Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-mart bilan tabriklayman! | sak-ki-zin-CHI mart bi-LAN tab-rik-lay-MAN | I congratulate you on 8 March! | Polite and complete; for a card or a message. |
| Xalqaro xotin-qizlar kuni bilan! | khal-qa-RO kho-tin-qiz-LAR ku-NI bi-LAN | Happy International Women's Day! | Uses the full name of the day. |
| Bayramingiz bilan! | bay-ra-min-GIZ bi-LAN | Happy holiday! | Works for any holiday. |
| Baxt, sogʻliq tilayman | BAKHT sogʻ-LIQ ti-lay-MAN | I wish you happiness and health | A wish to add after the greeting. |
| Tabriklayman! | tab-rik-lay-MAN | Congratulations! | Short; Tabriklaymiz is “we congratulate”, from a group. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
With the 8th of March, I congratulate. Same pattern as birthdays: the occasion + bilan, “with”.
What people say back
Rahmat (rah-MAT): “Thank you”. Aytganingiz kelsin, “may your words come true”, also answers good wishes.
In a real exchange
- You: Nodira opa, 8-mart bilan tabriklayman!
Nodira, happy 8 March! - Colleague: Rahmat! Aytganingiz kelsin.
Thank you! May your words come true. - You: Baxt, sogʻliq tilayman.
I wish you happiness and health. - Colleague: Katta rahmat!
Thank you very much!
Good to know
- 8 March is International Women's Day, a non-working holiday in Uzbekistan.
- Xalqaro is “international”, xotin-qizlar is “women and girls” (xotin, woman or wife, plus qiz, girl, with the plural -lar) and kuni is “day”.
- The pattern is the same as for birthdays and New Year: the occasion, then bilan (“with”). Add tabriklayman, “I congratulate”, for the full sentence.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out bilan. Xalqaro xotin-qizlar kuni alone is only the name of the day; bilan makes it a greeting.
- Writing xalqaro with h. It starts with x, the rough h: khal-qa-RO.
This phrase is part of Uzbek for weddings (toʻy) and holidays: what to say in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.