I can say who and what I have and don't have, ask “do you have …?” and “how many?”, and answer with a number and the counter -ta.
There is and there isn't: bor, yoʻq, and counting with -ta
There is and there isn't: bor, yoʻq, and counting with -ta
Why: to say who and what you have, what you don't have, and how many.
Bor means “there is”, yoʻq “there isn't”. Both go at the end. Uzbek has no verb “have”: “I have a brother” is Mening akam bor, literally “my brother exists”: the ending on the word shows the owner. Mening can be left out: Singlim yoʻq — “I don't have a younger sister”.
The question is bormi?, with no “do”: Akangiz bormi? — Ha, bor. / Yoʻq, yoʻq.
Pieces are counted with -ta: bitta (one), ikkita, uchta. The question is nechta?: Nechta ukangiz bor? — Ikkita ukam bor. After a number, nechta, koʻp “many” and kam “few” the noun stays singular, where English says “brothers”. No -ta for age: besh yosh.
The relatives on the father's and on the mother's side have different words (see the table). Xola and amaki are also polite ways to address older people: Mohira xola.
Watch out: mashina is only a car, not a machine.
Common mistakes:
• ×Men aka bor → Mening akam bor;
• ×ikkita ukalar → ikkita uka;
• ×Vaqtim emas → Vaqtim yoʻq: emas means “is not”, yoʻq means “there isn't”.
There is, there isn't, and the question
Bor and yoʻq go at the end; the ending on the word shows whose it is.
| What | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| + | Mening akam bor. | I have an older brother. |
| − | Singlim yoʻq. | I don't have a younger sister. |
| ? | Akangiz bormi? — Ha, bor. / Yoʻq, yoʻq. | Do you have an older brother? — Yes, I do. / No. |
Counting pieces: number + -ta
One is bitta (not “birta”). After a number the noun stays singular.
| Number | Pieces |
|---|---|
| bir | bitta |
| ikki | ikkita |
| uch | uchta |
| besh | beshta |
| necha? | nechta?how many (pieces)? |
| — | bir nechtaseveral |
Uncles and aunts: on the father's side and on the mother's side
jiyan — nephew, niece; nabira — grandson, granddaughter.
| Who | Father's side | Mother's side |
|---|---|---|
| uncle | amakifather's brother | togʻamother's brother |
| aunt | ammafather's sister | xolamother's sister |
Lesson notes
There is and there isn't: bor, yoʻq, and counting with -ta
Why: to say who and what you have, what you don't have, and how many.
Bor means “there is”, yoʻq “there isn't”. Both go at the end. Uzbek has no verb “have”: “I have a brother” is Mening akam bor, literally “my brother exists”: the ending on the word shows the owner. Mening can be left out: Singlim yoʻq — “I don't have a younger sister”.
The question is bormi?, with no “do”: Akangiz bormi? — Ha, bor. / Yoʻq, yoʻq.
Pieces are counted with -ta: bitta (one), ikkita, uchta. The question is nechta?: Nechta ukangiz bor? — Ikkita ukam bor. After a number, nechta, koʻp “many” and kam “few” the noun stays singular, where English says “brothers”. No -ta for age: besh yosh.
The relatives on the father's and on the mother's side have different words (see the table). Xola and amaki are also polite ways to address older people: Mohira xola.
Watch out: mashina is only a car, not a machine.
Common mistakes:
• ×Men aka bor → Mening akam bor;
• ×ikkita ukalar → ikkita uka;
• ×Vaqtim emas → Vaqtim yoʻq: emas means “is not”, yoʻq means “there isn't”.