The Dropped Vowel

Level 2

Before a vowel-initial ending, some nouns drop their last vowel: burun + -im → burnim (my nose), shahar + -i → shahri. Before a consonant ending they keep it: shaharda.

How It Works

The official spelling rules list this change for words such as oʻrin, qorin, burun, oʻgʻil, boʻyin, koʻngil: the vowel of the second syllable is neither said nor written when a possessive ending is added.

1. Common words that do it

  • ogʻiz → ogʻzim (my mouth), ogʻzingiz (your mouth)
  • burun → burnim (my nose)
  • qorin → qornim (my stomach)
  • boʻyin → boʻynim (my neck)
  • oʻgʻil → oʻgʻlim (my son), oʻgʻli (his son)
  • singil → singlim (my younger sister)
  • koʻngil → koʻngli (his or her heart, mood)
  • oʻrin → oʻrnim (my place, my seat)
  • shahar → shahri (its city), shahrimiz (our city)

Many are body parts and family words, so you meet them early.

2. Only before a vowel
Before an ending that starts with a consonant, the full word stays: shaharda (in the city), shaharlar (cities), oʻgʻillar (sons). Case endings start with a consonant, so shaharga keeps the vowel, while shahrimizga (to our city) has already lost it to the possessive.

3. A word list, not a general rule
Most nouns keep their vowel: kitob → kitobim, qalam → qalamim, daftar → daftarim. When you learn one of the dropping nouns, learn its possessive form with it.

4. Place names
The shahri form appears in names such as Toshkent shahri (the city of Tashkent), a noun pair without -ning.

Examples (6)

  1. Ogʻzingizni oching.

    Open your mouth.

    Word by Word: Mouth-your-the open.

    ogʻiz + -ingiz + -ni → ogʻzingizni. The i of ogʻiz drops.

  2. Oʻgʻlim maktabda oʻqiydi.

    My son goes to school.

    Word by Word: Son-my school-at studies.

    oʻgʻil + -im → oʻgʻlim.

  3. Singlimning ismi Nodira.

    My younger sister's name is Nodira.

    Word by Word: Younger-sister-my's name-her Nodira.

    singil + -im → singlim, then -ning.

  4. Qornim och.

    I'm hungry.

    Word by Word: Stomach-my hungry.

    qorin + -im → qornim. Uzbek says my stomach is hungry.

  5. Toshkent shahri juda katta.

    The city of Tashkent is very big.

    Word by Word: Tashkent city-its very big.

    shahar + -i → shahri.

  6. Men shaharda yashayman.

    I live in the city.

    Word by Word: I city-in live-I.

    -da starts with a consonant, so shahar keeps its vowel.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the vowel before a vowel-initial ending.

    Oʻgʻilim maktabda oʻqiydi.
    Oʻgʻlim maktabda oʻqiydi.

    Oʻgʻil is one of the nouns that drop their last vowel before a possessive ending: oʻgʻlim.

  • Dropping the vowel before a consonant ending.

    Men shahrda yashayman.
    Men shaharda yashayman.

    The vowel drops only before an ending that starts with a vowel. -da starts with a consonant, so write shaharda.

  • Dropping the vowel in an ordinary noun.

    Qalmim qayerda?
    Qalamim qayerda?

    Only a small set of nouns lose their vowel. Qalam is not one of them.

How It Connects

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

The Dropped VowelLevel 2

Learn This First

Builds on Case Endings After a Possessive.