sen
You (Familiar)
sen means you when you talk to one close person: a friend, a younger brother or sister, or a child. Sen qayerdasan? (Where are you?)
How It Works
Uzbek has two words for you. sen is warm and familiar. siz is polite, and is also the you for several people.
Use sen with:
- close friends of your own age
- younger brothers, sisters and cousins
- children
Use siz with teachers, older people, colleagues, shop staff and anyone you have just met. Many Uzbek children say siz to their own parents. When in doubt, choose siz: switching from siz to sen is easy, but calling a teacher sen sounds rude.
The examples below use sen with the ending -san:
- with a noun: Sen yaxshi bolasan. (bola + -san)
- with a verb: Sen choy ichasanmi? (ich- + -a + -san + -mi)
Your is sening, plus the ending -(i)ng on the noun: sening isming (your name). The other forms are seni (you, as an object) and senga (to you).
To talk to a group of friends, use sizlar. Commands to one friend use the bare verb: Kel! (Come!). See familiar commands.
Examples (5)
- Sen qayerdasan?
Where are you?
Word by Word: You where-at-are-you?
Sen goes with -san. This is how you text a close friend.
- Sen yaxshi bolasan.
You're a good kid.
Word by Word: You good child-are-you.
Said to a child, so sen is natural.
- Sen choy ichasanmi?
Do you want some tea?
Word by Word: You tea drink-you-?
-mi goes after -san on a verb.
- Sening isming nima?
What's your name?
Word by Word: Your name-your what?
Sening and -ing both mean your. This is how you ask a child.
- Doʻstim, sen ham kelasanmi?
My friend, are you coming too?
Word by Word: Friend-my, you also come-you-?
Doʻstim (my friend) shows why sen fits here.
Common Mistakes
Using sen with a teacher or an older person.
Ustoz, sen qayerdasan?Ustoz, siz qayerdasiz?The grammar is fine, but sen sounds rude to a teacher. Use siz and -siz with older people and people you do not know well.
Using the polite ending with sen.
Sen qayerdasiz?Sen qayerdasan?Sen and siz each have their own ending. Sen goes with -san, and siz goes with -siz.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Builds on I.
Related Patterns
- sizYou (Polite or Plural)
Say you politely or to more than one person.
Level 1 - -sanYou Are (Familiar): -san
Use the ending that goes with sen.
Level 1 - -(i)ng (egalik)Your (Familiar): -(i)ng
Say your to a close friend.
Level 1 - sizlarYou All
Talk to a group of friends.
Level 2 - Familiar Commands
Tell a friend to do something.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice sen in Bubblegum
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