Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nima qilyapsiz? | ni-MA qil-yap-SIZ | What are you doing? | Polite, the default. |
| Nima qilyapsan? | ni-MA qil-yap-SAN | What are you doing? | Informal, to a friend or a child. |
| Bandmisiz? | band-mi-SIZ | Are you busy? | Polite; checks whether it is a good moment to talk. |
| Nima gap? | ni-MA GAP | What's up? | Casual, among friends. |
| Dam olyapman | DAM ol-yap-MAN | I'm resting | A relaxed answer. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
What do-ing-you? Nima is “what”, qilmoq is “to do”, -yap- marks “right now”, -siz is “you”.
What people say back
Ishlayapman (ish-la-yap-MAN): “I'm working”. Or Hech nima, “nothing”, when you are not doing much.
In a real exchange
- Friend: Salom! Nima qilyapsan?
Hi! What are you doing? - You: Salom! Hech nima, uyda dam olyapman. Oʻzing-chi?
Hi! Nothing, I'm resting at home. And you? - Friend: Men hali ishlayapman. Kechqurun koʻrishamizmi?
I'm still working. Shall we meet this evening? - You: Xoʻp, koʻrishamiz.
Okay, let's meet.
Good to know
- Qilmoq is “to do”. It also builds many everyday verbs: qoʻngʻiroq qilmoq (to call), xato qilmoq (to make a mistake).
- -yap- marks what is happening now: qil-yap-siz, ishla-yap-man. Without it, Ishlayman is “I work” in general.
- Nima gap? is “what's up?” among friends. In a different tone it can also mean “what's the matter?”, so say it with a smile.
Common mistakes
- Using the sen form (Nima qilyapsan?) with an older person or a colleague you do not know well.
- Saying Ishlayman for “I'm working right now”. Add -yap-: Ishlayapman.
This phrase is part of Hello, hi and goodbye in Uzbek: greetings with pronunciation in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.