Food & Drinks

1. Кӑмӑс

   Kămăs

   Kumis (fermented mare's milk)

   Usage

   Names the drink made from fermented mare's milk.

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary explains it as a drink made by fermenting mare's milk (кӑмӑс ту = to make kumis); the Russian form кумыс is also a headword. It is not necessarily an everyday drink.

2. Эпӗ аш ҫимастӑп.

   Epĕ ash çimastăp.

   I don't eat meat

   Usage

   To explain that you do not eat meat.

   Grammar Note

   аш is "meat" (the verb аш- "to knead" is a homograph). ҫи- + negative -мас- + 1st-person singular -тӑп. The dictionary glosses a vegetarian as аш-какай ҫимен ҫын "a person who does not eat meat". Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.

3. Апат питӗ тутлӑ пулчӗ.

   Apat pitĕ tutlă pulchĕ.

   The food was delicious

   Usage

   To praise the meal after eating.

   Grammar Note

   The past 3rd person пулчӗ of пул- "to be, become" serves as "was" (the present tense has no copula). Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.

4. Тархасшӑн, меню парӑр.

   Tarkhasshăn, menyu parăr.

   Please give me the menu

   Usage

   To ask for the menu at a restaurant.

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary has the example "меню парӑр-ха!" (give me the menu). It uses the polite plural imperative -ӑр of пар- "to give".

5. Тархасшӑн, счет парӑр.

   Tarkhasshăn, schet parăr.

   Please bring the bill

   Usage

   To ask for the bill after a meal.

   Grammar Note

   счет is a Russian loan listed in the dictionary (счет тӑрӑх тӳле = to pay according to the bill). It is combined with the polite imperative of пар- "to give" to ask for the bill. Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.

6. Чей ӗҫетӗр-и?

   Chey ĕçetĕr-i?

   Would you like some tea?

   Usage

   To politely offer tea to a guest.

   Grammar Note

   The question particle -и is attached with a hyphen. A sentence of the same pattern is "Кофе ӗҫетӗр-и?" (would you like coffee?). Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.

7. Тархасшӑн, мана шыв парӑр.

   Tarkhasshăn, mana shyv parăr.

   Please give me some water

   Usage

   To ask for drinking water.

   Grammar Note

   мана is the dative of эпӗ "I" (to me). Water is шыв, not the Tatar су. Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.

8. Манӑн аллерги пур.

   Manăn allergi pur.

   I have allergies

   Usage

   To tell staff that you have an allergy.

   Grammar Note

   Possession is expressed as "манӑн (my) + noun + пур (there is)". аллерги is a loanword listed in the dictionary (medical term). You may need to add what you are allergic to. Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.

9. Апачӗ тутлӑ пултӑр!

   Apachĕ tutlă pultăr!

   Bon appétit! / Enjoy your meal!

   Usage

   Said to people about to eat.

   Grammar Note

   The form the dictionary gives for "приятного аппетита!". Literally "may the meal be tasty"; апат "meal" + possessive -ӗ.

10. Рис

    Ris

    Rice

    Usage

    For asking for rice or rice dishes.

    Grammar Note

    A loan via Russian, used in рис кӗрпи "rice grain" and рис пӑтти "rice porridge".

11. Ҫӑкӑр

    Çăkăr

    Bread

    Usage

    For buying or asking for bread.

    Grammar Note

    Means baked bread in general (килти ҫӑкӑр = home-baked bread). ҫӑкӑр-тӑвар "bread and salt" also stands for hospitality.

12. Лапша

    Lapsha

    Noodles

    Usage

    For asking for noodles.

    Grammar Note

    A loanword for flour noodles (килти лапша = home-made noodles, лапша яшки = noodle soup).

13. Пӑрӑҫлӑ

    Părăçlă

    Spicy (peppery)

    Usage

    Says that a dish is spicy or peppery.

    Grammar Note

    пӑрӑҫ "pepper" + -лӑ "with", i.e. "peppery" (dictionary example: яшка питӗ пӑрӑҫлӑ = the soup is very peppery). шарак means "bitter", so it is not used for "spicy".

14. Пылак

    Pylak

    Sweet

    Usage

    Says that sweets or a drink are sweet.

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary translates "сладкий" with it (пылак чей = sweet tea). As a noun it also means "sweets". It shares its root with пыл "honey".

15. Пӗҫермен

    Pĕçermen

    Raw / uncooked

    Usage

    Says that meat, fish and so on are not cooked.

    Grammar Note

    пӗҫер- "to bake, cook" + the negative participle -мен, "not cooked". The dictionary renders "сырой" with пӗҫермен (аш, шыв). чӗрӗ is avoided because it mainly means "alive".

16. Яшка

    Yashka

    Soup / Broth

    Usage

    For asking for soup.

    Grammar Note

    The general word for soups (купӑста яшки = cabbage soup, пулӑ яшки = fish soup).

17. Улма-ҫырла

    Ulma-çyrla

    Fruit

    Usage

    For buying or asking for fruit.

    Grammar Note

    A collective noun pairing улма "apple" and ҫырла "berry", meaning "fruit" (улма-ҫырла сӗткенӗ = fruit juice). On its own улма can also mean "potato".

18. Сыр

    Syr

    Cheese

    Usage

    For buying or asking for cheese.

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary gives it as сыр (чӑкӑт) (шӑратнӑ сыр = processed cheese). The verb сыр- "to surround" is a different word with the same spelling.

19. Пыл

    Pyl

    Honey

    Usage

    For buying or asking for honey.

    Grammar Note

    Means honey (ҫӑка пылӗ = linden honey, чечек пылӗ = flower honey). пыл хурчӗ is "honeybee".

20. Ҫу

    Çu

    Butter

    Usage

    For talking about butter.

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses ҫу as "butter, lard, fat". The same spelling is also the verb "to wash" and the month ҫу уйӑхӗ "May", so context decides. The Russian-Chuvash dictionary also has услам ҫу for "butter".

21. Турӑх

    Turăkh

    Yoghurt (soured milk)

    Usage

    For soured milk, close to yoghurt.

    Grammar Note

    A traditional soured milk (Russian варенец, простокваша): йӳҫӗ турӑх = sour fermented milk, тутлӑ турӑх = fresh soured milk. Modern yoghurt is also called by the loan йогурт.

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