Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men seni sevaman | men se-NI se-va-MAN | I love you | Romantic, informal “you”. |
| Seni yaxshi koʻraman | se-NI yakh-SHI koh-ra-MAN | I love you / I'm fond of you | Warm, for family, friends and partners. |
| Men sizni sevaman | men siz-NI se-va-MAN | I love you (polite you) | Respectful; some couples use siz with each other. |
| Jonim | jo-NIM | My dear, my soul | The most common endearment, for partners and children. |
| Seni sevaman | se-NI se-va-MAN | I love you | The short form: the -man ending already says “I”. |
| Seni juda sevaman | se-NI ju-DA se-va-MAN | I love you very much | Juda means “very”. |
| Seni sogʻindim | se-NI so-gʻin-DIM | I miss you | Literally “I have missed you”. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
I you-(object) love-I.
What people say back
Men ham seni sevaman (men HAM se-NI se-va-MAN): “I love you too”. Ham means “also”.
In a real exchange
- A: Men seni sevaman.
I love you. - B: Men ham seni sevaman.
I love you too. - A: Seni sogʻindim.
I miss you. - B: Men ham seni sogʻindim.
I miss you too. - A: Jonim, ertaga koʻrishamiz.
My dear, see you tomorrow. - B: Ha, ertaga koʻrishamiz.
Yes, see you tomorrow.
Good to know
- Sevmoq is “to love” romantically. Yaxshi koʻrmoq, literally “to see well”, is the everyday verb for loving people, food and places.
- You can drop men: the -man ending already says “I”.
- To say you love Uzbekistan or plov, use yaxshi koʻraman or yoqadi: Menga palov yoqadi.
- Sogʻinmoq is “to miss”: Seni sogʻindim means “I miss you”.
Common mistakes
- Using sevaman for food or a city. It sounds odd; use yaxshi koʻraman or yoqadi.
- Mixing the polite and informal you. Seni goes with sen, sizni goes with siz; pick one.