Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiroyli | chi-roy-LI | Beautiful, pretty | Things, clothes, cities, people. |
| Juda chiroyli | ju-DA chi-roy-LI | Very beautiful | |
| Goʻzal | goʻ-ZAL | Beautiful, lovely | Poetic; nature, women, music. |
| Zoʻr | ZOʻR | Great, awesome | Colloquial all-purpose praise. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
In a real exchange
- You: Samarqand juda chiroyli ekan!
Samarkand is really beautiful! - Guide: Ha, Registon kechqurun yanada goʻzal.
Yes, the Registan is even lovelier in the evening.
Good to know
- Adjectives never change: chiroyli shahar (a beautiful city), chiroyli shaharlar (beautiful cities).
- Ekan adds “I see, it turns out”: the natural way to react to something you are seeing for the first time.
- Complimenting someone's child or home is welcome; people may answer Koʻz tegmasin, “may no evil eye touch it”.
Common mistakes
- Calling a man chiroyli. For men people say kelishgan (handsome).