Introduction to the Uzbek Language

by Mark Dickens

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Pronunciation
Wordlist
Grammar

A. Pronunciation

Uzbek is currently written in the Cyrillic script, which has been in use since 1940, and the Latin script, which has been introduced in the last couple of years and is now being used more and more, though most people only know the Cyrillic script and most signs and written materials are still only in Cyrillic. In general, words are pronounced as they sound in the Latin script, but some explanation is necessary for a few of the sounds represented by certain Latin letters. Below are those sounds which are not found in English or which require some explanation. Note that stress in Uzbek is generally on the last syllable, except for a few suffixes, which are never stressed. In the wordlist below, stressed syllables are underlined. Note also that two adjacent vowels are pronounced separately (e.g. ñîàò “soat” is pronounced like English “saw at”), but a vowel followed by “y” becomes a diphthong (e.g. áîé “boy” is pronounced the same as English “boy”).

Cyrillic	Latin	Pronunciation
À à	A a	"a" as in "cat"
Å å	Ye ye, E e	"ye" as in "yet" at the beginning of a word, "e" as in "let" elsewhere
¨ ¸	Yo yo	"ya" as in "yawn"
È è	I I	"i" as in "pin"
Î î	O o	"o" as in "pot"
Ð ð	R r	a "trilled r" (like in Scottish), or, between vowels, a "flapped r" (like "dd" in "ladder" in normal speech)
Ó ó	U u	"oo" as in "cool"
Õ õ	X x	"ch" as in German "Bach" or Scottish "loch"
Ý ý	E e	"e" as in "let"
Þ þ	Yu yu	"yu" as in "you"
ß ÿ	Ya ya	"ya" as in "yak"
Œ œ	O' o'	"u" as in "put" (also represents a second vowel in some dialects, similar to "au" as in "caught"
Š š	Q q	like a "k" but further back in the mouth
Ђ ђ	G' g'	like a French "r" (voiced version of "x")
Ќ ќ	H h	like “h”

B. Wordlist

Below are 250 of the most common Uzbek words, in both Cyrillic and Latin script, along with their definitions, arranged according to the different parts of speech (categories of words). Note that some of these words could be listed in two different categories (e.g. ќîçèð “now” is both a noun and an adverb, òåç “quick, quickly” is both an adjective and an adverb).

1. Pronouns

ìåí	men	I
ñåí	sen	you (singular, informal)
ó	u	he/she/it, that
áó	bu	this
ñèç	siz	you (plural, formal)
áèç	biz	we
óëàð	ular	they

2. Adjectives

ÿõøè	yaxshi	good
çœð	zo'r	excellent
¸ìîí	yomon	bad
œðòà÷à	o'rtacha	in the middle
êàòòà	katta	big
êè÷êèíà	kichkina	small
ÿíãè	yangi	new
ýñêè	eski	old (thing)
¸ø	yosh	young
šàðè	qari	old (person)
êàñàë	kasal	sick
ñîђ	sog'	healthy
šèììàò	qimmat	expensive
àðçîí	arzon	cheap
èññèš	issiq	hot
ñîâóš	sovuq	cold
ñåêèí	sekin	slow
òåç	tez	fast
ÿšèí	yaqin	close
óçîš	uzoq	far
òœђðè	to'g'ri	correct, straight
áîé	boy	rich
õóðñàíä	xursand	happy
÷èðîéëè	chiroyli	beautiful, good-looking
òîçà	toza	clean
òàé¸ð	tayyor	ready
øèðèí	shirin	sweet
êàì	kam	small, few, little
îçãèíà	ozgina	a little
êœï	ko'p	much, many
ќàð	har	each
ќàììà	hamma	all
áóòóí	butun	whole
ќå÷	hech	none
êœïðîš	ko'proq	more
êåðàê	kerak	necessary
ìóìêèí	mumkin	possible
œíã	o'ng	right
÷àï	chap	left
áîøšà	boshqa	other
ýíã	eng	most
šîðà	qora	black
îš	oq	white
ñàðèš	sariq	yellow
šèçèë	qizil	red
êœê	ko'k	blue

3. Numbers

áèð	bir	one
èêêè	ikki	two
ó÷	uch	three
òœðò	to'rt	four
áåø	besh	five
îëòè	olti	six
åòòè	yetti	seven
ñàêêèç	sakkiz	eight
òœššèç	to'qqiz	nine
œí	o'n	ten
éèãèðìà	yigirma	twenty
œòòèç	o'ttiz	thirty
šèðš	qirq	forty
ýëëèê	ellik	fifty
îëòìèø	oltmish	sixty
åòìèø	yetmish	seventy
ñàêñîí	sakson	eighty
òœšñîí	to'qson	ninety
þç	yuz	hundred
ìèíã	ming	thousand
ÿðèì	yarim	half

