# Abkhaz phrasebook

Abkhaz (Аҧсуа бызшәа) is a Caucasian language spoken primarily in Abkhazia. It is an extremely difficult language to read, which requires a lot of labialization.

## Pronunciation guide

In the alphabet, whilst coming across a 'ә' letter, you need to labialize it. To do this, round your lips as if you are trying to whistle, and utter the letter you are trying to say. There are many occasions where you are going to encounter this, and below is the alphabet from where it is present. Like Russian, when a reader comes across a 'ь', you need to pronounce the word heavily.

### А а

    'a' as in "air"

### Б б

    'b' as in "bar"

### В в

    'v' as in "vent"

### Г г

    'g' as in "game"

### Гь гь

    Hard 'g'

### Гә гә

    Labialized 'g'

### Ӷ ӷ

    'gh' as in "gamble"

### Ӷь ӷь

    Hard 'gh'

### Ӷә ӷә

    Labialized 'gh'

### Д д

    'd' as in 'dangle'

### Дә дә

    Labialized 'd'

### Е е

    'e' as in 'everybody'

### Ж ж

    'zh' like 'leisure'

### Жь жь

    Hard 'zh'

### Жә жә

    Labialized 'zh'

### З з

    'z' as in 'zebra'

### Ӡ ӡ

    'dz' like 'pizza'

### Ӡә ӡә

    Labialized 'dz'

### И и

    'ee' as in 'eel'

### К к

    'k' as in 'cancer'

### Кь кь

    Hard 'k'

### Кә кә

    Labialized 'k'

### Қ қ

    'q' as in 'Qatar'

### Қь қь

    Hard 'q'

### Қә қә

    Labialized 'q'

### Ҟ ҟ

    'q' as in 'Qatar'

### Ҟьҟь

    Hard 'q'

### Ҟә ҟә

    Labialized 'q'

### Л л

    'l' as in 'leg'

### М м

    'm' as in 'meet'

### Н н

    'n' as in 'nod'

### О о

    'o' as in 'orange'

### П п

    'p' as in 'peel'

### Ҧ ҧ

    Hard 'p'

### Р р

    'r' as in 'ring'

### С с

    's' as in 'sea'

### Т т

    't' as in 'tea'

### Тә тә

    Labialized 't'

### Ҭҭ

    'th' as in 'thanks'

### Ҭә ҭә

    Labialized 'th'

### У у

    'u' like 'pool'

### ф Ф

    'f' as in 'find'

### Х х

    'kh' like cage

### Хь хь

    Hard 'kh'

### Хә хә

    Labialized 'kh'

### Ҳ ҳ

    'h' as in 'hello'

### Ҳә ҳә

    Labialized 'h'

### Ц ц

    'ts' as in lets

### Цә цә

    Labialized 'ts'

## Phrase list

Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.

### Basics
#### Hello.

    Бзиа збаша. (Bzia zbaşa )

#### How are you?

    Ушҧаҟоу? (Uşpakou ?)

#### Fine, thank you.

    итабуп ибзианы. ( itabup ibziani )

#### What is your name?

    (to a man) Уара́ иу́хьӡузеи? (to a woman) Бара́ ибы́хьӡузеи? (“WaRA YUkhdzuzey? BaRA ibYKHdzuzey?”)

#### My name is ______ .

    Сара́ ______ сы́хӡуп. (“SaRA _____ SYKHdzup”)

#### Nice to meet you.

    . )’’ ‘‘_

#### Please.

    . )’’ ‘‘_

#### Yes.

    Ааи. (Aye. )

#### No.

    Мап. ( Map’)

#### Goodbye

    Абзи́араз. (AbZIAraz.)

#### Good morning.

    Шьыжьбзи́а(қәа). (ShyzhbZIAkwa. ) – The ending -kwa is for multiple people.

#### Good evening.

    Хәлыбзи́а(қәа). (KhwlybZIAkwa.)

