oʻrniga
Instead of
Oʻrniga means instead of or in place of: Choy oʻrniga qahva ichaman (I'll drink coffee instead of tea). With an action, use the -ish form: Uxlash oʻrniga ishladi (He worked instead of sleeping).
How It Works
Oʻrniga comes from oʻrin (place). When the possessive -i is added, the second vowel drops (unli tushishi): oʻrin → oʻrni. The -ga ending follows: oʻrniga, literally to its place.
Things. Put the replaced thing in its basic form: choy oʻrniga (instead of tea), avtobus oʻrniga (instead of the bus).
Actions. Use the -(i)sh verb noun: uxlash oʻrniga (instead of sleeping), televizor koʻrish oʻrniga (instead of watching TV).
People. To say in someone's place, the possessive ending matches the person, as with other possessive + case forms:
- mening oʻrnimga (in my place)
- sizning oʻrningizga (in your place)
- uning oʻrniga (in his or her place)
Instead. Buning oʻrniga (instead of this) starts a new sentence with the replacement: Men choy ichmadim. Buning oʻrniga sharbat ichdim.
To say what you prefer rather than what replaces something, use -dan koʻra.
Examples (6)
- Choy oʻrniga qahva ichaman.
I'll drink coffee instead of tea.
Word by Word: Tea place-its-to coffee drink-I.
- Uxlash oʻrniga ishladi.
He worked instead of sleeping.
Word by Word: Sleeping place-its-to worked.
Actions take the -ish form before oʻrniga.
- Bugun avtobus oʻrniga metroda keldim.
Today I came by metro instead of by bus.
Word by Word: Today bus place-its-to metro-in came-I.
- Uning oʻrniga kim boradi?
Who will go instead of him?
Word by Word: His place-his-to who goes?
- Mening oʻrnimga ukam boradi.
My younger brother will go in my place.
Word by Word: My place-my-to younger-brother-my goes.
The possessive ending changes with the person: oʻrnimga, oʻrningizga.
- Televizor koʻrish oʻrniga kitob oʻqi.
Read a book instead of watching TV.
Word by Word: Television watching place-its-to book read.
Common Mistakes
Using a finished verb before oʻrniga.
Uxlaydi oʻrniga ishladi.Uxlash oʻrniga ishladi.Oʻrniga follows a noun, so an action must be in the -ish form: uxlash, koʻrish.
Writing oʻringa without the possessive -i.
Choy oʻringa qahva ichaman.Choy oʻrniga qahva ichaman.The form is oʻrin + -i + -ga, and the second vowel of oʻrin drops: oʻrniga.
Not matching the possessive ending to the person.
Mening oʻrniga ukam boradi.Mening oʻrnimga ukam boradi.After mening the possessive must be -m: oʻrnimga. Oʻrniga matches only a third person, as in uning oʻrniga.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Builds on The Verb Noun -(i)sh and Case Endings After a Possessive.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice oʻrniga in Bubblegum
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