Necha yoshdasiz?

Saying Your Age

Level 2

Uzbek says you are at an age: yigirma yosh + -da + -man → yigirma yoshdaman (I am twenty). The question is Necha yoshdasiz? (How old are you?).

How It Works

English says I am twenty years old. Uzbek says, in effect, I am at twenty years, using yosh (age) with the ending -da.

  • I: yigirma yosh + -da + -man → yigirma yoshdaman (I am twenty). See -man (kesimlik).
  • You (polite): Necha yoshdasiz? (How old are you?). See -siz (kesimlik).
  • You (familiar): Necha yoshdasan?, for example to a child.
  • He or she: no ending at all, as in every third-person noun sentence: Oʻgʻlim uch yoshda (My son is three).

necha, not nechta. Age is asked with necha (see nechta / necha), and the number goes straight before yosh, with no -ta: besh yoshda (five years old).

Another way to ask. You will also hear Yoshingiz nechada?, literally Your age is at how many?

Turning an age. yoshga toʻlmoq means to turn an age: Buvim sakson yoshga toʻldi (My grandmother turned eighty).

Before a noun, use yoshli: besh yoshli bola (a five-year-old child). See -li.

Examples (6)

  1. Necha yoshdasiz?

    How old are you?

    Word by Word: How-many age-at-you-are?

    necha + yosh + -da + -siz.

  2. Men yigirma yoshdaman.

    I am twenty.

    Word by Word: I twenty age-at-I-am.

  3. Oʻgʻlim uch yoshda.

    My son is three.

    Word by Word: Son-my three age-at.

    He or she takes no person ending.

  4. Singlim oʻn yetti yoshda.

    My younger sister is seventeen.

    Word by Word: Younger-sister-my ten seven age-at.

  5. Buvim kecha sakson yoshga toʻldi.

    My grandmother turned eighty yesterday.

    Word by Word: Grandmother-my yesterday eighty age-to filled.

    yoshga toʻlmoq means to turn an age.

  6. Ularning besh yoshli qizi bor.

    They have a five-year-old daughter.

    Word by Word: Their five age-with daughter-their exists.

    yoshli describes a noun: besh yoshli qiz.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out -da.

    Men yigirma yoshman.
    Men yigirma yoshdaman.

    Age needs -da before the person ending. Men yoshman on its own means I am young.

  • Adding an ending for he or she.

    U besh yoshdadi.
    U besh yoshda.

    In a noun sentence about he or she, there is no person ending: U besh yoshda.

How It Connects

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

Necha yoshdasiz?Level 2Saying Your Age

Learn This First

Builds on In, At or On: -da, How Many and Tens, Hundreds and Thousands.

Words in This Pattern

nechayoshda