-da (yuklama)

Emphatic -da

Level 4

Word + -da = come on, you see, of course: Kel-da! (Come on!) Bola-da. (He's just a kid.) Toʻgʻri-da! (That's right, of course!)

How It Works

1. Particle or case ending?
The official spelling rules write the particle with a hyphen: yaxshi-da. The case ending from In, At or On: -da is always joined: maktabda (at school). The hyphen tells the reader which one it is.

2. Urging: come on
After a command, -da makes it more pressing or more pleading:

  • Kel-da! (Come on, come here!)
  • Yordam ber-da! (Come on, help me!)
  • Ular ham dam olsin-da. (Let them have a rest too.)

3. You see, that's how it is
After a statement, -da presents it as the obvious reason, or as a fact you just have to accept:

  • Bilasan-da. (You know how it is.)
  • Hozir vaqtim yoʻq-da. (I just don't have time right now, you see.)
  • Bola-da. (He's just a kid.) This excuses someone.

4. Agreement
With a short answer it means of course: Toʻgʻri-da! (That's right, of course!) Qiziq-da! (Of course it's interesting!)

5. In stories: and then
In written stories, -da after a past verb can link two actions, with a comma after it: U oʻrnidan turdi-da, eshikka qarab yurdi. (She got up and walked toward the door.)

6. Tone
Apart from the storytelling use, the particle belongs to speech. Compare But Surely: -ku, which sounds more like a reminder or reproach, and Softening Requests With -chi, which softens a request.

Examples (6)

  1. Kel-da, kechikyapmiz!

    Come on, we're running late!

    Word by Word: come-da we-are-being-late

    After a command, -da urges the listener.

  2. Hozir vaqtim yoʻq-da, ertaga gaplashaylik.

    I just don't have time right now, you see. Let's talk tomorrow.

  3. Kechiring uni, bola-da.

    Forgive him, he's just a kid.

    Bola-da gives an obvious reason that excuses him.

  4. — Bu kitob qiziqmi? — Qiziq-da! Ikki kunda oʻqib chiqdim.

    "Is this book interesting?" "Of course it is! I read it all in two days."

  5. Bilasan-da, onam meni kechasi tashqariga chiqarmaydi.

    You know how it is, my mom won't let me go out at night.

  6. U oʻrnidan turdi-da, eshikka qarab yurdi.

    She got up and walked toward the door.

    In stories, -da after a past verb links two actions.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the particle joined to the word.

    Bilasanda, men band edim.
    Bilasan-da, men band edim.

    The particle -da always has a hyphen. Without it, the word looks like it has the locative ending.

  • Putting a hyphen on the locative case ending.

    Men uy-da qoldim.
    Men uyda qoldim.

    To say at home, use the case ending -da, which is joined: uyda. The hyphen is only for the particle.

How It Connects

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

-da (yuklama)Level 4Emphatic -da

Learn This First

Builds on But Surely: -ku and In, At or On: -da.