eng
The Most: Eng
Eng means the most or -est. Put it right before the adjective: katta → eng katta (the biggest).
How It Works
English makes superlatives with -est or most. Uzbek simply puts the word eng in front of the adjective:
- katta → eng katta (big → the biggest)
- yaxshi → eng yaxshi (good → the best)
- arzon → eng arzon (cheap → the cheapest)
Word order. Eng stays glued to the adjective, and the whole group comes before the noun, as in sifat + ot: eng katta shahar (the biggest city). Uzbek has no word for the, so nothing else is needed.
No -roq. The adjective after eng stays in its plain form. Eng kattaroq is a mistake, just like the most bigger in English.
In a group. To say where something is the best, use a place or group word: U sinfda eng tez yuguradi (He runs the fastest in the class), Oʻzbekistonning eng katta shahri (the biggest city of Uzbekistan).
Before adverbs and koʻp. Eng works with adverbs too: eng tez (fastest), eng koʻp (the most). Eng muhimi means the most important thing.
Another way. You can also compare with everyone using hammadan (than everyone) and -dan: U hammadan baland (He is the tallest, literally taller than everyone).
Examples (5)
- Toshkent — Oʻzbekistonning eng katta shahri.
Tashkent is the biggest city in Uzbekistan.
Word by Word: Tashkent Uzbekistan-of most big city-its.
shahar loses its second a before -i: shahri.
- Aziz — eng yaxshi doʻstim.
Aziz is my best friend.
Word by Word: Aziz most good friend-my.
- Bu eng arzon mehmonxona.
This is the cheapest hotel.
Word by Word: This most cheap hotel.
- U sinfda eng tez yuguradi.
He runs the fastest in the class.
Word by Word: He class-in most fast runs.
eng also works before an adverb like tez.
- Eng muhimi — sogʻliq.
The most important thing is health.
Word by Word: Most important-its health.
muhim + -i turns the adjective into a noun: the important thing.
Common Mistakes
Adding -roq after eng.
Bu eng kattaroq uy.Bu eng katta uy.Eng already means the most, so the adjective stays plain. Use -roq only for comparisons with two things.
Putting eng after the adjective.
Bu katta eng shahar.Bu eng katta shahar.Eng always comes directly before the adjective or adverb it changes.
Using eng to mean most of a group.
Eng talabalar keldi.Talabalarning koʻpchiligi keldi.Eng only goes before adjectives and adverbs. To say most of the students, use koʻpchiligi (the majority).
How It Connects
Learn This First
Builds on Than: -dan.
Related Patterns
- -roqComparing with -roq
The step before eng: kattaroq (bigger) versus eng katta (the biggest).
Level 2 - Adjectives Come First
Explains why eng katta comes before the noun.
Level 1 - judaVery
Juda means very, while eng means the most.
Level 1 - qaysiWhich
Questions like Qaysi biri eng yaxshi? (Which one is the best?) combine the two.
Level 2 - hamma / barchaAll, Everyone
Hamma gives the word hammadan, as in hammadan baland (the tallest of all).
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice eng in Bubblegum
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