-gina

Only, Just: -gina

Level 4

Word + -gina = only, just, or a little: bir soatgina (only an hour), ozgina (just a little), kichikkina (tiny).

How It Works

1. Three spellings
The spelling rules give -gina the same k and q forms as other endings that start with g, as in G-Initial Endings After K and Q:

  • after k: kichik → kichikkina (tiny)
  • after q: qoʻshiq → qoʻshiqqina (just a song)
  • everywhere else: soat → soatgina, men → mengina

It is always written joined to the word, never with a hyphen.

2. Only, just
On numbers, amounts, nouns and pronouns, -gina limits the meaning, much like Only. The two often appear together:

  • Bir soatgina kutdim. (I waited only an hour.)
  • Faqat birgina savolim bor. (I have just one question.)
  • Buni sizgagina aytyapman. (I'm telling this only to you.)

With this meaning, -gina goes at the very end of the word, after the case ending: sizga + gina.

3. A little, gently, dear
On adjectives and adverbs, -gina makes the word sound small, soft or warm:

  • oz → ozgina (a little)
  • sekin → sekingina (very quietly, gently)
  • yaxshi → yaxshigina (quite nice, pretty good)
  • kichkina → kichkinagina (tiny, teeny)

With family words it can show tenderness, as in opaginam (my dear sister). Here it comes before the possessive ending.

4. Related ideas
For small things, compare Little Things With -cha. For small amounts, compare A Lot and A Little.

Examples (6)

  1. Bir soatgina kutdim, keyin ketdim.

    I waited just an hour, then I left.

    Word by Word: one hour-only I-waited then I-left

  2. Choyga ozgina shakar soling.

    Put a little sugar in the tea.

  3. Faqat birgina savolim bor.

    I have just one question.

    Faqat and -gina often work together to stress only.

  4. Buni sizgagina aytyapman.

    I'm telling this only to you.

    Word by Word: this-(object) to-you-only I-am-telling

    When -gina means only, it comes after the case ending: sizga + gina.

  5. Bola sekingina eshikni ochdi.

    The child opened the door very quietly.

  6. Ular kichkinagina uyda yashaydi.

    They live in a tiny little house.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing -gina after k instead of -kina.

    Kichikgina bola yigʻlayapti.
    Kichikkina bola yigʻlayapti.

    After k, the ending is spelled -kina: kichik → kichikkina. After q, it is -qina.

  • Writing -gina with a hyphen or a space.

    Bir soat-gina kutdim.
    Bir soatgina kutdim.

    Unlike -ku and -da, the particle -gina is always written joined to the word.

How It Connects

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

-ginaLevel 4Only, Just: -gina

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Builds on Only.