Taking a child to a bogʻcha or maktab in Tashkent means a few short exchanges every day: who is picking up, what time, what the homework is, why your child is at home. You can do most of them with one grammar idea, the ending -ni, which marks the person or thing you are acting on.
This page is part of Uzbek for life in Tashkent, the guide for relocants and families.
Drop-off and pick-up at the bogʻcha
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Assalomu alaykum, men Lolaning onasiman. | as-sa-LO-mu a-lay-KUM, MEN lo-la-NING o-na-si-MAN | Hello, I’m Lola’s mother. |
| Bolani bogʻchaga olib keldim. | bo-la-NI bogʻ-cha-GA o-LIB kel-DIM | I’ve brought the child to kindergarten. |
| Tarbiyachi kim? | tar-bi-ya-CHI KIM | Who is the carer (tarbiyachi)? |
| Bogʻcha soat nechada ochiladi? | bogʻ-CHA so-AT ne-cha-DA o-chi-la-DI | What time does kindergarten open? |
| Soat nechagacha ishlaydi? | so-AT ne-cha-ga-CHA ish-lay-DI | Until what time is it open? |
| Bolani soat beshda olib ketaman. | bo-la-NI so-AT besh-DA o-LIB ke-ta-MAN | I’ll pick up the child at 5:00. |
| Bolamni bugun buvisi olib ketadi. | bo-lam-NI bu-GUN bu-vi-SI o-LIB ke-ta-DI | His/her grandmother will pick up my child today. |
| Bolani kim olib ketadi? | bo-la-NI KIM o-LIB ke-ta-DI | Who is picking up the child? (what the carer asks) |
| Kechikdim, uzr. | ke-chik-DIM, UZR | I’m late, sorry. |
| Bola bugun yaxshi uxladimi? | bo-LA bu-GUN yakh-SHI ukh-la-di-MI | Did the child sleep well today? |
| Ovqat yedimi? | ov-QAT ye-di-MI | Did he/she eat? |
| Bolamda allergiya bor. | bo-lam-DA al-ler-gi-YA BOR | My child has an allergy. |
| Telefon raqamim shu. | te-le-FON ra-qa-MIM SHU | This is my phone number. |
| Ertagacha! | er-ta-ga-CHA | See you tomorrow! |
At school (maktab)
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sinf rahbari kim? | SINF rah-ba-RI KIM | Who is the class teacher? |
| Oʻgʻlim uchinchi sinfda oʻqiydi. | oʻgʻ-LIM u-chin-CHI sinf-DA oʻ-qiy-DI | My son is in third grade. |
| Qizim ikkinchi sinfda oʻqiydi. | qi-ZIM ik-kin-CHI sinf-DA oʻ-qiy-DI | My daughter is in second grade. |
| Dars soat nechada boshlanadi? | DARS so-AT ne-cha-DA bosh-la-na-DI | What time do lessons start? |
| Dars qachon tugaydi? | DARS qa-CHON tu-gay-DI | When do lessons end? |
| Dars jadvali qayerda? | DARS jad-va-LI qa-yer-DA | Where is the timetable? |
| Uy vazifasi nima? | UY va-zi-fa-SI ni-MA | What is the homework? |
| Uy vazifasini birga qilamiz. | UY va-zi-fa-si-NI bir-GA qi-la-MIZ | We do the homework together. |
| Bu maktabda qaysi tillarda dars beriladi? | BU mak-tab-DA qay-SI til-lar-DA DARS be-ri-la-DI | In which languages are lessons taught at this school? |
| Bolam hali oʻzbekcha bilmaydi. | bo-LAM ha-LI oʻz-bek-CHA bil-may-DI | My child doesn’t know Uzbek yet. |
| Qoʻshimcha yordam bormi? | qoʻ-shim-CHA yor-DAM bor-MI | Is there extra help? |
| Oʻqituvchi bilan gaplashsam boʻladimi? | oʻ-qi-tuv-CHI bi-LAN gap-lash-SAM boʻ-la-di-MI | May I speak with the teacher? |
| Oʻqituvchini qachon koʻrsam boʻladi? | oʻ-qi-tuv-chi-NI qa-CHON koʻr-SAM boʻ-la-DI | When can I see the teacher? |
Sick days and the parents’ meeting
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bolam bugun kasal. | bo-LAM bu-GUN ka-SAL | My child is ill today. |
| Bolam bugun kelmaydi. | bo-LAM bu-GUN kel-may-DI | My child won’t come today. |
