Uzbek Grammar List

Add -m to a noun ending in a vowel and -im to one ending in a consonant to say my: otam (my father), kitobim (my book).

Add -miz after a vowel or -imiz after a consonant to say our: oilamiz (our family), uyimiz (our house), maktabimiz (our school).

Add -ing after a consonant or -ng after a vowel to ask someone you call siz to do something: Keling (Come in), Oʻqing (Read). -ingiz is even more polite.

Add -ng after a vowel or -ing after a consonant to say your to a friend, a child or a younger family member: otang (your father), kitobing (your book).

Add -ngiz after a vowel or -ingiz after a consonant to say your politely, or to several people: onangiz (your mother), ismingiz (your name).

Add -si after a vowel or -i after a consonant to say his, her or its: onasi (his or her mother), kitobi (his or her book). The same ending links noun pairs such as oʻzbek tili (the Uzbek language).

The present-future tense says what someone does regularly or will do: kelaman (I come, I will come), oʻqiydi (she reads).

-da marks place and time: Toshkentda (in Tashkent), yozda (in summer). It is written -da after every word, including words ending in k or q.

-ga marks where someone goes and who receives something. After k it becomes -ka, after q it becomes -qa, and everywhere else it stays -ga.

Add -lar to make a noun plural. It never changes its vowel, and it comes before possessive and case endings: kitoblarim, kitoblarni.

Put -ma- straight after the stem to say that an action does not or will not happen: kelmayman (I don't come, I won't come).

Uzbek has no separate word for am. Add -man to the word that describes you: shifokorman, tayyorman, uydaman.

Add -mi to make a yes-no question. It goes at the end of a verb, but on a noun or adjective it usually comes before the endings -san and -siz.

-miz means we are. Add it to the describing word: tayyormiz, talabamiz, uydamiz.

Every verb is listed with -moq: bormoq (to go), kelmoq (to come). Take -moq off, and the stem that is left carries the tense and person endings.

-ni goes on a direct object that is specific: a name, a pronoun, "this" thing or "my" thing. It never changes its shape.

-san means you are, said to one friend, child or close family member you call sen.

-siz means you are, for one person you call siz or for a group of people.

Add -ta to a number when you count separate items. The number can then also stand alone: Ikkita bering (Give me two, please).

Use -yap for what is happening at this moment: Men ishlayapman (I am working), U kelyapti (He is coming).

Put the adjective before the noun: katta uy (a big house). Only the noun takes endings: katta uylar, katta uyda.

Assalomu alaykum is the respectful everyday greeting, and the reply is Va alaykum assalom. Salom is a casual hi for friends: Assalomu alaykum, ustoz! (Hello, teacher!), Salom, Aziz! (Hi, Aziz!).

Uzbek puts the verb at the end: subject, then object, then verb. Men non yeyman is word for word 'I bread eat'.

Learn one to ten, then build numbers by placing their parts side by side: oʻn bir (11), oʻn besh (15). A noun after a number stays singular.

Uzbek endings show the person, so men, sen, biz and siz can be dropped: Talabaman means 'I am a student'. Keep the pronoun when you contrast people or change the topic.

Iltimos makes a request polite and can go at the start or the end: Iltimos, sekinroq gapiring (Please speak more slowly), Bir choy, iltimos (One tea, please).

Ismingiz nima? asks what is your name?, and you answer with Mening ismim ... or just Ismim ...: Mening ismim Dilnoza (My name is Dilnoza). With a child or a close friend, ask Isming nima?

Kechirasiz is the polite way to say excuse me or sorry, both to get someone's attention and to apologize: Kechirasiz, bekat qayerda? (Excuse me, where is the stop?).

Marhamat is what you say when you offer something or invite someone to go ahead: Marhamat, oʻtiring (Please, have a seat), Marhamat, choy iching (Please, have some tea).

Standard Uzbek has lost vowel harmony, so most endings have a single vowel shape: kitoblar and uylar, maktabda and uyda. What changes instead is a first g after k or q, and some endings add a vowel after a consonant.

When the object is not a particular one, it takes no -ni and sits directly before the verb, so the two work almost like one phrase.

To say "I have", say "my thing exists": the thing takes a possessive ending such as -im, and bor or yoʻq closes the sentence.

Rahmat means thank you: Katta rahmat (Thank you very much), Yordamingiz uchun rahmat (Thank you for your help). The usual reply is Arzimaydi (You are welcome).

Numbers are followed by the singular noun, and words like koʻp (many) usually are too, because the amount is already clear.

The apostrophe sign ʼ (tutuq belgisi) makes the vowel before it longer, as in maʼno, or makes a small catch before the next vowel, as in sanʼat. It can change the word: sher is a lion, but sheʼr is a poem.

Uzbek has six cases. The first, bosh kelishik, is the plain noun with no case ending, used above all for the subject of the sentence.

The Uzbek Latin alphabet uses the letters a to z without c and w, adds oʻ, gʻ, sh, ch and ng, and has one extra sign, ʼ. Most letters always stand for the same sound.

For he, she, it and they, just put the describing word after the subject: U oʻqituvchi. No ending and no word for is are needed.

Uzbek usually stresses the last syllable, so the beat moves along as endings are added: kitob, kitoblar, kitoblarim. A few endings never take the stress, and that can tell two words apart.

Xayr means goodbye and is often paired with Koʻrishguncha (See you): Xayr, koʻrishguncha! (Bye, see you!). The person leaving can add Yaxshi qoling, and the person staying can add Yaxshi boring.

Xush kelibsiz welcomes a guest, and the place takes -ga: Oʻzbekistonga xush kelibsiz (Welcome to Uzbekistan), Uyimizga xush kelibsiz (Welcome to our home).

Yaxshimisiz? means are you well? and is the polite way to ask how someone is. A usual answer is Yaxshi, rahmat (Fine, thank you), and a casual version of the question is Qalaysiz? (How are you?).

Bilan means with and always comes after its word: doʻstim bilan (with my friend), qalam bilan (with a pen). Between two nouns it can also mean and: Anvar bilan Dilnoza (Anvar and Dilnoza).

Biz means we: the speaker plus at least one other person. Its matching ending is -miz.

bor means "there is / there are". The place comes first, then the thing, and bor closes the sentence.

Bu means this. It goes before a noun (bu kitob) or stands on its own (Bu nima?).

Bu yerda (here) and u yerda (there) are bu and u plus yer (place) and a case ending, so the ending changes with the meaning.

Bugun means today, ertaga tomorrow and kecha yesterday. They need no ending such as -da, and they usually come early in the sentence: Bugun ishlayman (I am working today), Ertaga kelaman (I will come tomorrow), Kecha keldim (I came yesterday).

emas makes a sentence without a verb negative. It stands after the noun or adjective as a separate word, and the person ending moves onto it.

Ha means yes, xoʻp means OK when you agree to a request, and mayli means all right or fine: Ha, men talabaman (Yes, I am a student), Xoʻp, hozir (OK, right away), Mayli, ertaga (All right, tomorrow).

Put ham right after the word it adds: Men ham boraman (I will go too). Moving ham changes which word it adds to.

Put juda before a describing word to make it stronger: juda yaxshi (very good), juda koʻp (a great many, a lot).

Most nouns of more than one syllable ending in k or q change them to g or gʻ before a possessive ending: yurak → yuragim (my heart), qishloq → qishlogʻimiz (our village). Most one-syllable words keep them: yuk → yukim (my load).

Kim asks about a person: Bu kim? (Who is this?). It takes case endings like a noun: kimni (whom), kimga (to whom), kim bilan (with whom).

Men means I. It goes with the ending -man (Men talabaman, I am a student), and its 'my' form is mening, spelled with one n.

