Moqda

Moqda is a present progressive marker used in Uzbek and some related Turkic languages to indicate that an action is in progress at the present moment. It is a verbal suffix attached to the stem of a verb and is used to form present continuous clauses, roughly corresponding to the English “is/are doing” or “am doing.”

Formation and use: The morpheme -moqda follows the verb stem and combines with other suffixes that mark tense, aspect, and person. The resulting form appears in declarative sentences, questions, and dependent clauses to express ongoing activity. It is widely used in both formal written Uzbek and everyday speech. In some dialects or registers, alternative progressive constructions may be preferred, but -moqda remains the standard form in modern Uzbek for marking ongoing action.

Examples: U hozir o'qmoqda. (He is reading now.) Men kitob o'qmoqdaman. (I am reading a book.) Qizlar maydonda o'ynmoqda. (The girls are playing in the yard.)

Relationship to other Turkic languages: Similar present-progressive suffixes exist across Turkic languages, often with phonological or stylistic differences. The -moqda form in Uzbek is typically linked to the broader system of aspect and mood marking, and it interacts with other verbal suffixes that encode person and number.

Etymology and notes: The suffix is historically related to the infinitive marker and participial forms in Turkic languages, functioning as a grammaticalized marker of ongoing action rather than a separate word. It is a key feature of Uzbek aspect system and helps distinguish ongoing events from completed actions.

See also: Uzbek grammar, Turkic languages, present progressive aspect.