Dropping the Subject Pronoun

Level 1

The ending already says who: Talabaman (I am a student), Boraman (I will go), Qayerdasiz? (Where are you?). So the pronoun is often left out.

How It Works

Uzbek verbs and noun sentences end in a person ending: -man (I), -san (you, familiar), -miz (we), -siz (you, polite). The ending already tells you who, so the pronoun is extra and is often dropped:

  • Talabaman. I'm a student. (talaba + -man)
  • Ertaga boraman. I'll go tomorrow. (bor- + -a + -man)
  • Qayerdasiz? Where are you? (qayer + -da + -siz)

Keep the pronoun when it does a job:

  • to contrast two people: Men talabaman, u oʻqituvchi.
  • to bring someone into the conversation for the first time, or to stress who did it.

Third person. He, she, it has no ending in a noun sentence (third person takes no ending), so the subject is dropped only when the context makes it clear: Anvar qayerda? — Uyda. (Where is Anvar? — At home.)

Dropping the pronoun is normal, but the ending can never be dropped. Without -man, talaba just means a student. See I am: -man and you are: -siz.

Examples (6)

  1. Talabaman.

    I'm a student.

    Word by Word: Student-am-I.

    -man already means I, so men is left out.

  2. Ertaga boraman.

    I'll go tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow go-I.

    The verb ending -man shows the subject.

  3. Qayerdasiz?

    Where are you?

    Word by Word: Where-at-are-you?

    -siz means polite you, so siz is left out.

  4. Choy ichasizmi? — Ha, ichaman.

    Would you like some tea? — Yes, I would.

    Word by Word: Tea drink-you-? — Yes, drink-I.

    Neither speaker needs a pronoun.

  5. Men talabaman, u oʻqituvchi.

    I'm a student, and he's a teacher.

    Word by Word: I student-am, he teacher.

    Both pronouns stay because the sentence contrasts two people.

  6. Anvar qayerda? — Uyda.

    Where is Anvar? — He's at home.

    Word by Word: Anvar where? — House-at.

    The answer leaves out the subject because the question named him.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the ending together with the pronoun when you mean I am a student.

    Talaba.
    Talabaman.

    Without -man the word just means a student, or he or she is a student. Keep the ending to say I am a student.

  • Using a pronoun that does not match the ending.

    Men talabasiz.
    Men talabaman.

    -siz means you, so it cannot follow men. Match the ending to the person: men ... -man, siz ... -siz.

How It Connects

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Dropping the Subject PronounLevel 1

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Builds on Basic Word Order.

Words in This Pattern

biz