Nechta and necha ask how many: Nechta olma olasiz? (How many apples will you take?), Necha kun qolasiz? (How many days will you stay?). The noun after them stays singular.

Nima asks about a thing, an animal or an idea: Bu nima? (What is this?). It takes endings like a noun: nimani (what, as an object), nimaga (what for).

Uzbek o is an open, rounded vowel, close to British hot, and a is usually the a of cat. English speakers often write a for o, as in Tashkent for Toshkent.

Oʻ and gʻ are two separate letters written with a turned comma (ʻ). Leaving the mark off changes the word: ot is a horse, but oʻt is grass.

Q, x and gʻ are made at the very back of the mouth, and h is a light breath. Mixing them up changes words: qoʻl is a hand, but koʻl is a lake.

Qachon asks when something happens: Qachon kelasiz? (When will you come?), Dars qachon boshlanadi? (When does the lesson start?).

Qancha asks how much. Use it for prices, money, time and other amounts you measure rather than count one by one.

Qanday asks how or what kind: Ahvolingiz qanday? (How are you?), Qanday kitob? (What kind of book?). Before an adjective it exclaims: Qanday chiroyli! (How beautiful!).

Qayer means what place, and its ending shows the question: qayerda (where), qayerga (where to), qayerdan (where from): Qayerda yashaysiz? (Where do you live?).

Sen is the informal you for one person you are close to, such as a friend, a younger sibling or a child. It goes with -san. Use siz for adults you do not know well.

Sh, ch and ng look like two letters, but each spells one sound and has its own place in the alphabet. Ng is the sound at the end of English sing, even in the middle of a word.

Siz is the polite you for one person and plain you for several people. Use it with adults you do not know well.

U means he, she or it. Uzbek has no grammatical gender, so context tells you who or what is meant.

U before a noun means that: u uy (that house). It is the same word as u meaning he, she or it.

Ular means they, for people, animals and things. It is u plus the plural ending -lar.

Use va to join two nouns, adjectives, verbs or sentences: non va choy (bread and tea). In a list, va usually stands before the last item.

yoʻq is the opposite of bor. It says something does not exist or is not there, it negates "have", and on its own it means "no".

Add -ay or -ayin, or -y and -yin after a vowel, to say let me: Men ham boray (Let me go too); with -mi it offers: Yordam beraymi? (Shall I help?).

Add -aylik to the verb stem, or -ylik after a vowel, to say let's: Ketaylik! (Let's go!), Choy ichaylik (Let's drink tea).

Add -inchi after a consonant and -nchi after a vowel to make ordinals, and ask with nechanchi: birinchi (first), ikkinchi (second), Nechanchi qavatda? (On which floor?).

Add -ish after a consonant or -sh after a vowel to turn a verb into a noun: suzish (swimming), oʻqish (reading, studying).

Put a possessive ending on the -ish verb noun and add kerak to say who has to do it: Men ketishim kerak (I have to leave).

Cannot is -a/-y + olmaydi, with -ma- on olmoq, not on the main verb: Bugun kela olmayman (I can't come today).

To say you can do something, put -a or -y on the main verb and conjugate olmoq after it: gapira olaman (I can speak).

-cha means in the language or the way of: oʻzbekcha gapiring (speak Uzbek), oʻzbekcha palov (Uzbek-style pilaf), bolalarcha (like a child). Menimcha means in my opinion.

Add -chi, written with a hyphen, to a command to make it softer and friendlier: Ayting-chi, bekat qayerda? (Tell me, where is the stop?).

Add -chi, written with a hyphen, to a word to turn the question back or ask about it: Men yaxshiman, siz-chi? (I'm fine, and you?).

Add -dan to a noun to say where something comes from or starts: Toshkentdan (from Tashkent), ishdan (from work).

Put -dan on the thing you compare with and the adjective after it: Toshkent Samarqanddan katta (Tashkent is bigger than Samarkand).

Put -dan on a noun and add keyin to say after: darsdan keyin (after class). With an amount of time it means later or in: ikki kundan keyin (in two days). Keyin alone means then or later.

Say before with -dan plus oldin or avval: darsdan oldin (before class). Say ago with a bare time amount plus oldin: ikki yil oldin (two years ago). Oldin and avval mean the same here.

Add -di to the verb stem for a completed past action, then -m, -ng, -k, -ngiz or nothing for the person: keldim (I came), keldi (he or she came).

With yoqmoq, the thing you like is the subject and you take -ga: Menga bu kitob yoqadi (I like this book).

Add -gacha to a noun to say until or as far as: ertagacha (until tomorrow), Samarqandgacha (as far as Samarkand). Pair it with -dan for from ... to: dushanbadan jumagacha (from Monday to Friday).

Add -gan and a personal ending to say something has happened, often without a precise time: Men Samarqandda boʻlganman (I have been to Samarkand); -mi usually goes before the personal ending: Borganmisiz?

Verb stem + -gi + a possessive ending + keladi means feel like doing: Choy ichgim keladi (I feel like drinking tea).

Add -gin to the verb stem to ask one familiar person more softly: Kelgin (Do come), Aytgin (Tell me); after k and q it becomes -kin and -qin: Chiqqin.

Add -inglar, or -nglar after a vowel, to tell a group what to do: Kelinglar! (Come, everyone!), Oʻqinglar (Read, all of you).

Say you know how to do something with the -ish verb noun, -ni and bilmoq: Suzishni bilaman (I know how to swim).

-lari on a noun means their, and it can also make the owned thing plural: ularning uylari (their house or houses), bolalarning oʻyinchoqlari (the children's toys).

Add -ma to the stem for a familiar don't and -mang for a polite one: Kelma! (Don't come!), Xavotir olmang (Don't worry).

Add -moqchi and a personal ending to a verb stem to say what someone plans or wants to do: bormoqchiman (I want to go).

Add -niki to a pronoun or noun to mean the one that belongs to it: meniki (mine), kimniki? (whose?), Anvarniki (Anvar's).

Add -ning to the owner and a possessive ending to the thing owned: Azizning kitobi (Aziz's book). Pronouns take it too: mening, sening, uning, bizning, sizning, ularning.

Add -roq to an adjective or adverb for more or -er: kattaroq (bigger), tezroq (faster). Put -dan on the thing you compare with: Toshkent Samarqanddan kattaroq (Tashkent is bigger than Samarkand).

Add -sin to the verb stem for a command or wish about a third person: U kirsin (Let him come in), Mayli, kutsin (All right, let her wait).

Use -yap for what is happening right now and -a/-y for habits, facts and plans: Hozir ishlayapman (I am working now), Har kuni ishlayman (I work every day).

Put the case ending straight after the possessive: uyimga (to my house), uyida (in his house), kitobini (his book, as object). Only the pronouns u, bu, shu and oʻsha add an n: unga.

Write days and months in lowercase and put a hyphen after a date's number: dushanba (Monday), 5-mart (March 5), 2024-yil 5-mart (March 5, 2024).

Drop -moq and use the bare stem to tell one familiar person what to do: Kel! (Come!), Menga ber (Give it to me).

Say your age with yosh (age), -da and a person ending: Necha yoshdasiz? (How old are you?), Men yigirma yoshdaman (I am twenty).

Many Uzbek verbs are a noun plus qilmoq (to do): telefon qilmoq (to phone), sayohat qilmoq (to travel), xarid qilmoq (to shop).

Two nouns can be joined without -ning: the first noun stays bare and the second takes -i or -si, as in oʻzbek tili (the Uzbek language) and avtobus bekati (a bus stop). In a pair like this, the possessive ending is never dropped.

Link several owners in a row: every owner takes -ning and every owned noun takes a possessive ending, as in Anvarning akasining uyi (Anvar's older brother's house).

