bugun / ertaga / kecha

Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday

Level 1

bugun = today, ertaga = tomorrow, kecha = yesterday. Put them near the start, with no -da.

How It Works

Where they go. Put the time word first, or right after the subject. The verb stays at the end, as in basic word order.

  • Bugun ishlayman. (I am working today.)
  • Men ertaga kelaman. (I will come tomorrow.)

No -da. To say when something happens, these three words need no ending, just like today in English. Ertaga already ends in -ga, so never add -da to it, or to bugun and kecha. Other endings can still add a new meaning: ertagacha (until tomorrow) with -gacha, and bugundan boshlab (starting today) with -dan.

Match the tense.

  • With ertaga, use the present-future: Ertaga boraman. (I will go tomorrow.)
  • With kecha, use the past with -di: Kecha bordim. (I went yesterday.)
  • Bugun goes with any tense, depending on what you mean: Bugun boraman (I will go today), Bugun bordim (I went today).

kecha also means night. The same word kecha can mean night or evening, and kechasi means at night. The sentence tells you which meaning is used: Kecha keldim is "I came yesterday".

Before a noun, these words take -gi: bugungi (today's), kechagi (yesterday's) and ertangi (tomorrow's), which has its own shape.

Examples (6)

  1. Bugun havo issiq.

    It is hot today.

    Word by Word: Today weather hot.

    Bugun also fits a sentence with no verb at all.

  2. Men ertaga Samarqandga boraman.

    I am going to Samarkand tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I tomorrow Samarkand-to I-will-go.

    ertaga comes after the subject; the verb is present-future.

  3. Kecha kinoga bordik.

    We went to the cinema yesterday.

    Word by Word: Yesterday cinema-to we-went.

    kecha goes with the past tense -di.

  4. Bugun ishlaysizmi?

    Are you working today?

    Word by Word: Today do-you-work-Q?

  5. Ertaga dam olamiz.

    We will rest tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow rest we-will-take.

  6. Kecha yomgʻir yogʻdi.

    It rained yesterday.

    Word by Word: Yesterday rain fell.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -da to a time word.

    Ertagada kelaman.
    Ertaga kelaman.

    To say when, bugun, ertaga and kecha need no -da. Ertaga already ends in -ga.

  • Using the past tense with ertaga.

    Ertaga keldim.
    Ertaga kelaman.

    keldim means "I came", which cannot happen tomorrow. Use the present-future kelaman.

How It Connects

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

bugun / ertaga / kechaLevel 1Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday

Learn This First

Builds on Present-Future Tense.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

bugunertagakecha