kabi / singari

Like, Such as

Level 3

Kabi and singari are separate words meaning like or such as. They come after the noun, while English puts like before it: sen kabi (like you), Samarqand kabi shaharlar (cities such as Samarkand).

How It Works

English puts like before a noun. Uzbek puts kabi or singari after it, just as it does with other postpositions such as bilan and uchun:

  • sen kabi (like you)
  • qush kabi (like a bird)
  • Samarqand kabi shaharlar (cities such as Samarkand)

The noun or pronoun before them keeps its basic form: men kabi, siz kabi, ular kabi.

Two jobs.

  • Comparing: Vaqt qush kabi uchib ketdi. (Time flew by like a bird.)
  • Giving examples: list the examples, then kabi or singari, then the general word: olma, nok, uzum singari mevalar (fruits such as apples, pears and grapes). This order is very common in writing.

Kabi or singari? They mean the same. Kabi is more frequent in everyday speech; singari sounds a little more literary. The ending -dek is a one-word alternative for comparing: qush kabi and qushdek both mean like a bird.

Bu kabi, shu kabi. After bu or shu, kabi means such or like this: Bu kabi savollar koʻp (There are many questions like this). Compare shunday / bunday.

Not the verb like. Kabi is only the comparing like. To say you like something, use yaxshi koʻrmoq or -ga yoqmoq.

Examples (5)

  1. Siz kabi odamlar kam.

    People like you are rare.

    Word by Word: You like people few.

  2. Samarqand, Buxoro kabi shaharlar juda qadimiy.

    Cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara are very ancient.

    Word by Word: Samarkand, Bukhara like cities very ancient.

    The examples come first, then kabi, then the general word.

  3. Vaqt qush kabi uchib ketdi.

    Time flew by like a bird.

    Word by Word: Time bird like flying went.

  4. Bozorda olma, nok, uzum singari mevalar arzon.

    At the market, fruits such as apples, pears and grapes are cheap.

    Word by Word: Market-at apple, pear, grape like fruits cheap.

    Singari works the same way as kabi.

  5. Men ham siz kabi oʻqituvchiman.

    Like you, I'm a teacher too.

    Word by Word: I also you like teacher-am.

Common Mistakes

  • Using kabi for the verb like (meant: I like tea).

    Men choy kabi.
    Men choyni yaxshi koʻraman.

    Kabi only compares, so the incorrect words mean something like I, like tea... and are not a sentence. To say you like something, use yaxshi koʻrmoq.

  • Putting kabi before the noun.

    kabi Samarqand shaharlar
    Samarqand kabi shaharlar

    Kabi is a postposition: it always follows the word it goes with.

  • Adding a case ending before kabi.

    Men sizni kabi gapiraman.
    Men siz kabi gapiraman.

    The word before kabi or singari stays in its basic form, so siz takes no ending.

How It Connects

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kabi / singariLevel 3Like, Such as

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Builds on Like, As: -dek.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

kabisingari