Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmat | rah-MAT | Thank you | The everyday word, right in every situation. |
| Katta rahmat | kat-TA rah-MAT | Thank you very much | Literally “big thanks”. For real favours, gifts, a meal. |
| Tashakkur | ta-shak-KUR | Thank you (formal) | Speeches, letters, official settings. |
| Rahmat sizga | rah-MAT siz-GA | Thank you (to you) | A warmer, more personal version. |
| Hamma narsa uchun rahmat | ham-MA nar-SA u-CHUN rah-MAT | Thanks for everything | For a whole stay or a lot of help, not one thing. |
| Yordamingiz uchun rahmat | yor-da-min-GIZ u-CHUN rah-MAT | Thanks for your help | Name the thing, then uchun (“for”), then rahmat. |
| Rahmat, hojati yoʻq | rah-MAT, ho-ja-TI YOʻQ | Thanks, no need | A polite way to turn down an offer: “thanks, there is no need”. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
Rahmat comes from the Arabic word for mercy. In Uzbek it simply means thanks, and the verb is rahmat aytmoq, “to say thanks”.
What people say back
Arzimaydi (ar-zi-may-DI): “It is nothing”. Marhamat also works, especially when someone thanks you for handing them something.
In a real exchange
- Driver: Mana, yetib keldik.
Here, we have arrived. - You: Katta rahmat!
Thank you very much! - Driver: Arzimaydi.
You're welcome. - You: Hamma narsa uchun rahmat. Xayr!
Thanks for everything. Goodbye! - Driver: Xayr!
Goodbye!
Good to know
- Stress the last syllable: rah-MAT, not RAH-mat.
- The h is a real, breathy h in the middle of the word; do not drop it.
- After a meal at someone's home, thank the host and expect Osh boʻlsin in return, “may it nourish you”.
- To thank someone for a specific thing, put it before uchun: Yordamingiz uchun rahmat, “thanks for your help”.
Common mistakes
- Looking for a separate word for “thanks” versus “thank you”. Rahmat is both.
- Saying spasibo by default. Many people understand Russian, but rahmat is the word that gets a smile.
This phrase is part of Thank you in Uzbek (rahmat), please and sorry, with pronunciation in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.