-gach

After Doing: -gach

Level 3

Verb stem + -gach means after doing: Ishni tugatgach, uyga ketdim (After finishing work, I went home).

How It Works

1. Building the form

  • tugat- + -gach → tugatgach (after finishing)
  • oʻqi- + -gach → oʻqigach (after reading)
  • chiq- + -qach → chiqqach (after going out)
  • tik- + -kach → tikkach (after sewing)

This is the same k and q rule as in -ga → -ka, -qa.

2. No person endings
-gach never takes a possessive or a case ending. Who does the action comes from the subject: Men uyga kelgach, ovqatlandim (After I came home, I ate). The two actions can have different subjects: Otam kelgach, hammamiz birga ovqatlandik (After my father came, we all ate together).

3. The time comes from the last verb

  • Dars tugagach, kutubxonaga boramiz. (After the lesson ends, we will go to the library.)
  • Dars tugagach, kutubxonaga bordik. (After the lesson ended, we went to the library.)

4. Since, as a reason
-gach can also give a reason: Siz aytgach, men rozi boʻldim (Since you said so, I agreed). The negative -magach is usually a reason: U kelmagach, biz ketdik (Since he didn't come, we left).

5. Similar forms
-gandan keyin also means after, and it is very common in everyday speech. -(i)b links actions more tightly, as one chain: Bozorga borib, non oldim (I went to the bazaar and bought bread).

Examples (6)

  1. Ishni tugatgach, uyga ketdim.

    After finishing work, I went home.

    Word by Word: Work-the finishing-after, home-to went-I.

    tugat- + -gach. The person and the past come from ketdim.

  2. Uydan chiqqach, taksi chaqirdim.

    After leaving the house, I called a taxi.

    Word by Word: House-from going-out-after, taxi called-I.

    After q, the ending is -qach: chiq- → chiqqach.

  3. Dars tugagach, kutubxonaga boramiz.

    After the lesson ends, we'll go to the library.

    Word by Word: Lesson ending-after, library-to go-we.

    The same form in a future sentence.

  4. Otam kelgach, hammamiz birga ovqatlandik.

    After my father came, we all ate together.

    Word by Word: Father-my coming-after, all-of-us together ate-we.

    The two actions have different subjects.

  5. Siz aytgach, men rozi boʻldim.

    Since you said so, I agreed.

    Word by Word: You saying-after, I agreeing became-I.

    -gach giving a reason.

  6. U kelmagach, biz ketdik.

    Since he didn't come, we left.

    Word by Word: He not-coming-after, we left-we.

    The negative -magach usually gives a reason.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a person ending to -gach.

    Uyga kelgachim, ovqatlandim.
    Uyga kelgach, ovqatlandim.

    -gach never takes a possessive ending. The last verb, ovqatlandim, already says who.

  • Keeping g after q.

    Uydan chiqgach, taksi chaqirdim.
    Uydan chiqqach, taksi chaqirdim.

    After q, the spelling rules turn -gach into -qach, and after k into -kach.

How It Connects

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

-gachLevel 3After Doing: -gach

Learn This First

Builds on Linking Actions With -(i)b.

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Patterns that build on this one.