Soat necha? asks the time. Answer Soat uch (It's three o'clock), add -da for at: soat uchda (at three), and use yarim for half past: uch yarim (half past three).

Learn the tens yigirma (20) to toʻqson (90), then yuz (100) and ming (1000), and build any number in order: ikki yuz ellik (250), ikki ming (2000).

A small group of nouns lose the vowel of their last syllable before an ending that starts with a vowel: ogʻiz → ogʻzim (my mouth), oʻgʻil → oʻgʻlim (my son), shahar → shahri.

Stack noun endings as plural, possessive, case: kitob + -lar + -im + -da → kitoblarimda (in my books).

Put ancha (quite, much) or biroz / sal (a little) before a word to say how much: ancha iliq (quite warm), Biroz charchadim (I got a little tired), Sal kuting (Wait a moment).

Boʻlmoq means to become or to be when a verb is needed, and also to happen: Men shifokor boʻlaman (I will be a doctor), Nima boʻldi? (What happened?).

Chunki means because and begins a reason that comes after the main idea: Kelmadim, chunki kasal edim (I didn't come because I was ill).

Edi means was or were. Put it after the noun, adjective or place word and add a personal ending: Men uyda edim (I was at home), Havo sovuq edi (It was cold).

Put eng in front of an adjective to make the superlative: eng katta shahar (the biggest city), eng yaxshi doʻstim (my best friend).

Put faqat right before the word you want to limit: faqat bir soat (only one hour), Faqat siz qoldingiz (Only you are left).

Hali means still, and with a negative verb it means not yet: Hali kelmadi (He hasn't come yet), Hali ham shu yerdami? (Is she still here?).

Hamma means everyone or all, and barcha means all: Hamma keldi (Everyone came), barcha talabalar (all the students).

Put haqida after a noun to say what something is about: Oʻzbekiston haqida (about Uzbekistan), Nima haqida? (About what?). With men, siz and biz it becomes haqimda, haqingizda, haqimizda, and after bu, shu and u it is usually haqda.

Har before a singular noun means every or each: har kuni (every day), har bir talaba (each student), har doim (always).

Hech kim, hech narsa and hech qachon are used with a negative verb: Hech kim kelmadi (Nobody came), Hech narsa bilmayman (I don't know anything).

Ichida means inside, and after a length of time it means within: Sumka ichida nima bor? (What's in the bag?), bir soat ichida (within an hour).

Kerak means needed. Put the person who needs something in the -ga form: Menga yordam kerak (I need help).

Lekin and ammo both mean but; biroq is a more written however: Qimmat, lekin yaxshi (It's expensive, but good).

Mana shows something near you or in your hand: Mana, kitobingiz (Here is your book). Ana shows something farther away: Ana, avtobus kelyapti (Look, there comes the bus). They point; they do not mean here or there as a place.

Put -da on the person and add bor to say they have something with them or available: Menda qalam bor (I have a pen on me). Use yoʻq for not having.

Pronouns take case endings like nouns: menga (to me), meni (me), menda (on me), mendan (from me), mening (my); likewise senga, bizga, sizga, ularga.

Mumkin means possible or allowed. Put it after an -ish verb noun to ask or give permission, and use mumkin emas for not allowed.

Ask why with nega or nima uchun, usually just before the verb or at the start: Nega kelmadingiz? (Why didn't you come?). A why question does not take -mi.

Oldida means in front of and orqasida means behind, and the possessive ending agrees with a person: Maktab oldida kutaman (I'll wait in front of the school), Uy orqasida bogʻ bor (There is a garden behind the house).

Oʻz with a possessive ending means myself or yourself, and before a noun it means own: Buni oʻzim qildim (I did it myself), oʻz uyim (my own house).

Put qaysi before a noun to ask which one: Qaysi avtobus shaharga boradi? (Which bus goes to the city?). Case endings go on the noun, and qaysi biri (which one) stands in for a noun.

Shu means this or this very, for what is near or was just mentioned: shu kitob (this book), shu yerda (right here). Oʻsha means that or that same, for what you both already know about: oʻsha kuni (on that day).

Shuning uchun means so or therefore and begins a result: Kasal edim, shuning uchun kelmadim (I was ill, so I didn't come).

Siz can mean polite you for one person, so Uzbek uses sizlar to make it clear you mean a group: Sizlar qachon kelasizlar? (When are you all coming?). Its verb endings add -lar: kelasizlar, keldingizlar.

Tagida and ostida both mean under: Mushuk stol tagida (The cat is under the table), koʻprik ostida (under the bridge). Ostida also appears in phrases like nazorat ostida (under control).

Put uchun after a noun or pronoun to say for: Bu sovgʻa siz uchun (This gift is for you), bolalar uchun (for children). A noun or personal pronoun before uchun takes no case ending.

U, bu, shu and oʻsha add n before -ga, -da and -dan: unga (to him), bunda (in this), shundan (from that). With -ni and -ning they are simply uni, buni, uning, buning.

Ustida means on or on top of, and it follows the noun: Kitob stol ustida (The book is on the table), uyning ustida (on top of the house).

Xohlamoq means to want. Use it with a noun or with an -ishni verb noun: Uyga borishni xohlayman (I want to go home).

Yaxshi koʻrmoq means to like or love. Put -ni on what you like: Men choyni yaxshi koʻraman (I like tea).

Yoki means or, and yo ... yo means either ... or. In a choice question, put -mi on the first option: Choy ichasizmi yoki qahva? (Will you have tea or coffee?).

Yonida means next to and comes after its noun: bank yonida (next to the bank). With a person, the ending matches: mening yonimda (next to me), sizning yoningizda (next to you).

With personal endings, -adigan states a plan: Ertaga boradiganman (I'm going tomorrow), and with edi a past habit: Ilgari har kuni yuguradigan edim (I used to run every day).

The ending -adigan, or -ydigan after a vowel, describes a noun by a habit or a future action: ertaga keladigan mehmonlar (the guests who will come tomorrow), men ishlaydigan joy (the place where I work).

Add -ar after a consonant or -r after a vowel for a probable, less certain future, and -mas for its negative: Ertaga kelarman (I'll probably come tomorrow), U buni bilmas (He probably doesn't know this).

The ending -ayotgan, or -yotgan after a vowel, describes a noun by an ongoing action: kitob oʻqiyotgan bola (the child who is reading a book). Like -gan, the whole clause comes before the noun.

The -(a)yotgan form plus edi describes an action in progress in the past: Siz qoʻngʻiroq qilganingizda, men ovqat qilayotgan edim (When you called, I was cooking).

The ending -ib, or -b after a vowel, joins actions in order: Uyga kelib, ovqatlandim (I came home and ate). The -ib verb borrows its tense and person from the last verb.

Add bermoq after the -(i)b form to show an action done for someone else: aytib bering (please tell me), olib berdi (got it for someone).

Add boʻlmoq after the -(i)b form to say an action is finished: yeb boʻldim (I have finished eating), qilib boʻldingmi? (have you finished doing it?).

Add koʻrmoq after the -(i)b form to mean try doing something: yeb koʻring (try eating it), qilib koʻraman (I will give it a try).

Add olmoq after the -(i)b form to show you do something for yourself or get it done: yozib oldim (I wrote it down), sotib olmoq (to buy).

Add -ib, or -b after a vowel, plus -man, -san, -di, -miz or -siz for a past event you only learned about later: Qor yogʻibdi (It has snowed, I see), Uxlab qolibman (I overslept, it turns out).

With a third-person plural subject, Uzbek often adds -ish or -sh to the verb instead of -lar: Ular kelishdi (They came), Mehmonlar ketishyapti (The guests are leaving).

