Phrases
| English | Urdu | Transliteration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Hello) Peace be upon you | السلام علیکم | assalāmu ‘alaikum | lit. "Peace be upon you." (from Arabic). Often shortened to 'Salam' |
| (Reply to Salam) Peace be upon you too | و علیکم السلام | waˈalaikum assalām | lit. "And upon you, peace." Response to assalāmu ʿalaikum |
| Hello | (آداب (عرض ہے | ādāb (arz hai) | lit. "Regards (are expressed)", a very formal secular greeting |
| Goodbye | خُدا حافظ | khuda hāfiz | lit. "May God be your Guardian". |
| Yes | ہاں | hāⁿ | casual |
| Yes | جی | jī | formal |
| Yes | جی ہاں | jī hāⁿ | confident formal |
| No | نہ | nā | casual |
| No | نہیں، جی نہیں | nahīⁿ, jī nahīⁿ | casual; jī nahīⁿ formal |
| Please | مہربانی | mehrbānī | lit. "kindness" Also used for "thank you" |
| Thank you | شُکریہ | shukrīā | from Arabic shukran |
| Please come in | تشریف لائیے | tashrīf laīe | lit. "(Please) bring your honour" |
| Please have a seat | تشریف رکھیئے | tashrīf rakhīe | lit. "(Please) place your honour" |
| I am happy to meet you | آپ سے مل کر خوشی ہوئی | āp se mil kar khushī hūyī | |
| Do you speak English? | کیا آپ انگریزی بولتے ہیں؟ | kya āp angrezī bolte haiⁿ? | |
| I do not speak Urdu. | میں اردو نہیں بولتا/بولتی | maiⁿ urdū nahīⁿ boltā/boltī | boltā is masculine, boltī is feminine |
| My name is ... | میرا نام ۔۔۔ ہے | merā nām .... hai | |
| Which way to Karachi? | کراچی کس طرف ہے؟ | Karācī kis taraf hai? | lit. "What direction is Karachi in?" |
| Where is Lucknow? | لکھنؤ کہاں ہے؟ | lakhnau kahāⁿ hai | |
| Urdu is a good language. | اردو اچھی زبان ہے | urdū achhī zabān hai |
Read more about this topic: Urdu
Famous quotes containing the word phrases:
“And would you be a poet
Before you’ve been to school?
Ah, well! I hardly thought you
So absolute a fool.
First learn to be spasmodic—
A very simple rule.
For first you write a sentence,
And then you chop it small;
Then mix the bits, and sort them out
Just as they chance to fall:
The order of the phrases makes
No difference at all.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“A man in all the world’s new fashion planted,
That hath a mint of phrases in his brain.
One who the music of his own vain tongue
Doth ravish like enchanting harmony.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)