-u / -yu

And: -u

Level 5

Word + -u (after a consonant) or -yu (after a vowel) + word = a close and: kecha-yu kunduz (night and day), doʻst-u dushman (friend and foe).

How It Works

1. Choosing -u or -yu
After a consonant, add -u: doʻst-u dushman, oq-u qora, el-u yurt, yer-u osmon. After a vowel, add -yu: kecha-yu kunduz, keldi-yu.

2. How to write it
The hyphen goes before the particle, and the second word stands on its own: kecha-yu kunduz, not kechayu kunduz or kecha-yu-kunduz. The same pair without the particle is one hyphenated word pair: kecha-kunduz, doʻst-dushman. Both are correct; the -u / -yu version gives each half a little more weight.

3. Whole groups
Many of these pairs mean everyone or everything of a kind: doʻst-u dushman (friends and enemies alike), el-u yurt (the whole nation), yer-u osmon (earth and sky). Oq-u qorani ajratmoq means to tell right from wrong.

4. Between clauses
After a verb, -yu links two events closely: Yomgʻir yogʻdi-yu, chang bosildi (It rained, and the dust settled). A past -di verb followed at once by another event has its own entry: -di-yu. When the second part goes against the first, -u / -yu can also bring in a but, often followed by lekin: Koʻylak chiroyli-yu, lekin qimmat (The dress is pretty, but it's expensive).

5. Particles with a hyphen
-u / -yu is one of the few particles written with a hyphen, like -ku and emphatic -da: keldi-ku, yaxshi-da.

Examples (6)

  1. Ular kecha-yu kunduz ishladi.

    They worked night and day.

    Word by Word: They night-and day worked.

  2. Doʻst-u dushman uning mardligini tan oldi.

    Friend and foe alike recognized his courage.

    Word by Word: Friend-and enemy his courage-(object) acknowledged.

  3. Bola hali oq-u qorani ajrata olmaydi.

    The child can't tell right from wrong yet.

    Word by Word: Child still white-and black-(object) cannot-tell-apart.

    Oq-u qora, white and black, stands for good and bad.

  4. El-u yurt uni hurmat qiladi.

    The whole nation respects him.

    Word by Word: People-and land him respect does.

  5. Yomgʻir yogʻdi-yu, chang bosildi.

    It rained, and the dust settled.

    Word by Word: Rain fell-and, dust was-pressed-down.

    Between clauses, a comma follows the particle.

  6. Koʻylak chiroyli-yu, lekin qimmat.

    The dress is pretty, but it's expensive.

    Word by Word: Dress pretty-and, but expensive.

    Here -yu brings in a contrast.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -u after a word that ends in a vowel.

    Ular kecha-u kunduz ishladi.
    Ular kecha-yu kunduz ishladi.

    Kecha ends in a vowel, so the particle is -yu. Use -u only after a consonant, as in doʻst-u dushman.

  • Writing the particle without a hyphen.

    Doʻstu dushman uning mardligini tan oldi.
    Doʻst-u dushman uning mardligini tan oldi.

    The spelling rules put a hyphen before -u and -yu, and the second word is written separately.

How It Connects

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-u / -yuLevel 5And: -u

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Builds on And.