2.4 Asking Questions

Using Questions in Everyday Urdu

In this chapter you learn how to form and recognize questions in Urdu, and how they sound in normal conversation. You already know some basic sentence structure, so here we focus on what is specific to questions.

Statements vs questions in Urdu

In English, questions often change word order, like:

• “You are a student.” → “Are you a student?”

Urdu generally keeps the same word order as a statement. A question is usually shown by:

• a question word (like kya, kab, kahan)
• a question mark in writing
• different intonation in speech

Compare:

• وہ طالب علم ہے۔
  voh taalib-ilm hai.
  “He is a student.”
• کیا وہ طالب علم ہے؟
  kya voh taalib-ilm hai?
  “Is he a student?”

The order “وہ طالب علم ہے” stays the same. Only کیا is added and the intonation rises at the end.

Yes / No questions

Using کیا at the beginning

The most common way to make a yes / no question is to put کیا (kya) at the beginning of the sentence.

Table: Statement vs yes / no question

In speech, you may sometimes drop کیا if the context is clear and only use a questioning tone:

• تم ٹھیک ہو؟
  tum theek ho?
  “Are you okay?”

However, for beginners, using کیا is safer and clearer.

Short yes / no answers

Very short answers:

• Yes: جی ہاں / ہاں
  jee haan / haan
• No: جی نہیں / نہیں
  jee nahin / nahin

“جی” adds politeness and respect.

Example exchanges:

• Q: کیا آپ پاکستانی ہیں؟
  kya aap Pakistani hain?
  “Are you Pakistani?”
  A: جی ہاں، میں پاکستانی ہوں۔
  jee haan, main Pakistani hoon.
  “Yes, I am Pakistani.”
• Q: کیا وہ گھر پر ہے؟
  kya voh ghar par hai?
  “Is he at home?”
  A: نہیں، وہ دفتر میں ہے۔
  nahin, voh daftar mein hai.
  “No, he is at the office.”

You can also answer with just ہاں or نہیں in casual speech.

Question words overview

Here is a quick list of very common Urdu question words. You will see more detail and examples in the following sections.

Example:

• Statement: آپ لاہور میں رہتے ہیں۔
  aap lahor mein rehtay hain.
  “You live in Lahore.”
• Question: آپ کہاں رہتے ہیں؟
  aap kahan rehtay hain?
  “Where do you live?”

“لاہور میں” is replaced by “کہاں”.

Using “kya” (کیا) for “what”

“کیا” as a yes / no marker vs “کیا” as “what”

You have already seen کیا at the beginning as a yes / no marker.

It can also mean “what” when it stands in the position of the thing you are asking about.

1. کیا as yes/no marker:

• کیا وہ یہاں ہے؟
  kya voh yahan hai?
  “Is he here?”

2. کیا as “what”:

• آپ کیا پڑھتے ہیں؟
  aap kya parhtay hain?
  “What do you study?”

Here “کیا” is functioning as “what.” It replaces the object of the verb “to study.”

Common patterns with “کیا”

Asking about an object

Structure:
Subject + کیا + verb

Examples:

• تم کیا کھاتے ہو؟
  tum kya khatay ho?
  “What do you eat?”
• آپ کیا دیکھ رہے ہیں؟
  aap kya dekh rahay hain?
  “What are you watching?”
• وہ کیا بنا رہا ہے؟
  voh kya bana raha hai?
  “What is he making?”

Asking “What is this / that?”

Useful pattern with کیا ہے:

• یہ کیا ہے؟
  yeh kya hai?
  “What is this?”
• وہ کیا ہے؟
  voh kya hai?
  “What is that?”

Reply:

• یہ کتاب ہے۔
  yeh kitaab hai.
  “This is a book.”
• وہ میرا گھر ہے۔
  voh mera ghar hai.
  “That is my house.”

Polite “What do you want?”

• آپ کیا چاہتے ہیں؟
  aap kya chahte hain?
  “What do you want?” (polite, masculine)
• آپ کیا چاہتی ہیں؟
  aap kya chahti hain.
  “What do you want?” (polite, feminine)

Using “kab” (کب) for “when”

کب asks about time.

Common positions:

• At the beginning for emphasis
• Before or after the subject, depending on style

Typical pattern:

• Subject + کب + verb
  or
• کب + subject + verb

Examples:

• آپ کب آ رہے ہیں؟
  aap kab aa rahay hain?
  “When are you coming?”
• تم کب جاؤ گے؟
  tum kab jao ge?
  “When will you go?”
• وہ کب آئے گی؟
  voh kab aaye gi?
  “When will she come?”
• میٹنگ کب ہے؟
  meeting kab hai?
  “When is the meeting?”

Sometimes کب تک means “until when”:

• آپ کب تک یہاں رہیں گے؟
  aap kab tak yahan rahain ge?
  “Until when will you stay here?”

Using “kahan” (کہاں) for “where”

کہاں asks about place or location.