Put the main verb in its -a or -y form and add boshlamoq to say an action begins: yogʻa boshladi (it started raining), oʻqiy boshladim (I started reading).

The -ar form plus edi, often written together as -ardi, describes past habits: Bolaligimda har yozda qishloqqa borardim (As a child, I used to go to the village every summer).

Add -chalik to the thing you measure against, usually with a negative: U sizchalik baland emas (He is not as tall as you).

Add -chi to a noun to name the person who works with it: ishchi (worker), ovchi (hunter), futbolchi (footballer). A verb uses -(u)vchi instead.

Add -dagi to a place or time word to describe a noun by where or when it is: stoldagi kitob (the book on the table), Toshkentdagi doʻstim (my friend in Tashkent).

Put -dan beri after a time to say since or for: Ertalabdan beri kutyapman (I've been waiting since morning), Uch yildan beri shu yerda yashayman (I've lived here for three years).

After a noun with -dan, tashqari usually means besides and boshqa usually means except: Oʻzbek tilidan tashqari rus tilini ham biladi (Besides Uzbek, he also knows Russian), Sizdan boshqa hech kim kelmadi (Nobody came except you).

Add -dek or -day to the thing you compare with: toshdek qattiq (hard as stone), xuddi onasidek (just like her mother).

Use -di to tell what happened at a known time, and -gan for experiences, background facts and results: Kecha keldi (He came yesterday), U ilgari Toshkentda yashagan (He used to live in Tashkent).

Add -dosh to a noun for a person who shares it with you: sinfdosh (classmate), vatandosh (compatriot), yoʻldosh (travel companion).

Put -ga on the thing you compare with and use oʻxshamoq: U otasiga oʻxshaydi (He looks like his father).

Add -gach, -kach after k or -qach after q, to a verb stem to mean after doing: Ishni tugatgach, uyga ketdim (After finishing work, I went home).

A verb with -gan describes a noun by a finished action and makes relative clauses: kelgan odam (the person who came), men oʻqigan kitob (the book I read). Uzbek needs no word for who, which or that.

The -gan form plus edi describes something already done before a past moment: Men kelganimda, u ketgan edi (When I arrived, he had left). The person ending goes on edi.

Add -gan, a possessive ending and -da to a verb to say when something happens: Uyga kelganimda, hech kim yoʻq edi (When I came home, nobody was there).

Add -gan and -dan to a verb stem and follow them with keyin, or formal soʻng, for after doing: Ovqatlangandan keyin choy ichamiz (After eating, we drink tea).

Put -gani on a verb stem and follow it with a motion verb such as kelmoq, bormoq or chiqmoq to give the purpose of the trip: Doʻstimni koʻrgani keldim (I came to see my friend).

Put a possessive ending on the -gan form and add uchun to give a reason: Kasal boʻlgani uchun kelmadi (He didn’t come because he was ill).

Add -gan and a possessive ending to the verb, then yoʻq, to say something has not happened yet: Hali kelgani yoʻq (He hasn't come yet), Hali ovqatlanganim yoʻq (I haven't eaten yet).

Add a possessive ending and -dan to the -gan form to say what caused a feeling or state: Sizni koʻrganimdan xursandman (I’m glad to see you), Charchaganidan uxlab qoldi (He fell asleep from tiredness).

Add -gi to time words, and a few position words, to describe a noun: kechagi dars (yesterday's lesson), bugungi gazeta (today's paper), yozgi taʼtil (the summer holidays), ichki (inner), tashqi (outer).

Add -guncha, -kuncha after k or -quncha after q, to a verb stem for until or before: Men kelguncha kuting (Wait until I come), Qorongʻi tushguncha uyga qayting (Come home before it gets dark).

Add -il, -l, -in or -n to a verb stem to make it passive, so the thing the action happens to becomes the subject: Xat yozildi (The letter was written).

Put uchun after the -(i)sh form of a verb to say why you do something: Oʻzbek tilini oʻrganish uchun kitob sotib oldim (I bought a book to learn Uzbek).

Add -ish and -dan to a verb stem and follow them with oldin for before doing; -masdan oldin means the same: Uxlashdan oldin kitob oʻqiyman (I read before sleeping), Ketmasdan oldin qoʻngʻiroq qiling (Call before you leave).

Add a possessive ending to the -(i)sh form and follow it with mumkin to say something might happen: Ertaga yomgʻir yogʻishi mumkin (It might rain tomorrow).

The ending -jon adds warmth to a name or family word, and -xon adds respect, often for women: Dilnozajon, akajon (dear brother), Nodiraxon.

Add -lar to the verb when talking about one elder, teacher or parent to show respect: Domla keldilar (The teacher has come).

Add -li to a noun for with or having, and -siz for without: tuzli (salty), aqlli (smart), shakarsiz choy (tea without sugar), uysiz (homeless).

Add -lik to a city, region or country to say someone is from there: Men samarqandlikman (I am from Samarkand).

Add -lik to a word to name the idea behind it: doʻstlik (friendship), yaxshilik (kindness), bolalik (childhood).

Add -masdan or -may to a verb stem to say something happens without another action: Hech narsa demasdan chiqib ketdi (He left without saying anything).

Add -maslik to a verb stem to name the act of not doing it: Unutmaslik kerak (One must not forget), Kechikmaslikka harakat qiling (Try not to be late).

The -moqchi form plus edi means was going to or meant to: Kecha kelmoqchi edim, lekin vaqtim boʻlmadi (I was going to come yesterday, but I had no time).

Add -moqda to the verb stem for is happening in news, writing and formal speech: Narxlar oshmoqda (Prices are rising), Talabalar imtihonga tayyorlanmoqda (Students are preparing for the exam).

Verb stem + -sa + -m, -ng, -k, -ngiz or -lar (nothing for he or she) makes an if-clause: Vaqtim boʻlsa, boraman (If I have time, I’ll go).

Verb + -sa (with a person ending) + boʻladi gives permission or possibility, and boʻladimi asks for it: Kirsam boʻladimi? (May I come in?), Bu yerda oʻtirsa boʻladi (You can sit here).

-xona means room. Joined to a noun it names a place for that thing or activity: oshxona (kitchen), kutubxona (library), choyxona (teahouse), kasalxona (hospital).

Endings that start with g, such as -ga, -gan, -gach and -guncha, begin with k after k and with q after q: ekkan (planted), chiqqan (came out), chiqqach (after going out), bankka (to the bank).

Verbs like boʻlmoq, koʻrmoq, bermoq and olmoq can follow another verb in its -(i)b or -a form. They lose their own meaning and add a shade of meaning instead: yozib boʻldi (finished writing), yeb koʻring (try eating it).

A participle can stand for a person or thing, taking plural, possessive and case endings: Kelganlar oʻtirsin (Let those who came sit down), Aytganingizga qoʻshilaman (I agree with what you said).

Place words like ust, ich and old take -ga, -da or -dan for to, at and from: Stol ustiga qoʻying (Put it on the table), Qutining ichidan oldim (I took it from inside the box), Doʻstimning oldiga bordim (I went to see my friend).

Every verb asks for a particular case ending on its object, and it often differs from English: Itdan qoʻrqaman (I am afraid of dogs), Onamga yordam beraman (I help my mother).

A number followed by a hyphen is read as an ordinal: 5-sinf (fifth grade), 2024-yil (the year 2024), 1-sentabr (the first of September).

Agar comes at the start of an if-clause and signals the condition early, but the verb still needs -sa: Agar yomgʻir yogʻsa, uyda qolamiz (If it rains, we’ll stay home).

After an instruction, add boʻlmasa (everyday) or aks holda (more formal) and the result: Tezroq yuring, boʻlmasa kechikamiz (Walk faster, otherwise we'll be late).

