Third Person Takes No Ending
For he, she, it and they, Uzbek simply puts the two parts side by side: U oʻqituvchi (She is a teacher), Havo issiq (The weather is hot), Ular uyda (They are at home).
How It Works
Zero is an ending too
Compare the persons: Men talabaman, Sen talabasan, Biz talabamiz, Siz talabasiz, but U talaba. The empty slot is what marks he, she or it. The subject comes first and the describing word comes last.
What can be the describing word
- A noun: Onam shifokor (My mother is a doctor).
- An adjective: Choy tayyor (The tea is ready).
- A place: Akangiz uyda (Your brother is at home).
Do not add bor for "is"
Bor means "there is" or "exists"; it is not the word for is. U oʻqituvchi needs nothing else.
Questions and negatives
For a question, add only -mi: Akangiz uydami? (Is your brother at home?). For a negative, add emas: U oʻqituvchi emas (She is not a teacher).
They
With ular, -lar on the describing word is optional: Ular uyda and Ular uydalar are both correct.
The written -dir
Formal and written Uzbek sometimes adds -dir to a third-person statement: Bu muhimdir (This is important). In conversation it is left out, and -dir also has a "probably" meaning; see Probably: -dir.
A dash in writing
When both parts are nouns, written Uzbek often puts a dash between them: Toshkent — Oʻzbekiston poytaxti (Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan).
Examples (6)
- U oʻqituvchi.
She is a teacher.
Word by Word: She teacher.
The same sentence could mean he; there is no ending and no word for is.
- Havo issiq.
The weather is hot.
Word by Word: Weather hot.
- Ular uyda.
They are at home.
Word by Word: They home-at.
- Onam shifokor.
My mother is a doctor.
Word by Word: Mother-my doctor.
- Akangiz uydami?
Is your brother at home?
Word by Word: Brother-your home-at-Q?
For a question, only -mi is added.
- Toshkent — Oʻzbekiston poytaxti.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan.
Word by Word: Tashkent — Uzbekistan capital-its.
In writing, a dash often separates two nouns.
Common Mistakes
Using bor as the word for is.
U oʻqituvchi bor.U oʻqituvchi.Bor means "there is" or "exists". A third-person noun sentence needs no extra word.
Using u as a dummy "it" for the weather, to mean "It is hot today."
Bugun u issiq.Bugun havo issiq.Uzbek has no empty "it". Bugun u issiq means a particular person or thing is hot today; for the weather, name havo or just say Bugun issiq.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Builds on He, She or It and I Am: -man.
Related Patterns
- ularThey
With ular the describing word may take -lar, but it is not required.
Level 1 - emasSaying Something Is Not
Emas makes a third-person noun sentence negative: U oʻqituvchi emas.
Level 1 - borThere Is
Bor means there is; it is not a word for is.
Level 1 - -dir (ehtimol)Probably: -dir
The -dir that formal writing adds can also mean probably.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Third Person Takes No Ending in Bubblegum
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