Ways to say it
| Pashto | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ښکلی | ẍkwëlay | /ˈʂkwə.lai/ (Southern) /ˈxkwə.lai/ (Northern) |
| حسين | hasin | |
| زيبا | zebā |
The word ښکلی is a versatile adjective used to describe people, objects or scenery. It is also frequently used to describe abstract concepts, such as a beautiful idea.
Which one should you use?
ښکلی is the most common and versatile term, suitable for saying "beautiful", "handsome" or "nice" in many contexts. In contrast, زيبا is a more formal or poetic term for "beautiful" or "lovely", typically found in literature or high-register speech. The form حسين is also an available way to express this concept.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
زيبا should be reserved for formal writing, poetry or high-register speech.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ښکلی is ẍkwëlay. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1 of 2 syllable. The IPA transcription is /ˈʂkwə.lai/.
Did you know?
- In some regional Pashto contexts, describing a situation as ښکلی does not just mean it is attractive, but that it is 'appropriate' or 'fitting'.
- While ښکلی is used for beauty, the word حسين is deeply tied to Islamic history and the name of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
- Because ښکلی is derived from a word meaning 'form', its root beauty is tied to the idea of how something is structured or shaped.
Example sentences for Pashto are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Zalmay and Maryam are looking at a painting together.
- زلمای Zalmayدا تصویر څومره ښکلی دی!Da tasveer tsomra shkali day!How beautiful this picture is!
- مریم Maryamهو، زه هم ډېر خوښ شوم.Ho, za ham der khwash shwum.Yes, I like it very much too.
- زلمای Zalmayرنګونه یې ډېر ښکلي دي.Ranguna ye der shkali dee.Its colors are very beautiful.
- مریم Maryamرښتیا، دا ډېر زړه راکونکی دی.Rishtya, da der zrah rakunkay day.True, it is very captivating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries ښکلی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ښکلی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
