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Urdu phrases for a short visit
مختصر قیام
The lines a visitor actually uses, and the ones you will hear back. Romanized first so you can say them today. Every phrase is recorded — open it in Bhasaly to hear it.
Hear these phrases →First words
jee keeps it respectful
The reply to assalaam alaikum is the same greeting turned around: wa alaikum assalaam. jee before haan or nahin keeps every yes and no respectful; koi baat nahin forgives everything.
| assalaam alaikum | hello | السلام علیکم |
| wa alaikum assalaam | hello (the reply) | وعلیکم السلام |
| shukriya | thank you | شکریہ |
| khuda haafiz | goodbye | خدا حافظ |
| jee haan | yes | جی ہاں |
| jee nahin | no | جی نہیں |
| maaf keejiye | sorry · excuse me | معاف کیجیے |
| theek hai | OK, fine | ٹھیک ہے |
| koi baat nahin | no problem | کوئی بات نہیں |
Being polite
Strangers are family
bhai and baaji address your own age, uncle and aunty the generation above. saahab after a name — Khan saahab — shows respect; the polite aap does the rest. Everyday please is simply the English word — baraa-e mehrbaani belongs to signs and announcements.
| bhaai | brother — a man your age | بھائی |
| baaji | sister — a woman your age | باجی |
| uncle | uncle — an older man | انکل |
| aunty | aunty — an older woman | آنٹی |
| saahab | sir (after a name) | صاحب |
| baraa-e mehrbaani | please (formal / signs) | برائے مہربانی |
Meeting someone
Introductions
meraa naam … hai — my name is …. kyaa haal hai follows any hello, and aahista boliye — speak slowly — rescues you when the answers come too fast.
| meraa naam | my name (is…) | میرا نام |
| aap kaa naam kyaa hai | what is your name? | آپ کا نام کیا ہے |
| kyaa haal hai | how are you? | کیا حال ہے |
| milkar khushi hui | pleased to meet you | ملکر خوشی ہوئی |
| samajh gayaa | understood · got it | سمجھ گیا |
| aahista boliye | please speak slowly | آہستہ بولیے |
| phir kahiye | please say it again | پھر کہیے |
Sentence patterns
Four frames that do the work
Four frames cover most of what you need. Tap a word, hear the whole sentence.
What you will hear
Welcomes & refills
tashreef laaiye ushers you in; aur leejiye means your plate is being refilled. suniye — listen — is how anyone catches anyone’s attention.
| tashreef laaiye | please come in | تشریف لائیے |
| aaiye | come! | آئیے |
| baithiye | please sit | بیٹھیے |
| aur leejiye | have some more | اور لیجیے |
| suniye | listen · excuse me | سنیے |
Mehmaan-nawaazi
Hospitality is the pride
mehmaan-nawaazi — hospitality — is Pakistan’s pride, and visitors get the full treatment. Chai appears unasked; pet bhar gayaa with bahut mazedaar ends seconds with honour intact.
| mehmaan | guest | مہمان |
| pet bhar gayaa | I am full | پیٹ بھر گیا |
| bahut mazedaar | very tasty | بہت مزیدار |
| bas | enough (said smiling) | بس |
Numbers
Rupay by the hundred
Rickshaw rides run tens-to-hundreds of rupay, meals in hundreds, rooms in hazaar. Learn pachaas and sau and you can follow any quote.
| ek | 1 | ایک |
| do | 2 | دو |
| paanch | 5 | پانچ |
| das | 10 | دس |
| bees | 20 | بیس |
| pachaas | 50 | پچاس |
| sau | 100 | سو |
| paanch sau | 500 | پانچ سو |
| hazaar | 1,000 | ہزار |
| rupay | rupees | روپے |
The rickshaw
Agree the kiraaya first
Agree the kiraaya before you sit down — the meters are decorative. yahaan rukiye stops the driver where you need.
| rikshaa | rickshaw | رکشہ |
| taiksi | taxi | ٹیکسی |
| kiraaya | the fare | کرایہ |
| yahaan rukiye | stop here, please | یہاں رکیے |
Directions
Catch one word of the answer
Ask with the kahaan hai frame above, then listen for these.
