Ride-hailing apps handle most of the trip, but the last two hundred metres, the price for an unmetered ride, and every conversation with a driver who wants to know where you’re from still happen in Uzbek.
This page is step 3 of how to learn Uzbek, the whole path in order.
This page is part of Uzbek for life in Tashkent, the guide for relocants and families.
This page is part of Uzbek for travellers, the guide for a one- or two-week trip.
Getting there
| Uzbek | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Taksi! | tak-SI | Taxi! |
| Chorsuga boramiz. | chor-su-GA bo-ra-MIZ | Let’s go to Chorsu. |
| Aeroportga, iltimos. | a-e-ro-port-GA, il-ti-MOS | To the airport, please. |
| Qancha boʻladi? | qan-CHA boh-la-DI | How much will it be? |
| Yaqinmi? | ya-qin-MI | Is it near? |
| Uzoqmi? | u-zoq-MI | Is it far? |
| Toʻgʻriga | toʻgʻ-ri-GA | Straight ahead |
| Oʻngga | oʻng-GA | To the right |
| Chapga | chap-GA | To the left |
| Shu yerda toʻxtang. | shu yer-DA toʻx-TANG | Stop here. |
| Kuting, iltimos. | ku-TING, il-ti-MOS | Please wait. |
| Sekinroq, iltimos. | se-kin-ROQ, il-ti-MOS | Slower, please. |
| Metro bekati qayerda? | met-RO be-ka-TI qa-yer-DA | Where is the metro station? |
| … qayerda? | qa-yer-DA | Where is …? |
The suffix that means “to”: -ga
Uzbek has no word for “to”. Instead, the destination takes the suffix -ga:
- Chorsu → Chorsuga (to Chorsu)
- bozor → bozorga (to the bazaar)
- Toshkent → Toshkentga (to Tashkent)
- men → menga (to me)
After a word ending in k or g the suffix becomes -ka (Samarqandga but eshikka, to the door), and after q it becomes -qa (qishloqqa, to the village). Drivers will understand you either way.
“Where is …?”: qayerda
Qayerda is one word for “where” (at what place): qayer (which place) + -da (at). Put the thing first, qayerda last:
- Metro bekati qayerda? Where is the metro station?
- Hojatxona qayerda? Where is the toilet?
- Bank qayerda? Where is the bank?
That -da is the “at/in” suffix, the sibling of -ga (to). Toshkentda = in Tashkent. Shu yerda = right here.
Polite commands end in -ng
Toʻxtang (stop), kuting (wait), bering (give), gapiring (speak): the -ng or -ing ending is the polite “you” imperative. Use it with drivers, waiters and anyone you don’t know.
Uzbekcha is an app for learning Uzbek, with lessons in English and audio on every word. It is on Android now and coming soon to iPhone. Get the app.
