Uzbek, a state language of Uzbekistan, belongs to the Turkic language family, estimated to number from 21 to 25 million Uzbek speakers in the world, with the biggest percentage living in Uzbekistan. Uzbek is also spoken in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan.

The Uzbek language has many dialects, as the Uzbek nation was formed by various ethnic groups. There are four major dialect groups: 
– Northern Uzbek dialects of Southern Kazakhstan; 
– Southern Uzbek dialects of Central and Eastern Uzbekistan and Northern Afghanistan as well as dialects of major Uzbek settlements (Tashkent, Ferghana, Qarshi, Surkhandarya and Chimkent-Turkestan); 
– the Oghuz group comprises a Khoresm dialect close to Turkmen and other dialects of Sourthern and North-Western Uzbekistan; 
– Kypchak dialects relatively close to Kazakh spoken widely in the country and in other Central Asia countries and Kazakhstan.

Phonetically, the dialects of modern Uzbek conventionally fall into two groups: «retaining the unstressed ‘o’» (dialects of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and adjoining districts) and «failing to differentiate unstressed vowels».

The modern literary language is based on the dialects of the Ferghana valley, with the absent vowel harmony. The phonetics, grammar and vocabulary of Uzbek are strongly influenced by Persian. As part of the USSR, Usbek was subjected to Russian influence.

Before 1928, an Arab script was used to write in Uzbek. From 1928 to 1940, there was a Latin-based writing system in the USSR, and from 1940 to 1992 Cyrillic was used. In 1992 Uzbek changed to the Latin script. However, despite the reform, Cyrillic and Latin are now used in equal measure. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan use a Cyrillic-based Uzbek alphabet, Afghanistan uses an Arab script.

To work with Uzbek the translator should be highly skilled in simultaneous interpretation. Uzbek verbs are always used in the end of a sentence which keeps the sense of a non-finalized phrase escaping, however long the phrase. Another difficulty is that a major element of word formation in Uzbek is suffixes. To translate a text from/into Uzbek correctly, the translator should be well aware of how gramatically meaningful this or that suffix is.

All challenges of Uzbek will be easily met by the experts of the Tallinn-based ATCG Agency. They will translate any document or any area-related text from/into Uzbek, whatever the deadlines. The ATCG interpreters will help hold negotiations, sign contracts or just talk to your Uzbek partners.