Uzbek verbs are easy to find in a dictionary: nearly all end in -moq. This page gives 30 of the most useful ones in that form, with the “I” form next to each. The grammar idea is that the verb is built from a stem plus small endings: the stem bor- gives boraman (I go), boryapman (I am going) and bormayman (I don’t go).
Everyday basics
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bormoq / boraman | bor-MOQ / bo-ra-MAN | to go |
| kelmoq / kelaman | kel-MOQ / ke-la-MAN | to come |
| qilmoq / qilaman | qil-MOQ / qi-la-MAN | to do, to make |
| boʻlmoq / boʻlaman | boʻl-MOQ / boh-la-MAN | to be, to become |
| yemoq / yeyman | ye-MOQ / yey-MAN | to eat |
| ichmoq / ichaman | ich-MOQ / i-cha-MAN | to drink |
| olmoq / olaman | ol-MOQ / o-la-MAN | to take, to get |
| bermoq / beraman | ber-MOQ / be-ra-MAN | to give |
| koʻrmoq / koʻraman | koʻr-MOQ / koh-ra-MAN | to see, to watch |
| bilmoq / bilaman | bil-MOQ / bi-la-MAN | to know |
Talking, thinking and feeling
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| demoq / aytmoq: deyman / aytaman | de-MOQ / ayt-MOQ: dey-MAN / ay-ta-MAN | to say, to tell |
| gapirmoq / gapiraman | ga-pir-MOQ / ga-pi-ra-MAN | to speak, to talk |
| ishlamoq / ishlayman | ish-la-MOQ / ish-lay-MAN | to work |
| oʻqimoq / oʻqiyman | oh-qi-MOQ / oh-qiy-MAN | to read, to study |
| yozmoq / yozaman | yoz-MOQ / yo-za-MAN | to write |
| yashamoq / yashayman | ya-sha-MOQ / ya-shay-MAN | to live |
| yaxshi koʻrmoq / yaxshi koʻraman | yakh-SHI koʻr-MOQ / yakh-SHI koh-ra-MAN | to like, to love (the everyday word; sevmoq is stronger) |
| xohlamoq / xohlayman | khoh-la-MOQ / khoh-lay-MAN | to want |
| kutmoq / kutaman | kut-MOQ / ku-ta-MAN | to wait |
| yordam bermoq / yordam beraman | yor-DAM ber-MOQ / yor-DAM be-ra-MAN | to help (literally “to give help”) |
Daily life
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tushunmoq / tushunaman | tu-shun-MOQ / tu-shu-na-MAN | to understand |
| uxlamoq / uxlayman | ukh-la-MOQ / ukh-lay-MAN | to sleep |
| yurmoq / yuraman | yur-MOQ / yu-ra-MAN | to walk |
| oʻtirmoq / oʻtiraman | oh-tir-MOQ / oh-ti-ra-MAN | to sit |
| turmoq / turaman | tur-MOQ / tu-ra-MAN | to stand, to get up; to stay |
| sotib olmoq / sotib olaman | so-TIB ol-MOQ / so-TIB o-la-MAN | to buy |
| toʻlamoq / toʻlayman | toh-la-MOQ / toh-lay-MAN | to pay |
| qaytmoq / qaytaman | qayt-MOQ / qay-ta-MAN | to return, to go back |
| boshlamoq / boshlayman | bosh-la-MOQ / bosh-lay-MAN | to begin, to start |
| ochmoq / yopmoq: ochaman / yopaman | och-MOQ / yop-MOQ: o-cha-MAN / yo-pa-MAN | to open / to close |
Building the forms
- Drop -moq to get the stem. bormoq becomes bor-, kelmoq becomes kel-, ishlamoq becomes ishla-.
- -a + -man for “I do” or “I will do”. Boraman = I go, I will go. After a stem that ends in a vowel the ending is -y: ishlayman, oʻqiyman. Yemoq and demoq have vowel stems too: yeyman, deyman.
- -yap- for “doing now”. Boryapman = I am going, kelyapman = I am coming, ishlayapman = I am working. The person endings follow: -man (I), -san (you, informal), -siz (you, polite).
- -ma- for “not”. Bormayman = I don’t go, I won’t go. Bilmayman = I don’t know. Put -ma- right after the stem.
A short conversation
A: Salom! Qayerga boryapsiz?
Hello! Where are you going?
B: Ishga boryapman. Kechqurun uyda boʻlaman.
I’m going to work. I’ll be at home in the evening.
A: Ertaga biznikiga kelasizmi?
Will you come to our place tomorrow?
B: Kelaman, rahmat!
I’ll come, thank you!
A: Kutaman!
I’ll be waiting!
Looking for one verb? See I understand, come here and work. For the questions you ask with these verbs, see question words in Uzbek.
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