# Urdu: All the ways to answer آپ کیسے ہیں؟



## teaboy

I'm collecting the different ways one can respond to _Aap kaise haiN? _or_ Kya haal hai?_ from the simple (_MaiN Thiik huN_) to the more eloquent (_Aap ki duaaeN haiN._)

What are some of the responses you've heard or used?


----------



## Birdcall

sahii salaamat सही सलामत This sounds Urdu, but it's used by Hindi speakers also.

sab Thiik hai.n

Thiik-Thaak


----------



## teaboy

I'd forgotten about _sahi salaamat_...thanks!


----------



## teaboy

One I like is_ maze meN huN._


----------



## panjabigator

<kheriyat se>
<bas jii, puchho mat>
<alhamdullilah, aap sunaae.n>
<allah/rab ki maHrbaanii se hifaazat/kheriyat se huun> (does that sound alright?)

and for some fancy shmancy questions:
<kaisaa mizaaj>?
<janaab kaa kyaa haal hai>


----------



## teaboy

I had a friend who always replied to "_Mizaaj shariif?_" with the answer, "_NahiN ji, mizaaj badmaash hai_."


----------



## panjabigator

teaboy said:


> I had a friend who always replied to "_Mizaaj shariif?_" with the answer, "_NahiN ji, mizaaj badmaash hai_."



That's amazing.  Reminds me of my friend who would _adaab_ with his left hand.  Apparently, there is still _tameez_ in being _badtameez_!


----------



## Cilquiestsuens

Well, the most normal / common reply in Urdu is: 

- *Allah kaa shukar haii*..; (some add *al Hamdu lil-Lah *after or before.) 

But I remember those friends replying other things such as : 

*- Bas, guzar rahii hai....* (implying : zindagii)... or *bas, chal rahaa hai...*



But the best I came across was that friend asking : *Thiik ho ???* and when you would reply positively as expected, he would tell you : *tum ko kis ne thiik kiyaa????*


----------



## panjabigator

Cilqui, I love that last one!  <chal raha hai> is a good one too.

I've also heard <gaaRii chal rahii hai>.


----------



## teaboy

Cilquiestsuens said:


> But the best I came across was that friend asking : *Thiik ho ???* and when you would reply positively as expected, he would tell you : *tum ko kis ne thiik kiyaa????*



I like that one!


----------



## teaboy

Birdcall said:


> sahii salaamat सही सलामत



What would be the correct translation of that? I think of it as "All is as it should be."


----------



## Faylasoof

_saHii salaamat_ can be translated  into idiomatic English as:

"All is well!" - just like  _sab Thiik hai_,  except _saHii salaamat _would be regarded as a higher register. A more literal way would be something like "Safe and sound".


----------



## Birdcall

What would the response "sab chakaachak hai" mean?


----------



## panjabigator

I recognize the word as Persian, but none of the online dictionaries are returning any response. Aargh!  I'll check some dictionaries at home later tonight and reply (unless someone beats me to it).


----------



## Birdcall

I didn't know it was Persian. It's also in the first line of Khaike Paan Banaras-wala:
"bhang kaa rang jamaa ho chakaachak, phir lo paan chabaa"

Edit: shabdkosh.com says चकाचक means "spik and span"


----------



## Khanum Bilquis

bas theek hai


----------



## panjabigator

Welcome خانمِ بلقیس!

I agree.  People might also chime in with a "baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas".  Optional <aap sunāe.n>.


----------



## Faylasoof

Khanum Bilquis said:


> bas theek hai



Welcome to the forum Khanum Bilquis! Yes this is a common expression. Just a small point. In our transliteration system we would have it as: bas *T*heek hai

Now for the rest.



Birdcall said:


> What would the response "sab chakaachak hai" mean?


 
Well, I must say from me it'll draw a blank look!  



panjabigator said:


> I recognize the word as Persian, but none of the online dictionaries are  returning any response. Aargh!  I'll check some dictionaries at home  later tonight and reply (unless someone beats me to it).


 
Actually, chakaachak is from Sanskrit. I discuss below how we use it in Urdu.



Birdcall said:


> I didn't know it was Persian. It's also in the first line of Khaike Paan  Banaras-wala:
> "bhang kaa rang jamaa ho chakaachak, phir lo paan chabaa"
> 
> Edit: shabdkosh.com says चकाचक means "spik and span"



I assume this is a recent defintion? In Urdu we do use _chakaachak_ چَکا چَک :  
-sound of sword cutting flesh!  
-something fried in a lot of butter!


----------



## Khanum Bilquis

Dear Faylasoof,

Thanks for the welcome, and the response.  What is the 'agreed upon' romanization protocol for this forum?  I realize that some people use "T" for retroflex--I was just being particularly lazy   I've also seen 't' with a dot over it.

I find different versions of romanized (and the philosophies behind them) particularly fascinating--if you wouldn't mind, could you spell out yours for me?  (Or, I could start a new thread...).



K-e-B


----------



## linguist786

thiik thaak!

do people say 'maze me huuN"? That sounds like Gujji (majaa maa!) 

One thing I find awkward is when people say after a while of conversation "aur?". What "aur"?? How are you supposed to respond to that? I usually just say something like "bas, aur kuchch nahii". Sometime small talk can be a bit annoying!


----------



## teaboy

Small talk is just a pan-human way of finding a social comfort level. It's like greetings - sort of a verbal way of laying down one's swords so you can be not-an-enemy.  "Aur" is another way of saying "I'm listening" or "I'm open to you."  Sort of.


----------



## Faylasoof

linguist786 said:


> thiik thaak!
> 
> do people say 'maze me huuN"? That sounds like Gujji (majaa maa!)
> 
> One thing I find awkward is when people say after a while of conversation "aur?". What "aur"?? How are you supposed to respond to that? I usually just say something like "bas, aur kuchch nahii". Sometime small talk can be a bit annoying!



Yes this is also used! There are quite a few ways to answer as we see above.

This too is used frequently response to the original question when you feel you've said enough. One can also say: _bas, sab Thiik hai_


----------

