# Urdu: Are you surprised?



## ihsaan

Hi,
I´ve been asking different native Urdu speakers how to express "Are you surprised?", and I´m getting different answers. Some even say that some of the answers I've gotten are wrong. So, I thought I'd just write down some of the suggestions I've gotten, and see what you think about them.

Aap heraan hue/hui hain? 
Aap heraan hue/hui?

I was told that these sentences were wrong (given by two different people). The person who said this, said it was better to say something like:
aap heraan kyon ho?
aap heraan kyon hoti ho?
isme herangi ki kya baat hai?

Any comments?
(By the way: I´m not looking for "bookish" ways to express this, but rather the way people would express this colloquially.)

*Note: I know that the combination of aap + ho is grammatically wrong, however, it seem to be used quite frequently among young people as a middle ground between the quite formal "aap + haiN" and "tum + ho". I´m just repeating the sentences the way people wrote them down.


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## Alfaaz

ihsaan said:
			
		

> Aap heraan hue/hui hain?
> Aap heraan hue/hui?
> 
> I was told that these sentences were wrong (given by two different people).


_Have you become/been (stunned/astonished/surprised)?
You became surprised?_


			
				ihsaan said:
			
		

> The person who said this, said it was better to say something like:
> aap heraan kyon ho?
> aap heraan kyon hoti ho?
> isme herangi ki kya baat hai?


_Why are you surprised?
Why do you become surprised?
What is so surprising in this?

_Are you surprised?_ - aap Hairaan/Hairat zadah/muta'ajjib haiN?_


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## ihsaan

Thank you for replying, Alfaaz SaaHib. I understand the translations, but I was just wondering if any of these sentences were wrong, and which one is preferred if someone for example suddenly becomes surprised by something you said.


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## ihsaan

Oh, one more thing: Is the second sentence pronounced with a nasal nun? As in: aap heraan hueN?


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## Alfaaz

You're welcome, ihsaan SaaHibah. Let's see what other members say, but none of the sentences seem to be wrong. However, (as you can see by the translations) each seems to convey a slightly different meaning and would be used in different situations.

No, it shouldn't be a nasal nuun.


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## ihsaan

Okay, great! Thank you for clarifying!

(About the nasal nun: I was told I needed to add this when asking  someone a question, but not if I was simply stating a fact ("you became surprised.).


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## marrish

ta3jjub-zadah honaa


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## ihsaan

Thank you, Marrish SaaHib.


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## Qureshpor

ihsaan said:


> Hi,
> I´ve been asking different native Urdu speakers how to express "Are you surprised?", and I´m getting different answers. Some even say that some of the answers I've gotten are wrong. So, I thought I'd just write down some of the suggestions I've gotten, and see what you think about them.
> 
> Aap heraan hue/hui hain?
> Aap heraan hue/hui?
> 
> I was told that these sentences were wrong (given by two different people). The person who said this, said it was better to say something like:
> aap heraan kyon ho?
> aap heraan kyon hoti ho?
> isme herangi ki kya baat hai?
> 
> Any comments?
> (By the way: I´m not looking for "bookish" ways to express this, but rather the way people would express this colloquially.)
> 
> *Note: I know that the combination of aap + ho is grammatically wrong, however, it seem to be used quite frequently among young people as a middle ground between the quite formal "aap + haiN" and "tum + ho". I´m just repeating the sentences the way people wrote them down.


ihsaan SaaHibah, aap + ho is indeed wrong and I accept its usage is widespread. But you will have to forgive me if I don't employ such sentences. I simply can't. Secondly, I can't imagine there will be much difference between "colloquial" and "bookish" Urdu for this basic sentiment of being surprised. 

Regarding the nasal in one of your sentences, if the addressed person is a female, then a nasal n is requirement in the plural.

The most common way is probably by means of the adjective "Hairaan" and the nouns "Hairat", "ta3ajjub" and "achambaa". 

If you wanted to know what the equivalent of "Are you surprised" is, then one can express this in several ways. The conversation prior to this question would be of some importance in formulating this question. So the preceding context is important. I would n't personally express my question thus, even with the added nasal n in "hui" >> "huiiN".

Aap heraan hue/hui hain? 
Aap heraan hue/hui?

As Alfaaz SaaHib's translation shows, these two do not quite amount to "Are you surprised", but they could do in an appropriate context. Moving on to the remaining three sentences..

aap heraan kyon ho?
aap heraan kyon hoti ho?
isme herangi ki kya baat hai?

The third sentence is the best, if corrected a little and in the first and second I would replace ho with haiN.

is meN Hairaangii kii kyaa baat hai?

This is how I would express "Are you surprised?"

ta3ajjub hu'aa aap ko?

Hairat hu'ii aap ko?

Hairaan kyoN haiN aap?


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## ihsaan

This is why I love this forum. Thank you for that thorough reply, Qureshpor SaaHib.

(I would indeed be shocked if any one of you used the combination of aap + ho, so no need for apologies  ).


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## tonyspeed

Qureshpor said:


> ihsaan SaaHibah, aap + ho is indeed wrong and I accept its usage is widespread.



Is it widespread in Pakistan as well? I was under the assumption that this was primarily a Delhi phenomenon.


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## ihsaan

Speaking from my (somewhat limited) experience with Pakistanis (age range: between 18-30 years), most of the ones I've met (mainly from Karachi, but also some from Punjaab), have used the combination of aap + ho.


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## tonyspeed

ihsaan said:


> Speaking from my (somewhat limited) experience with Pakistanis (age range: between 18-30 years), most of the ones I've met (mainly from Karachi, but also some from Punjaab), have used the combination of aap + ho.



For a good discussion of Aap..ho see the website http://hindiurduflagship.org/resources/learning-teaching/hamari-boli/

under the heading _Tu, Tum , and App_ is a sub-topic entitled: "I_s the construct Aap..ho correct? What is behind such phrasing?_"


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## ihsaan

Thank you! I will have a look.


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## Faylasoof

We also use these:

مُتَعَجِّب ہونا _muta3ajjib honaa_ =   دَنْگ ہونا_  dang honaa_ - can be used just as حَیران  _Hairaan _

Also these, but for _extreme surprise_ / _astonishment _etc. : مبہوت \ متحیر \ ہکا بکا ہونا _mabhuut / mutaHayyir / hakkaa-bakkaa honaa_


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## ihsaan

Thank you very much!


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