Speak Basic Pashto
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. Learn some useful phrases that may help you if you watch any TV show related to Afghanistan or meet any Pashtun.
Steps
- Know how to greet others. Say "Assalam-o-alaikum (peace be on you)". When Pashtun meet, they greet with the Islamic greetings.
- Say "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".
- Ask 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".
- Show 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).
- Know 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".
- Ask for others' names. Say "Ta Soke Ye?" for "Who are you"? (Ta= You, Sok= Who, Ye= Are).
- Introduce yourself in Pashto. Say "I am (Name). Za (name) Yem". (Za=I, Yem= Am).
- Say goodbye to others before a departure. The Pashto version of this is "D Allah Pa Aman". (Allah=God, Pa=With, Amaan=Safety)
Tips
- Pashto/Pakhto is very similar to Persian. It shares the script with the Persian language.
- Additional Words:
- Father = Palaar,
- Mother=Moor,
- Brother=Wror or roor,
- Sister= Khor,
- Son=Zoey,
- Daughter=loor or lur,
- Meal=Dodai, Tikaala (Bread),
- Man=Saray (similar to r),
- Woman=Khaza,
- Boy=Halak,
- Girl=Jinai,
- House=Kor,
- There=Ulta,
- Listen to me=Ma ta ghwag sha, or Zama Khabar wawra.
- Taa-so= You (to elders, with respect).
- My=Zama,
- Your=sta,
- Our=Zmong,
- We = Mong
- It is raining= Baraan waregi (Baraan=Rain),
- I am thirsty= Za Tagay Yam.
- Yes=Ho/Aow/Kha,
- No=Na,
- Don't see=Ma Gora (Ma=Don't).
- Pashtuns/Pakhtuns are also called Pathans. So you may search about Pashtuns through the word "Pathan" as well.
