السلام عليكم (Asalaam-u-alaikum) or hello everyone! Are you excited to learn the Urdu language? If Yes, Ling is here to help you out.
This article will teach you some common greetings in Urdu to start a conversation with Pakistani people. So, السلام عليكم (Asalaam-u-alaikum) is the most common way to say hello in Pakistan.
Want to learn more such greetings in Urdu to easily communicate with the locals? This article contains around 25 basic Urdu greetings that are easy to learn and are most commonly used by the natives.
So, let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Greetings In Urdu: What Is The Urdu Language?
You might know that Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and is widely spoken in six states of India.
There are more than 40 million people in the world who speak Urdu, and almost twice of them are native speakers.
As the mother tongue of one of the oldest and most fascinating regions globally, its influence is far-reaching and ever-changing. The ethics and traditions of the Urdu language encourage people to greet in Urdu.
People of South Asia, specifically Pakistanis, speak the Urdu language and feel proud of speaking the Urdu language.
It is not difficult to speak Urdu as this language is a combination of many languages. Let’s start learning greetings in Urdu.
Say Assalam-u-alikum (اسلام و عليکم) and start learning more such best wishes and greetings using Urdu phrases.
Introductory Greetings In Urdu
As you know, Pakistan is a beautiful country, and the people of Pakistan are helpful and sweet. It is the reason foreigners love to visit Pakistan.
Whenever people come to Pakistan, they try to communicate with Pakistanis in Urdu.
Using phone apps and other language apps, they translate their language into Urdu phrases and communicate.
Believe me! Foreigners feel a sweet feeling of joy after hearing introductory greetings in Urdu. The phrases and meanings are lovely and soft.
Initial greetings include your name and a basic introduction.
| English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | السلام علیکم | Assalam- u -alikum |
| Take Care | خیال رکھنا | Khayal rakhna |
| Goodbye | خدا حافظ | Khuda hafiz |
| Thank You | آپ کا شکریہ | Aap ka shukriya |
| Nice Meeting | آپ سے مل کر بہت خوشی ہوئی | Aap sey mil ker bohat Khushi hwui |
| How are You? | تم کیسے ہو | Tum kaise hou |
| What’s your Name? | آپ کا نام کیا ہے | Aap ka naam kiya hai |
| How’s it Going? | کیاحال چال ہے | Kiya Haal chaal hai |
| It’s Nice to See You | تمہیں دیکھ کے اچھا لگا | Tumhe dekh key acha laga |
| What’s Up? | کیا چل رہا ہے | Kiya chalraha hai |
Specific Greetings In Urdu with Time Reference
| English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | صبح بخیر | Subha bakhair |
| Good evening | شام بخیر | Shaam bakhair |
| Good night | شب بخیر | Shab bakhair |
Other Useful Urdu Greeting Words And Phrases
Being in Pakistan and speaking the Urdu language, you will learn some common Urdu greeting words and phrases. You might use Urdu greeting words but using phrases is a bit critical.
It does not mean that Urdu is a complex language; it is just like learning another language is always somehow challenging.
Learning Urdu with the Ling app is fun and effective. Now, let’s learn some phrases that we can use in our daily conversations.
| English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Happy to meet you | آپ سے مل کر خوشی ہوئی | Aap sey mil ker khushi huwi |
| It is nice to meet you | آپ سے مل کر اچھا لگا | Aap sey mil ker acha kaga |
| Good to Meet You Again | آپ سے دوبارہ مل کر اچھا لگا | Aap sey dobara mil ker acha laga |
| Do you have some place? | کیا آپ کے پاس کوئی جگہ ہے | Aap key paas koi jaga hai |
| Can I stay here? | کیا میں یہاں رہ سکتا ہوں | Kiya main yahan reh sakta hoon |
| You are so humble | تم بہت عاجز ہو | Tum bohat aajiz hou |
| I would love to travel again | میں دوبارہ سفر کرنا پسند کروں گا | Main dobara safr kerna pasand keroonga |
| Hello beautiful | السلام علیکم پیارے | Assalam-u-alikum pyaarey |
| Hello everyone | سب کو سلام | Sab ko salam |
| Hello dear | السلام علیکم عزیز | Assalam-u-alikum aziz |
Wide Era of 2021- Online Greetings In Urdu
People use gadgets in 2021 – mobile phones and computers to communicate with people around the globe and this communication can be different with people of different areas.
Those people might speak another language, like the Urdu language.
At this time, greetings in Urdu can imprint a sharp impression of your personality if you are in Pakistan or talking to a Pakistani.
