-chi (soʻroq yuklamasi)

What About...? with -chi

Level 2

Add -chi to a word to ask what about it?: Men yaxshiman, siz-chi? (I'm fine, and you?).

How It Works

English often asks And you? or What about tomorrow? Uzbek does this with one particle, -chi, on the word you want to ask about:

  • Men yaxshiman, siz-chi? (I'm fine, and you?)
  • Bugun boʻshmisiz? Ertaga-chi? (Are you free today? What about tomorrow?)
  • Choy bor. Qahva-chi? (There is tea. What about coffee?)

The listener understands the rest from what was just said, so the short question is enough. Say it with a rising voice, like a question.

No -mi needed. -chi already makes the question, so do not add -mi.

Spelling. By the official spelling rules, -chi is written with a hyphen: sen-chi, siz-chi. This keeps it apart from the word-building ending -chi, which is written together: ishchi means worker, but ish-chi? means what about work?

It works after any word, including possessive forms like seniki: Seniki-chi? (What about yours?). After a command, the same particle softens it instead; see -chi (buyruq yuklamasi).

Examples (5)

  1. Men yaxshiman, siz-chi?

    I'm fine, and you?

    Word by Word: I good-am, you-CHI?

  2. Bugun boʻshmisiz? Ertaga-chi?

    Are you free today? What about tomorrow?

    Word by Word: Today free-Q-are? Tomorrow-CHI?

  3. Akam Toshkentda yashaydi. Opangiz-chi?

    My older brother lives in Tashkent. What about your older sister?

    Word by Word: Older-brother-my Tashkent-in lives. Older-sister-your-CHI?

  4. Mening kalitim shu yerda. Seniki-chi?

    My key is here. What about yours?

    Word by Word: My key-my this place-in. Yours-CHI?

  5. Choy bor. Qahva-chi?

    There is tea. What about coffee?

    Word by Word: Tea exists. Coffee-CHI?

Common Mistakes

  • Writing -chi without the hyphen.

    Men yaxshiman, sizchi?
    Men yaxshiman, siz-chi?

    The question particle -chi is written with a hyphen. Without it the word can look like a different word, as with ishchi (worker) and ish-chi? (what about work?).

  • Translating What about you? word for word (meant: And you?).

    Siz haqingizda nima?
    Siz-chi?

    Siz haqingizda nima? sounds like what is there about you? The natural way to turn the question back is siz-chi?

  • Adding -mi as well.

    Ertaga-chimi?
    Ertaga-chi?

    -chi already makes the question, so -mi is not added.

How It Connects

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

-chi (soʻroq yuklamasi)Level 2What About...? with -chi

Learn This First

Builds on Yes-No Questions With -mi.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.