Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xayrli kun | khayr-LI KUN | Good day, good afternoon | Neutral and a little formal; common on the phone and in writing. |
| Assalomu alaykum | ah-sah-loh-mu ah-lay-KUM | Hello | What people actually say most, at any hour. |
| Salom | sah-LOM | Hi | Friends, family, colleagues your age. |
| Xayrli kech | khayr-LI KECH | Good evening | Once the day is ending, from late afternoon. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
Blessed day.
What people say back
Xayrli kun (khayr-LI KUN): “Good afternoon”. You return the same greeting. After Assalomu alaykum the reply is Va alaykum assalom.
In a real exchange
- You: Xayrli kun! Rustam aka bilan gaplashsam boʻladimi?
Good afternoon! May I speak with Rustam? - Receptionist: Xayrli kun! Kechirasiz, Rustam aka hozir yigʻilishda.
Good afternoon! Sorry, Rustam is in a meeting right now. - You: Rahmat. Keyinroq qoʻngʻiroq qilaman.
Thank you. I'll call later. - Receptionist: Xoʻp. Xayr.
Okay. Goodbye.
Good to know
- Kun means “day”, so Xayrli kun is literally “a blessed day”. It is the one greeting for the whole daytime.
- It opens business calls and emails well, because it is polite without being stiff. Among friends, Salom is enough.
- Aka after a man's first name and opa after a woman's make a greeting more polite: Rustam aka.
Common mistakes
- Writing hayrli kun. The first letter is x, the rough h of Scottish loch.
- Keeping Xayrli kun going into the evening. Switch to Xayrli kech once the day is ending.
This phrase is part of Hello, hi and goodbye in Uzbek: greetings with pronunciation in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.