Common pattern:

• Subject + کہاں + verb

Examples:

• آپ کہاں رہتے ہیں؟
  aap kahan rehtay hain?
  “Where do you live?”
• تم کہاں جارہے ہو؟
  tum kahan ja rahay ho?
  “Where are you going?”
• وہ کہاں ہیں؟
  voh kahan hain?
  “Where are they?”
• آپ کہاں سے ہیں؟
  aap kahan se hain?
  “Where are you from?”
• آپ کہاں جا رہے ہیں؟
  aap kahan ja rahay hain?
  “Where are you going?”

Note:

• کہاں سے = from where
• کہاں کو / کہاں = to where (usually just “کہاں” with motion verbs)

Using “kyon” (کیوں) for “why”

کیوں asks for a reason.

Position:

• Often after the subject
• Can also be put at the very beginning for emphasis

Examples:

• آپ کیوں ہنس رہے ہیں؟
  aap kyon hans rahay hain?
  “Why are you laughing?”
• تم کام پر کیوں نہیں جاتے؟
  tum kaam par kyon nahin jatay?
  “Why don’t you go to work?”
• وہ ناراض کیوں ہے؟
  voh naraaz kyon hai?
  “Why is he angry?”
• آپ نے کھانا کیوں نہیں کھایا؟
  aap ne khana kyon nahin khaya?
  “Why did you not eat food?”

Common short answers:

• اس لیے کہ…
  is liye ke…
  “Because…”

Example:

• Q: آپ دیر سے کیوں آئے؟
  aap der se kyon aaye?
  “Why did you come late?”
  A: اس لیے کہ ٹریفک بہت تھا۔
  is liye ke traffic bohat tha.
  “Because there was a lot of traffic.”

Using “kaun” (کون) for “who”

کون asks about a person as subject:

• کون آ رہا ہے؟
  kaun aa raha hai?
  “Who is coming?”
• کون ہے؟
  kaun hai?
  “Who is it?”
• کون کھیل رہا ہے؟
  kaun khel raha hai?
  “Who is playing?”

When “who” is not the subject, Urdu uses کس or کس کا / کس کی / کس کے. That is more detailed grammar, but you should recognize it:

• آپ کس سے بات کر رہے ہیں؟
  aap kis se baat kar rahay hain?
  “With whom are you talking?”
• یہ کتاب کس کی ہے؟
  yeh kitaab kis ki hai?
  “Whose book is this?”

For now, focus on کون for “who” as the subject.

Using “kaise / kaisa” (کیسے / کیسا) for “how”

Urdu has two common “how” ideas:

1. کیسے for “how” (manner, way)
2. کیسا / کیسی / کیسے for “how / what kind of” (quality, matches gender/number)

“کیسے” for manner

Ask about the way something happens or the method:

• آپ کیسے ہیں؟
  aap kaise hain?
  “How are you?” (standard polite)

Answers:

• میں ٹھیک ہوں۔
  main theek hoon.
  “I am fine.”
• میں بالکل ٹھیک ہوں۔
  main bilkul theek hoon.
  “I am completely fine.”

Other examples:

• آپ اردو کیسے سیکھتے ہیں؟
  aap Urdu kaise seekhtay hain?
  “How do you learn Urdu?”
• تم یہ لفظ کیسے لکھتے ہو؟
  tum yeh lafz kaise likhtay ho?
  “How do you write this word?”

“کیسا / کیسی / کیسے” for quality

These forms agree with the gender and number of the noun.

Basic pattern:

• کیسا (kaisa) for masculine singular
• کیسی (kaisi) for feminine singular
• کیسے (kaise) for masculine plural / polite

Examples:

• یہ کھانا کیسا ہے؟
  yeh khana kaisa hai?
  “How is this food?” / “What is this food like?”
• فلم کیسی تھی؟
  film kaisi thi?
  “How was the film?”
• بچے کیسے ہیں؟
  bachay kaise hain?
  “How are the children?”

These often translate as “How is…?” or “What is … like?”

Using “kitna / kitni / kitne” (کتنا / کتنی / کتنے) for “how much / how many”

کتنا / کتنی / کتنے ask about quantity.

Basic agreement:

• کتنا (kitna) for masculine singular, uncountable amounts, or time
• کتنی (kitni) for feminine singular
• کتنے (kitne) for masculine plural or people (often)

Asking “How much?”

• یہ کتنا ہے؟
  yeh kitna hai?
  “How much is this?” (price of one item)
• چینی کتنی ہے؟
  cheeni kitni hai?
  “How much sugar is there?” (feminine cheeni)
• پانی کتنا ہے؟
  pani kitna hai?
  “How much water is there?”

Asking “How many?”

• آپ کے کتنے بھائی ہیں؟
  aap ke kitne bhai hain?
  “How many brothers do you have?”
• آپ کی کتنی بہنیں ہیں؟
  aap ki kitni behnen hain?
  “How many sisters do you have?”
• کلاس میں کتنے طالب علم ہیں؟
  class mein kitne taalib-ilm hain?
  “How many students are in the class?”

