کہ

Urdu

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /kɪ/
• (colloquial) IPA^(key): /keː/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Persian که (ki), from Middle Persian 𐭠𐭩𐭪 (AYK /⁠kū⁠/).

Conjunction

کِہ • (ki) (Hindi spelling कि)

1. that

   مُجھے پَتَہ نَہِیں تھا کِہ تُمہیں سِندھِی آتِی ہَے۔

   mujhe pata nahī̃ thā ki tumhẽ sindhī ātī hai.

   I didn't know that you speak Sindhi.

Pronoun

کِہ • (ki) m or f (Hindi spelling कि) (relative)

1. (dated, poetic) that

   Synonym: جو (jo)

   • 1800s, Ghālib, Dīwan-i Ghālib, Madhya Pradesh Urdu Academy, Bhopal:

     عِشْق پَر زور نَہِیں۔ ہَے یہ وہ آتِش غالِب کِہ لَگائے نَہ لَگے اَور بُجھائے نَہ بَنے۔

     'iśq par zor nahī̃. hai ye vo ātiś ġālib ki lagāe na lage aur bujhāe na bane.

     There is no compulsion in passionate love. It is that fire, Ghālib, that ignites not when ignited and dies not when quenched.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀓𑀺𑀁 (kiṃ), 𑀓𑀺 (ki), from Sanskrit किम् (kim, “what, which”), probably influenced by the nominative form कः (kaḥ). Doublet of کیا (kyā).

Particle

کِہ • (ki) (Hindi spelling कि)

1. or

   Synonym: یا (yā)

Usage notes

Usually used in questions as an exclusive or.