Moving into a Tashkent building means sharing a stairwell, often a courtyard (hovli), and a neighbourhood community, the mahalla. A few sentences cover the introductions, the small favours and the noise. The one grammar idea on this page is our: the ending -imiz or -miz, as in uyimiz (our home) and mahallamiz (our mahalla).
This page is part of Uzbek for life in Tashkent, the guide for relocants and families.
Meeting the neighbours
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Assalomu alaykum. Men sizning yangi qoʻshningizman. | as-sa-LO-mu a-lay-KUM. men siz-NING yan-GI qoʻsh-nin-giz-MAN | Hello. I’m your new neighbour. |
| Ismim Anna. | is-MIM an-NA | My name is Anna. |
| Tanishganimdan xursandman. | ta-nish-ga-nim-DAN khur-sand-MAN | Nice to meet you. |
| Xush kelibsiz! | khush ke-lib-SIZ | Welcome! (what the neighbour says) |
| Biz yaqinda koʻchib keldik. | biz ya-qin-DA koʻ-chib kel-DIK | We moved in recently. |
| Men uchinchi qavatda yashayman. | men u-chin-CHI qa-vat-DA ya-shay-MAN | I live on the third floor. |
| Siz qaysi xonadonda yashaysiz? | siz qay-SI kho-na-don-DA ya-shay-SIZ | Which flat do you live in? |
| Qancha vaqtdan beri shu yerda yashaysiz? | qan-CHA vaqt-DAN be-RI shu yer-DA ya-shay-SIZ | How long have you lived here? |
| Ikkita bolamiz bor. | ik-ki-TA bo-la-MIZ BOR | We have two children. |
| Yordam kerak boʻlsa, ayting. | yor-DAM ke-RAK boʻl-SA, ay-TING | If you need help, tell me. |
Asking for help, and keeping the peace
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Kechirasiz, bezovta qilyapman. | ke-chi-ra-SIZ, be-zov-TA qil-yap-MAN | Sorry to bother you. |
| Yordam bera olasizmi? | yor-DAM be-RA o-la-siz-MI | Could you help me? |
| Chiqindini qayerga tashlasam boʻladi? | chi-qin-di-NI qa-yer-GA tash-la-SAM boʻ-la-DI | Where can I put the rubbish? |
| Domofon kodini ayta olasizmi? | do-mo-FON ko-di-NI ay-TA o-la-siz-MI | Could you tell me the intercom code? |
| Mashinani qayerga qoʻysam boʻladi? | ma-shi-na-NI qa-yer-GA qoʻy-SAM boʻ-la-DI | Where can I park? |
| Hovlida bolalar oʻynasa boʻladimi? | hov-li-DA bo-la-LAR oʻy-na-SA boʻ-la-di-MI | Is it all right for the children to play in the courtyard? |
| Kalitni sizda qoldirsam boʻladimi? | ka-lit-NI siz-DA qol-dir-SAM boʻ-la-di-MI | Could I leave a key with you? |
| Bugun uyimizga mehmonlar keladi. | bu-GUN u-yi-miz-GA meh-mon-LAR ke-la-DI | Guests are coming to our home today. |
| Shovqin boʻlsa, uzr. | shov-QIN boʻl-SA, UZR | Sorry if it’s noisy. |
| Musiqani sal pasaytirsangiz boʻladimi? | mu-si-qa-NI SAL pa-say-tir-san-GIZ boʻ-la-di-MI | Could you turn the music down a little? |
| Iltimos, shovqin qilmang. | il-ti-MOS, shov-QIN qil-MANG | Please don’t make noise. |
| Tepadan shovqin kelyapti. | te-pa-DAN shov-QIN kel-yap-TI | There’s noise coming from upstairs. |
| Tushunganingiz uchun rahmat. | tu-shun-ga-nin-GIZ u-CHUN rah-MAT | Thank you for understanding. |
The mahalla and its office
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Mahalla | ma-hal-LA | The neighbourhood community |
| Mahallamiz Yunusobod tumanida. | ma-hal-la-MIZ yu-nu-so-BOD tu-ma-ni-DA | Our mahalla is in Yunusobod district. |
| Men bu mahallada yangiman. | men bu ma-hal-la-DA yan-gi-MAN | I’m new in this mahalla. |
| Mahalla idorasi qayerda? | ma-hal-LA i-do-ra-SI qa-yer-DA | Where is the mahalla office? |
| Idora soat nechada ochiladi? | i-do-RA so-AT ne-cha-DA o-chi-la-DI | What time does the office open? |
| Mahalla raisi kim? | ma-hal-LA ra-i-SI KIM | Who is the mahalla chairperson? |
| Mahalla raisi bilan gaplashmoqchiman. | ma-hal-LA ra-i-SI bi-LAN gap-lash-moq-chi-MAN | I’d like to speak to the mahalla chairperson. |
| Murojaat qilmoqchiman. | mu-ro-ja-AT qil-moq-chi-MAN | I’d like to make a request. |
Our: -imiz and -miz
Take the word for what you have and add -imiz after a consonant, -miz after a vowel, and you have “our”. The pattern is on the page already:
- uy (home) → uyimiz, in Bugun uyimizga mehmonlar keladi (the -ga on the end means “to”: guests are coming to our home).
- bola (child) → bolamiz, in Ikkita bolamiz bor (we have two children; literally “our two children exist”).
- mahalla → mahallamiz, in Mahallamiz Yunusobod tumanida.
- qoʻshni (neighbour) → qoʻshnimiz (our neighbour); with -lar first, qoʻshnilarimiz (our neighbours).
It is the same family of endings as -ingiz or -ngiz (your, polite) in ismingiz and qoʻshningiz, and -im (my) in ismim. A few nouns change a sound before the ending: eshik (door) becomes eshigimiz. Adding bizning (of us) in front is optional: Bizning uyimiz and uyimiz both mean “our home”.
What a mahalla is
The Constitution describes the mahalla as a self-governing body of citizens in a city neighbourhood, which elects a chairperson (rais). It is not part of the system of state authorities, and it settles local matters with an eye to local customs and traditions. The mahalla also gives targeted assistance to residents who are socially vulnerable and has a commission that helps with family conflicts. The government portal calls it a unique institution of civil society that brings people together and passes on customs.
A single district holds many of them: the official pages for Bektemir and Shaykhontohur, two districts of Tashkent, count 18 and 48 mahallas. Food is one of the things neighbours share. At Navroʻz, a spring holiday that many countries celebrate, the sumalak cooked overnight is shared with neighbours in the morning, and at Qurbon Hayit meat dishes are shared with neighbours in the mahalla.
A first meeting on the stairs
A: Assalomu alaykum! Men sizning yangi qoʻshningizman. Ismim Anna.
Hello! I’m your new neighbour. My name is Anna.
B: Va alaykum assalom, Anna! Xush kelibsiz. Qaysi xonadonda yashaysiz?
Hello, Anna! Welcome. Which flat do you live in?
A: Uchinchi qavatda. Ikkita bolamiz bor.
On the third floor. We have two children.
B: Juda yaxshi! Yordam kerak boʻlsa, ayting.
How nice! If you need help, tell me.
A: Rahmat! Bugun uyimizga mehmonlar keladi. Shovqin boʻlsa, uzr.
Thank you! Guests are coming to our home today. Sorry if it’s noisy.
B: Hechqisi yoʻq.
No problem.
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