Allaqachon means already, and in stories it can mean long ago: U allaqachon ketgan (He has already left), Allaqachon tushundim (I already understood).

Start a sentence with balki (maybe) or ehtimol (probably, possibly) to make it a guess; the verb often takes -(a)r or -dir: Balki ertaga kelar (Maybe he'll come tomorrow).

Use bir-biri with a possessive ending and a case ending to say each other: Biz bir-birimizni yaxshi bilamiz (We know each other well), bir-biriga yordam berishadi (they help each other).

Biror and birorta mean any or some, most often in questions, if-clauses and negatives: Biror savol bormi? (Is there any question?), Birortasini koʻrmadim (I didn't see any of them).

Boʻyicha follows a noun with no ending: reja boʻyicha (according to the plan), futbol boʻyicha chempion (a football champion), butun shahar boʻyicha (across the whole city).

Put deb after the words someone said or thought, then the main verb: U ertaga kelaman deb aytdi (He said he would come tomorrow), Toʻgʻri deb oʻylayman (I think it’s right).

Doim (always), koʻpincha (often) and baʼzan (sometimes) say how often: Men doim choy ichaman (I always drink tea), Baʼzan kinoga boraman (I sometimes go to the cinema).

Put ekan after a noun, adjective or verb form to show you have just found something out: U shifokor ekan (So he is a doctor), U kelgan ekan (It turns out he had come).

Endi means now, from now on, or anymore with a negative: Endi ketaylik (Let's go now), Endi chekmayman (I don't smoke anymore).

Put esa right after the word you want to contrast with what came before: Men choy ichdim, u esa qahva (I drank tea, and he had coffee).

Repeat ham with each item to say both ... and: U ham oʻqiydi, ham ishlaydi (She both studies and works). In writing, a comma separates the parts.

Put kabi or singari after the noun you compare with: sen kabi (like you), olma, nok singari mevalar (fruits such as apples and pears).

Put -dir after a question word to talk about someone or something you cannot or do not name: Kimdir keldi (Someone came), Nimadir boʻldi (Something happened).

Marta counts how many times: bir marta (once), uch marta (three times), birinchi marta (for the first time), kuniga ikki marta (twice a day).

Menimcha, sizningcha and uningcha mean in my, your and his or her opinion: Menimcha, bu toʻgʻri (I think this is right), Sizningcha, qaysi biri yaxshiroq? (Which one do you think is better?).

Orasida means between or among, and oʻrtasida means in the middle of or between: doʻstlar orasida (among friends), xona oʻrtasida (in the middle of the room).

Orqali follows a noun with no ending and means through, via or by means of: Internet orqali (via the internet), Doʻstim orqali tanishdik (We met through my friend).

Put shart after an -(i)sh form to say something must happen, and shart emas to say it is not necessary: Kelishingiz shart (You must come), Borish shart emas (There’s no need to go).

Add shekilli after a statement, with a comma, to mark it as your guess: U charchagan, shekilli (He's tired, it seems).

Shunday and bunday mean such or like this: shunday odam (such a person), Bunday boʻlmaydi (It doesn't work like this), Shunday qiling (Do it this way).

Tomon after a noun and -ga qarab both mean toward: shahar tomon yurdik (we walked toward the city), Uyga qarab ketdi (He headed home).

Put yaʼni before a restatement that makes the previous words more exact: Ertaga, yaʼni shanba kuni, kelaman (I'll come tomorrow, that is, on Saturday).

Put a verb in -(a)digan and add boʻlmoq, usually in the past as boʻldi, to say that something has become the new situation: Endi ertalab yuguradigan boʻldim (I have started running in the mornings).

Add chiqmoq after the -(i)b form to say an action covers the whole thing from start to end: Kitobni oʻqib chiqdim (I read the book through), Roʻyxatni tekshirib chiqing (Check the whole list).

Add ketmoq after the -(i)b form for motion away (Chiqib ketdi, He went out) or for a sudden, strong change (Yiqilib ketdi, She suddenly fell; Charchab ketdim, I got really tired).

Add oʻtirmoq after the -(i)b form for an ongoing, drawn-out action: Kitob oʻqib oʻtiribdi (He is sitting there reading), Nega kutib oʻtiribsan? (Why are you just sitting and waiting?).

Add qolmoq after the -(i)b form to say a change happened suddenly or by itself: Uxlab qoldim (I fell asleep), Kasal boʻlib qoldi (He fell ill), Yomgʻir yogʻib qoldi (It started to rain).

Add qoʻymoq after the -(i)b form to show an action done and left that way, or done ahead of time: Derazani ochib qoʻydim (I opened the window and left it open). It can also mean you went and did something by mistake: Unutib qoʻyibman (I went and forgot).

Add turmoq after the -(i)b form to mean keep doing something from time to time (Qoʻngʻiroq qilib turing, Call now and then) or for a short while (Kutib turing, Wait a moment).

Add yotmoq after the -(i)b form for something that goes on for a while: Bola uxlab yotibdi (The child is sleeping), Dadam kasalxonada davolanib yotibdi (My dad is in hospital being treated).

Add yubormoq after the -(i)b form for a sudden or unplanned action: Kulib yubordi (She burst out laughing), Aytib yubordim (I blurted it out), Avtobusni oʻtkazib yubordim (I missed the bus).

Add -in after a consonant or -n after a vowel to make a reflexive verb, where people do the action to themselves: yuvinmoq (to wash up), kiyinmoq (to get dressed), taranmoq (to comb one's hair).

Add -ish after a consonant or -sh after a vowel to make the joint voice: koʻrishmoq (to see each other), quchoqlashmoq (to hug each other). When the subject is one person, the partner takes bilan.

The ending -(u)vchi turns a verb into a noun for the doer: sotuvchi (seller), haydovchi (driver), oʻquvchi (pupil, reader). It can also describe a noun, as in yonuvchi gaz (flammable gas).

Put the verb in its -a or -y form and add bermoq to invite someone to go ahead (Soʻray bering, Go ahead and ask) or to say that an action kept going (U gapira berdi, He kept on talking).

Put the verb in its -a or -y form and add yozmoq, usually in a past form, to say that something nearly happened: Yiqila yozdim (I nearly fell).

The ending -cha makes a noun small or sweet: uy → uycha (a little house), qiz → qizcha (a little girl). A few -cha words have their own meaning, such as kitobcha (a booklet) and daftarcha (a notepad).

The particle -da adds a spoken tone of urging, explaining or agreeing: Kel-da! (Come on!), Vaqtim yoʻq-da (I just don't have time, you see). It is always written with a hyphen.

Put -dan on the thing you set aside and add koʻra to say rather than or compared with: Choydan koʻra qahvani yaxshi koʻraman (I prefer coffee to tea).

The ending -dir on a noun or participle predicate can mean probably, and in formal writing it simply states a fact: U uydadir (He is probably at home). Bu muhim masaladir (This is an important issue).

Add -t after most vowel-final stems and -dir or -tir after consonants to make a causative verb: oʻqitmoq (to teach), kuldirmoq (to make laugh), yozdirmoq (to have something written).

A noun with -ga plus koʻra means according to: Qoidaga koʻra (according to the rule), Rejaga koʻra (according to the plan).

-ga qaraganda means compared with. The thing you compare against takes -ga, and the adjective often takes -roq: Menga qaraganda ukam balandroq (My little brother is taller than me).

A noun with -ga plus qaramay means despite: Yomgʻirga qaramay, oʻyin davom etdi (Despite the rain, the game went on).

A noun with -ga plus qarshi means against: kasallikka qarshi (against the illness), Men bunga qarshiman (I'm against this).

