kim

Who

Level 1

Kim means who. It asks about people: Bu kim? (Who is this?), Uyda kim bor? (Who is at home?).

How It Works

Kim asks about people. Put it in the slot where the answer will go, and give it the ending the answer would have:

  • kim: who, as the subject: Kim keladi? (Who is coming?)
  • kimni: whom, as the object (-ni): Kimni kutyapsiz? (Who are you waiting for?) → Akamni kutyapman.
  • kimga: to whom (-ga): Kimga yozasiz? (Who will you write to?)
  • kimda: who has it, on whom (-da): Kalit kimda? (Who has the key?)
  • kim bilan: with whom (bilan): Kim bilan yashaysiz? (Who do you live with?)

Later you will meet kimning (whose), kimdan (from whom) and kimniki (whose is it); see -niki.

Person endings. Kim can take the you are ending: Siz kimsiz? (Who are you?). It can also be plural when you expect several people: Kimlar keladi? (Who is coming?).

People only. Uzbek uses kim for people and nima for everything else, animals included. A question with kim never takes -mi.

Examples (6)

  1. Bu kim?

    Who is this?

    Word by Word: This who?

    A noun sentence: no verb needed.

  2. Uyda kim bor?

    Who is at home?

    Word by Word: House-at who exists?

    kim is the subject of bor.

  3. Kimni kutyapsiz?

    Who are you waiting for?

    Word by Word: Whom waiting-are-you?

    kutmoq takes a -ni object, so kim becomes kimni.

  4. Kimga yozasiz?

    Who will you write to?

    Word by Word: To-whom write-you?

    kim + -ga → kimga, like the answer Onamga (to my mother).

  5. Kim bilan yashaysiz?

    Who do you live with?

    Word by Word: Who with live-you?

    bilan after kim means "with whom".

  6. Kimlar keladi?

    Who is coming?

    Word by Word: Who-plural comes?

    The plural kimlar expects several people in the answer.

Common Mistakes

  • Using kim for an animal.

    Bu kim? – Bu mushuk.
    Bu nima? – Bu mushuk.

    The answer is an animal, so the question needs nima. Kim is only for people.

  • Leaving kim without the case ending the verb needs.

    Kim kutyapsiz?
    Kimni kutyapsiz?

    The person you wait for is the object of kutmoq, so kim needs -ni, just as the answer would: Akamni kutyapman.

How It Connects

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kimLevel 1Who

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Builds on What and The Definite Object Ending -ni.

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Words in This Pattern

kimbilan