Essential Uzbek Phrases for Travelers

You don’t need fluent Uzbek to travel well here. You need maybe twenty phrases, said with a smile, and people will warm to you fast.

This is the short list of uzbek phrases that actually carry a trip: hello, thank you, a few numbers for the bazaar, and the words that get you from the taxi to the table. Practice five before you land and you’ll feel the difference on day one.

How to read Uzbek (Latin script and two odd sounds)

Uzbek is written in a Latin alphabet that looks familiar, with two letters that trip people up.

o’ (with that little hook) is a rounded “aw” sound, close to the vowel in “more”. So o'tdi OOT-dee isn’t “otdi”.
g’ is a soft growl from the back of the throat, like a French “r”. You’ll hear it in to'g'ri toh-REE (correct, straight ahead).
x is a throaty “kh”, as in xush kelibsiz khoosh keh-LEEB-siz (welcome).
q sits deeper than English “k”.

Don’t stress the perfect pronunciation. Get close and context does the rest. Russian also works almost everywhere, especially in Tashkent, but Uzbek opens doors that Russian doesn’t.

How to say hello in Uzbek

Start here. The everyday greeting is Assalomu alaykum ass-ah-LOM-oo ah-LAY-koom (peace be upon you). It works morning to night, for shopkeepers, hosts, and strangers alike.

The reply you’ll hear back is Va alaykum assalom vah ah-LAY-koom ass-ah-LOM . A simpler casual hello is just Salom sah-LOM , fine among younger people and friends.

When you ask how someone’s doing, say Yaxshimisiz? yakh-shee-mee-SIZ (are you well?). For more on the small rituals around greetings, who greets first, the hand on the heart, see our guide to greetings and respect.

Thank you, please, and the polite glue

These are the words you’ll use most.

Rahmat rah-MAHT (thank you). Add katta rahmat KAH-tah rah-MAHT for “thank you very much”.
Iltimos il-tee-MOSS (please).
Ha hah (yes) and Yo'q yawk (no).
Kechirasiz keh-chee-rah-SIZ (excuse me / sorry), good for getting attention or squeezing past.

Saying Rahmat rah-MAHT after tea or a meal matters more than you’d expect. Hospitality is taken seriously here, and a little gratitude goes a long way. There’s a whole culture of hospitality behind that cup of tea.

At the bazaar: numbers and haggling

Markets like Chorsu Bazaar run on a bit of friendly back-and-forth. A few words make you a customer instead of a tourist.

Ask the price with Qancha? KAHN-cha (how much?). If it’s steep, try Qimmat kim-MAHT (expensive) with a smile, then suggest your number.

Handy numbers:

bir beer (one)
ikki IK-kee (two)
uch ooch (three)
besh besh (five)
o'n awn (ten)
yuz yooz (hundred)
ming ming (thousand)

Prices here climb into the thousands fast, so ming ming earns its keep. To say you’ll take it: Olaman oh-LAH-man (I’ll buy it). Read up on the unwritten rules in bazaar etiquette before you start bargaining hard.

In the taxi

Most rides are negotiated or run on an app. Either way, these help.

Tell the driver where you’re headed by naming the place and adding nothing else. For Registan Square, “Registan, iltimos” is plenty.

To'xtang TOKH-tang (stop here).
Qayerda? kah-YER-dah (where is it?).
Bu yerda boo YER-dah (right here).

Agree the fare before you get in if there’s no meter. Our taxi survival guide covers the going rates and the scams to skip.

At the restaurant

Food is half the reason to come. You’ll want to order plov, shashlik, and a stack of warm non bread without pointing the whole time.

Menyu bormi? MEN-yoo BOR-mee (do you have a menu?).
Mana shu MAH-nah shoo (this one), while you point.
Suv soov (water) and choy choy (tea), the two drinks you’ll order daily.
Hisob, iltimos hee-SOB il-tee-MOSS (the bill, please).

When the food is good, and it will be, tell them: Juda mazali joo-DAH mah-zah-LEE (very tasty). Cooks love hearing it. If you want a roadmap for what to order and in what order, see our 13 dishes to eat.

The 20 phrases, all in one place

If you only memorize this list, you’re set:

Assalomu alaykum ass-ah-LOM-oo ah-LAY-koom (hello)
Salom sah-LOM (casual hi)
Rahmat rah-MAHT (thanks)
Iltimos il-tee-MOSS (please)
Ha hah (yes)
Yo'q yawk (no)
Kechirasiz keh-chee-rah-SIZ (excuse me)
Yaxshimisiz? yakh-shee-mee-SIZ (how are you?)
Qancha? KAHN-cha (how much?)
Qimmat kim-MAHT (expensive)
Olaman oh-LAH-man (I’ll take it)
To'xtang TOKH-tang (stop)
Qayerda? kah-YER-dah (where?)
Menyu bormi? MEN-yoo BOR-mee (menu?)
Suv soov (water)
Choy choy (tea)
Hisob, iltimos hee-SOB il-tee-MOSS (the bill)
Juda mazali joo-DAH mah-zah-LEE (delicious)
To'g'ri toh-REE (correct / straight on)
Xayr khayr (goodbye)

Want more? The free phrasebook sorts common uzbek phrases by situation, and the lessons build up your basic uzbek words a few at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Is Uzbek hard to learn for travelers?

Not for survival purposes. The Latin script is readable on sight, grammar is regular, and you only need a couple dozen words to get around. The two sounds to practice are o’ and g’.

Do people in Uzbekistan speak English?

Younger people in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara often speak some English, and tourism staff usually do. In smaller towns and at bazaars, a few uzbek phrases or some Russian go much further.

What’s the most important phrase to learn first?

Assalomu alaykum ass-ah-LOM-oo ah-LAY-koom for hello and Rahmat rah-MAHT for thank you. Those two carry almost any friendly interaction.

How do I say goodbye in Uzbek?

Say Xayr khayr (goodbye). For “see you later”, Ko'rishguncha koh-rish-GOON-cha works among friends.

Keep these handy when the signal drops in a taxi or out at a mountain teahouse. The Salom Uzbekistan app has all of these phrases offline, with audio so you can hear the o’ and g’ sounds done right. Download it before your flight and practice on the way over.