faqat

Only

Level 2

Faqat means only. Put it right before the word it limits: faqat choy (only tea), faqat siz (only you).

How It Works

English lets only move around the sentence. Uzbek keeps faqat right in front of the word it limits, so its position tells you exactly what is meant.

  • Before a person: Faqat siz qoldingiz (Only you are left).
  • Before a number or amount: faqat bir soat (only one hour), faqat ikkita olma (only two apples).
  • Before an object or a time: Anvar faqat choy ichadi (Anvar drinks only tea), faqat shanba kuni (only on Saturday).

Adding -gina. For extra stress, Uzbek often puts -gina on the limited word as well: faqat bir soatgina (just one hour). The single word faqatgina also means only, with a little more weight. Both are written as one word, with no hyphen.

Faqat can also join sentences. Between two clauses it adds a small condition, like English only or but: Mayli, boring, faqat tez qayting (All right, go, only come back quickly). Here it works like a softer lekin.

Not only. Put emas after the limited word: Faqat men emas, hamma biladi (Not only me, everyone knows). Formal writing prefers nafaqat; see nafaqat ... balki ... ham.

Examples (6)

  1. Faqat bir soat qoldi.

    Only one hour is left.

    Word by Word: Only one hour remained.

    faqat limits bir soat. qoldi (remained) is how Uzbek says what is left.

  2. Faqat siz qoldingiz.

    Only you are left.

    Word by Word: Only you remained.

  3. Anvar faqat choy ichadi.

    Anvar drinks only tea.

    Word by Word: Anvar only tea drinks.

    faqat stands before choy, so tea is what is limited.

  4. Faqat Anvar choy ichadi.

    Only Anvar drinks tea.

    Word by Word: Only Anvar tea drinks.

    Now faqat stands before Anvar: nobody else drinks tea.

  5. Doʻkon faqat shanba kuni ishlaydi.

    The shop is open only on Saturday.

    Word by Word: Shop only Saturday day works.

  6. Mayli, boring, faqat tez qayting.

    All right, go, only come back quickly.

    Word by Word: OK, go, only quickly return.

    Here faqat joins two clauses and adds a condition.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting faqat before the wrong word when you mean "I speak only Uzbek".

    Faqat men oʻzbekcha gapiraman.
    Men faqat oʻzbekcha gapiraman.

    Faqat men means only I, so the first sentence says nobody else speaks Uzbek. To limit the language, put faqat right before oʻzbekcha.

  • Writing faqatgina with a hyphen.

    Faqat-gina bir soat qoldi.
    Faqatgina bir soat qoldi.

    The particle -gina is always written attached to the word before it, so faqatgina is one word.

How It Connects

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

faqatLevel 2Only

Learn This First

Builds on Also, Too.

Words in This Pattern

faqat