Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ismingiz nima? | is-min-GIZ ni-MA | What is your name? | Polite, the default. |
| Otingiz nima? | o-tin-GIZ ni-MA | What is your name? | Same meaning, a little more colloquial; ot is another word for “name”. |
| Isming nima? | is-MING ni-MA | What's your name? | Informal, to a child or a close friend (sen). |
| Familiyangiz nima? | fa-mi-li-yan-GIZ ni-MA | What is your surname? | Forms, offices, reception desks. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
Name-your what? Ism is “name”, -ingiz is the polite “your”, nima is “what”.
What people say back
Mening ismim … (me-NING is-MIM): “My name is …”. Add your name. Ismim … on its own is complete.
In a real exchange
- Teacher: Assalomu alaykum! Ismingiz nima?
Hello! What is your name? - You: Mening ismim Sara.
My name is Sara. - Teacher: Tanishganimdan xursandman, Sara. Men Malikaman.
Nice to meet you, Sara. I'm Malika. - You: Men ham xursandman, Malika opa.
I'm glad too, Malika.
Good to know
- Ismingiz is ism (name) plus -ingiz (your, polite). After a vowel it is -ngiz; the sen form is -ing or -ng.
- Ot means “name” and also “horse”. Nobody is confused, because Otingiz nima? is only ever a question about you.
- Once you know the name, add aka (to a man) or opa (to a woman) if the person is older than you: Malika opa.
Common mistakes
- Using Isming nima? with an adult you do not know. Use Ismingiz nima?.
- Answering with Ismingiz Sara, which means “your name is Sara”. The ending -im is what means “my”: Ismim Sara.
This phrase is part of My name is… in Uzbek: introducing yourself in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.