Urdu/Vocabulary/Greetings
Normally when one refer to an unknown person or an elder one, one always says aap the formal you. On the other hand, tum is used as an informal 'you'. Tum is also used for friends, intimate relationships and also for children and other people who may be younger than the speaker. Sometimes other words also may be used to refer to people like 'Sahab Jii(Male)', Bhai Sahab(Male), Bhai Jee(Male), Bahan Jii(Female), Aunty(Female), Nana(Old Male) and Sir Jii(in office for Male).
Greetings in Urdu are either related to religion or otherwise non-religious. Normally 'Assalam-o-alakium', a religious greeting, is still the most common greeting for all age groups, kya haal hay(how are you?) is also commonly used among the new generation.
Normally Greetings have a great difference in East and West. In west, good morning, Bon Appetit, Thank You, Sorry, You are welcome have become mandatory. As Allama Iqbal said, the West is nothing but Tukaluf(Greetings), East is just the opposite. In Eastern Culture, if you will say Thank you unnecessarily, they may be become angry. Normally if a person is mute, it means that you are affirmative to the situation. In Pakistan, if somebody will feel bad, he will say it of course.
Accha and Haan is the most commonly used word for affirmation or confirming that one is understood with the situation. The older generation who migrated from India to Pakistan uses mostly Thiik Hay.
Some common Greetings and Words
editAre you pretty
| English | Urdu Script | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (used esp. when answering the phone) | آداب ارض ہے، آداب، سلام، نمستے، نمسکار، ہیلو، السلام علیکم | A'da'b Arz ha~ye./ A'da'b. /Sala'm. / Namaste. / Namas_hka'r./ Hello / Assalam-o-alaikum |
| See you later | پھر ملینگے | phir milenge |
| How are you? | کیا حال ہے؟؛ کیسے ہو؟ | Kya Haal Haiy ? or Kaisay Ho? |
| How are you? | āp khairiyat se hai? A'p ka~yse ha~ien. | |
| I am fine | میں ٹھیک ہوں | main thīk hūn |
| OK/fine (colloq.) | ٹھیک ہے، اچّھا | thīk hai, Accha |
| Fine, and you? (more formal reply) | میں ٹھیک ہوں، اور آپ سنائیے | main teek huun, aur āp sunāiye |
| What is your name? | آپکا نام کیا ہے؟ | āpka nām kya hai? |
| My name is ___ . | میرا نام ۔۔۔ ہے | mera nām ___ hai. |
| Nice to meet you (formal). | آپ سے مل کر بہت خوشی ہوئی ہے | āpse milkar bahoot khuśī huī haiy |
| Nice to meet you too (reply). | مجہے بھی بڑی خوشی ہوئی ہے | mujhe bhī barii khusi hui haiy |
| Yes | ہاں | haan |
| No/not | نہیں | nahīn |
| Do you speak English? | آپ کو انگریزی آتی ہے؟؛ آپ انگریزی بولتے ہیں؟ | āpko angrezī ātī hai? aap angrezi boltay hain? |
| Is there someone here who speaks English? | کیا یہاں کسی کو انگریزی آتی ہے؟ | kya yahaan kisī ko angrezī ātī hai? |
| I don't speak Urdu | مجھے اردو نہیں آتی ہے۔ | mujhay Urdu naheen aati hai |
| I can't speak Urdu | میں اردو نہیں بول سکتا | main Urdu nahīn bol sakta hūn. |
| I speak some Urdu. | مجھے تھوڑی سی اردو آتی ہے | mujhe thoorii see Urdu ātī hai |
| I don't understand. | میں سمجھا؍سمجھی نہیں، مجھے سمجھ نہیں آیا | main samjha/samjhī nahīn , mujhay sumajh nahneen aaya hi |
| Please speak more slowly | Zaraa dhīre dhīre boliye or Zaraa Ahistigi say boliye | |
| Come again? | Phirse aain ga? | |
| What does "..." mean? | ۔۔۔ کا مطلب کیا ہے؟ | "..." ka matlab kya hai? or "..." say kya muraad hai? |
| How do you say "..."? | "..." ko kaise kehte hain? | |
| Where are you from? | آپ کہاں سے ہیں؟ | āp kahan se hain? |
| I'm from ... | میں ہوں | main ... se hūn |
| Please | مہربانی ہو گی | maharbanii hoogi |
| Thank you | شکریہ | shukria |
| Thank you very much | بہت بہت شکریہ | bahut bahut shukria |
| You're welcome | کوئی بات نہیں | Koi baat naheen |
| You're welcome (lit. don't mention it) | koī bāt nahīn | |
| Excuse me (getting s.o.'s attention) | suniye , Janaab | |
| Pardon me | Maaf kījiye ga, Maaf Karna | |
| Pardon me/I'm sorry | Maaf karo (informal especially to beggars) Maaf kejiyay ga (formal) | |
| Where is the toilet? | bayt-ul-khala kahan hai? (obselete) bathroom/washroom kahan hai(polite) | |
| Good!, really?, nice, etc. | accha, Zabardaast, kya baat hai | |
| Just one minute | ek minat tehroo |