Put a verb in -gan, then add boʻlish with a person ending and mumkin to say something may have happened: U unutgan boʻlishi mumkin (He may have forgotten).

Add -gancha to a verb to describe a position or state that lasts through the main action: U oʻtirgancha uxlab qoldi (He fell asleep sitting up).

Add -ganga to the verb and follow it with oʻxshaydi, putting the person ending on oʻxshamoq: U ketganga oʻxshaydi (He seems to have left), Siz charchaganga oʻxshaysiz (You seem tired).

Add -gan, a possessive ending and -ni to a verb to make a that-clause or what-clause as an object: U kelganini bilaman (I know that he came). Nima deganingizni tushunmadim (I did not understand what you said).

The particle -gina limits a word to just that much, like faqat, or softens it: ikki kungina (just two days), sekingina (very quietly). It has three spellings: -gina, -kina and -qina.

A passive stem plus -gan describes a noun by what was done to it: yozilgan xat (a written letter), yopilgan doʻkon (a closed shop), qabul qilingan qaror (the decision that was adopted).

Put a verb in -ish, add -ga, then majbur with a person ending or with boʻlmoq to say you are forced to do something: Ketishga majbur boʻldim (I had to leave).

Add -ish and a possessive ending to a verb, then bilan, to say as soon as: Uyga kelishi bilan uxlab qoldi (As soon as he got home, he fell asleep).

The -(i)sh form with a possessive ending plus kerak edi means was supposed to or should have: U kelishi kerak edi (He was supposed to come). Oldinroq aytishim kerak edi (I should have said it earlier).

Add -(i)sh, a possessive ending and -ni to a verb to say what someone else should or will do: Kelishingizni kutaman (I will be waiting for you to come). Uning ketishini istamayman (I do not want him to leave).

The ending -iy, or -viy after a vowel, makes formal adjectives from nouns, mostly words from Arabic and Persian: tarixiy (historical), tabiiy (natural), oilaviy (family). They are common in news, school and official language.

The particle -ku is like English but, after all or you know. It reminds the listener of something obvious, shows surprise, or contrasts two people: Men-ku boraman, sen-chi? (I'm going, but what about you?)

Put -ma- before -sa to say if not or unless: Kelmasangiz, xafa boʻlaman (If you don't come, I'll be upset). Followed by boʻlmaydi, it means must: Bormasam boʻlmaydi (I have to go).

Put -mi on the predicate and add yoʻqmi to ask or wonder whether something is so: Kelasizmi yoʻqmi? (Are you coming or not?) U keladimi yoʻqmi, bilmayman (I do not know whether he will come).

Add -mikan to the predicate to wonder aloud: U kelarmikan? (I wonder if he will come.) Toʻgʻrimikan? (I wonder if it is right.)

The particle -oq, or -yoq after a vowel, stresses that something happens right at that point, often sooner than expected: bugunoq (this very day), kelishi bilanoq (the moment he arrived).

The endings -ov and -ala make group numbers: ikkovimiz (the two of us), ikkalasi (both of them), ikkala qoʻli bilan (with both hands).

Put the condition in -sa and the result in -ar edi, usually written -ardi: Vaqtim boʻlsa, borardim (If I had time, I would go). A -ganda form can mark a past condition: Bilganimda, aytardim (Had I known, I would have told you).

Put the verb in the -sa form and add edi to say if only: Tezroq kelsa edi (If only he would come sooner). Spoken as one word, it is written -saydi: Pulim boʻlsaydi (If only I had money).

Put the verb in the -sa form with its person ending and add ham: Yomgʻir yogʻsa ham, boraman (I'll go even if it rains). The same form covers even though for known facts.

Put the verb in -sa with its person ending and add kerak to make a confident guess: U uyda boʻlsa kerak (He must be at home). For something that has already happened, or the state it left, use -gan boʻlsa kerak: Yomgʻir yogʻgan boʻlsa kerak (It must have rained), Charchagan boʻlsa kerak (She must be tired).

The -sa form plus -chi, written with a hyphen, makes a suggestion: Ertaga borsak-chi? (How about we go tomorrow?) It can also urge someone or ask what if: Kelmasa-chi? (What if he does not come?)

Put the -sin form plus deb before the main action to give its purpose: Bolalar eshitsin deb, baland gapirdi (He spoke loudly so the children would hear). The negative is -masin deb (so that ... will not).

The ending -tacha means about and -lab means by the many: oʻntacha odam (about ten people), yuzlab mehmonlar (hundreds of guests), minglab (thousands).

The ending -tadan gives an amount for each person or item: Har biriga ikkitadan olma berdi (She gave everyone two apples each), Bolalarga bittadan konfet berdim (I gave the children one sweet each).

Some nouns are counted with a counting word after the number: nafar for people in formal speech, dona for single items, tup for trees, bosh for livestock and juft for pairs: ikki tup daraxt (two trees).

Uzbek says a fraction whole-first: uchdan bir (one third), toʻrtdan uch (three quarters). Yarim is a half, chorak is a quarter, and foiz means percent: yigirma foiz (twenty percent).

In formal language many compound verbs use etmoq instead of qilmoq: davom etmoq (to continue), tashkil etmoq (to organize), ishtirok etmoq (to take part).

Words like albatta (of course), masalan (for example), demak (so) and aslida (actually) comment on a sentence and take commas: Albatta, kelaman (Of course I will come).

Uzbek was written in Cyrillic until the 1990s, and it is still seen on older signs and in books. Ў is oʻ, Ғ is gʻ, Қ is q, Ҳ is h and Х is x: Ўзбекистон is Oʻzbekiston.

Repeat a word with a hyphen to stress it: sekin-sekin (slowly, little by little), tez-tez (often), katta-katta uylar (lots of big houses), bitta-bitta (one by one).

The word in focus goes right before the verb: Kitobni Anvar oldi (It was Anvar who took the book). A question word sits there too, in the same spot as its answer: Kitobni kim oldi? (Who took the book?)

Join two related or opposite words with a hyphen to name a whole group or idea: ota-ona (parents), aka-uka (brothers), katta-kichik (young and old, everyone), bordi-keldi (visits back and forth).

Axir is a particle for insisting. It gives a reason the listener should accept, reminds someone of a fact, or makes a question sound frustrated: Axir, nega kechikding? (Why on earth were you late?)

Be- and no- are prefixes from Persian. Be- usually goes on a noun and means without it; no- gives the opposite of an adjective or noun. Each word is fixed, so learn them as vocabulary.

Put boʻlsa after a person or thing to set it up as a contrasting topic: Men boʻlsam, uyda qolaman (As for me, I will stay home). Bu boʻlsa, boshqa gap (Now this is another matter).

Boʻylab means along or all over, and boʻyi means throughout a time: Koʻcha boʻylab yurdik (We walked along the street), kun boʻyi (all day long).

Use bundan tashqari (besides this) or qolaversa (what is more) to add another point, usually set off by commas: Bu uy arzon, bundan tashqari, metroga yaqin (This flat is cheap, and besides, it is near the metro).

Say a word, then say it again starting with p or m, to mean that thing and similar things: choy-poy (tea and so on), non-pon (bread and stuff), pul-mul (money and the like).

Degan links a name or a statement to the noun after it: Nodira degan qiz (a girl called Nodira), Ertaga dars boʻlmaydi degan xabar (the news that there is no class tomorrow). Degani means means: Bu soʻz nima degani? (What does this word mean?)

Put emas after the wrong item and balki before the right one to correct a statement: Bu kitob emas, balki daftar (This is not a book but a notebook).

Goʻyo (also goʻyoki) opens an as-if comparison, and the verb it points to usually takes -dek or -day: U goʻyo hech narsa boʻlmagandek gapirdi (He talked as if nothing had happened).

