Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nima boʻldi? | ni-MA boʻl-DI | What happened? | Polite enough for anyone. |
| Nima gap? | ni-MA GAP | What's up? | Casual, with friends. |
| Tinchlikmi? | tinch-lik-MI | Is everything all right? | Used when you worry something is wrong; use as you hear it. |
| Hammasi joyidami? | ham-ma-SI jo-yi-da-MI | Is everything OK? | Checking on someone. |
| Yordam kerakmi? | yor-DAM ke-rak-MI | Do you need help? | Follow-up after Nima boʻldi? |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
What became? Nima is “what”, boʻldi is “became, happened”.
In a real exchange
- You: Nima boʻldi?
What happened? - Passer-by: Sumkamni yoʻqotdim.
I lost my bag. - You: Yordam kerakmi?
Do you need help? - Passer-by: Ha, politsiyani chaqirsangiz.
Yes, if you could call the police.
Good to know
- Boʻldi is the past of boʻlmoq: nima boʻldi, “what has happened”. The same word is “okay, enough” in Boʻldi!.
- The ending -mi makes a statement a yes-or-no question: kerak → kerakmi?
- In an emergency, Yordam bering! is the call; Nima boʻldi? is for when someone else is in trouble.
Common mistakes
- Mixing Nima boʻldi? with Nima gap?; the second is casual.
This phrase is part of Help in Uzbek: emergencies, the pharmacy and a lost passport in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.