Salaam! · Greetings

Your first words — greet anyone, anywhere

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.

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The phrases

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.

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.

Mulaqat · Introductions →

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 →