-(a)y demoq

About to: -(a)y Demoq

Level 5

Put the verb in its -ay form, then add demoq (to say): Yomgʻir yogʻay deyapti (It is about to rain). Word for word, the rain is saying "let me fall".

How It Works

1. Building the form
Add -ay to a stem that ends in a consonant, or -y to one that ends in a vowel. This is the same form as Let Me: -(a)y. Then add demoq:

  • yogʻ- → yogʻay deyapti (it is about to rain)
  • qayna- → qaynay deyapti (it is about to boil)
  • yiqil- → yiqilay dedim (I almost fell)

The -ay form stays the same for every person. Only demoq changes: yiqilay dedim (I), yiqilay dedi (he or she).

2. About to happen
With the present deyapti, or deb qoldi and deb turibdi, something is just about to happen. This is common with weather, time and things around you: Kun botay deb qoldi (The sun is about to set), Bola yigʻlay deb turibdi (The child is about to cry).

3. Almost happened
With the past dedi or dedim, it came very close but did not happen: Yiqilay dedim (I almost fell). Sal boʻlmasa (a little more and) often comes first. -a/-y yozmoq means the same: yiqila yozdim.

4. About to, or thinking of it
With a person, -ay deb can mean just about to or meaning to: Uxlay deb turgan edim, telefon jiringladi (I was just about to go to sleep when the phone rang). In the present it means I am thinking of: Samarqandga boray deyman (I am thinking of going to Samarkand). For a plain plan, -moqchi is the everyday choice.

5. Not a quote
Here demoq does not report words. Compare Yiqilay dedim (I almost fell) with a real quote: Yiqilaman, dedim (I said, "I am going to fall"). Before another verb, quoted words take deb: Yiqilaman deb qoʻrqdim (I was afraid I would fall).

Examples (6)

  1. Yomgʻir yogʻay deyapti.

    It is about to rain.

    Word by Word: Rain let-me-fall is-saying.

  2. Choynakdagi suv qaynay deyapti.

    The water in the kettle is about to boil.

    Word by Word: Kettle-in-the water let-me-boil is-saying.

  3. Muzda sirpanib, yiqilay dedim.

    I slipped on the ice and nearly fell.

    Word by Word: Ice-on slipping, let-me-fall said-I.

  4. Kun botay deb qoldi.

    The sun is about to set.

    Word by Word: Sun let-me-set saying remained.

  5. Bola yigʻlay deb turibdi.

    The child is about to cry.

    Word by Word: Child let-me-cry saying is-standing.

  6. Uxlay deb turgan edim, telefon jiringladi.

    I was just about to go to sleep when the phone rang.

    Word by Word: Let-me-sleep saying standing was-I, phone rang.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the -(i)b form instead of -ay.

    Yomgʻir yogʻib deyapti.
    Yomgʻir yogʻay deyapti.

    Demoq in this meaning follows the -ay form, not -(i)b: yogʻay, yiqilay, qaynay.

  • Adding a person ending to the -ay form (meant: I almost fell).

    Yiqilaman dedim.
    Yiqilay dedim.

    Yiqilaman dedim is a quote: I said, "I will fall". The -ay form stays unchanged, and only demoq shows the person.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-(a)y demoqLevel 5About to: -(a)y Demoq

Learn This First

Builds on Let Me: -(a)y and Quoting With deb.

Words in This Pattern

demoq