esa
As for, Whereas: Esa
Esa goes after a word to set it against something already said: Men choy ichdim, u esa qahva (I drank tea, and he had coffee).
How It Works
1. Where it goes
Say the first part and add a comma. Then name the new topic and put esa right after it:
- Akam shifokor, opam esa oʻqituvchi. (My older brother is a doctor, and my older sister is a teacher.)
- Yozda bu yer issiq, qishda esa juda sovuq. (It is hot here in summer, but very cold in winter.)
The topic keeps all its endings, and esa comes after them: qishda esa, menga esa.
2. Leaving out the verb
When the second part would repeat the same verb, it can be dropped: Men choy ichdim, u esa qahva. The full sentence u esa qahva ichdi is also correct.
3. Then and now
Esa often follows a time word to mark a change: Ilgari u Samarqandda yashagan, hozir esa Toshkentda yashaydi (He used to live in Samarkand, but now he lives in Tashkent).
4. esa, lekin, va
- Va joins things that simply go together: non va choy (bread and tea).
- Lekin starts the second clause and means but, often against what you expected.
- Esa sits after the topic and shows a difference between two similar things.
In speech, boʻlsa can do the same job: Men boʻlsam, uyda qoldim (As for me, I stayed at home).
Examples (6)
- Men choy ichdim, u esa qahva.
I drank tea, and he had coffee.
Word by Word: I tea drank-I, he as-for coffee.
The second verb, ichdi, is left out.
- Akam shifokor, opam esa oʻqituvchi.
My older brother is a doctor, and my older sister is a teacher.
Word by Word: Brother-my doctor, sister-my as-for teacher.
Two people, two jobs: esa marks the second.
- Yozda bu yer issiq, qishda esa juda sovuq.
It's hot here in summer, but very cold in winter.
Word by Word: Summer-in this place hot, winter-in as-for very cold.
Esa comes after the case ending: qishda esa.
- Ilgari u Samarqandda yashagan, hozir esa Toshkentda yashaydi.
He used to live in Samarkand, but now he lives in Tashkent.
Word by Word: Before he Samarkand-in lived, now as-for Tashkent-in lives.
Esa after a time word marks a change.
- Bolalar uxlayapti, biz esa televizor koʻryapmiz.
The children are sleeping, while we are watching TV.
Word by Word: Children sleeping, we as-for television watching-we.
Two things happening at the same time.
- Siz shu yerda kuting, men esa chiptalarni olib kelaman.
You wait here, and I'll go and get the tickets.
Word by Word: You this place-at wait, I as-for tickets-the taking come-I.
Esa can also split up tasks between people.
Common Mistakes
Starting the second clause with esa.
Men choy ichdim, esa u qahva ichdi.Men choy ichdim, u esa qahva ichdi.Esa never opens a clause. It comes right after the word being contrasted.
Using esa as a plain "and" between two nouns.
Non esa choy olib keling.Non va choy olib keling.Esa contrasts two parts of a sentence. To list things that go together, use va.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Builds on But.
Related Patterns
- vaAnd
Va simply adds things together, while esa contrasts them.
Level 1 - boʻlsaAs for: Boʻlsa
The spoken way to say as for: men boʻlsam.
Level 4 - -chi (soʻroq yuklamasi)What About...? with -chi
Also moves attention to a new topic, but as a question: siz-chi? (and you?)
Level 2 - vaholanki / holbukiWhereas, Even Though
Formal words for whereas and even though, used at a higher level.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice esa in Bubblegum
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