-man

I Am: -man

Level 1

There is no word for am. Add -man to the end of the describing word: Men shifokorman (I am a doctor), Men tayyorman (I am ready), Men uydaman (I am at home).

How It Works

Where -man goes

  • On a noun: shifokor + -man → shifokorman (I am a doctor).
  • On an adjective: tayyor + -man → tayyorman (I am ready).
  • On a place word, after the case ending: uy + -da + -man → uydaman (I am at home), Samarqand + -dan + -man → Samarqanddanman (I am from Samarkand).

It is written as part of the word, never as a separate word.

Saying I am not
Put emas after the word and move -man onto it: Men talaba emasman (I am not a student).

Asking about yourself
With I and we, the question particle -mi comes after the ending: Tayyormanmi? (Am I ready?). With you, textbooks put it before (Tayyormisiz?), and everyday speech also uses tayyorsizmi.

The same -man on verbs
Present-tense verbs use the same ending for I: kel- + -a + -man → kelaman (I come, I will come), ket- + -yap + -man → ketyapman (I am going). See Present-Future Tense.

Introducing yourself
With a name, a short Men Anvar (I am Anvar) is a common, accepted introduction, as is Mening ismim Anvar (My name is Anvar). With a job, an adjective or a place, use -man. In quick, casual speech you may hear Men tayyor!, but careful speech and writing say Men tayyorman.

Examples (6)

  1. Men shifokorman.

    I am a doctor.

    Word by Word: I doctor-I-am.

  2. Men tayyorman.

    I am ready.

    Word by Word: I ready-I-am.

  3. Men uydaman.

    I am at home.

    Word by Word: I home-at-I-am.

    -man comes after the case ending -da.

  4. Men Samarqanddanman.

    I am from Samarkand.

    Word by Word: I Samarkand-from-I-am.

  5. Men talaba emasman, oʻqituvchiman.

    I am not a student, I am a teacher.

    Word by Word: I student not-I-am, teacher-I-am.

    In the negative, -man moves onto emas.

  6. Men bu yerda yangiman.

    I am new here.

    Word by Word: I this place-at new-I-am.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting -man on the word before emas.

    Men talabaman emas.
    Men talaba emasman.

    In a negative sentence, -man moves onto emas, and the word before emas takes no ending.

  • Writing -man as a separate word.

    Men talaba man.
    Men talabaman.

    -man is an ending, so it is written together with the word it follows.

  • Putting -mi before -man in a question.

    Men tayyormiman?
    Men tayyormanmi?

    With I and we, -mi comes after the personal ending: tayyormanmi, tayyormizmi. With you, textbooks put it first: tayyormisiz.

How It Connects

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-manLevel 1I Am: -man

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