Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| doʻst | DOʻST | friend | |
| doʻstim | doʻs-TIM | my friend | Also a friendly way to address someone. |
| doʻstlar | doʻst-LAR | friends | |
| oʻrtoq | oʻr-TOQ | friend, mate | Colloquial; historically “comrade”. |
| dugona | du-go-NA | girlfriend (a woman's female friend) | Used by women about women. |
| yaqin doʻst | ya-QIN DOʻST | close friend | |
| eng yaxshi doʻst | eng yakh-SHI DOʻST | best friend | Eng makes it “most”: the best friend. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
In a real exchange
- You: Bu mening doʻstim, Alex.
This is my friend, Alex. - Host: Juda yaxshi! Doʻstingiz bilan keling.
Very good! Come with your friend. - Host: Xush kelibsiz, Alex!
Welcome, Alex! - Alex: Xush koʻrdik, rahmat.
Glad to see you, thank you.
Good to know
- Doʻst-im (my friend), doʻst-ingiz (your friend), doʻst-lar-im (my friends): plural first, then the owner.
- Older men are addressed as aka and older women as opa, not as doʻstim.
- Add a word before doʻst to be more specific: yaqin doʻst (close friend), eng yaxshi doʻst (best friend).
- Doʻstlar, “friends”, can also be used to address a group.
Common mistakes
- Spelling it dost. The vowel is oʻ, and it sounds closer to “dohst”.
- Calling a romantic partner doʻst. It means a friend and nothing more.