Menu, price tag and sign in two languages: what the law requires and what guests see

What the language law says

The main rule for the dining room, display case and facade is Article 21 of the Law on Languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Notices, advertising, price lists, price tags, menus, signs and other visual information are placed in the state language, and where necessary also in Russian and other languages, unless legislation provides otherwise.

The same article sets three requirements for the text itself, and they usually show how carefully a menu was made:

• Translation. Texts follow spelling norms and authentic translation: the Kazakh and Russian versions must say the same thing.
• Order. The state language text goes on the left or at the top, the Russian on the right or below.
• Size. Letters are the same size in both versions.

For signs of non-state organisations the rule is similar: the state language is mandatory, Russian and other languages are added where necessary. A registered trademark is reproduced unchanged, so a brand name in Latin script need not be translated. A sign is put up after notifying the local executive body at least 5 working days ahead, with a sketch. If the body does not reply within 4 working days, the sign may be put up.

What the consumer protection law adds

The Law on Protection of Consumer Rights looks at the same menu page from another angle: as information about a service and its price. Under Article 24(1), the seller or provider must give information about goods, work or services and about themselves in Kazakh and Russian. Article 25 specifies that such information is given in both languages in documentation, on packaging, labels or by other means, and in e-commerce the name, cost and terms must be in both languages.

The strictest wording is in Article 25(7): "Information provided in one language or in a foreign language is deemed not provided." For a menu with prices this suggests a sensible working standard: Kazakh and Russian, Kazakh on the left or at the top, equal size, equal content.

What the rules do not say matters too. The law requires written information in two languages but does not set the language staff speak. For breaching visual information requirements, Article 75 of the Code of Administrative Offences provides first a warning, then, for a repeat breach, a fine. This is not legal advice; verify with a lawyer how the rules apply to your venue.

What the guest sees of all this

No guest reads a legal code before dinner. They open the menu and within seconds see who it was made for.

None of these details would spoil dinner on its own. Together they suggest the second language was added to tick a box. For a guest who reads the menu first of all in Kazakh, this is a matter of respect, and that is what their review will be about, not the font.

There is a practical side too. If the ingredients differ between columns, a guest with an allergy gets two answers to one question. If the price is in one version only, a dispute at the till becomes a matter not of taste but of information.

Where venues most often go wrong

The main menu is now bilingual almost everywhere. The errors hide around it, where text changes most often:

• Translation does not match. "Beef" in one column, "veal" in the other; portion weight or spiciness in one version only; Kazakh text machine-translated and full of errors.
• Kazakh is smaller. A different point size, a pale colour, a cut-off name on a display case tag, a small Kazakh line under a large Russian one.
• Online menu in one language. QR menus, delivery pages, website and app menus are often updated in a rush and in one language only.
• Temporary materials. A seasonal insert, a chalkboard with the dish of the day, a stop list, a till promotion are printed five minutes before opening and in one language.
• Price tags in retail areas. A dessert display, takeaway bread, coffee beans for sale: here tags are often handwritten.
• Notices and signs. Opening hours, the Wi-Fi password, "entrance to the dining room", "cloakroom": small things changed without a designer or translation.

The cause is nearly always the same: the Russian version has an owner, the Kazakh one does not. The bar manager changes the menu price, and nobody quite knows who edits the Kazakh column.

How to check it yourself

You need an hour, printouts of it all and a native Kazakh speaker.

1. Gather everything the guest sees: menu, bar list, inserts, board, price tags, sign, notices, QR menu, website, delivery pages.
2. Put both versions side by side and compare line by line: name, ingredients, portion, price, notes.
3. Check order and size: Kazakh on the left or at the top, same point size and colour.
4. Have a native speaker read the Kazakh text, not just a translation service.
5. Open the QR menu and delivery page on an ordinary phone, switch language, place a test order up to the last step.
6. Appoint someone responsible for both versions, with a rule: a price changes only in both columns at once.

From inside, such things quickly go unnoticed: the team sees the menu every day and reads it from memory. So an outside eye helps. In a language compliance audit the mystery guest comes as an ordinary guest and checks menus, price tags, signage and notices against a checklist, backing each observation with photos. Online menus, the website and delivery pages are easier to check separately in a digital audit. The same questions apply to price lists in hotels, spas and retail: the formats we work with are on the industries page.

Frequently asked questions