| daaen | right | دائیں |
| baaen | left | بائیں |
| seedhaa | straight on | سیدھا |
| qareeb | near | قریب |
| door | far | دور |
| morr | the turn | موڑ |
Eating
Chai, roti and the heat
ek chaay laaiye orders anything. The food runs HOT — tez nahin, not spicy, is self-defence said early. Ask for the bil when you are done.
| chaay | chai | چائے |
| paani | water | پانی |
| roti | roti · bread | روٹی |
| daal | lentils | دال |
| khaanaa | food | کھانا |
| mazedaar | tasty | مزیدار |
| tez nahin | not spicy, please | تیز نہیں |
| bill | the bill | بل |
The bazaar
The dance has steps
bahut mehngaa! then kam keejiye is the dance; aakhri qeemat — final price — is the seller’s last word. Fixed-price shops say so and mean it.
| bazaar | the bazaar | بازار |
| kitne | how much? | کتنے |
| mehngaa | expensive | مہنگا |
| sastaa | cheap | سستا |
| kam keejiye | please lower it | کم کیجیے |
| aakhri | final (price) | آخری |
Staying somewhere
Rooms & the bucket
A hotel may be an eatery here too — for sleeping say guest house. garam paani is seasonal; ask before the bucket arrives cold.
| hotel | hotel — sometimes an eatery | ہوٹل |
| kamraa | room | کمرہ |
| chaabi | the key | چابی |
| garam paani | hot water | گرم پانی |
| saaf | clean | صاف |
Getting help
Serious words, hopefully unused
madad keejiye — please help — is the sentence to know; say it clearly. tabiyat theek nahin tells a chemist everything — pharmacies dispense advice as freely as pills.
| madad keejiye | please help! | مدد کیجیے |
| polis | police | پولیس |
| haspataal | hospital | ہسپتال |
| daaktar | doctor | ڈاکٹر |
| dawaa | medicine | دوا |
| tabiyat | health · how one feels | طبیعت |
Staying in touch
Phone, wifi & photos
SIMs need biometric registration — buy at official shops only. Ask tasveer loon? before photographing anyone; around women and homes, accept the no.
| fon | phone | فون |
| nambar | number | نمبر |
| waai faai | wi-fi | وائی فائی |
| internet | internet | انٹرنیٹ |
| tasveer loon | may I take a photo? | تصویر لوں؟ |
Ask where anything is
Where is the ___?
| ghusl khaana kahaan hai? | Where is the bathroom? | غسل خانہ کہاں ہے؟ |
| bazaar kahaan hai? | Where is the bazaar? | بازار کہاں ہے؟ |
| haspataal kahaan hai? | Where is the hospital? | ہسپتال کہاں ہے؟ |
| hotel kahaan hai? | Where is the hotel? | ہوٹل کہاں ہے؟ |
| baink kahaan hai? | Where is the bank? | بینک کہاں ہے؟ |
Ask if something is there
Is there ___?
| paani hai? | Is there water? | پانی ہے؟ |
| chaay hai? | Is there chai? | چائے ہے؟ |
| kamraa hai? | Is there a room? | کمرہ ہے؟ |
| khaanaa hai? | Is there food? | کھانا ہے؟ |
| waai faai hai? | Is there wi-fi? | وائی فائی ہے؟ |
Order anything
___, please.
| paani laaiye | water, please. | پانی لائیے |
| chaay laaiye | chai, please. | چائے لائیے |
| khaanaa laaiye | food, please. | کھانا لائیے |
| menu laaiye | the menu, please. | مینو لائیے |
| bill laaiye | the bill, please. | بل لائیے |
Ask any price
How much is ___?
| ye kitne kaa hai? | How much is this? | یہ کتنے کا ہے؟ |
| kamraa kitne kaa hai? | How much is the room? | کمرہ کتنے کا ہے؟ |
| tikat kitne kaa hai? | How much is the ticket? | ٹکٹ کتنے کا ہے؟ |
| phal kitne kaa hai? | How much is the fruit? | پھل کتنے کا ہے؟ |
Common questions
How do you say hello in Urdu?
Assalaam alaikum. The greetings section above has the full set, including the reply you are likely to hear back.
Do I need an account to use these Urdu phrases?
No. Every phrase on this page is open to read, and you can hear all of them in Bhasaly without signing up.
Do I need to read the Urdu script to use these?
No. Every line is romanized first, so you can say it straight away. The script is there alongside if you want to start reading it.
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