otkazmaq

Otkazmaq is a Kazakh verb meaning to refuse, decline, or reject something offered or requested, or to withdraw consent. It can be used in reference to offers, invitations, requests, or agreements, signaling a deliberate denial rather than mere hesitation.

In practice, otkazmaq appears most often in contexts where a firm refusal is conveyed, though in everyday Kazakh more common alternatives such as бас тарту (to decline) or қабылдамау (to not accept) are frequently preferred. Otkazmaq is encountered mainly in more formal, literary, or translated contexts, and may resemble an older or loanword usage rather than a staple of contemporary colloquial speech.

Grammatically, otkazmaq functions as a regular transitive Kazakh verb that takes a direct object in the sentence and can be conjugated for person and number like other verbs ending in -maq. Its use with certain nouns or adjectives can intensify the sense of a categorical refusal, especially in formal writing or official communications.

Etymology is generally traced to a noun meaning refusal, otkaz, which in Kazakh is believed to have been borrowed from Russian. The verb otkazmaq thus reflects a common pattern of integrating loan-derived forms into Kazakh verb paradigms, though its frequency and nuance vary by region and register.

See also: бас тарту, қабылдамау, refūsal terms in Kazakh, and Russian influence on Kazakh vocabulary.