| Isitmasi bor. | i-sit-ma-SI BOR | He/she has a fever. |
| Boshi ogʻriyapti. | bo-SHI ogʻ-ri-yap-TI | His/her head hurts. |
| Qorni ogʻriyapti. | qor-NI ogʻ-ri-yap-TI | His/her stomach hurts. |
| Bolamni shifokorga olib bordim. | bo-lam-NI shi-fo-kor-GA o-LIB bor-DIM | I took my child to the doctor. |
| Ertaga kelsa boʻladimi? | er-ta-GA kel-SA boʻ-la-di-MI | Can he/she come tomorrow? |
| Bolamni ertaga olib kelaman. | bo-lam-NI er-ta-GA o-LIB ke-la-MAN | I’ll bring my child tomorrow. |
| Uy vazifasini yuborsangiz boʻladimi? | UY va-zi-fa-si-NI yu-bor-san-GIZ boʻ-la-di-MI | Could you send me the homework? |
| Ota-onalar majlisi qachon? | o-ta-o-na-LAR maj-li-SI qa-CHON | When is the parents’ meeting? |
| Ota-onalar majlisiga kelaman. | o-ta-o-na-LAR maj-li-si-GA ke-la-MAN | I’ll come to the parents’ meeting. |
| Xabar berganingiz uchun rahmat. | kha-BAR ber-ga-nin-GIZ u-CHUN rah-MAT | Thank you for letting me know. |
Taking the child: -ni
Look at the phrases that have an object: bolani, bolamni, uy vazifasini. The ending -ni marks a definite object: the particular person or thing the action lands on, the child you pick up or the homework you do. It goes right on the end of the word, and the verb comes at the end of the sentence:
- Bolani olib ketaman. I’ll pick up the child. (bola + -ni)
- Bolamni ertaga olib kelaman. I’ll bring my child tomorrow. (bolam, “my child”, + -ni)
- Uy vazifasini birga qilamiz. We do the homework together. -ni comes after any other ending: uy vazifasi (homework) + -ni.
- Oʻqituvchini qachon koʻrsam boʻladi? When can I see the teacher?
The question word follows the same pattern: Kim (who) becomes kimni when it is the object, as in Kimni olib ketasiz? (whom will you pick up?). The verbs here are olib ketaman, olib kelaman and qilamiz. For “take away from here”, use olib ketaman; for “bring here”, olib kelaman.
Which language will the teacher use?
State schools teach in Uzbek and in other languages, including Russian, and pupils also learn Uzbek as the state language, whatever language their lessons are in. Kindergartens, too, teach in Uzbek and in other languages including Russian, so it is worth asking at the bogʻcha or maktab which language the group or class uses. That is what Bu maktabda qaysi tillarda dars beriladi? is for.
A small point of courtesy: children are taught to use siz for elders, so speak to the tarbiyachi and the oʻqituvchi with siz too, as in all the phrases above. One more date for the calendar: 1 October is Teachers’ and Mentors’ Day, a non-working holiday, and Bayramingiz muborak! (happy holiday) is a kind thing to say to the teacher.
A pick-up at the bogʻcha
A: Assalomu alaykum! Men Lolaning onasiman. Bolamni olib ketaman.
Hello! I’m Lola’s mother. I’m taking my child home.
B: Va alaykum assalom! Lola bugun yaxshi edi.
Hello! Lola was fine today.
A: Ovqat yedimi?
Did she eat?
B: Ha, yedi. Yaxshi uxladi.
Yes, she did. She slept well.
A: Rahmat sizga. Lolani ertaga buvisi olib keladi.
Thank you. Tomorrow her grandmother will bring Lola.
B: Xoʻp, yaxshi. Ertagacha!
All right. See you tomorrow!
Uzbekcha is being built to help families and newcomers handle everyday school and kindergarten talk with confidence. At launch, lessons are in English and compare Uzbek with your first language. Join the waitlist.