The Order of Endings

Level 2

Always stack endings as plural → possessive → case: doʻst + -lar + -im + -dan → doʻstlarimdan (from my friends).

How It Works

English spreads these meanings over separate words (in my books). Uzbek packs them into one word, in a fixed order:

stem → plural → possessive → case → person and question endings

1. Building words step by step

  • kitob → kitoblar → kitoblarim → kitoblarimda (books → my books → in my books)
  • uy → uylar → uylarimiz → uylarimizga (to our houses)
  • doʻst → doʻstlar → doʻstlarim → doʻstlarimdan (from my friends)

Each part keeps its normal shape: -lar, the possessive endings such as -(i)m, and the case endings. See case endings after a possessive for how the last two join.

2. After -lar, the vowel-initial possessive
-lar ends in a consonant, so it takes -im, -ing, -i, -imiz, -ingiz: kitoblarim, kitoblaringiz. The third person is -lari, never -larsi.

3. The sentence endings come last
When the word itself is the predicate, the person ending and the question particle go after the case: Toshkent + -da + -miz → Toshkentdamiz (we are in Tashkent). With you, -mi usually comes before the person ending: uy + -da + -mi + -siz → uydamisiz? (are you at home?). With I and we, it comes after: Toshkentdamizmi? (are we in Tashkent?). See -mi.

4. A look-alike exception
With family members, colloquial Uzbek can put -lar after the possessive to show respect: dadamlar (my father, said with respect). It does not make anything plural. For ordinary plurals keep -lar first: kitoblarim, never kitobimlar. See the plural of respect.

Examples (5)

  1. Kitoblarimda koʻp rasm bor.

    There are lots of pictures in my books.

    Word by Word: Book-s-my-in many picture there-is.

    kitob + -lar + -im + -da: plural, possessive, case.

  2. Doʻstlarimdan xat keldi.

    A letter came from my friends.

    Word by Word: Friend-s-my-from letter came.

    doʻst + -lar + -im + -dan.

  3. Bolalarimizga sovgʻa oldik.

    We bought presents for our children.

    Word by Word: Child-ren-our-to present took-we.

    bola + -lar + -imiz + -ga.

  4. Hozir biz Toshkentdamiz.

    We are in Tashkent now.

    Word by Word: Now we Tashkent-in-are-we.

    The person ending -miz comes after the case ending.

  5. Doʻstlaringiz uydami?

    Are your friends at home?

    Word by Word: Friend-s-your house-at-?

    doʻst + -lar + -ingiz, and uy + -da + -mi.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the possessive before the plural.

    Kitobimlarda koʻp rasm bor.
    Kitoblarimda koʻp rasm bor.

    For a plural of things, -lar sits right after the stem: kitob + -lar + -im + -da.

  • Putting the case ending before the possessive.

    Doʻstlardanim xat keldi.
    Doʻstlarimdan xat keldi.

    The case ending always comes after the possessive: doʻst + -lar + -im + -dan.

How It Connects

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

The Order of EndingsLevel 2

Learn This First

Builds on Their: -lari and Case Endings After a Possessive.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.