Telling a patient how to take a medicine is a short script: what it is, how often, for how many days, and before or after food. Pharmacists and nurses say it in Uzbek in a few fixed pieces, and you will hear the same pieces again and again. The grammar idea here is how often and when: kuniga … mahal for “times a day”, and -dan oldin and -dan keyin for “before” and “after”.
This page is part of Uzbek for medical students, the guide for international and MBBS students in Uzbekistan.
Kinds of medicine
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dori | do-RI | Medicine |
| Tabletka | tab-let-KA | Tablet |
| Kapsula | kap-su-LA | Capsule |
| Ukol | u-KOL | Injection |
| Sirop | si-ROP | Syrup |
| Malham | mal-HAM | Ointment, cream |
| Antibiotik | an-ti-bi-o-TIK | Antibiotic |
| Ogʻriq qoldiruvchi dori | ogʻ-RIQ qol-di-ruv-CHI do-RI | Painkiller |
| Retsept | ret-SEPT | Prescription |
| Bu dori nima uchun? | BU do-RI ni-MA u-CHUN | What is this medicine for? |
| Yon ta’siri bormi? | YON ta’-si-RI bor-MI | Are there side effects? |
| Allergiyangiz bormi? | al-ler-gi-yan-GIZ bor-MI | Do you have an allergy? |
| Hozir ukol qilaman. | ho-ZIR u-KOL qi-la-MAN | I will give you an injection now. |
How often and how long
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Kuniga bir mahal ichasiz. | ku-ni-GA BIR ma-HAL i-cha-SIZ | You take it once a day. |
| Kuniga ikki mahal ichasiz. | ku-ni-GA ik-KI ma-HAL i-cha-SIZ | You take it twice a day. |
| Kuniga uch mahal ichasiz. | ku-ni-GA UCH ma-HAL i-cha-SIZ | You take it three times a day. |
| Kuniga necha mahal ichaman? | ku-ni-GA ne-CHA ma-HAL i-cha-MAN | How many times a day do I take it? |
| Necha kun ichaman? | ne-CHA KUN i-cha-MAN | For how many days do I take it? |
| Besh kun ichasiz. | BESH KUN i-cha-SIZ | You take it for five days. |
| Bir hafta ichasiz. | BIR haf-TA i-cha-SIZ | You take it for a week. |
| Har safar bitta tabletka. | HAR sa-FAR bit-TA tab-let-KA | One tablet each time. |
| Har safar ikkita tabletka. | HAR sa-FAR ik-ki-TA tab-let-KA | Two tablets each time. |
| Ertalab va kechqurun. | er-ta-LAB va kech-qu-RUN | In the morning and in the evening. |
| Dorini ichdingizmi? | do-ri-NI ich-din-giz-MI | Did you take the medicine? |
| Dorini ichdim. | do-ri-NI ich-DIM | I took the medicine. |
| Dorini ichishni unutmang. | do-ri-NI i-chish-NI u-nut-MANG | Do not forget to take the medicine. |
Before food, after food, with water
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ovqatdan oldin | ov-qat-DAN ol-DIN | Before food |
| Ovqatdan keyin | ov-qat-DAN ke-YIN | After food |
| Ovqat bilan birga | ov-QAT bi-LAN bir-GA | Together with food |
| Och qoringa | OCH qo-rin-GA | On an empty stomach |
| Uxlashdan oldin | ukh-lash-DAN ol-DIN | Before sleeping |
| Ovqatdan oldin ichasiz. | ov-qat-DAN ol-DIN i-cha-SIZ | You take it before food. |
| Ovqatdan keyin ichasiz. | ov-qat-DAN ke-YIN i-cha-SIZ | You take it after food. |
| Suv bilan ichasiz. | SUV bi-LAN i-cha-SIZ | You take it with water. |
| Koʻp suv iching. | KOʻP suv i-CHING | Drink plenty of water. |
| Tabletkani chaynamang. | tab-let-ka-NI chay-na-MANG | Do not chew the tablet. |
| Kuniga uch mahal, ovqatdan keyin. | ku-ni-GA UCH ma-HAL, ov-qat-DAN ke-YIN | Three times a day, after food. |
| Kuniga ikki mahal, ovqatdan oldin. | ku-ni-GA ik-KI ma-HAL, ov-qat-DAN ol-DIN | Twice a day, before food. |
Times a day, before and after: kuniga … mahal, -dan oldin, -dan keyin
Every dose instruction on this page is the same few blocks, and you can swap one block without touching the others:
- kuniga uch mahal: kun (day) + -i + -ga gives kuniga, “per day”; then the number and mahal, “time, occasion”. So bir (one), ikki (two), uch (three): kuniga ikki mahal is twice a day. People also say marta, as in Kuniga necha marta? on the clinic page.
- ovqatdan oldin and ovqatdan keyin: ovqat (food) + -dan + oldin (before) or keyin (after). The ending -dan goes on the word, and oldin or keyin follows it: before food, after food.
- uxlashdan oldin: the same pattern with an action instead of a thing. uxlash is “sleeping”, so uxlashdan oldin is “before sleeping”.
- ichasiz: Uzbek says you “drink” a medicine (ich-), even a tablet. Ichasiz is “you take it” (polite siz), and ichaman is “I take it”. Put the block you need first, the verb last: Kuniga uch mahal, ovqatdan keyin ichasiz.
At the pharmacy counter
A: Assalomu alaykum. Retsept bormi?
Hello. Do you have a prescription?
B: Ha, mana.
Yes, here it is.
A: Allergiyangiz bormi?
Do you have any allergy?
B: Yoʻq, allergiyam yoʻq.
No, I have no allergy.
A: Mana dori. Kuniga uch mahal, ovqatdan keyin ichasiz.
Here is the medicine. Three times a day, after food.
B: Necha kun ichaman?
For how many days do I take it?
A: Besh kun. Suv bilan ichasiz.
Five days. You take it with water.
B: Rahmat!
Thank you!
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