz, casual). 'Саламатсызбы' (sa-la-mat-SIZ-bi) is the formal version. Russian 'Здравствуйте' works everywhere in Bishkek, but opening in Kyrgyz is noticed and appreciated.

Thank you (Kyrgyz). Used constantly, including by Russian-speakers. The single most useful word to arrive with.

How much does it cost? Russian: 'Сколько стоит?' (SKOL-ka STO-eet). Essential at Osh Bazaar, where nothing is priced.

The currency, abbreviated KGS and written с. The National Bank's official rate on 6 August 2026 was 87.45 som to the US dollar. Rents are commonly quoted in dollars and paid in som.

Bishkek's transport card, named after the winged horse of Kyrgyz epic. Tap on and a bus ride is 17 som; pay cash and it is 20 — and from 1 July 2026 cash stops being an option on municipal buses at all.

The privately-run minibus that fills the gaps in the bus network. You shout 'остановите, пожалуйста' (stop, please) when you want out — there are no fixed stops on most routes.

Kyrgyzstan's national payment card scheme. Plenty of places take Elcart and an Elcart QR and nothing else — a foreign Visa card will not get you through a bazaar stall or a small clinic.

Personal Identification Number — the 14-digit code that gates banking, tax and most state services. Digital Nomad status grants it automatically; everyone else applies.

Squares of fried dough, piled on the table at every meal and every celebration. Refusing them is close to rude; they are the Kyrgyz equivalent of bread on the table.

'Five fingers' — the national dish of boiled meat over wide noodles, eaten by hand at feasts. Being handed the sheep's head is an honour and there is a protocol for carving it.

'Dappled mountains' — the Kyrgyz Ala-Too range that walls Bishkek to the south, and the name of the central square. Locals navigate by it: towards the mountains is south, away from them is north.

Help! Ambulance is 103, police 102, fire and rescue 101, gas emergency 104. Calls are free from any phone.