-mish

The Old Participle -mish

Level 6

-mish is an old past participle, what has happened. It lives on in a few nouns: oʻt- (pass) → oʻtmish (the past), kech- (go through) → kechmish (someone's past, their life story).

How It Works

1. Nouns made with -mish

  • oʻtmish (the past): Oʻtmishni unutmaylik (Let us not forget the past).
  • kechmish (someone's past, their life story): U menga kechmishini aytib berdi (She told me her life story).
  • qilmish (a deed, usually a bad one): qilmishi uchun javob bermoq (to answer for one's deeds).

These nouns take endings like any other: oʻtmishda (in the past), oʻtmishimiz (our past). With -dosh, oʻtmish also gives oʻtmishdosh (predecessor).

2. deb atalmish: called, so-called
Atalmish (named) comes after deb: hayot deb atalmish yoʻl (the road called life). It is common in writing and speeches.

3. In poetry
Poets still use -mish as a past form, much like -gan: kelmish (has come), oʻzgarmish (has changed). Read it as a past; in your own speech use -gan or -di.

4. Not the hearsay -mish
The short form of emish sounds the same, but it follows -ar or -gan and means they say: kelarmish, kelganmish. The old participle goes straight onto the verb stem: oʻt- → oʻtmish.

Examples (6)

  1. Har bir xalqning oʻz oʻtmishi bor.

    Every nation has its own past.

    Word by Word: Every one nation-of own past-its there-is.

  2. Oʻtmishda bu yerda katta bozor boʻlgan.

    In the past there was a big market here.

    Word by Word: Past-in this place-at big market has-been.

  3. Chol bizga kechmishini soʻzlab berdi.

    The old man told us his life story.

    Word by Word: Old-man us-to past-his-(object) telling gave.

  4. U oʻz qilmishidan uyaldi.

    He was ashamed of what he had done.

    Word by Word: He own deed-his-from was-ashamed.

  5. Hayot deb atalmish yoʻlda koʻp sinovlar bor.

    On the road called life there are many trials.

    Word by Word: Life saying named road-on many trials there-are.

  6. Bogʻlarga bahor kelmish.

    Spring has come to the gardens.

    Word by Word: Gardens-to spring has-come.

    A poetic past; in everyday speech: Bogʻlarga bahor keldi.

Common Mistakes

  • Using oʻtmish for last (meant: I went to Tashkent last week).

    Oʻtmish hafta Toshkentga bordim.
    Oʻtgan hafta Toshkentga bordim.

    Oʻtmish is a noun, the past. For last week or last year, use the participle oʻtgan.

How It Connects

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

-mishLevel 6The Old Participle -mish

Learn This First

Builds on The Past Participle -gan and They Say: emish.