Language/Northern-uzbek/Grammar/Passive-Voice

Northern Uzbek Grammar → Advanced Grammar Concepts → Passive Voice

As a Northern Uzbek language teacher, I have taught my students about basic sentence structures, verb tenses, and even regional dialects and accents. Now, it's time to dive into advanced grammar concepts, starting with the passive voice. In this lesson, I'll teach you how to form the passive voice in Northern Uzbek and give you examples of when and how to use it.

What is the Passive Voice?

The passive voice is a verb construction in which the subject of the sentence undergoes the action of the verb, rather than performing it. In simple terms, the focus is on the receiver of an action, rather than the doer. Passive voice sentences are formed by using the auxiliary verb "bo'l-" with a past participle.

Here's an example in English:

Active voice: The cat chased the mouse. Passive voice: The mouse was chased by the cat.

In the passive voice, the mouse is the receiver of the action, while in the active voice, the cat is the doer of the action.

Now, let's see how to form the passive voice in Northern Uzbek.

Forming the Passive Voice

To form the passive voice in Northern Uzbek, we use the auxiliary verb "bo'l-" followed by a past participle. The past participle is formed by adding -il or -in to the stem of the verb, depending on the vowel harmony.

Here's the formula:

Passive voice = bo'l- + past participle

For example:

Active voice: Men kitob o'qiyman. (I read a book.) Passive voice: Kitob o'qiladi. (The book is being read.)

To form the past participle of the verb "o'qmok" (to read), we take the stem "o'q-" and add -il for vowel harmony. So, "o'qil-" is the past participle. We then add "bo'l-" before it to get "o'qiladi," meaning "is being read."

Here are some more examples:

Northern Uzbek	Pronunciation	English
Men uy tozalayman.	Men uy tozalayman.	I clean the house.
Uy tozalanadi.	Uy tozalanadi.	The house is being cleaned.
Biz taom tayyorlaymiz.	Biz taom tayyorlaymiz.	We prepare food.
Taom tayyorlanadi.	Taom tayyorlanadi.	The food is being prepared.

It's important to note that the agent of the action (the person or thing doing the action) is usually not mentioned in passive voice sentences in Northern Uzbek. However, if you want to include the agent, you can use the postposition "tomonidan" (by) after the past participle.

Here's an example:

Kitob o'qiladi o'qituvchi tomonidan. (The book is being read by the teacher.)

Now that you know how to form the passive voice, let's see how it's used in different contexts.

Uses of the Passive Voice

The passive voice is used in Northern Uzbek for several reasons, including:

1. When the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant. 2. To emphasize the receiver of the action. 3. When the focus of the sentence is on the action, rather than the doer.

Here are some examples to help you understand each use:

1. Unknown or unimportant doer: Doer unknown: Mening telefonim olib borildi. (My phone was taken.) Doer unimportant: Bu kitob mening do'stim tomonidan olindi. (This book was taken by my friend.)

2. Emphasizing receiver of the action: Emphasis on receiver: Bugun vaqt chaqirildi. (Time was wasted today.) Emphasis on action: Guruchlar yiqiladi. (The bridges are collapsing.)

3. Focus on the action, rather than the doer: Doer unimportant: Mening hujjatim qabul qilindi. (My document was accepted.) Action focus: Hujjatim qabul qilinadi. (The document is being accepted.)

As you can see, the passive voice can be used in various situations to give a sentence a different emphasis or focus. It's important to understand when and how to use it properly.

Conclusion

I hope you found this lesson on the passive voice in Northern Uzbek helpful. Remember, to form the passive voice, use the auxiliary verb "bo'l-" with a past participle. The agent of the action is usually not mentioned in passive voice sentences, but you can include it with the postposition "tomonidan." Passive voice is used when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant, to emphasize the receiver of the action, or to focus on the action itself. Practice forming passive voice sentences with different verbs to become more comfortable using this concept in your Northern Uzbek communication.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments section below. Good luck with your learning!

Table of Contents - Northern Uzbek Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Northern Uzbek

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting
• Family and Relationships

  ---

Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Noun Cases
• Adjective Agreement

  ---

Everyday Life

• Food and Drink
• Transportation
• Shopping and Money

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Northern Uzbek Culture

• Traditions and Customs
• Art and Music
• Historical Sites and Landmarks

  ---

Advanced Vocabulary and Expressions

• Idioms and Proverbs
• Business and Work
• Science and Technology

  ---

Advanced Grammar Concepts

• Passive Voice
• Conditional Sentences
• Subjunctive Mood

  ---

Regional Dialects and Accents

• Samarkand Dialect
• Ferghana Valley Dialect
• Karshi-Khanabad Dialect

  ---

Northern Uzbek Literature

• Poetry and Prose
• Folktales and Legends
• Contemporary Uzbek Literature

  ---

Advanced Sentence Structures

• Relative Clauses
• Indirect Discourse
• Causative Constructions

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Northern Uzbek Cuisine

• Traditional Dishes
• Tea Culture
• Wine and Spirits

Related Lessons

• 0 to A1 Course
• Compound verb
• Past Perfect Tense
• Adjective Agreement
• Negation
• Indirect Discourse
• Give your Opinion
• Forming sentences with negation
• Plural