Asking “How much time?”

Use کتنی دیر or کتنا وقت:

• کتنی دیر لگے گی؟
  kitni der lage gi?
  “How long will it take?”
• کتنا وقت ہے؟
  kitna waqt hai?
  “How much time is there?”

Using “kaun sa / kaun si / kaun se” (which)

These forms ask “which one” from options.

Agreement:

• کون سا (kaun sa), masculine singular
• کون سی (kaun si), feminine singular
• کون سے (kaun se), masculine plural / mixed plural

Examples with objects:

• آپ کون سی کتاب چاہتے ہیں؟
  aap kaun si kitaab chahtay hain?
  “Which book do you want?”
• تم کون سا رنگ پسند کرتے ہو؟
  tum kaun sa rang pasand kartay ho?
  “Which color do you like?”
• آپ کون سی فلم دیکھنا چاہتے ہیں؟
  aap kaun si film dekhna chahtay hain?
  “Which film do you want to watch?”

With people:

• آپ کون سے استاد سے پڑھتے ہیں؟
  aap kaun se ustaad se parhtay hain?
  “With which teacher do you study?”

Intonation in questions

In spoken Urdu, intonation is very important.

1. Yes / no questions
   Voice usually rises at the end.
• تم گھر جا رہے ہو؟
  tum ghar ja rahay ho?
  Rising tone = “Are you going home?”
2. Wh-questions (what, where, why, etc.)
   Tone often rises a bit on the question word, then may fall at the end.
• آپ کہاں رہتے ہیں؟
  aap kahan rehtay hain?
  Slight rise on “کہاں”.

Even if the grammar looks like a statement, the rising tone tells the listener it is a question.

Combining question words with “kya”

Sometimes کیا appears with other question words at the beginning. For beginners this can be confusing. A very common pattern is:

• کیا + clause = “Do you (really) …?” or adds emphasis.

Example:

• کیا آپ لاہور میں رہتے ہیں؟
  kya aap lahor mein rehtay hain?
  “Do you live in Lahore?”

Here there is no extra meaning beyond making a yes / no question politely. There is no second “what.” Beginners can mostly think of initial کیا simply as a yes / no question marker.

Sample mini dialogues

Dialogue 1: Basic yes / no

A: کیا آپ طالب علم ہیں؟
kya aap taalib-ilm hain?
“Are you a student?”

B: جی ہاں، میں طالب علم ہوں۔
jee haan, main taalib-ilm hoon.
“Yes, I am a student.”

A: آپ کہاں پڑھتے ہیں؟
aap kahan parhtay hain?
“Where do you study?”

B: میں لاہور میں پڑھتا ہوں۔
main lahor mein parhta hoon.
“I study in Lahore.”

Dialogue 2: What, when, where

A: آپ کیا کرتے ہیں؟
aap kya kartay hain?
“What do you do?”

B: میں انجینئر ہوں۔
main engineer hoon.
“I am an engineer.”

A: آپ دفتر کب جاتے ہیں؟
aap daftar kab jatay hain?
“When do you go to the office?”

B: میں ہر روز نو بجے دفتر جاتا ہوں۔
main har roz nau bajay daftar jata hoon.
“I go to the office at nine o’clock every day.”

Dialogue 3: Why and how

A: آپ اداس کیوں ہیں؟
aap udaas kyon hain?
“Why are you sad?”

B: میں تھکا ہوا ہوں۔
main thaka hua hoon.
“I am tired.”

A: آپ کیسے آرام کرتے ہیں؟
aap kaise aaraam kartay hain?
“How do you rest?”

B: میں گھر میں سوتا ہوں اور موسیقی سنتا ہوں۔
main ghar mein sota hoon aur moseeqi sunta hoon.
“I sleep at home and listen to music.”

Practice ideas

To practice forming questions:

1. Take a simple statement and change one part into a question word.

Examples:

• Statement: وہ لاہور میں رہتا ہے۔
  voh lahor mein rehta hai.
  “He lives in Lahore.”
• کہاں question: وہ کہاں رہتا ہے؟
  voh kahan rehta hai?
  “Where does he live?”
• Statement: میں چائے پیتا ہوں۔
  main chai peeta hoon.
  “I drink tea.”
• کیا question: آپ کیا پیتے ہیں؟
  aap kya peetay hain?
  “What do you drink?”

2. Ask yourself or a partner:

• آپ کا نام کیا ہے؟
  aap ka naam kya hai?
  “What is your name?”
• آپ کہاں سے ہیں؟
  aap kahan se hain?
  “Where are you from?”
• آپ کب پڑھتے ہیں؟
  aap kab parhtay hain?
  “When do you study?”
• آپ کو کون سی زبان پسند ہے؟
  aap ko kaun si zabaan pasand hai?
  “Which language do you like?”

Try to answer in full sentences, not just “yes” or “no”.

New vocabulary from this chapter