سہ پہر بخیر
seh pahr baxair
The English phrase "good afternoon" can be expressed in Urdu as سہ پہر بخیر (seh pahr baxair). Wiktionary also lists دوپَہَر بَخَیر (dopahar baxair) and گُڈ آفْٹَرْنُون (guḍ āfṭarnūn).
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| سہ پہر بخیر | seh pahr baxair |
| دوپَہَر بَخَیر | dopahar baxair |
| گُڈ آفْٹَرْنُون | guḍ āfṭarnūn |
| سَلام عَلَیکُم | salām 'alaikum |
While there are literal ways to say "good afternoon", the most common way to greet someone at any time of day in Urdu is سَلام عَلَیکُم.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase دوپَہَر بَخَیر is composed of دوپَہَر (afternoon) and بَخَیر (good/well-being).
Which one should you use?
دوپَہَر بَخَیر specifically refers to the midday/afternoon period, whereas سَلام عَلَیکُم is a universal greeting used regardless of the time of day. Additionally, دوپَہَر بَخَیر is a literal translation of "good afternoon".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual, urban settings in Pakistan, people often use the English loanword گُڈ آفْٹَرْنُون. For a more formal way to say "good afternoon", you can use دوپہر مبارک.
How do you pronounce it?
seh pahr baxair
Did you know?
- The word پہر in your greeting is a relic of an ancient mathematical system where a day was divided into specific units called 'prahara'.
- In Pakistan, using the English phrase گُڈ آفْٹَرْنُون in a professional setting is often perceived as a marker of a 'colonial' formal style or a sign of higher education.
- The reply to the common greeting سَلام عَلَیکُم is وَعَلَیکُمُ السَّلام, which translates literally as 'and upon you be peace'.
Example sentences for Urdu are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Zainab and Ahmed meet at a library in the afternoon.
- زینب Zainabسہ پہر بخیر، احمد!Seh pehar bakhair, Ahmed!Good afternoon, Ahmed!
- احمد Ahmedسہ پہر بخیر، زینب۔Seh pehar bakhair, Zainab.Good afternoon, Zainab.
- زینب Zainabآپ یہاں کیا کر رہے ہیں؟Aap yahan kya kar rahe hain?What are you doing here?
- احمد Ahmedمیں ایک کتاب ڈھونڈ رہا ہوں۔Main ek kitab dhoond raha hoon.I am looking for a book.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries پہر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
