Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| کاروبار | kārobār | /kɑː.ɾoː.bɑːɾ/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
| وْیاپار | vyāpār | masculine | |
| شِرْکَت | śirkat | feminine |
In everyday conversation, کاروبار is the most common way to refer to a person's livelihood or a small-to-medium scale business.
What does it mean word for word?
The word کاروبار is a compound of kār (work/deed) and bār (load/burden/carrying), which literally means the carrying of work.
Which one should you use?
Use کاروبار for general commercial activities or a person's trade, whereas شِرْکَت specifically refers to a formal company or partnership. The form وْیاپار is also available.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While کاروبار is used for general purposes, شِرْکَت is a more formal and technical term used in legal or official contexts to denote a corporation or firm. For the specific concept of trade or commerce, use the formal word Tijārat. For the informal business of keeping accounts or financial matters, use the phrase Hisaab-kitāb.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word شِرْکَت is a feminine noun, so any adjectives or possessive markers describing it must also be in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for کاروبار is kārobār. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word Hisaab-kitāb is used to describe the 'business' of accounting, but it is also a common idiom for settling a personal grudge or a debt of vengeance.
- The word کار (kār), which is part of the word for business, can be used sarcastically to refer to someone's 'scheme' or a 'trick' they are pulling.
- In certain Urdu dialects or older literature, the word وْیاپار (vyāpār) appears, which is a Sanskrit-derived term that feels more traditional and less urban than the Persian-derived کاروبار.
Examples in context
- میں نے اس کاروبار سے اپنے ہاتھ صاف کر لیئے ہے۔I washed my hands of the whole business.This sentence shows how to use the form کاروبار in the context of washing one's hands of a business.Tatoeba #1465761 by nabeel_tahir, translation #46564 by CM
- میرا کاروبار افسوسناک حالت میں ہے۔My business is in a sorry state.
- میں نے تجارت کی شروعات کی ہے۔I have started a business.
- اس کاروبار میں بہت نفع ہے۔is karobar mein bohat nafa hai.There is a lot of profit in this business.
- میرا بھائی نیا کاروبار شروع کر رہا ہے۔mera bhai naya karobar shuru kar raha hai.My brother is starting a new business.
Example conversation
Ali and Fatima are discussing a potential investment over tea.
- علی Aliکیا آپ کا نیا کاروبار اچھا چل رہا ہے؟kya aap ka naya karobar acha chal raha hai?Is your new business going well?
- فاطمہ Fatimaجی ہاں، علی، کاروبار بہت اچھا چل رہا ہے۔ji haan, Ali, karobar bohat acha chal raha hai.Yes, Ali, the business is going very well.
- علی Aliیہ تو بہت خوشی کی بات ہے۔yeh to bohat khushi ki baat hai.That is great news.
- فاطمہ Fatimaشکریہ، میں بہت محنت کر رہی ہوں۔shukriya, mein bohat mehnat kar rahi hoon.Thank you, I am working very hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “business” translations and entries کاروبار, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
