If you are learning Uzbek and your child is too, the first words are the ones you both need: who is who in the family, what is on the table, what you are playing with. They are short, and they come back every day.
This page is part of Uzbek for life in Tashkent, the guide for relocants and families.
Family and kind words
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ona | o-NA | Mother |
| Ota | o-TA | Father |
| Buvi | bu-VI | Grandmother |
| Bobo | bo-BO | Grandfather |
| Aka | a-KA | Older brother |
| Opa | o-PA | Older sister |
| Uka | u-KA | Younger brother |
| Singil | sin-GIL | Younger sister |
| Oila | o-i-LA | Family |
| Bola | bo-LA | Child |
| Barakalla! | ba-ra-kal-LA | Well done! |
| Yaxshi bola! | yakh-SHI bo-LA | Good child! |
| Aqlli bola! | aql-LI bo-LA | Clever child! |
| Seni yaxshi koʻraman. | se-NI yakh-SHI koʻ-ra-MAN | I love you. (to a child, with sen) |
Food and drink
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Non | NON | Bread |
| Suv | SUV | Water |
| Sut | SUT | Milk |
| Choy | CHOY | Tea |
| Meva | me-VA | Fruit |
| Olma | ol-MA | Apple |
| Banan | ba-NAN | Banana |
| Osh | OSH | Palov (rice with meat and carrots) |
| Shirinlik | shi-rin-LIK | Sweets, something sweet |
| Ovqat tayyor! | ov-QAT tay-YOR | Food is ready! |
| Qorning ochmi? | qor-NING och-MI | Are you hungry? |
| Mazalimi? | ma-za-li-MI | Is it tasty? |
Play, colours and counting
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Oʻyinchoq | oʻ-yin-CHOQ | Toy |
| Top | TOP | Ball |
| Qoʻgʻirchoq | qoʻ-gʻir-CHOQ | Doll |
| Mashina | ma-shi-NA | Car |
| Sirpanchiq | sir-pan-CHIQ | Slide |
| Belanchak | be-lan-CHAK | Swing |
| Kel, oʻynaymiz! | KEL, oʻy-nay-MIZ | Come, let’s play! |
| Qizil | qi-ZIL | Red |
| Koʻk | KOʻK | Blue |
| Yashil | ya-SHIL | Green |
| Sariq | sa-RIQ | Yellow |
| Bir, ikki, uch, toʻrt, besh | BIR, ik-KI, UCH, TOʻRT, BESH | One, two, three, four, five |
| Nechta? | nech-TA | How many? |
More than one: -lar
Uzbek makes a noun plural with one ending, -lar. It goes on the end of the word and never changes it:
- bola → bolalar: child, children. Bolalar oʻynayapti. The children are playing.
- oʻyinchoq → oʻyinchoqlar: toy, toys.
- kitob → kitoblar: book, books.
- mashina → mashinalar: car, cars.
With a number, the noun stays singular. You say uchta top (three balls), not uchta toplar. That is why the question is Nechta top bor? (how many balls are there?) and the answer is a number plus the word you already know. The counting ending -ta, as in uchta, is what you use for counting objects and people.
What children hear at home
Besides ona and ota, you will hear oyi (mum) and dada (dad), and the warmer family forms oyijon and dadajon. The ending -jon is added to make a name or a family word warmer, and jon itself means “soul” or “life”. Children are taught to say siz to elders and older siblings, so a small child may call an older brother aka and use siz with him, and say sen to a younger sibling.
Two phrases from the first table are worth saying often: Barakalla! and Yaxshi bola!
A snack and a game
A: Qorning ochmi?
Are you hungry?
B: Ha, qornim och.
Yes, I’m hungry.
A: Mana, non va sut.
Here you go, bread and milk.
B: Mazali!
Tasty!
A: Barakalla! Endi oʻynaymizmi?
Well done! Shall we play now?
B: Ha, top bilan oʻynaymiz!
Yes, let’s play with the ball!
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