Hamda means and in formal speech and writing; it joins words, phrases or verbs and often links the last item of a list: talabalar hamda oʻqituvchilar (students and teachers).

Hatto means even. It marks something as the least expected case, and the stressed word usually takes ham: U hatto rahmat ham demadi (He didn't even say thank you).

Hisoblanadi is a formal way to say is or is considered: Toshkent Oʻzbekistonning poytaxti hisoblanadi (Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan).

A question word with boʻlsa ham means -ever: kim boʻlsa ham (whoever it is), nima boʻlsa ham (whatever happens), qayerda boʻlsa ham (wherever it is). Any verb can take the place of boʻlsa: Nima desang ham (Whatever you say).

Start a wish with koshki or qani edi and put the verb in the -sa form, often with edi: Koshki u kelsa edi (If only he would come), Qani edi, pulim boʻlsa (If only I had money).

Put na before each of two or more items to say neither ... nor; the verb can stay affirmative because na carries the negation: U na yozadi, na oʻqiydi (He neither writes nor reads).

Put nafaqat before the first item and balki ... ham around the second to say not only ... but also: U nafaqat oʻzbekcha, balki ruscha ham gapiradi (She speaks not only Uzbek but also Russian).

Oʻrniga after a noun or -ish form means instead of: Choy oʻrniga qahva (coffee instead of tea), Uxlash oʻrniga ishladi (He worked instead of sleeping).

Many compound verbs come in pairs: X qilmoq means to make someone or something X, and X boʻlmoq means to become X: xursand qilmoq (to make happy) and xursand boʻlmoq (to become happy), hal qilmoq (to solve) and hal boʻlmoq (to be solved).

Some adjectives, mostly colours, shapes and states, have a strong form made by repeating the start of the word: qizil → qip-qizil (bright red), koʻk → koʻm-koʻk (deep blue), toza → top-toza (spotless).

Sababli and tufayli after a noun give the cause: Yomgʻir sababli (because of the rain), Sizning yordamingiz tufayli (thanks to your help).

Sifatida after a noun means as or in the capacity of, and boʻlib is an everyday alternative with jobs: U tarjimon sifatida qatnashdi (He took part as an interpreter), U oʻqituvchi boʻlib ishlaydi (She works as a teacher).

Tomonidan names who performed an action in a passive sentence: Kitob Abdulla Qodiriy tomonidan yozilgan (The book was written by Abdulla Qodiriy).

Put zarur or lozim after an -ish verb noun to say something must be done, often in instructions and official texts: Hujjatlarni topshirish lozim (The documents must be submitted).

Some adjectives become verbs of change with -ay or -ar: koʻpaymoq (to increase), kamaymoq (to decrease), oqarmoq (to turn white), qisqarmoq (to get shorter).

The -ay form plus demoq means something is about to happen, or nearly happened: Yomgʻir yogʻay deyapti (It is about to rain), Yiqilay dedim (I almost fell).

The ending -ayotib, or -yotib after a vowel, means while in the middle of doing: Uyga kelayotib, nonvoyxonaga kirdim (On my way home, I stopped at the bakery).

Add bormoq after the -(i)b form to show a gradual change: Narxlar oshib bormoqda (Prices keep going up), Kunlar qisqarib bormoqda (The days are getting shorter).

Add kelmoq after the -(i)b form to show an action going on from the past up to now: Bu yerda yuz yildan beri yashab kelmoqdalar (They have lived here for a hundred years).

Add tashlamoq after the -(i)b form to show an action done completely or decisively: Xatni yirtib tashladi (He tore up the letter), Hammasini yeb tashladi (She ate it all up).

The endings -im and -ma make result nouns from verbs: bilim (knowledge), kiyim (clothes), qovurma (a fried dish), suzma (strained yogurt).

The endings -imtir and -ish give a shade close to a colour, like English -ish, and -ish appears as -gʻish in some words: koʻkimtir and koʻkish (bluish), qoramtir (darkish), qizgʻish (reddish), sargʻish (yellowish).

The -a/-y form plus turib means while doing or knowing, often with a sense of despite: Bila turib, aytmadi (He knew, yet he didn't say).

Some adverbs from Arabic end in -an: masalan (for example), asosan (mainly), odatan (usually), tasodifan (by chance), taxminan (about).

The -(a)r form plus ekan joins two actions happening at the same time, mostly in writing: Uyga qaytar ekan, doʻstini koʻrdi (While returning home, he saw his friend).

A noun with -dan plus iborat means consisting of: Guruh oʻn kishidan iborat (The group consists of ten people).

Add -yu to a past -di verb and follow it with the next event: Eshikni ochdi-yu, qotib qoldi (She opened the door and froze at once). When the second event goes against the first, it means but.

A noun with -ga plus bagʻishlangan means dedicated to or devoted to: Navroʻzga bagʻishlangan bayram (a celebration dedicated to Navruz).

A noun with -ga plus muvofiq means in line with: qonunga muvofiq (in accordance with the law), rejaga muvofiq (according to plan).

A noun with -ga plus oid or doir means concerning or related to: tarixga oid kitoblar (books on history), sportga doir yangiliklar (sports news).

The -gan form plus boʻlsa makes a condition about a completed event: Agar u kelgan boʻlsa, menga ayting (If he has come, let me know).

The -gan form plus holda describes the manner or state of an action: U kulgan holda javob berdi (He answered, smiling).

The -gan form plus sari means the more or as something goes on: Vaqt oʻtgan sari, osonlashadi (As time goes by, it gets easier).

-gan + possessive + bilan means although: Yosh boʻlgani bilan, juda aqlli (Although he is young, he is very smart).

-ganligi turns an action into "the fact that": Vazir loyiha tugaganligini aytdi (The minister said the project had been completed).

The ending -gich, with the shapes -kich, -qich and -gʻich in some words, turns a verb into the name of a tool or device: isitgich (heater), ochqich (opener), koʻrsatkich (pointer, indicator), oʻchirgʻich (eraser).

-gudek or -guday means worth doing, fit to do, or enough to do: Aytgudek gapim yoʻq (I have nothing worth saying), Yiqilgudek charchadim (I was tired enough to drop).

A passive stem plus -moqda means something is being done right now, a common news form: Yangi maktablar qurilmoqda (New schools are being built).

Some verbs form causatives with -ir or -ar, or with -giz, -kiz, -qiz, -gaz, -kaz or -qaz: tushirmoq (to bring down), chiqarmoq (to take out), yotqizmoq (to put to bed), oʻtkazmoq (to hold).

Put the verb in its -ish form and add maqsadida to name the goal of an action, as news and official writing do: Tajriba almashish maqsadida uchrashuv oʻtkazildi (A meeting was held to exchange experience).

The -ish form with a possessive ending plus kutilmoqda means is expected to, mainly in the news: Loyiha yil oxirigacha yakunlanishi kutilmoqda (The project is expected to be finished by the end of the year).

Add -ki to the verb that ends the main clause, then a comma and the clause that explains it: Umid qilamanki, tez orada koʻrishamiz (I hope we'll see each other soon).

Persian endings -kor, -dor and -gar make words for people with a trade or a possession: paxtakor (cotton grower), tadbirkor (entrepreneur), doʻkondor (shopkeeper), qarzdor (debtor), savdogar (merchant).

The ending -la makes verbs from nouns and some adjectives: ish (work) → ishlamoq (to work), tish (tooth) → tishlamoq (to bite), toza (clean) → tozalamoq (to clean).

The endings -lan and -lash make verbs of becoming or joint action: kasallanmoq (to fall ill), tayyorlanmoq (to get ready), yaqinlashmoq (to approach), salomlashmoq (to greet each other).

