افغانستان
afǧānestān/af.ɣɑ.nɪ.stɑn/masculine
The English phrase "Afghanistan" is افغانستان (afǧānestān) in Pashto.
افغانستان is the name of the country.
Meaning: country (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The name is composed of Afghān (the ethnic group) and the suffix -stān (land of), literally translating to "land of the Afghans".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /af.ɣɑ.nɪ.stɑn/. It is pronounced as afǧānestān and has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Pashto, افغانستان is borrowed from Classical Persian, reflecting the historical influence of Persian as a courtly and administrative language in the region.
- The use of the suffix -stān to denote a 'land of' is so common in the region that it is often used as a poetic way to describe any homeland.
- In Pashto calligraphy, the word افغانستان can be stylized in various scripts, with Nasta'liq being a common choice for artistic or formal presentations.
Examples in context
- افغانستان یو ښایسته هیواد دی.Afganistan yo khayasta hewad day.Afghanistan is a beautiful country.
- زه افغانستان ته ځم.Ze Afganistan ta zam.I am going to Afghanistan.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about travel plans.
- زلمای Zalmayزالا، ایا ته افغانستان ته تلې؟Zala, aya ta Afghanistan ta talay?Zala, are you going to Afghanistan?
- زالا Zalaهو، زه به هلته لاړم.Ho, za ba halta larum.Yes, I will go there.
- زلمای Zalmayافغانستان یو ډېر لوی ځای دی.Afghanistan yaw der loy zay day.Afghanistan is a very large place.
- زالا Zalaهو، زه ډېره خوشحاله یم.Ho, za dera khushala yam.Yes, I am very happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “afghanistan” translations and entries افغانستان, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries افغانستان, CC BY-SA 4.0.
