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Introduction to Uzbek:
Lesson 2

By GBarto

In this second lesson, you will learn about postpositions - Uzbek’s version of prepositions - and about compound words.

Let’s begin with a little review.

This is bu and tea is choy.

To say This is tea, you say This-tea.

This is tea.

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

Use -mi to ask a question.

This (is) tea?

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

The answers are:

Ha, bu-choy (Yes, this-tea)
Yo’q, bu choy emas (No, this tea not)

The word for room is xona. How would you ask if a room is good?

This room good?

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

And how would you say that it is?

Yes, this room good.

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

The word for guest is mehmon. How would you say This is a guest?

This-guest.

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

If you put together guest and house you get mehmonxona - hotel. Say The hotel is not good.

Hotel good not.

Answer: Mehmonxona yaxshi emas.
Not correct. Please try again.

In English, you use prepositions to indicate place or direction (at the hotel, to the hotel). In Uzbek, you use postpositions - infixes attached to the word they go with.

at=-da so at this hotel=bu mehmonxonada. Imagine a friend asks you where you are staying. You answer:

this hotel-at

Answer: bu mehmonxonada
Not correct. Please try again.

You might take him inside and point out your room, adding in this room:

this room-in

Answer: bu xonada
Not correct. Please try again.

One word for place is yer. If you run together this-place-at you get buyerda, or here. Say This hotel is here:

This hotel here.

Answer: Bu mehmonxona buyerda.
Not correct. Please try again.

That is u and that-place-at or there is uyerda.

How would you say That hotel is there?

That hotel there.

Answer: U mehmonxona uyerda.
Not correct. Please try again.

Let’s put together one last word: what-place-at or where is qayerda.

Imagine you’re talking about a hotel with a friend. You want to ask where the hotel is. Since Uzbek has no word for the, use bu (this).

This hotel where?

Answer: Bu mehmonxona qayerda?
Not correct. Please try again.

Let’s finish with a short conversation. You’re meeting a friend at his office. You enter and he hands you a cup.You ask if it’s coffee (kofe).

This coffee?

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

He says, No, it’s tea.

No, this-tea.

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

You take a drink and say it’s good.

This good.

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

Your friend asks where you’re staying. You say at the hotel.

This hotel-at

Answer: Bu mehmonxonada
Not correct. Please try again.

He doesn’t know the hotel, so he asks where it is:

This hotel where?

Answer: Bu mehmonxona qayerda?
Not correct. Please try again.

You answer, The hotel is there as you point out the window:

This hotel there.

Answer: Bu mehmonxona uyerda.
Not correct. Please try again.

He asks if you have a good room:

This room good?

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

You tell him, Yes, it is:

Yes, good

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

Some of the language in this lesson has been a little imprecise, but you now have a few tools for talking about where things are, as well as seeing how Uzbek words are put together.

In the next lesson, you will learn to talk about how you are, ask others how they are and talk about where you are.