The ending -noma names a document and -shunos an expert: taklifnoma (invitation), guvohnoma (certificate), tilshunos (linguist), tarixshunos (historian).

Add -u after a consonant or -yu after a vowel, with a hyphen, to join two words tightly: doʻst-u dushman (friend and foe), kecha-yu kunduz (night and day). Between clauses it can mean and then, or but.

The ending -uv, or -v after a vowel, makes nouns from verbs, and a stem-final a becomes o: yozuv (writing, script), oʻquv (study, training), tekshiruv (inspection), sinov (test) from sina-.

Many speakers say -vot where standard Uzbek writes -yap: ketvotman for ketyapman (I'm leaving), kelvotti for kelyapti (he's coming). Understand it when you hear it, and use -yap in writing.

A causative verb can be made passive by adding -il after the causative ending: oʻqitildi (was taught), oʻtkazildi (was held), chiqarildi (was issued).

Boʻlib oʻtmoq means to take place, for events: Uchrashuv Toshkentda boʻlib oʻtdi (The meeting took place in Tashkent).

Put a noun before doirasida to say that something happens inside its limits or as part of it: Loyiha doirasida yangi maktablar qurildi (New schools were built as part of the project).

Ekanini or ekanligini makes a reported fact or an indirect question: Kutubxona qayerda ekanini bilmayman (I don't know where the library is).

Emish, or short -mish, marks hearsay: U kasal emish (They say he's ill), Ertaga yomgʻir yogʻarmish (Apparently it will rain tomorrow).

Garchi opens a concession ending in -sa ham or -sa-da: Garchi charchagan boʻlsa ham, ishlashda davom etdi (Although he was tired, he kept working).

Put a question word such as kim or nima in a clause with -sa, then answer it with u, shu or oʻsha in the main clause: Kim koʻp oʻqisa, u koʻp biladi (Whoever reads a lot knows a lot).

Start the clause with mabodo and put its verb in -sa: Mabodo kechiksam, meni kutmang (If by chance I'm late, don't wait for me). It suits warnings and just-in-case plans.

Maʼlum qilinishicha opens a news report: Maʼlum qilinishicha, yangi koʻprik kelasi yili ochiladi (It has been announced that the new bridge will open next year).

Put a noun before munosabati bilan to name the occasion for an event or a greeting: Mustaqillik kuni munosabati bilan (on the occasion of Independence Day). In notices it can also give a reason: in connection with.

Start the sentence with nahotki to show that you can hardly believe something: Nahotki rost boʻlsa? (Can it really be true?), Nahotki u ketdi? (Did she really leave?).

Natijasida after a noun or an -ish form means as a result of: Kuchli yomgʻir natijasida yoʻllar yopildi (Roads were closed as a result of heavy rain).

Put qancha and a verb in -sa in the first clause, then shuncha in the second: Qancha koʻp mashq qilsangiz, shuncha yaxshi gapirasiz (The more you practise, the better you speak).

Say the action first, then toki and the goal, usually with a -sin verb: Baland gapiring, toki hamma eshitsin (Speak loudly so that everyone hears). In books toki can also mean until or as long as.

Repeating a noun with -ma- between the copies means from one to the next, or one right beside the other: uyma-uy (from house to house), qoʻlma-qoʻl (from hand to hand), yuzma-yuz (face to face), yonma-yon (side by side).

A source followed by xabar berishicha means as the source reports: Agentlik xabar berishicha, ... (According to the agency, ...).

The ending -ayotir, or -yotir after a vowel, is a literary form of is doing, found mostly in poetry and older prose: Qor yogʻayotir (Snow is falling), Zavod toʻxtovsiz ishlayotir (The factory is working without stopping).

The old future ending -ajak survives in a few words: kelajak (the future) and boʻlajak (future, prospective), as in boʻlajak shifokor (a future doctor).

A noun with -ga plus binoan is an official according to: Farmonga binoan (pursuant to the decree).

The -gan form plus taqdirda is a formal conditional: Rozi boʻlmagan taqdirda, ariza qaytariladi (In the event of refusal, the application will be returned).

The old ending -gay, with the shapes -gʻay, -kay and -qay, expresses a wish or future in poetry and blessings: kelgay (may he come), boʻlgʻay (may it be), qilgʻay (may he do).

Persian-style phrases put the main noun first, add -i (or -yi after a vowel), then the second word: ahli ilm (people of learning), dardi dil (heartache), nuqtayi nazar (point of view). They are fixed expressions.

The -ish form or a noun plus borasida means with regard to: hamkorlikni rivojlantirish borasida (on developing cooperation).

The literary participle -mish lives on in words for the past: oʻtmish (the past), kechmish (past experiences), qilmish (a deed, usually a bad one), and in poetic style.

The -moq form with -qa is a literary alternative to -ishga: Bormoqqa qaror qildi (He decided to go), Yozmoqqa kirishdi (She set about writing).

Some Arabic loans end in the old plural -ot but work as ordinary Uzbek nouns: adabiyot (literature), maʼlumot (information), sabzavot (vegetables), hayvonot (animal life). They can even take -lar: maʼlumotlar (data).

The Persian ending -parvar means caring for or devoted to: vatanparvar (patriot), insonparvar (humanitarian), maʼrifatparvar (champion of education). Add -lik for the idea itself: vatanparvarlik (patriotism).

Basharti is a formal or literary if, used with -sa: Basharti rozi boʻlsangiz, xabar bering (Should you agree, let us know).

Binobarin is a bookish therefore or consequently that opens a conclusion: Suv — hayot manbai, binobarin, uni tejash har birimizning burchimiz (Water is the source of life; therefore, saving it is the duty of each of us).

Chunonchi is a bookish namely or for instance that lists examples of what was just named: Vodiyda turli mevalar yetishtiriladi, chunonchi, olma, uzum va oʻrik (Various fruits are grown in the valley, for instance apples, grapes and apricots).

Deya is a literary form of deb that introduces or follows quoted words: «Keling», deya taklif qildi (She invited them, saying «Come»).

Erur and ermas are classical forms of is and is not, found in older poetry and quotations: Doʻstlik — ulugʻ neʼmat erur (Friendship is a great blessing).

Goh ... goh shows that actions or states take turns, like now ... now or sometimes ... sometimes: Goh kuladi, goh yigʻlaydi (Now she laughs, now she cries).

The Persian prefix ham- means sharing something with someone: hamkasb (colleague), hamshahar (someone from the same town), hamroh (companion). It is written together with the word.

Hisobiga after a noun means paid for by or thanks to: davlat hisobiga (at the state's expense), tejash hisobiga (through savings).

Kimki is a literary whoever. Its verb takes -sa, and the main clause follows: Kimki izlasa, topadi (Whoever seeks, finds).

Modomiki opens a clause of given fact, usually closed by ekan: Modomiki kelgan ekansiz, qoling (Since you have come, stay).

Negaki and zero are literary ways to say because. The reason comes after the main statement: U jim qoldi, negaki haqiqatni bilardi (He stayed silent, for he knew the truth).

Sari after a noun is a literary toward, for real directions and for goals: Uyi sari yoʻl oldi (He set off toward his home), yangi gʻalabalar sari (toward new victories).

Shuni taʼkidlash kerakki and similar frames with -ki open an important point in formal writing: Shuni taʼkidlash kerakki, loyiha muddatidan oldin tugadi (It should be stressed that the project finished ahead of time).

Vaholanki and holbuki add a contrasting fact, often a reproach: U kelmadi, vaholanki vaʼda bergan edi (He didn't come, even though he had promised).

Yuzasidan after a noun is an official word for regarding: murojaat yuzasidan (regarding the appeal), shikoyat yuzasidan (on the complaint).