Ways to say it
| Uzbek | Pronunciation | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ha | HA | Yes | |
| Yoʻq | YOʻQ | No / there isn't | |
| Mayli | may-LI | OK, fine | Agreeing to a suggestion. |
| Boʻladi | boh-la-DI | Sure, that works | Agreeing to a request or a price. |
| Albatta | al-bat-TA | Of course | Emphatic yes. |
| Kerak emas | ke-RAK e-MAS | No need / I don't want it | The polite way to refuse an offer. |
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Uzbek stress usually falls on the last syllable.
In a real exchange
- Seller: Yana biror narsa kerakmi?
Do you need anything else? - You: Yoʻq, rahmat. Boʻldi.
No, thanks. That's all. - Seller: Paket kerakmi?
Do you need a bag? - You: Ha, iltimos.
Yes, please.
Good to know
- Questions with -mi are often answered by repeating the verb: Borasizmi? Boraman. (Are you going? I am.)
- A host's offer of more food is refused two or three times before it is accepted or dropped. Rahmat, boʻldi (“thanks, that's enough”) with a hand on the chest ends it politely.
- Bor and yoʻq are the pair you need in shops: Non bormi? Yoʻq. (Is there bread? There isn't.)
Common mistakes
- Writing yoq or yo'q with a straight apostrophe. The letter is oʻ.
- Using yoʻq to negate a verb. Verbs are negated with -ma-: bilmayman, I don't know.
This phrase is part of Thank you in Uzbek (rahmat), please and sorry, with pronunciation in the free phrasebook, with the grammar behind it.