I can be a guest in an Uzbek home: answer “Xush kelibsiz!”, give flowers and a gift, praise the food, politely turn down a second helping, name the tableware, and send greetings to the family — with siz.
Mehmonda: what the hosts and the guest say
Mehmonda: what the hosts and the guest say
In an Uzbek home the guest is seated at the dasturxon (the tablecloth and the set table), and tea is poured right away. Each step has a set phrase — see the table for who says what.
• At the table the hosts offer food: oling — “help yourself”. It's the request form of olmoq you already know: to a friend ol, with siz oling.
• They offer more: yana choy? To say no politely: rahmat, yetarli — “thank you, that's enough” — or toʻydim — “I'm full” (a past form: “I've eaten my fill”).
• The guest praises the food, and the hosts answer: osh boʻlsin — “enjoy it”.
• When you leave, they ask: oilangizga salom ayting (“say hello to your family”). The person greeted takes the dative: buvingizga, Rustamga.
Address older people with siz and a word of respect after the name: Mohira xola, Sanjar aka. Older strangers are called amaki and xola.
Common mistakes:
• ×Men toʻlaman (for “I'm full”) → Toʻydim
• ×Toʻydiman → Toʻydim
• ×Sanjar aka, kir → Sanjar aka, kiring
• ×qoʻshiq — spoon → qoshiq — spoon; qoʻshiq — song
Visiting: who says what
The hosts and the guest use siz with each other.
| Situation | The hosts say | The guest answers |
|---|---|---|
| the guest has come in | xush kelibsiz, toʻrga oʻting | rahmat |
| at the table | oling, choy iching | rahmat |
| offering more | yana choy | rahmat, yetarli / toʻydim |
| the guest praises the food | osh boʻlsin | juda mazali, qoʻlingiz dard koʻrmasin |
| saying goodbye | oilangizga salom ayting | rahmat, albatta aytaman |
Dasturxonda: what's on the table and who's at the table
You only need to recognize the words kosa, mezbon, mehmondorchilik, and bolam.
| Word | What it is |
|---|---|
| dasturxon | the tablecloth and the set table |
| piyola | a small tea bowl |
| choynak | teapot |
| likopcha | plate |
| kosa | a deep bowl for soup |
| qoshiq | spoon |
| sanchqi | fork |
| pichoq | knife |
| mezbon | the host who welcomes guests |
| mehmondorchilik | hospitality |
| bolam | “my child” — how older people address younger ones |
Lesson notes
Mehmonda: what the hosts and the guest say
In an Uzbek home the guest is seated at the dasturxon (the tablecloth and the set table), and tea is poured right away. Each step has a set phrase — see the table for who says what.
• At the table the hosts offer food: oling — “help yourself”. It's the request form of olmoq you already know: to a friend ol, with siz oling.
• They offer more: yana choy? To say no politely: rahmat, yetarli — “thank you, that's enough” — or toʻydim — “I'm full” (a past form: “I've eaten my fill”).
• The guest praises the food, and the hosts answer: osh boʻlsin — “enjoy it”.
• When you leave, they ask: oilangizga salom ayting (“say hello to your family”). The person greeted takes the dative: buvingizga, Rustamga.
Address older people with siz and a word of respect after the name: Mohira xola, Sanjar aka. Older strangers are called amaki and xola.
Common mistakes:
• ×Men toʻlaman (for “I'm full”) → Toʻydim
• ×Toʻydiman → Toʻydim
• ×Sanjar aka, kir → Sanjar aka, kiring
• ×qoʻshiq — spoon → qoshiq — spoon; qoʻshiq — song