#### Where is the toilet?
### Problems
#### Can I use your phone?
### Numbers

1 - aky – акы́
2 - ôba - ҩба
3 - hpa - хҧа
4 - pshba - ҧшьба
5 - huba - хәба
6 - fba - фба
7 – byĵba - быжьба́
8 - aaba - ааба́
9 - juba - жәба
10 - juwaba - жәаба́
20 - ôajui - ҩажәа́
30 - ôajui juwaba - ҩажәи ́жәаба́
40 - ôynôajua - ҩы́нҩажәа
50 - ôynôajui juwaba - ҩы́нҩажәи жәаба́
60 - hynôajui - хынҩажәа́
70 - hynôajui juwaba - хынҩажәи́ жәаба́
80 - pshynôajui - ҧшьы́нҩажәа
90 - pshynôajui juwaba - ҧшьы́нҩажәи жәаба́
100 - шәкы
200 - óysha - ҩышә
500 - huysha - хәышә
1000 - zkîy - зқьы

### Time
#### later

    Нас (Nas )

#### afternoon

    ҽы́нла ( )

#### evening

    уахы́нла( )

#### night

    а́ҵх( )

#### Clock time
##### one o'clock AM

    саа́́ҭк. ( )

##### two o'clock AM

    ҩсаа́ҭк. ( )

##### midnight
#### Duration
##### ___амш__ day(s)

    ( amsh)

##### __амза___ month(s)

    ( amza)

##### _____ year(s)
#### Days
##### today

    иахьа́ ( )

##### yesterday

    иахы́ ( )

##### tomorrow

    уаҵәа́шьҭахь ( )

##### Sunday

    амҽы́ша ( )

##### Monday

    ашәахьа́( )

##### Tuesday

    аҩа́ша ( )

##### Wednesday

    аха́ша ( )

##### Thursday

    аҧшьа́ша( )

##### Friday

    ахәа́ша ( )

##### Saturday

    аса́бша ( )

#### Months
##### January

    жьырны́ҳәа

##### February

    жәабра́н

##### March

    жәажәкы́ра

##### April

    мшаҧы́

##### May

    лаҵара́

##### June

    рашәара́

##### July

    ҧхынгәы́

##### August

    на́нҳәа

##### September

    цәыббра́

##### October

    жьҭаара́

##### November

    абҵара́

##### December

    ҧхынҷкәы́н

#### Writing time and date
### Colors
#### black

    а́иқәаҵәа

#### white

    а́шкәакәа

#### gray

    ацәы́ш

#### red

    а́ҟаҧшь

#### blue

    а́иаҵәа

#### yellow

    ахьыҧштәы́

#### green

    ашьа́цҧштәы

#### orange

    апатырқа́лҧштәы

#### purple

    адәыкры́нҧштәы

#### pink

    агәи́лҧхтәы

#### brown

    а́хьаҧштәы

### Eating
#### A table for one person/two people, please.
#### I want ___сара истахуп__.

    (sara istakhup )

#### chicken

    акәты́жь ( )

#### fish

    (апсыӡ )

#### cheese

    ашә ( )

#### eggs

    акәта́ӷь ( )

#### salad

    асала́ҭ( )

#### (fresh) vegetables

    ауҭраҭы́хқәа ( )

#### (fresh) fruit

    ашәы́р ( )

#### bread

    ача́ ( )

#### beans

    аҟәы́д( )

#### tea (drink)

    ача́и ( )

#### juice

    аӡы́ ( )

#### (still) water

    аӡы(azi)

#### beer

    ауара́ш ( )

#### red/white wine

    аҩы́ ( )

#### salt

    аџьыкахы́ш( )

#### butter

    а́хәша ( )

#### It was delicious.

    даара ихаан (daara ikhaan )

#### The check, please.
### Bars
#### vodka

    ауадка(auadka)

#### water

    аӡы( azi)