Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| yaxshi | yakh-SHI | good; fine | Also “OK” and the root of Yaxshimisiz?. |
| yomon | yo-MON | bad | Yomon emas is “not bad”. |
| juda yaxshi | ju-DA yakh-SHI | very good | Juda is “very”. |
| unchalik emas | un-cha-LIK e-MAS | not really; not that much | Softens an answer: Qimmatmi? Unchalik emas. |
| zoʻr | ZOʻR | great | Stronger than yaxshi. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
In a real exchange
- Friend: Bu restoran yaxshimi?
Is this restaurant good? - You: Ha, juda yaxshi. Palov zoʻr!
Yes, very good. The palov is great! - Friend: Qimmatmi?
Is it expensive? - You: Unchalik emas.
Not really.
Good to know
- Yaxshi is also “OK”, as in the Okay entry, and it sits inside greetings: Yaxshimisiz?, “are you well?”, and the answer Yaxshi, rahmat.
- Emas negates adjectives: yaxshi emas (not good), yomon emas (not bad). Unchalik before it means “not very”.
- Zoʻr is a step above yaxshi: Palov zoʻr!, Zoʻr!. Use juda yaxshi when you want something plainer.
Common mistakes
- Negating an adjective with yoʻq: yaxshi yoʻq. Use emas: yaxshi emas.
- Pronouncing the x in yaxshi like English “x”. It is a rough h, kh.
This phrase is part of Hello, hi and goodbye in Uzbek: greetings with pronunciation in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.