4. Adverbs

áó åðäà	bu yerda	here
ó åðäà	u yerda	there
ќîçèð	hozir	now, wait a minute
ýðòà	erta	early
êå÷	kech	late
êå÷à	kecha	yesterday
áóãóí	bugun	today
ýðòàãà	ertaga	tomorrow
áèðãà	birga	together
æóäà	juda	very
ôàšàò	faqat	only
ÿíà	yana	again
ќàëè	hali	still, yet

5. Question words

íèìà	nima	what
êèì	kim	who
šàåðäà	qayerda	where
šàåðãà	qayerga	where to
šàíè	qani	where (exactly)
šà÷îí	qachon	when
íèìàãà	nimaga	why
šàíäàé	qanday	how, what kind of
šàí÷à	qancha	how much, how many
íå÷à	necha	how much, how many
šàéñè	qaysi	which

6. Conjunctions

àãàð	agar	if
âà	va	and
¸êè	yoki	or
ëåêèí	lekin	but
÷óíêè	chunki	because
ќàì	ham	also

7. Postpositions

áèëàí	bilan	with
¸íèäà	yonida	beside
è÷èäà	ichida	inside
êåéèí	keyin	after
îëäèí	oldin	before
óñòèäà	ustida	on top of
ó÷óí	uchun	for
ќàšèäà	haqida	about

8. Verb stems

àéò-	ayt-	say
áåð-	ber-	give
áèë-	bil-	know (something)
áîð-	bor-	go
áœë-	bo'l-	be, become
ãàïèð-	gapir-	speak
äàì îë-	dam ol-	rest
äàðñ áåð-	dars ber-	teach (give lessons)
å-	ye-	eat
¸ç-	yoz-	write
¸ï-	yop-	close
¸ò-	yot-	lie down
è÷-	ich-	drink
èøîí-	ishon-	believe
êåë-	kel-	come
êåò-	ket-	go, leave
êèð-	kir-	enter
êóò-	kut-	wait
êœð-	ko'r-	see
îë-	ol-	take
îëèá áîð-	olib bor-	take (to someone)
îëèá êåë-	olib kel-	bring
î÷-	och-	open
ñîë-	sol-	put in
ñîò-	sot-	sell
ñîòèá îë-	sotib ol-	buy
òóð-	tur-	stand, live
òóøóí-	tushun-	understand
÷èš-	chiq-	exit, go out
ýøèò-	eshit-	listen
þâ-	yuv-	wash
þð-	yur-	walk
œðãàí-	o'rgan-	learn, study
œò-	o't-	pass
œòèð-	o'tir-	sit down
šàéò-	qayt-	return
šèë-	qil-	do, make
šœé-	qo'y-	put

9. Nouns

à¸ë	ayol	woman
áàõò	baxt	happiness
áîëà	bola	child
áîçîð	bozor	outdoor market
âàšò	vaqt	time
ãœøò	go'sht	meat
äàðñ	dars	lesson
äåðàçà	deraza	window
äåâîð	devor	wall
äœêîí	do'kon	shop, store
äœñò	do'st	friend
åð	yer	ground
¸ðäàì	yordam	help
¸ђ	yog'	butter, oil
æàâîá	javob	answer
èñì	ism	name
èø÷è	ishchi	worker
éèë	yil	year
êàëèò	kalit	key
êå÷šóðóí	kechqurun	evening
êèéèì	kiyim	clothing
êèòîá	kitob	book
êèøè	kishi	person
êóí	kun	day
êœ÷à	ko'cha	street
ìàêòàá	maktab	school
ìàøèíà	mashina	car
ìåâà	meva	fruit
ìåќìîí	mehmon	guest
íàðñà	narsa	thing
íîí	non	bread
îâšàò	ovqat	food
îèëà	oila	family
îé	oy	moon, month
îíà	ona	mother
îòà	ota	father
îø	osh	food, rice pilaf
ïè¸ëà	piyola	cup
ïóë	pul	money
ðó÷êà	ruchka	pen
ñàâîë	savol	question
ñàáçàâîò	sabzavot	vegetable
ñîàò	soat	hour, watch, clock
ñòîë	stol	table
ñòóë	stul	chair
ñóâ	suv	water
ñóìêà	sumka	bag
ñóò	sut	milk
ñœç	so'z	word
òàëàáà	talaba	student
òóàëåò	tualet	toilet
òóç	tuz	salt
óé	uy	house
õîíà	xona	room
õîòèí	xotin	wife
Õóäî	Xudo	God
÷îé	choy	tea
øàêàð	shakar	sugar
øàќàð	shahar	city
ýð	er	husband
ýðêàê	erkak	man
ýðòàëàá	ertalab	morning
ýøèê	eshik	door
þðàê	yurak	heart
œšèòóâ÷è	o'qituvchi	teacher
œђèë	o'g'il	son
šèç	qiz	daughter
šèøëîš	qishloq	village
šîøèš	qoshiq	spoon
šîђîç	qog'oz	paper
šœøíè	qo'shni	neighbour
ќàôòà	hafta	week
ќîâëè	hovli	courtyard

