Noun Pairs Without -ning

Level 2

Put two nouns side by side and add -i or -si to the second one: maktab direktori (the school principal), Oʻzbekiston poytaxti (the capital of Uzbekistan).

How It Works

1. The shape
Noun 1 stays bare. Noun 2 takes -i after a consonant or -si after a vowel.

  • oʻzbek tili (the Uzbek language)
  • avtobus bekati (a bus stop)
  • kitob doʻkoni (a bookshop)
  • olma sharbati (apple juice)
  • Toshkent shahri (the city of Tashkent)

In shahri the vowel of shahar drops; see The Dropped Vowel.

2. With -ning or without it?
Use The Possessor Ending -ning when the first noun is a particular owner. Drop it when the first noun only says what kind of thing, place or group the second noun belongs to.

  • Azizning kitobi (Aziz's book): a particular person, so -ning stays.
  • maktab direktori (the school principal): the job title is tied to a school, so -ning drops.

With place names both forms are common: Oʻzbekiston poytaxti and Oʻzbekistonning poytaxti both mean the capital of Uzbekistan.

3. When -ning must stay

  • A word comes between the two nouns. The bare pair is so tight that nothing can go inside it: maktabning yangi direktori (the school's new principal).
  • The owner is a person's name: Anvarning uyi (Anvar's house).
  • The owner is a pronoun: mening kitobim (my book), uning ismi (his name).

4. Not the same as an adjective
An adjective before a noun adds no ending: katta shahar (a big city). A noun that names the place, kind or group of the second noun needs the possessive: Toshkent shahri. Nouns for materials are different: they work like adjectives and add nothing, as in oltin uzuk (a gold ring) and temir eshik (an iron door). See Adjectives Come First.

5. Case endings go on the end
The whole pair takes case endings after the possessive: oʻzbek tilini (the Uzbek language, as an object), kitob doʻkoniga (to the bookshop), oʻzbek tilida (in Uzbek). See Case Endings After a Possessive.

Examples (6)

  1. Oʻzbek tili qiyin emas.

    Uzbek is not difficult.

    Word by Word: Uzbek language-its difficult not

    Tili is til (language) with -i. Language names are built the same way: ingliz tili, rus tili.

  2. Oʻzbekiston poytaxti — Toshkent.

    The capital of Uzbekistan is Tashkent.

    The dash stands for is between two nouns. Oʻzbekistonning poytaxti is also correct.

  3. Maktab direktori bugun kelmadi.

    The school principal did not come today.

    Word by Word: school principal-its today did-not-come

  4. Avtobus bekati qayerda?

    Where is the bus stop?

  5. Kitob doʻkoniga boraman.

    I am going to the bookshop.

    Word by Word: book shop-its-to I-go

    The case ending -ga comes after the possessive: doʻkon + i + ga.

  6. Olma sharbatini yaxshi koʻraman.

    I love apple juice.

    Word by Word: apple juice-its-(object) well I-see

    Sharbat + i + ni: the object ending follows the possessive.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the possessive ending along with -ning.

    Oʻzbek tilni oʻrganyapman.
    Oʻzbek tilini oʻrganyapman.

    Only -ning can drop. The second noun still needs -i or -si, so til becomes tili, and the object form is tilini.

  • Putting a word inside the pair without adding -ning.

    Maktab yangi direktori keldi.
    Maktabning yangi direktori keldi.

    Nothing can stand between the two nouns of a bare pair. When you add yangi (new) between them, the first noun needs -ning.

  • Leaving -ning off a pronoun owner.

    Men kitobim shu yerda.
    Mening kitobim shu yerda.

    A pronoun that owns something always takes -ning: mening kitobim. You can also leave the pronoun out: Kitobim shu yerda.

How It Connects

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

Noun Pairs Without -ningLevel 2

Learn This First

Builds on Possessor Plus Possessed.

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Patterns that build on this one.