boʻlmoq

To Be, To Become

Level 2

Boʻlmoq is the verb for to become and to be whenever the plain present is not enough: shifokor boʻlaman (I will be a doctor), Nima boʻldi? (What happened?).

How It Works

Uzbek has no everyday verb for is in the present. Men talabaman means I am a student with just an ending. Boʻlmoq steps in when the sentence needs a real verb. Its stem is boʻl-, and it takes the same endings as any other verb.

1. To become. U oʻqituvchi boʻldi (She became a teacher). Havo sovuq boʻldi (It got cold).

2. To be in the future. With the present-future ending, boʻlaman, boʻlasan, boʻladi mean will be: Men shifokor boʻlaman (I will be a doctor), Ertaga havo issiq boʻladi (It will be hot tomorrow). This is the usual way to talk about what someone will be or become. For things that are generally true, boʻladi can also mean usually is: Qishda havo sovuq boʻladi (It is cold in winter).

3. Be! in commands. Ehtiyot boʻling! (Be careful!) and Tinch boʻl! (Be calm!) use the command forms.

4. To happen. Nima boʻldi? (What happened?) and Nima boʻlyapti? (What's going on?) are everyday questions. Kecha toʻy boʻldi means There was a wedding yesterday.

5. Short set phrases. Boʻldi! means That's enough! or Done! Boʻladi means OK, that works, and Boʻladimi? asks Is that OK?

Having been somewhere. With a place in -da and the -gan past, boʻlmoq means to have been to: Men Xivada boʻlganman (I have been to Khiva).

Not in the plain present. Men talaba boʻlaman means I will be a student, not I am a student. For the plain past, edi is the usual choice: Men talaba edim (I was a student).

A separate verb with the same spelling, boʻlmoq, means to divide. The sentence always makes clear which one you have.

Examples (6)

  1. Men shifokor boʻlaman.

    I will be a doctor.

    Word by Word: I doctor will-be-I.

    The present-future ending gives will be.

  2. U oʻqituvchi boʻldi.

    She became a teacher.

    Word by Word: She teacher became.

    The -di past of boʻlmoq means became.

  3. Ertaga havo issiq boʻladi.

    It will be hot tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow weather hot will-be.

  4. Nima boʻldi?

    What happened?

    Word by Word: What happened?

    Boʻlmoq also means to happen.

  5. Ehtiyot boʻling!

    Be careful!

    Word by Word: Careful be!

    The polite command form of boʻlmoq.

  6. Boʻldi, rahmat!

    That's enough, thank you!

    Word by Word: It-became, thanks!

    A set phrase, for example when someone keeps filling your cup.

Common Mistakes

  • Using boʻlaman for I am right now.

    Men talaba boʻlaman. (meaning: I am a student)
    Men talabaman.

    Boʻlaman means I will be. For I am, just add -man to the noun.

  • Asking what happened with qilmoq.

    Nima qildi? (meaning: What happened?)
    Nima boʻldi?

    Nima qildi? asks what someone did. For what happened, use boʻldi.

  • Using qilmoq for a feeling you had.

    Men juda xursand qildim. (meaning: I was very glad)
    Men juda xursand boʻldim.

    Xursand qilmoq means to make someone happy, so it needs a person. For I was glad, use xursand boʻldim.

How It Connects

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

boʻlmoqLevel 2To Be, To Become

Learn This First

Builds on Was and Were: edi.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

boʻlmoq