# Urdu, Hindi: The various uses of kyaa



## Qureshpor

Recently there has been a thread where one particular use of the word "kyaa" has been discussed. Urdu and Hindi speakers will no doubt know that this word has a pretty wide latitude of distinct meanings. It would be interesting to collect all the various meanings in one thread. If a well known quote incorporating this word can be presented, please do so by all means. I shall begin with the most obvious one and one not so obvious. 

uTh baaNdh kamar *kyaa* Dartaa hai (why)
phir dekh xudaa *kyaa* kartaa hai (what)

Khvaajah Dil Muhammad (1884-1961)


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## marrish

_shuGhl behtar hae 3ishq-baazii kaa
*kyaa* Haqiiqii o *kyaa* majaazii kaa_ (Wali) (whether, or).


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## littlepond

kaa babuaa, kaiisan ho? [1]
kaa babuaa, kidhar/kyaan/uu jaavat/jaat ho? [1]
kaa, bhojan hui gavaa? [1] or [2]
kaa, kachhuu khaae ho ki/ke naahii? [2]

kaa [kyaa] = (1) hello (2) interjection


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## tonyspeed

littlepond said:


> kaa babuaa, kaiisan ho? [1]
> kaa babuaa, kidhar/kyaan/uu jaavat/jaat ho? [1]
> kaa, bhojan hui gavaa? [1] or [2]
> kaa, kachhuu khaae ho ki/ke naahii? [2]
> 
> kaa [kyaa] = (1) hello (2) interjection



For personal curiosity, why exactly are you using non-standard Hindi in this post? Are these quotes?

What dialect/type of Hindi and/or language are you using here?


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> _shuGhl behtar hae 3ishq-baazii kaa
> *kyaa* Haqiiqii o *kyaa* majaazii kaa_ (Wali) (whether, or).


OK, in the same vein...

*kyaa* masjid meN *kyaa* mandir meN jalvah hai vajhu_llaah kaa
parbat meN nagar meN saagar meN *Har *utraa hai har jaa Jogii

jii shahr meN Khuub bahaltaa hai vaaN Husn pih 'ishq machaltaa hai 
vaaN prem kaa saagar chaltaa hai chal dil kii pyaas bujhaa Jogii

Chaudhari Khushi Muhammad Naazir (1869-1944) (From a poem entitled "Jogii")

vajhu_llaah (The countenance of God)

*Har* (God)

har jaa (everywhere)


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## littlepond

tonyspeed said:


> For personal curiosity, why exactly are you using non-standard Hindi in this post?



Good question. Because in 'standard' Hindi, for hello, "kaa/kyaa" will often change to "kyon".
"kyon bhaiisaahab, kaise hain?" "kyon bhaiiyaa, kaise hain/ho?" - kyon = (1) hello, or (2) well (as in "Well, my dear Watson, here we have ...).

I am using usual day-to-day speech, not quotations from any text. I am using a western UP Hindi (braj/avadhi/khari mix; kachhuu for "kuchh" is typical Braj).


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## Faylasoof

Here also are two different uses of kyaa, where in one the repetition of kyaa gives a different meaning to the other:

کیا کیا مچی ہیں یارو برسات کی بہاریں
کوئی تو جھولتی ہے جھولے کی ڈور چھوڑے
یا ساتھیوں میں اپنی پاوں سے پاوں جوڑے
کیا کیا مچی ہیں یاروں برسات کی بہاریں
نظیر اکبر آبادی


کیا بود و باش پوچھے ہو پورب کے ساکنو
ہم کو غریب جان کے ہنس ہنس پکار کے
دلّی جو ایک شہر تھا عالم میں انتخاب
رہتے تھے منتخب ہی جہاں روزگار کے
....
مير تقی میر


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## Qureshpor

^ Thank you, Faylasoof SaaHib for the above examples. For the benefit of those friends who can not read Urdu, I shall take the liberty and present your examples in Roman transliteration.

kyaa kyaa machii haiN yaaro barsaat kii bahaareN
ko'ii to jhuultii hai jhuule kii Dor chhoRe
yaa saathiyoN meN apnii paa'oN se paa'oN joRe
kyaa kyaa machii haiN yaaro barsaat kii bahaareN

Naziir Akbar Abadi

kyaa buud-o-baash puuchhe ho puurab ke saakino
ham ko Ghariib jaan ke haNs-haNs pukaar ke
dillii jo ek shahr thaa 3aalam meN intixaab
rahte the muntaxab hii jahaaN roz-gaar ke

Miir Taqi Miir

Here is another usage. I shall leave the translation of it to the readers.

diivaar kyaa girii mire kachche makaan kii
logoN ne mere siHn meN raste banaa liye

Sabaa


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## marrish

^ What a terrific couplet! I would say, it can be substituted by "_jo_" or "_jab_" or even "_jab se_". In English, I would go for "*Now that* the wall of my house built of mud bricks has fallen/people made (went on to making) paths/lanes in my courtyard".


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> ^ What a terrific couplet! I would say, it can be substituted by "_jo_" or "_jab_" or even "_jab se_". In English, I would go for "*Now that* the wall of my house built of mud bricks has fallen/people made (went on to making) paths/lanes in my courtyard".


You are welcome marrish SaaHib. Why do you think I left this "kyaa"'s interpretation to others? Because it is difficult to pinpoint its exact equivalent. Let's see what other friends suggest for it.

jaate hu'e kahte ho qiyaamat ko mileN ge
kyaa xuub! qiyaamat kaa hai goyaa ko'ii din aur!

Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869)

kyaa xuub! (kitnaa achchhaa [hai yih aap kaa kahnaa])


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## marrish

I as one of readers have complied with your request by submitting my interpretation. Let's wait for others, all material is in transcription so I hope for more inputs.


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> I as one of readers have complied with your request by submitting my interpretation. Let's wait for others, all material is in transcription so I hope for more inputs.


Hopefully, we'll get back to this.

darxvar-i-qahr-o-Ghazab jab ko'ii ham saa nah hu'aa
phir Ghalat kyaa hai kih ham saa ko'ii paidaa nah hu'aa

Ghalib

When there was no one to bear wrath and torment like us
Then how is it wrong to think that there was no one like us


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## marrish

I have to ask for clarification about "darxvar". When I understand the couplet fully I might respond.


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## Qureshpor

Qureshpor said:


> Hopefully, we'll get back to this.
> 
> darxvar-i-qahr-o-Ghazab jab ko'ii ham saa nah hu'aa
> phir Ghalat kyaa hai kih ham saa ko'ii paidaa nah hu'aa
> 
> Ghalib
> 
> When there was no one to bear wrath and torment like us
> Then how is it wrong to think that there was no one like us



qahr-o-Ghazab ke qaabil jab ko'ii ham saa nah hu'aa
phir Ghalat kyaa hai kih ham saa  ko'ii paidaah nah hu'aa


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## marrish

Thank you very much, for the English rendition as well. I would have gone for "[phir aisaa kahnaa] Ghalat _kyaa_ hae kih... what's wrong with saying that ...


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