Question words are the highest-value words in any language: seven of them unlock every conversation. Urdu's all start with k, and with 'kahāṉ hai?' you can find anything on Earth.
کیاkyā: whatAlso turns any sentence into a yes/no question, see the fun fact.
کونkaun: who
کہاںkahāṉ: whereThe single most useful question word for a traveller.
کبkab: when
کیوںkyūṉ: whyEvery Urdu-speaking toddler's favourite word.
کیسےkaise: how'Kaise haiṉ āp?', another way to ask how someone is.
کتناkitnā: how muchYou met its plural 'kitne' at the bazaar in Level 5.
یہاںyahāṉ: here
وہاںwahāṉ: therekahāṉ–yahāṉ–wahāṉ: where–here–there. A rhyming set.
باتھ روم کہاں ہے؟bāthrūm kahāṉ hai?: Where is the bathroom?Pattern: ___ kahāṉ hai? = where is ___? Works for everything.
معلوم نہیںmālūm nahīṉ: I don't knowLiterally 'not known'. Shorter and softer than the alternatives.
کس کا؟kis kā?: Whose?Kaun bends to kis before kā, ko, se. Question words decline too.
کس سے؟kis se?: From whom?Same bend, different tail. kis kā, kis ko, kis se: whose, to whom, from whom.
کون سا؟kaun sā?: Which one?Kaun asks who, kaun sā asks which of these.
کیا مطلب؟kyā matlab?: What do you mean?Matlab = meaning. Also thrown in mid-sentence, like English 'I mean'.
کہاں سے؟kahāṉ se?: From where?kahāṉ + se. Stack the little keys and they open more doors.
Good to know
✨ Start any statement with kyā and it becomes a yes/no question: “āp ṭhīk haiṉ” (you're fine) → “kyā āp ṭhīk haiṉ?” (are you fine?). One word, instant question, no rearranging like English.
✨ English question words cluster on wh- (who, what, where); Urdu's cluster on k- (kaun, kyā, kahāṉ). Same convergent evolution, different letter.
✨ The rhyme trio kahāṉ / yahāṉ / wahāṉ (where / here / there) is your free gift: learn one, get three.
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