خدا حافظkhudā hāfiz: goodbyeloch-rasp at the start
غزلghazal: ghazal (love poem)gargled g, gh-uh-zul
قلمqalam: pendeep-throat k: q-uh-lum
کالاkālā: black
خالہkhālā: mother's sister
خوشkhush: happykh, from the back of the throat
خبرkhabar: newsthe kh of khabarnāma
غریبgharīb: poorgh, the gargled one
قلمqalam: penq, deeper than k, at the very back
قیمتqīmat: pricethe q you will need in every bazaar
Good to know
✨ خ (khe): the rasp in Scottish “loch” or German “Bach”. Push air through a nearly-closed throat. You've been saying it in khudā hāfiz all along.
✨ غ (ghain): the same rasp, but voiced: a gentle gargle, like the French r in “Paris”. It starts the word ghazal.
✨ ق (qāf): a k made deeper in the throat, at the uvula. Feel your tongue's back touch further down. In relaxed speech many speakers soften it toward k, so close is fine.
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