Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapga | chap-GA | To the left | Direction: -ga is “to”. |
| Oʻngga | oʻng-GA | To the right | Oʻng + -ga is written with two g's. |
| Toʻgʻriga | toʻgʻ-ri-GA | Straight ahead | Toʻgʻri on its own also means “correct, right”. |
| Oʻng tomonda | OʻNG to-mon-DA | On the right-hand side | Location, not movement: -da is “at”. Chap tomonda is “on the left”. |
| Shu yerda toʻxtang | shu yer-DA toʻkh-TANG | Stop here | Polite, to a taxi driver; -ng is the polite ending. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
To-the-left, to-the-right, to-straight.
In a real exchange
- You: Kechirasiz, bank qayerda?
Excuse me, where is the bank? - Passer-by: Toʻgʻriga, keyin oʻngga.
Straight on, then right. - You: Uzoqmi?
Is it far? - Passer-by: Yoʻq, yaqin. Oʻng tomonda.
No, it's near. On the right-hand side.
Good to know
- Directions take -ga (to): chap → chapga, oʻng → oʻngga, toʻgʻri → toʻgʻriga. Answers come in a chain: toʻgʻriga, keyin chapga, “straight, then left”.
- Toʻxtang is the polite “stop”: toʻxta- plus the polite -ng. Add iltimos to soften it further: Shu yerda toʻxtang, iltimos.
- Chap and oʻng also name the sides of the body: chap qoʻl is the left hand, oʻng qoʻl the right.
Common mistakes
- Writing oʻnga with one g. The suffix is -ga, so oʻng + ga makes oʻngga.
- Saying Chap on its own when you mean “to the left”. For a movement, add -ga: chapga.
This phrase is part of Uzbek phrases for taxis and directions in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.