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Pashto, or Pukhto, is one of the official languages of Afghanistan. Around 60 million people in Afghanistan, adjacent areas in Pakistan and worldwide speak Pashto as their mother tongue. It belongs to Indo-Iranian family of languages.[1] Learn some useful phrases that may help you if you watch any TV show related to Afghanistan or meet any Pashtun.
Steps
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1Know how to greet others. Say "Assalam-o-alaikum (peace be on you)". When Pashtun meet, they greet with the Islamic greetings.[2]
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2Say "with peace, you came" or "you are welcome". This could be used as a response to "thank you", or a greeting.
- Staray ma-shay (may you not be tired) is also used for "Welcome".
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3Ask how others are doing.
- To ask "what's up?", say "Sanga chal day? (n as in 'strange' and day as in 'the', soft D)".
- To reply "everything is fine", say "khairyat day"
- To reply to others with "I am fine", say "Za Kha Yem".
- To say "How is everything at home?", say "koor ta sa ahwal day".
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4Show gratitude (or say "thank you"). The Pashto version of this is Dera Manana. Basically, you would be saying "thank you very much" (Dera=Very much, Manana=thank you).[3]
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5Know how to give certain requests in Pashto:
- Ask others to "come here". Say "Dalta Raasha" . (Dalta=Here, Rasha=Come).
- Request water. Say "Lage Uba Raka" - this means "give me some water". (Lage= Some, Uba=Water, Raka=Give me).
- To ask "where is the airport?", say "Hawayee Dagar Cherta day?" (Hawayee Dagar = Airport, Cherta=Whear, Day=is).
- To say "I am feeling hungry", say "Za wagy Yem". (Za=I, Wagy=hungry, Yem=am).
- To say what is the time?, say "So baje di?".
- To say "What is the day today?", say "Nan the sa wraz da?" (Nan=dodat, Sa=what, Wraz=Day, Da=is)
- To answer "Today is Friday", say "Nan D Jumi Wraz Da".
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6Ask for others' names. Say "Ta Soke Ye?" for "Who are you"? (Ta= You, Sok= Who, Ye= Are).
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7Introduce yourself in Pashto. Say "I am (Name). Za (name) Yem". (Za=I, Yem= Am).
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8Say goodbye to others before a departure.[4] The Pashto version of this is "D Allah Pa Aman". (Allah=God, Pa=With, Amaan=Safety)
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I say "Hello, Brother" in Pashto?
Community AnswerYou can say the Islamic greeting, or "pa khere ragh le" (you have come safely). Brother is "roar," so you could also say "zama roara." Together, you would say "pa khere ragh le, zama roara." -
QuestionHow can I say, "What were you doing there?" in Pashto?Community AnswerYou would say, "Alta de sa kol?"
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QuestionHow do I say "you are my brother" in Pashto?
Community AnswerTe: You - It's a soft 't' sound; as if it's inching towards the 'th' sound, but not quite. Instead of tapping the tip of your tongue against the bottom of your teeth, move it back just a little - but not too far - to create that soft sound Zma: My Roar: Brother Ye: Are - Almost pronounced as the word 'yay'; it's a sharp 'e' sound This may seem like broken Pashto, but remember; the structure and word arrangements vary in different languages.
