Urdu speakers greet warmly and often. Master these and you can open (and close) any conversation. Listen first, repeat out loud. Urdu is best learned ear-first.
السلام علیکمassalām-o-alaikum: Hello (peace be upon you)The universal greeting. Works any time of day.
وعلیکم السلامwa-alaikum-us-salām: Hello to you too (reply)The standard reply, 'and peace upon you too'.
کیا حال ہے؟kyā hāl hai?: How are you?Literally 'what is (your) condition?'
ٹھیک ہوںṭhīk hūṉ: I'm fineAdd 'shukriya' after it to be extra polite.
شکریہshukriya: Thank youFrom the Arabic root sh-k-r, 'gratitude'.
جی ہاںjī hāṉ: Yes (polite)'Jī' is a respect particle, sprinkle it generously.
جی نہیںjī nahīṉ: No (polite)Softer than a bare 'nahīṉ'.
معاف کیجیےmuāf kījiye: Excuse me / sorryYour all-purpose politeness tool.
خدا حافظkhudā hāfiz: Goodbye'May God be your protector'. Persian origin.
آپ کیسے ہیں؟āp kaise haiṉ?: How are you? (to a man)To a woman: āp kaisī haiṉ? The verb bends, the question doesn't.
الحمدللہalhamdulillāh: Praise be to God (= I'm well)The most common real answer to kyā hāl hai, whatever the day has been like.
اور آپ سنائیےaur āp sunāiye: And you, do tellLiterally 'and you, make me hear'. How a Pakistani hands the conversation back.
خوش آمدیدkhush āmdīd: WelcomeWhat a host says as you step in. You have already read it on a signboard in Paṛho.
اللہ حافظAllāh hāfiz: GoodbyeNow more common than khudā hāfiz. Both mean 'may God protect you'.
صبح بخیرsubah bakhair: Good morningBakhair = in wellbeing. The same word ends safar bakhair.
شب بخیرshab bakhair: Good nightShab is the poetic night, rāt's Persian twin. Ghazals live after dark.
Good to know
✨ The word “Urdu” comes from the Turkic word ordu, meaning “army camp”, the language grew in the multilingual military camps of Mughal-era Delhi. English got the word “horde” from the same root!
✨ “Jī” is a magic respect particle. Say “jī hāṉ” instead of “hāṉ”, or add it to names, “Ammī jī”, “Khan jī”, and you instantly sound more courteous.
✨ “Khudā hāfiz” literally means “May God be your guardian.” You'll also hear “Allāh hāfiz”, same meaning, newer fashion.
Urdu Ustaadh is a free Urdu-learning resource: native audio, daily games, the Nastaliq script, and Pakistani culture. A project of Muneeb Ata Enterprises. Start learning free →