Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sekinroq gapiring, iltimos | se-kin-ROQ ga-pi-RING, il-ti-MOS | Please speak more slowly | Polite; the standard sentence. |
| Sekinroq gapirsangiz boʻladimi? | se-kin-ROQ ga-pir-san-GIZ boh-la-di-MI | Could you speak more slowly? | Softer, a question. |
| Sekinroq gapira olasizmi? | se-kin-ROQ ga-pi-RA o-la-siz-MI | Can you speak more slowly? | Also polite; olmoq adds “can”. |
| Yana bir marta ayting | ya-NA bir mar-TA ay-TING | Say it once more | Marta is “time” in bir marta, “one time”. |
| Sekinroq gapir | se-kin-ROQ ga-PIR | Speak more slowly | To a friend or a child. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
Slower speak, please. Sekin is “slow” and -roq makes it “more”; gapiring is gapir- (speak) + -ing, the polite request; iltimos is “please”.
In a real exchange
- Passer-by: Toʻgʻri boring, keyin chapga buriling.
Go straight, then turn left. - You: Kechirasiz, sekinroq gapiring, iltimos.
Sorry, please speak more slowly. - Passer-by: Toʻgʻri. Keyin chapga.
Straight. Then left. - You: Tushundim, rahmat!
I understood, thank you!
Good to know
- -roq works like English “-er”: sekin becomes sekinroq (slower), arzon becomes arzonroq (cheaper).
- Gapiring and ayting are the polite requests: the verb stem plus -ing (gapir + ing, ayt + ing). To a friend the ending drops: gapir, ayt.
- Add Tushunmadim, “I didn't understand”, if it is still too fast, and Yana bir marta ayting to hear it again.
Common mistakes
- Using Sekinroq gapir with a stranger or an older person. Gapiring is the polite form.
This phrase is part of My name is… in Uzbek: introducing yourself in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.