Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oʻzingizni ehtiyot qiling | oh-zin-giz-NI eh-ti-YOT qi-LING | Take care of yourself | Polite; the standard form. |
| Ehtiyot boʻling | eh-ti-YOT boh-LING | Take care; be careful | Short and polite; also a warning. |
| Oʻzingizni asrang | oh-zin-giz-NI as-RANG | Look after yourself | Warm; the form used in calls with family. |
| Oʻzingni ehtiyot qil | oh-zing-NI eh-ti-YOT QIL | Take care of yourself | To a friend or a child. |
| Sogʻ boʻling | SOGʻ boh-LING | Stay well | Another warm parting wish. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
Yourself careful do. Ehtiyot is “care, caution” and qilmoq is “to do”; -ni marks oʻzingiz, “yourself”, as the one being looked after.
What people say back
Rahmat, siz ham ehtiyot boʻling! (rah-MAT, SIZ ham eh-ti-YOT boh-LING): “Thank you, you take care too!”. Or simply Rahmat, sizga ham.
In a real exchange
- Colleague: Men uyga ketyapman. Ertaga koʻrishamiz!
I'm going home. See you tomorrow! - You: Xoʻp, oʻzingizni ehtiyot qiling.
OK, take care of yourself. - Colleague: Rahmat, siz ham ehtiyot boʻling!
Thank you, you take care too! - You: Xayr!
Bye!
Good to know
- Oʻzingiz is “yourself” (polite) and -ni marks it as the object: oʻzingizni ehtiyot qiling. To a friend it is oʻzingni.
- Ehtiyot boʻling does two jobs. Said at a step, a hot cup or a busy road it means “be careful”; said at parting it is a warm “take care”.
- The verb endings are the polite ones from other wishes: qil + -ing, boʻl + -ing. To a friend the ending drops: qil, boʻl.
Common mistakes
- Using Oʻzingni ehtiyot qil with an older person. Start with siz: oʻzingizni ehtiyot qiling.
- Writing Ozingizni without ʻ. The word starts with oʻ.
This phrase is part of Hello, hi and goodbye in Uzbek: greetings with pronunciation in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.