Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| buvi | bu-VI | grandmother | Standard and written; either side of the family. |
| bobo | bo-BO | grandfather | Standard and written; either side of the family. |
| buvijon | bu-vi-JON | grandma | Warm; what you call her when you speak to her. |
| bobojon | bo-bo-JON | grandpa | Warm; what you call him when you speak to him. |
| buvim / bobom | bu-VIM / bo-BOM | my grandmother / my grandfather | Add -m after a vowel for “my”. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
In a real exchange
- You: Buvijon, assalomu alaykum! Qalaysiz?
Grandma, hello! How are you? - Grandmother: Va alaykum assalom, bolam. Yaxshiman. Oʻzing-chi?
Hello, my dear. I'm well. And you? - You: Yaxshiman, rahmat. Bobojon qayerda?
I'm well, thanks. Where is grandpa? - Grandmother: Bobong bogʻda.
Your grandfather is in the garden.
Good to know
- Unlike aunts and uncles (amma and xola, amaki and togʻa), grandparents are not split by side: buvi is either grandmother and bobo is either grandfather.
- Buvim and bobom are “my” (-m after a vowel). The polite “your” is buvingiz and bobongiz; to a child, a grandparent says bobong, “your grandfather”.
- Families differ. Some say ena or momo for grandmother, or katta ona and katta ota. Use what your family says, and learn buvi and bobo so anyone understands you.
Common mistakes
- Using sen with a grandparent unless your family does. Siz is the safe default: Bobojon, qalaysiz?
- Assuming the word shows which side of the family. Buvi can be your mother's mother or your father's mother.
This phrase is part of Talking to grandparents in Uzbek: greetings, health, blessings in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.