Being invited to someone’s home is how many newcomers meet Uzbek hospitality, and the host will talk to you in short requests: sit, come in, take some, have some tea. They are all built the same way, with the polite ending -ing, so you can understand them and use them yourself.
This page is part of Uzbek for life in Tashkent, the guide for relocants and families.
Arriving
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Assalomu alaykum! | as-sa-LO-mu a-lay-KUM | Hello! (to everyone in the room) |
| Va alaykum assalom! | va a-lay-KUM as-sa-LOM | Hello! (the reply) |
| Xush kelibsiz! | khush ke-lib-SIZ | Welcome! |
| Marhamat, kiring! | mar-ha-MAT, ki-RING | Please, come in! |
| Taklifingiz uchun rahmat. | tak-li-fin-GIZ u-CHUN rah-MAT | Thank you for the invitation. |
| Kechirasiz, kech qoldim. | ke-chi-ra-SIZ, KECH qol-DIM | Sorry, I’m late. |
| Bu sizga kichik sovgʻa. | BU siz-GA ki-CHIK sov-GʻA | This is a little gift for you. |
| Non olib keldim. | NON o-LIB kel-DIM | I’ve brought bread. |
| Marhamat, oʻtiring. | mar-ha-MAT, oʻ-ti-RING | Please, sit down. |
| Bu yerga oʻtiring. | BU yer-GA oʻ-ti-RING | Please sit here. |
| Uyingiz juda chiroyli. | u-yin-GIZ ju-DA chi-roy-LI | Your home is very beautiful. |
| Oilangiz yaxshimi? | o-i-lan-GIZ yakh-shi-MI | Is your family well? |
Tea, bread and the table
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Choy iching. | CHOY i-CHING | Please have some tea. |
| Choy ichasizmi? | CHOY i-cha-siz-MI | Will you have some tea? |
| Rahmat, ichaman. | rah-MAT, i-cha-MAN | Thank you, I will. |
| Yana bir piyola choy? | ya-NA BIR pi-yo-LA CHOY | Another bowl of tea? |
| Nondan oling. | non-DAN o-LING | Please take some bread. |
| Oling, tortinmang. | o-LING, tor-tin-MANG | Please, help yourself, don’t be shy. |
| Yeng, marhamat. | YENG, mar-ha-MAT | Please, eat. |
| Yana oling. | ya-NA o-LING | Please take some more. |
| Juda mazali! | ju-DA ma-za-LI | Very tasty! |
| Palov juda mazali! | pa-LOV ju-DA ma-za-LI | The palov is very tasty! |
| Rahmat, yetarli. | rah-MAT, ye-tar-LI | Thank you, that’s enough. |
| Rahmat, toʻydim. | rah-MAT, toʻy-DIM | Thank you, I’m full. |
| Qoʻlingiz dard koʻrmasin! | qoʻ-lin-GIZ DARD koʻr-ma-SIN | Thank you for the meal! (to the cook; literally “may your hands never ache”) |
Saying thank you and leaving
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Katta rahmat! | kat-TA rah-MAT | Thank you very much! |
| Mehmondoʻstligingiz uchun katta rahmat. | meh-mon-doʻst-li-gin-GIZ u-CHUN kat-TA rah-MAT | Thank you very much for your hospitality. |
| Juda yaxshi vaqt oʻtkazdik. | ju-DA yakh-SHI VAQT oʻt-kaz-DIK | We had a very good time. |
| Endi ketishimiz kerak. | en-DI ke-ti-shi-MIZ ke-RAK | Now we have to go. |
| Vaqt qanday oʻtganini bilmay qoldik. | VAQT qan-DAY oʻt-ga-ni-NI bil-MAY qol-DIK | We lost track of time. |
| Oilangizga salom ayting. | o-i-lan-giz-GA sa-LOM ay-TING | Say hello to your family. |
| Bizga ham mehmonga keling. | biz-GA HAM meh-mon-GA ke-LING | Please come and visit us too. |
| Xayr, koʻrishguncha! | KHAYR, koʻ-rish-gun-CHA | Goodbye, see you! |
| Salomat boʻling! | sa-lo-MAT boʻ-LING | Take care! (be well) |
The polite request: -ing
Almost everything your host says is a verb stem plus -ing, the polite “you” request. It is the same ending as in iltimos, sekinroq gapiring on the thank-you page:
- oʻtir- (sit) + -ing = oʻtiring, please sit
- ol- (take) + -ing = oling, please take
- kir- (enter) + -ing = kiring, please come in
- ich- (drink) + -ing = iching, please drink
After a vowel the ending is -ng: ye- (eat) becomes yeng. To say “don’t”, put -ma- before the ending: tortin- (be shy) + -ma- + -ng gives tortinmang, “don’t be shy”. Marhamat is the word that goes with all of them, “please, go ahead”, the same one you hear when someone hands you something. Drop -ing (ol, kir) and you are talking to a child or a close friend, so keep it when you are the guest.
What a guest can expect
The Government portal says that the ability to receive a guest is held in high esteem, whatever the wealth of the table or the family. Tea is described as the basis of Uzbek hospitality, and the national tourism site says a guest is greeted with fragrant tea and hot flatbread (non). When you visit, it is traditional to bring flatbread, and the tourism body says the number of loaves should be even. If you bring a gift, Bu sizga kichik sovgʻa is how you hand it over.
Your host pours only a little tea into the bowl at a time, about one or two sips. That is the ritual, not stinginess: the more often your bowl is refilled, the more you are valued. In some regions and in the capital the host may also rinse the tea three times before handing it to you. When you have had enough, say Rahmat, yetarli.
The same tourism site says that guests are farewelled with pilaf, and UNESCO quotes a saying that guests can leave their host’s house only after palov has been offered. At the door, take your cue from what your hosts do.
A short dialogue
A: Assalomu alaykum! Xush kelibsiz, marhamat, kiring.
Hello! Welcome, please come in.
B: Va alaykum assalom! Taklifingiz uchun rahmat. Bu sizga kichik sovgʻa.
Hello! Thank you for the invitation. This is a little gift for you.
A: Rahmat! Oʻtiring. Choy iching.
Thank you! Please sit down. Please have some tea.
B: Palov juda mazali!
The palov is very tasty!
A: Yana oling, tortinmang.
Please take some more, don’t be shy.
B: Rahmat, toʻydim. Qoʻlingiz dard koʻrmasin!
Thank you, I’m full. Thank you for the meal!
Uzbekcha is being built to help you feel at ease at an Uzbek table. At launch, lessons are in English and compare Uzbek with your first language. Join the waitlist.