-(a)yotib

On the Way: -(a)yotib

Level 5

-(a)yotib means while in the middle of doing. With verbs of going and coming, it means on the way: Uyga kelayotib, nonvoyxonaga kirdim (On my way home, I stopped at the bakery).

How It Works

1. Building it

  • after a consonant, -ayotib: kel- → kelayotib, ket- → ketayotib
  • after a vowel, -yotib: oʻqi- → oʻqiyotib, ishla- → ishlayotib

It takes no personal ending. The main verb shows who and when: Ishga ketayotib, eski doʻstimni koʻrib qoldim (On my way to work, I ran into an old friend).

2. In the middle of an action
The -(a)yotib action has started but is not finished: Ovqat qilayotib, qoʻlimni kesib oldim (I cut my hand while cooking). This comes from the same -(a)yot- as -(a)yotgan.

3. Compared with other forms

  • -(i)b: the first action is finished before the next: Uyga kelib, ovqatlandim (I came home and ate).
  • -(a)yotganda: takes a possessive ending, so it can name a different person: Men uyga kelayotganimda, yomgʻir yogʻdi (As I was coming home, it rained).
  • -ar ekan: a written, storytelling way to say while.

4. With personal endings
In some regional speech and older writing, you may also meet it as a verb with personal endings, as in kelayotibdi (he is coming). Standard Uzbek says kelyapti for that.

Examples (5)

  1. Uyga kelayotib, nonvoyxonaga kirdim.

    On my way home, I stopped at the bakery.

    Word by Word: Home-to coming, bakery-to I-entered.

  2. Ishga ketayotib, eski doʻstimni koʻrib qoldim.

    On my way to work, I ran into an old friend.

    Word by Word: Work-to going, old friend-my-ACC seeing I-remained.

  3. Kitob oʻqiyotib, uxlab qolibman.

    I fell asleep while reading a book.

    Word by Word: Book reading, sleeping I-remained-it-seems.

  4. Ovqat qilayotib, qoʻlimni kesib oldim.

    I cut my hand while cooking.

    Word by Word: Food making, hand-my-ACC cutting I-took.

  5. Maktabdan qaytayotib, yomgʻir ostida qoldik.

    We got caught in the rain on our way back from school.

    Word by Word: School-from returning, rain under-its-at we-remained.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ayotib to a verb that ends in a vowel.

    Kitob oʻqiayotib, uxlab qolibman.
    Kitob oʻqiyotib, uxlab qolibman.

    After a vowel, the ending is -yotib: oʻqi- becomes oʻqiyotib.

  • Using -(a)yotib for an action that finished before the next one (meant: I came home and then ate).

    Uyga kelayotib, ovqatlandim.
    Uyga kelib, ovqatlandim.

    Kelayotib means "on the way home", so it says you ate on the way. For "and then", use -(i)b.

How It Connects

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

-(a)yotibLevel 5On the Way: -(a)yotib

Learn This First

Builds on The Present Participle -(a)yotgan and Linking Actions With -(i)b.