Traveling with Kids

1. Кӯдак

   Ku-dak

   child

   Usage

   General word for a child

   Grammar Note

   "Kudak" is cognate with Persian "kudak" (child). "Bacha" (boy) and "dukhtar" (girl) are also used.

2. Бачаи ман гум шуд

   Ba-cha-i man gum shud

   My child is lost

   Usage

   Emergency phrase when a child is lost

   Grammar Note

   "-i man" uses the ezafe for "my child". "Gum shudan" means "to get lost"; past tense is "shud".

3. Мактаб куҷост?

   Mak-tab ku-jost?

   Where is the school?

   Usage

   Asking for the location of a school

   Grammar Note

   "Maktab" is from Arabic "maktab" (writing place/office). Education is highly valued in Tajikistan with high enrollment rates.

4. Бозичаи ту куҷост?

   Bo-zi-cha-i tu ku-jost?

   Where is your toy?

   Usage

   Casual phrase when talking to a child

   Grammar Note

   "Bozacha" = "bozi" (play) + "-cha" (diminutive suffix). "Tu" is the informal second person, used with children and close friends.

5. Хӯрок мехӯрӣ?

   Khu-rok me-khu-ri?

   Are you eating? / Do you want to eat?

   Usage

   Casual prompt to encourage a child to eat

   Grammar Note

   "Mekhuri" is the casual second-person present of "khurdan" (to eat). "Khurok" is cognate with Persian "khorak" (food).

6. Хоб рав

   Khob rav

   Go to sleep

   Usage

   Telling a child to go to sleep

   Grammar Note

   Imperative of "khob raftan" (to go to sleep). "Khob" is cognate with Persian "khāb" (sleep/dream). "Rav" is the imperative of "raftan" (to go).

7. Хуб кардӣ!

   Khub kar-di!

   Well done!

   Usage

   Praising a child for doing something well

   Grammar Note

   "Kardi" is the second-person singular past of "kardan" (to do). Used informally to praise children or close friends.

8. Бозӣ кун

   Bo-zi kun

   Play

   Usage

   Encouraging a child to go play

   Grammar Note

   Imperative of "bozi kardan" (to play). "Kun" is the informal imperative of "kardan" (to do). Same structure as Persian "bāzi kardan".

9. Китоби кӯдак

   Ki-to-bi ku-dak

   children's book

   Usage

   Looking for a children's book

   Grammar Note

   "Kitobi kudak" uses the ezafe "-i" to mean "book of child" = children's book. "Kitob" is from Arabic "kitāb" (book).

10. Парасторшон кӯ?

    Pa-ras-tor-shon ku?

    Where is their guardian?

    Usage

    Searching for the guardian of a lost child

    Grammar Note

    "-shon" is the third-person plural possessive suffix. "Parastor" is from Persian "parastār" (caretaker). Tajik attaches possessive suffixes directly to nouns.

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