Urdu - Phrases

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

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Famous quotes containing the word phrases:

    “I know those little phrases that seem so innocuous and, once you let them in, pollute the whole of speech. Nothing is more real than nothing. They rise up out of the pit and know no rest until they drag you down into its dark.”
    —Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)

    “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)

    “For proverbs are the pith, the proprieties, the proofs, the purities, the elegancies, as the commonest so the commendablest phrases of a language. To use them is a grace, to understand them a good.”
    —John Florio (c. 1553–1625)