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Introduction to Uzbek:
Lesson 1

By GBarto

This is the first of five lessons to introduce some basic Uzbek structures and a limited vocabulary to use in them. In the last lesson , all you have learned will be put together so that you can take part in a short dialog about finding a hotel room. The lessons should be done in sequence.

If you’ve got a question about your response to a question, click the English. The checker doesn’t always correctly recognize words with internal apostrophes.

Let’s start!

The word for this is bu.
The word for coffee is kofe.

Uzbek doesn’t use a word for is in the present tense. To say This is coffee, you simply say This-coffee. Let’s try it.

This-coffee.

Answer: Bu-kofe.
Not correct. Please try again.

You should have said Bu-kofe.

The word for good is yaxshi.

To say This coffee is good you say This coffee good.

This coffee good.

Answer: Bu kofe yaxshi.
Not correct. Please try again.

The word for tea is choy. How would you say This is tea?

This-tea.

Answer: Bu-choy.
Not correct. Please try again.

And how would you say This tea is good?

This tea good.

Answer: Bu choy yaxshi.
Not correct. Please try again.

Uzbek adds prefixes, suffixes and infixes to words to change the meaning of a word or a sentence. Once such infix, mi, is used to form questions.

Is this tea good? = Bu choy yaxshimi?

How do you say Is this coffee?

This coffee?

Answer: Bu kofemi?
Not correct. Please try again.

How do you say Is this coffee good?

This coffee good?

Answer: Bu kofe yaxshimi?
Not correct. Please try again.

To answer, you might say, Yes, this coffee is good. The word for yes is ha.

Yes, this coffee is good.

Answer: Ha, bu kofe yaxshi.
Not correct. Please try again.

The word for no is yo’q. And the word for not is emas. The sentence goes No, this coffee good not.

No, this coffee is not good. = Yo’q, bu kofe yaxhshi emas.

How do you say, Is this tea good?

This tea good?

Answer: Bu choy yaxshimi?
Not correct. Please try again.

Now answer, No, this tea is not good.

No, this tea good not.

Answer: Yo’q, bu choy yaxshi emas.
Not correct. Please try again.

So far, you have seen how to form sentences of the type X=Y and make corresponding questions and negations. Let’s finish up by putting it all together with a short dialog:

You enter an office and are presented with a mug. You ask, is this tea?

Is this tea?

Answer: Bu choymi?
Not correct. Please try again.

He answer that no, it is not tea, it is coffee.

No, this is not tea.

Answer: Yo’q, bu choy emas.
Not correct. Please try again.

This is coffee.

Answer: Bu kofe.
Not correct. Please try again.

You take a sip, and he asks Is the coffee good?

Is the coffee good?

Answer: Bu kofe yaxshimi?
Not correct. Please try again.

You answer, Yes, the coffee is good.

Yes, the coffee is good.

Answer: Ha, bu kofe yaxshi.
Not correct. Please try again.

In the next lesson, you will continue to use X=Y sentences. You will also learn about postpositions - Uzbek’s version of prepositions - and compound words.