Uzbek meals are long, generous and built around bread and tea. Whether it is plov at noon in a choyxona or dinner in a Tashkent restaurant, the same dozen requests get you fed, and the waiter will be pleased you tried.
Looking for one phrase? How to say “enjoy your meal” in Uzbek and how to say water in Uzbek each have their own page. This page is step 3 of how to learn Uzbek, the whole path in order.
Ordering
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Kechirasiz! | ke-chi-ra-SIZ | Excuse me! (to call the waiter) |
| Ikki kishiga joy bormi? | ik-KI ki-shi-GA JOY bor-MI | Is there a table for two? |
| Menyuni bering, iltimos. | men-yu-NI be-RING, il-ti-MOS | The menu, please. |
| Nima tavsiya qilasiz? | ni-MA tav-si-YA qi-la-SIZ | What do you recommend? |
| Menga osh bering. | men-GA OSH be-RING | I’ll have plov. |
| Bir choynak koʻk choy olib keling. | bir choy-NAK KOʻK CHOY o-lib ke-LING | Please bring a pot of green tea. |
| Suv keltiring, iltimos. | SUV kel-ti-RING, il-ti-MOS | Please bring some water. |
| Gazsiz suv | gaz-SIZ SUV | Still water |
| Men goʻsht yemayman. | men GOʻSHT ye-may-MAN | I don’t eat meat. |
| Goʻshtsiz boʻladimi? | goʻsht-SIZ boʻ-la-di-MI | Can it be made without meat? |
| Yana bitta non bering. | ya-NA bit-TA NON be-RING | One more bread, please. |
| Yoqimli ishtaha! | yo-qim-LI ish-ta-HA | Enjoy your meal! (as people start eating) |
| Juda mazali! | ju-DA ma-za-LI | Very tasty! |
The bill and paying
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hisobni olib keling, iltimos. | hi-sob-NI o-lib ke-LING, il-ti-MOS | The bill, please. |
| Qancha boʻldi? | qan-CHA boʻl-DI | How much is it? (what did it come to?) |
| Karta bilan toʻlasam boʻladimi? | kar-TA bi-LAN toʻ-la-SAM boʻ-la-di-MI | Can I pay by card? |
| Naqd pul bilan toʻlayman. | naqd PUL bi-LAN toʻ-lay-MAN | I’ll pay in cash. |
| Xizmat haqi bormi? | khiz-MAT ha-QI bor-MI | Is there a service charge? |
| Qaytim kerak emas. | qay-TIM ke-RAK e-MAS | Keep the change. |
| Rahmat, juda mazali boʻldi. | rah-MAT, ju-DA ma-za-LI boʻl-DI | Thank you, it was delicious. |
| Osh boʻlsin! | OSH boʻl-SIN | “May it nourish you”, said to someone who has eaten |
On the table
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| non | NON | Bread (round flatbread) |
| osh | OSH | Plov (what Tashkent calls it); also “food” |
| palov | pa-LOV | Plov (the written word) |
| shoʻrva | shoʻr-VA | Soup |
| lagʻmon | lagʻ-MON | Hand-pulled noodles |
| manti | man-TI | Steamed dumplings |
| somsa | som-SA | Baked pastry with a filling |
| shashlik | shash-LIK | Grilled skewers |
| salat | sa-LAT | Salad |
| koʻk choy | KOʻK CHOY | Green tea |
| qora choy | qo-RA CHOY | Black tea |
| choynak | choy-NAK | Teapot |
| piyola | pi-yo-LA | Tea bowl |
| shakar | sha-KAR | Sugar |
Polite requests end in -ing or -ng
Almost everything you say to a waiter is a request, and every request ends the same way. Take the verb and add -ing after a consonant, or -ng after a vowel:
- ber- (give) + -ing = bering (please give)
- keltir- (bring) + -ing = keltiring (please bring)
- kut- (wait) + -ing = kuting (please wait)
- toʻla- (pay) + -ng = toʻlang (please pay)
Olib keling is two verbs: olib (taking) and keling (come). “Take it and come” is how Uzbek says “bring”, and you will hear it as often as keltiring. Both are correct.
This is the polite imperative, the one that goes with siz. It is not rude on its own, and iltimos (please) before or after it makes it softer still.
Menga … bering: “give me …”
Menga is men (I) + -ga (to): “to me”. Put what you want between menga and bering:
- Menga osh bering. I’ll have plov.
- Menga choy bering. Tea for me.
- Bizga yana non bering. More bread for us. Bizga is biz (we) + -ga.
You will notice menyuni and hisobni end in -ni. That marks “the”: the menu, the bill, the specific one you both know about. Menga osh bering has no -ni because you mean “some plov”.
At the table
Osh means plov in Tashkent, and it is also the old word for food in general. That is why Osh boʻlsin! is what people say after a meal.
Tea is poured a little at a time. The host often pours a piyola and tips it back into the pot two or three times to brew it, then serves small amounts and keeps refilling. Bread is broken by hand and never put upside down on the table.
Check the bill before you tip: many restaurants add a service charge line. Rounding up is welcome, not expected.
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