Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qayerdasiz? | qa-yer-da-SIZ | Where are you? | Polite, the default. |
| Qayerdasan? | qa-yer-da-SAN | Where are you? | Informal, to a friend or a child. |
| Hozir qayerdasiz? | ho-ZIR qa-yer-da-SIZ | Where are you now? | Hozir means “now”; natural on a phone call. |
| Uydamisiz? | uy-da-mi-SIZ | Are you at home? | Place + -da + -mi + -siz: “at home, are you?” |
| Ishdamisiz? | ish-da-mi-SIZ | Are you at work? | Same pattern with ish, “work”. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
What it literally means
Where-at-you? Qayer is “which place”, -da is “at”, -siz is “you”.
What people say back
Uydaman (uy-da-MAN): “I'm at home”. Or Yoʻldaman, “I'm on the way”, and Ishdaman, “I'm at work”.
In a real exchange
- Friend: Salom! Qayerdasiz? Kafe oldida kutyapman.
Hi! Where are you? I'm waiting in front of the café. - You: Yoʻldaman, besh daqiqada yetib boraman.
I'm on the way, I'll be there in five minutes. - Friend: Xoʻp, shoshmang. Choy buyurtma qilib qoʻyaman.
Okay, no rush. I'll order tea. - You: Rahmat, hozir yetib boraman.
Thanks, I'll be there right away.
Good to know
- Qayerdasiz? is qayer (which place) + -da (at) + -siz (you). Answers use the same -da with -man: Uyda-man (I'm at home), Toshkentda-man (I'm in Tashkent).
- Compare Qayerdansiz? from the “I am from” entry: -dan is “from” and -da is “at”. One letter separates “where are you” from “where are you from”.
- Yoʻldaman is yoʻl (road) + -da + -man: “I'm on the road”, the standard way to say you are on your way.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Qayerdasiz? (where are you) and Qayerdansiz? (where are you from).
- Using Qayerdasan? with an older person or a colleague. Use the -siz form.
This phrase is part of Uzbek phrases for taxis and directions in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.