The Pakistani people will feel more friendly when you greet them in Urdu.
Formal Greetings In Urdu
Ok! Use formal greeting ways to mention some people. People like married women and older ones are highly respectful in Pakistan.
While greeting them, you have to use some formal greetings.
Don’t just say, How are you, say Dear Mam/Sir! How are you? It will show how ethical and respectful you are.
Just be nice when you are around people who are not in a friendly relationship with you.
| English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Sir, how are you? | سر آپ کیسے ہیں | Sir aap kaise hain |
| Miss/Madam, how are you? | مس آپ کیسی ہیں | Miss aap kaisi hain |
Informal Greetings In Urdu
Informal greetings are more on the friendly side. You can even use slang words and phrases in casual greetings. You can use this simple way of greeting children and people of your age. They do not mind your slang words, as humor is a bit high at this age.
| English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hey guys, how are you? | سلام دوستوں آپ سب کیسے ہیں | Salam dostoun, aap sab kaise hain |
| Hello friend, how are you? | سلام دوست، کیسے ہو؟ | Salam dost kaise hou |
How Do You Say Greetings In The Urdu Language?
The Urdu word for greeting is khair Makdam (خیر مقدم). Some people also use the greeting word in the sense of Salam (سلام).
Quick Tips To Greet The Locals Easily
- Extend your hand for the handshake when greeting the same gender. Note that, Urdu speaking people don’t appreciate shaking hands with the opposite gender.
- Greet Assalamualaikum (اسلامُ علیکم) to anyone you meet especially the elders as it signifies respect.
- Name people as bhai (بھائی – brother), chacha (چاچا – uncle), behen (بہن – sister), or Bhabhi (بھابھی – sister-in-law) when calling the strangers as it is the common practice in Pakistan. Yet, use Bhabhi word only to call a married woman.
- Learn the basic Urdu numbers and basic Urdu words and phrases that you will get to use the most during your trip to Pakistan or other Urdu-speaking regions.
- Try new foods and restaurants specially if you are visiting Pakistan. It’s a personal recommendation as Pakistan is really known for its food. If you ask for my personal recommendation, I like Karachi’s biryani (بریانی ) and nihari (نہاری), Lahore’s chane naan (چنے نان), and Peshawar’s chapli kabab (چپلی کباب
- Don’t forget to sit at chai ke dhabe (چائے کے ڈھابے – tea stalls) and enjoy it with paratha (پراٹھا) or other fried items.

Frequently Asked Questions About Greetings In Urdu
How Do You Say Good Morning And Good Evening In Urdu?
The Pakistani way of saying good morning in Urdu is subah bakhair (صبح بخیر) and the Urdu word for good evening is shaam bakhair (شام بخیر).
What Is The Urdu Phrase For ‘Nice To Meet You’?
In Urdu, we say nice to meet you as aap se mil kar khushi hui (آپ سے مل کر خوشی ہوئی) or ap se mil kar acha laga (آپ سے مل کر اچھا لگا) ).
What Greetings In Urdu Are Used In Special Occasions?
Below are a few common Urdu greetings used in the special occasions:
Eid Mubarak (عید مبارک – Happy Eid)— used to wish Eid to the Muslims
Naya saal Mubarak (نیا سال مبارک) – — Happy New Year) – used to wish a very happy new year
Salgirah Mubarak ho (سالگرہ مبارک ہو – Happy Birthday) – used to wish birthdays
Shadi Mubarak ho (شادی مبارک ہو – Happy Wedding) – used to wish new beginnings to the newly wed couple
For more such greetings, you can skim through the article “ways to greet Mother’s Day in Urdu”
Familiarize Yourself With The Culture And Language Of The Locals
Until Now! You must have learned some basic ways to greet in Urdu. The people of Pakistan are amiable and will feel happy to teach you Urdu.
All in all, it was a short article on the basic Urdu greetings that might help you when visiting Urdu-speaking regions hopefully.
As a crux, in this article, we have added the formal, informal, and other useful Urdu greetings for you to quickly learn and use them effectively.
Additionally, we have also curated a list of tips to keep you handy with the culture and inform you about the respected behaviors that are appreciated.
Have Fun Learning!
Want to explore more about Pakistani culture and the Urdu language? Look no further.
The Ling app is a reliable and straightforward language-learning app. Learning through the Ling App is like playing a game, and you never get bored playing a game.
This language-learning app is effective, and it will help you achieve fluency in learning.
So, download the Ling App from App Store or Google Play and begin learning Urdu today!