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Introduction to Uzbek:
Lesson 4

By GBarto

In this fourth lesson, you'll learn more about postpositions and you'll learn to ask for things.

You already know that -da means at or in. How do you say in the room?

in the room

Answer: bu xonada
Not correct. Please try again.

The word for eating is osh. So a restaurant is oshxona. How do you say at the restaurant?

at the restaurant

Answer: bu oshxonada
Not correct. Please try again.

The word for book is kitob. A library is kitobxona. How do you say in the library?

in the library

Answer: bu kitobxona
Not correct. Please try again.

In Uzbek, the words for my and your are the endings im and ingiz. If a word ends in a vowel, you drop the "i" at the beginning. So my book is kitobim and your room is xonangiz. Let's try a few:

your book

Answer: kitobingiz
Not correct. Please try again.

your guest

Answer: mehmoningiz
Not correct. Please try again.

my room

Answer: xonam
Not correct. Please try again.

my tea

Answer: choyim
Not correct. Please try again.

How do you say This is my room?

This room-my.

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

And That is your book?

That book-your.

Answer: U-kitobingiz.
Not correct. Please try again.

The ending -da means in. The ending -ga means to. So to the restaurant is bu oshxonaga and to my room is xonamga (xona:room + (i)m:my + ga:to).

The word for the command, Give! is Bering! So if you want someone to bring you tea, you say To me tea give - Menga choy bering.

How do you ask for coffee?

Me-to coffee give

Answer: Menga kofe bering
Not correct. Please try again.

If you're asking someone to give you something in general, like tea or coffee, or maybe an apple (olma), you just need the word. But in a sentence like Give me the book, since you're referring to a specific thing you need to add the ending -ni.

Give me a book = Menga kitob bering
Give me the book = Menga kitobni bering
Give me that book = Menga u kitobni bering

If you want to be polite, you can preface your request with iltimos - please. Thank you is rahmat.

Let's do a short conversation.

Salom (Hello).

This is my guest.

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

Salom

Are you well?

Answer: Yaxshimisiz?
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I am well, thank you.

Answer: Yaxshiman, rahmat.
Not correct. Please try again.

(Where are you staying?)

At that hotel.

Answer: U mehmonxonada.
Not correct. Please try again.

Is your room good?

Answer: Xonangiz yaxshimi?
Not correct. Please try again.

Yes, (it is) good.

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

(Would you like tea?)

Yes. Please give me tea. (Yes. Please me-to tea give.)

Answer: Ha. Iltimos menga choy bering.
Not correct. Please try again.

Thank you. This is good.

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

Arzimaydi. (You're welcome.)

As you can see, the sentences are getting more varied and more complicated. The language here is still over-simplified, but it should be quite functional for its purposes.

In the fifth and final lesson, you will learn to talk about needing things and having things. This will prepare you for a short but meaningful set of conversations where you go from looking for a hotel to getting a room. When you are done, you will also be acquainted with several of the major elements of Uzbek grammar (aside from the verb conjugations) where it differs from English.