nima

What

Level 1

Nima means what. It asks about things, animals and ideas: Bu nima? (What is this?).

How It Works

Nima asks about anything that is not a person. For people, use kim.

Where it goes. Uzbek does not move question words to the front. Nima stands in the slot where the answer will go, which is usually just before the verb:

  • Siz nima ichasiz? What will you drink? → Men choy ichaman. I will drink tea.
  • Bu nima? What is this? → Bu kitob. This is a book.

No -mi. The question word already makes the sentence a question, so do not add -mi.

Endings. Nima takes case endings like any noun:

  • nimani: what, as a specific object (-ni): Nimani izlayapsiz? (What are you looking for?)
  • nimaga: what for, and in everyday speech, why: Nimaga? (What for?). For a plain why, see nega / nima uchun.
  • nimada: in what, on what. With bilan: nima bilan (with what, by what).
  • nimalar: what things, when you expect several: Nimalar olasiz? (What things will you buy?)

Nima qilmoq. With the verb qilmoq (to do), nima asks what someone is doing: Nima qilyapsiz? (What are you doing?).

Examples (5)

  1. Bu nima?

    What is this?

    Word by Word: This what?

    No verb is needed in a noun sentence.

  2. Nima qilyapsiz?

    What are you doing?

    Word by Word: What doing-are-you?

    nima + qilmoq asks about an action.

  3. Nimani izlayapsiz?

    What are you looking for?

    Word by Word: What-object looking-are-you?

    nima + -ni → nimani: you ask about a specific thing.

  4. Nima bilan borasiz?

    How will you get there?

    Word by Word: What with go-you?

    Literally "with what will you go?": the answer is a vehicle, as in Avtobus bilan (By bus).

  5. Ismingiz nima?

    What is your name?

    Word by Word: Name-your what?

    nima stands where the answer goes: Ismim Aziz.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -mi to a question with nima.

    Bu nimami?
    Bu nima?

    Nima already makes the sentence a question. -mi is only for yes-no questions.

  • Using nima for a person.

    Bu nima? – Bu Aziz.
    Bu kim? – Bu Aziz.

    The answer is a person, so the question needs kim. Nima is for things and animals.

  • Moving nima to the front.

    Nima siz ichasiz?
    Siz nima ichasiz?

    Uzbek keeps the question word where the answer goes, just before the verb. It comes first only when nothing else is in front of it: Nima ichasiz?

How It Connects

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nimaLevel 1What

Learn This First

Builds on Yes-No Questions With -mi.

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Words in This Pattern

nima