User:نعم البدل/UrduPhrsBook

Greeting

• To Welcome someone: خوش آمَدِید xoś āmadīd (pron. xuś āmadīd) is used exactly as one would use "Welcome".
• When greeting someone: اَلسَلام عَلَیکُم alsalām 'alaikum (pron. as-salām alaykum). Often, people assume that merely saying سَلام (salām) is sufficient, however, it is very informal and could also pass off as petulant. This phrase also has Islamic connotations attached to it, as it is borrowed from Arabic, and is largely used in the Muslim world to greet one another, although it is not limited to Muslims by any means. It literally means "Peace by upon you". آداب (ādāb) is seen as a 'neutral' greeting, but is now largely seen as either a stereotypical greeting or largely from a puristic point of view. If it is used, it is typically in India.
• When greeted by someone: وَعَلَیکُمُ الْسَلام va'alaikumu اlsalām (pron. wa alaykum us-salām). If someone greets you, it is courtesy to reply with wa-alaykum us-salām, which means "And upon you be peace". Sometimes it is shortened down to وَالْسَلام vālsalām (pron. was-salām), but as mentioned previously, clippings can potentially pass off as rude.

Enquiry of being

• Enquiring:

(آپ کا) کِیا حال ہَے؟ (āp kā) kyā hāl hai? – adding āp kā is seen as polite and although merely saying "kyā hāl hai?" is not seen as impolite, it is more casual, and generally used if you've met someone previously or familiar with. Informally, کِیا حال ہَے آپ کا؟ kyā hāl hai āp kā? is also used for the same effect.

آپ کَیسے ہَیں؟ āp kaise ha͠i? (polite) is also sometimes used, although is more literal than the previous phrase.

• Being enquired:

اَلْحَمدُ اللہ alhamdu اlillāh (al-hamdu li-llāh) – There is an amusing joke in the Urdu language that "al-hamdu li-llāh" can be used as a reply to any 'enquiry of good-being' (ie. "How's life?" – Alhamdulillah!, "How are the kids?" – Alhamdulillah!, "How's university?" – Alhamdulillah!, "How's your kidney infection" – Alhamdulillah!), and yeah it works here as well! It literally means "(All) Praises to Allah" but more or less means "By the Grace of God [it is all good/everything is well]". It does carry Islamic connotations, although, again, not limited to Muslims, and if you're not a Muslim, one may assume you were by using this phrase. Hence, it may be used more by Pakistanis, or Overseas Pakistanis, or generally Muslims.

مَیں ٹِھیک ہُوں۔ ma͠i ṭhīk hū̃. is the default reply to when someone asks 'How are you' in Urdu. Alternatively, you could combine the two phrases to say مَیں ٹِھیک ہُوں، الحمد اللہ۔ (ma͠i ṭhīk hū̃, al-hamdu li-llāh).