-ma / -mang

Negative Commands

Level 2

To tell someone not to do something, put -ma on the verb stem: Kel! (Come!) → Kelma! (Don't come!).

How It Works

Uzbek makes negative verbs with -ma- right after the stem, as you saw in -ma-. Commands work the same way: add -ma- and then the command ending.

  • Familiar, one person (sen): stem + -ma. Kelma! (Don't come!), Qoʻrqma! (Don't be afraid!), Tegma! (Don't touch!).
  • Polite (siz): stem + -mang. Kelmang (Please don't come), Unutmang (Don't forget), Xavotir olmang (Don't worry).
  • A group: stem + -manglar. Kechikmanglar (Don't be late, all of you).
  • Soft and familiar: stem + -magin. Unutmagin (Don't forget, OK?).

The stem never changes. Stems ending in a vowel work the same way: oʻqi- → oʻqima, ishla- → ishlamang.

Order matters. -ma- goes between the stem and the command ending. The polite form is kel-ma-ng, not keling with -ma added at the end.

Not emas or yoʻq. emas makes nouns and adjectives negative, and yoʻq means there is not or no. Neither of them can make a verb command negative.

Choose between -ma and -mang exactly as you choose between Kel! and Keling.

Examples (5)

  1. Bunga tegma!

    Don't touch this!

    Word by Word: This-to touch-NOT!

    bu adds n before -ga: bunga.

  2. Qoʻrqma, it tishlamaydi.

    Don't be afraid, the dog doesn't bite.

    Word by Word: Fear-NOT, dog bite-NOT-s.

  3. Xavotir olmang.

    Don't worry.

    Word by Word: Worry take-NOT-POLITE.

    A polite way to reassure someone you call siz.

  4. Unutmang, dars ertaga.

    Don't forget, the lesson is tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Forget-NOT-POLITE, lesson tomorrow.

  5. Iltimos, kechikmang.

    Please don't be late.

    Word by Word: Please, be.late-NOT-POLITE.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ma after the polite ending.

    Kelingma.
    Kelmang.

    -ma- always comes right after the stem, before the command ending: kel-ma-ng.

  • Using emas to make a command negative.

    Kel emas!
    Kelma!

    Emas negates nouns and adjectives, as in talaba emas (not a student). A verb command takes -ma.

  • Using the familiar -ma with a stranger (meant politely).

    Kechirasiz, bu yerda chekma.
    Kechirasiz, bu yerda chekmang.

    Bare -ma is for someone you call sen. With a stranger or an older person, use the polite -mang.

How It Connects

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

-ma / -mangLevel 2Negative Commands

Learn This First

Builds on Negative Verbs With -ma-, Polite Commands: -(i)ng and Familiar Commands.