10. Useful Words and Expressions

Aðçèìàéäè.	Arzimaydi.	You're welcome.
áîð	bor	existent, there is/are
Áó íèìà?	Bu nima?	What is this?
Áœïòè.	Bo'pti.	Okay, well.
èëòèìîñ	iltimos	please (request)
éœš	yo'q	no, not, there is/are not
Kå÷èðàñèç.	Kechirasiz.	Excuse me.
Màéëè.	Mayli.	Well, all right
Màíà.	Mana.	Look, here.
ìàðќàìàò	marhamat	please (offering)
Ìåíãà ¸šäè.	Mengayoqdi.	I like it.
Íå÷à ¸øäàñèç?	Necha yoshdasiz?	How old are you?
Îèëàíãèç áîðìè?	Oilangiz bormi?	Do you have a family?
ðàќìàò	rahmat	thank you
Càëîì.	Salom.	Hello (literally, peace).
Ñèçãà ¸šäèìè?	Sizga yoqdimi?	Do you like it?
Ñîàò íå÷à?	Soat necha?	What time is it?
Xàéð.	Xayr.	Goodbye.
Õóø êåëèáñèç.	Xush kelibsiz.	Welcome.
Xœï.	Xo'p.	Okay, very well.
ýìàñ	emas	not
ßõøèìèñèç?	Yaxshimisiz?	Are you well?
Šàåðäà èøëàéñèç?	Qayerda ishlaysiz?	Where do you work?
Šàåðäàíñèç?	Qayerdansiz?	Where are you from?
Šàëàéñèç?	Qalaysiz?	How are you?
Šà÷îí êåëèäèíãèç?	Qachon keldingiz?	When did you come?
ќà	ha	yes

C. Grammar

1. Word order is Subject-Object-Verb:

Men kitob yozdim (I book wrote): I wrote a book.

2. Adjectives come before nouns:

U yosh bola (He young child): He is a young child.

3. Adverbs come before verbs:

U tez gapirdi (He quickly spoke): He spoke quickly.

4. Question words are placed in the sentence where the answer will go:

Bu kim? Bu Aziz (This who? This Aziz): Who is this? This is Aziz.

5. Postpositions work like prepositions in English, except they come after the noun:

Biz non haqida gapirdik (We bread about talked): We talked about bread.

6. Endings to add to the verbstem to speak in the Present-Future Tense:

-aman I Kelaman I come/will come.

-asan you (singular/informal) Kelasan You come/will come.

-adi he/she/it Keladi He comes/will come.

-amiz we Kelamiz We come/will come.

-asiz you (plural/formal) Kelasiz You come/will come.

-adilar they Keladilar They come/will come.

7. Endings to add to the verbstem to speak in the Past Tense:

-dim I Keldim I came.

-ding you (singular/informal) Kelding You came.

-di he/she/it Keldi He came.

-dik we Keldik We came.

-dingiz you (plural/formal) Keldingiz You came.

-dilar they Keldilar They came.

8. To make a verb into a command:

Kel! Come! (no suffix on verbstem)

Keling! Come! (more polite)

Kelinglar! Come! (even more polite)

9. To make a verb negative:

Kel- to come Keldim I came.

Kelma- to not come Kelmadim I didn’t come.

10. To make a verb into a “yes/no” question:

Keladi He will come. Keladimi? Will he come?

Keldi He came. Keldimi? Did he come?

11. To ask a “yes/no” question with the verb “to be”:

Men yaxshimanmi? Am I well? Biz yaxshimizmi? Are we well?

Sen yaxshimisan? Are you well? Siz yaxshimisiz? Are you well?

U yaxshimi? Is he well? Ular yaxshimi? Are they well?

12. To make a noun plural:

kitob book

kitoblar books

13. To express location at, movement towards or away from an object:

uy house uyda at the house

uyga to the house uydan from the house

Maktabdan uyga bordim. I went from the school to the house.

14. Endings to add to express possession:

-im my kitobim my book

-ing your (singular/informal) kitobing your book

-i his/her/its kitobi his/her book

-imiz our kitobimiz our book

-ingiz your (plural/formal) kitobingiz your book

-ilar their kitobilar their book

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