I can say what I need and what I like: Menga olma kerak, Menga uzum yoqadi — and ask: Sizga kerakmi? Sizga yoqadimi?
I need and I like: kerak, yoqadi
I need and I like: kerak, yoqadi
Why: to tell a salesclerk what you need and to say what you like.
“I need”: to whom + what + kerak. Menga olma kerak — I need an apple (apples). “Don't need” is kerak emas, the question is kerakmi? The word kerak goes at the end and never changes.
“I like”: to whom + what + yoqadi. Menga uzum yoqadi — I like grapes (literally “grapes please me”). “Don't like” is yoqmaydi, the question is yoqadimi?
English says “I need” and “I like” with “I” as the subject; Uzbek puts the person in the dative: menga, sizga, unga, Annaga, onamga.
The thing is the subject here, so it takes no -ni, even when it's “this”: Menga bu rasm yoqadi.
Taste: shirin — sweet, achchiq — spicy or bitter, mazali — tasty. Recognition only: nordon — sour, anor — pomegranate, oʻrik — apricot. The word sevmoq (“to love”) is only for people close to you, never for food.
Don't confuse: yoʻq — “no”, yoqadi — “likes”. The first word has the letter oʻ, the second has o.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Men olma kerak” → Menga olma kerak.
• NOT “Men uzum yoqadi” → Menga uzum yoqadi.
• NOT “Menga olmani yoqadi” — no -ni here.
• NOT “Menga sabzi yoqadi emas” → Menga sabzi yoqmaydi.
“I need” and “I like”
To whom: menga, senga, sizga, unga, bizga, sizlarga, ularga, Annaga, onamga.
| What to say | Yes | No | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| need | Menga suv kerak. | Menga suv kerak emas. | Senga suv kerakmi? |
| like | Menga bu rasm yoqadi. | Menga bu rasm yoqmaydi. | Sizga bu rasm yoqadimi? |
Lesson notes
I need and I like: kerak, yoqadi
Why: to tell a salesclerk what you need and to say what you like.
“I need”: to whom + what + kerak. Menga olma kerak — I need an apple (apples). “Don't need” is kerak emas, the question is kerakmi? The word kerak goes at the end and never changes.
“I like”: to whom + what + yoqadi. Menga uzum yoqadi — I like grapes (literally “grapes please me”). “Don't like” is yoqmaydi, the question is yoqadimi?
English says “I need” and “I like” with “I” as the subject; Uzbek puts the person in the dative: menga, sizga, unga, Annaga, onamga.
The thing is the subject here, so it takes no -ni, even when it's “this”: Menga bu rasm yoqadi.
Taste: shirin — sweet, achchiq — spicy or bitter, mazali — tasty. Recognition only: nordon — sour, anor — pomegranate, oʻrik — apricot. The word sevmoq (“to love”) is only for people close to you, never for food.
Don't confuse: yoʻq — “no”, yoqadi — “likes”. The first word has the letter oʻ, the second has o.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Men olma kerak” → Menga olma kerak.
• NOT “Men uzum yoqadi” → Menga uzum yoqadi.
• NOT “Menga olmani yoqadi” — no -ni here.
• NOT “Menga sabzi yoqadi emas” → Menga sabzi yoqmaydi.