شام بخیر
shaam bakhairformal
In Urdu, شام بخیر (shaam bakhair) means "good evening". In daily life in Pakistan, though, most people greet in the evening with السلام علیکم (assalamu alaikum).
Meaning: greeting used in the evening (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Pakistan | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شام بخیر | shaam bakhair | formal |
| السلام علیکم | assalamu alaikum | everyday, any time |
شام (shaam) is "evening" and بخیر (bakhair) means "with goodness". You hear شام بخیر (shaam bakhair) in news broadcasts and formal events.
Which one should you use?
At night, شب بخیر (shab bakhair) is a farewell, not a greeting, so do not use it when you arrive at a dinner.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Learners often use شب بخیر (shab bakhair) for evening hellos, but it only means "good night".
Did you know?
- The word بخیر (bakhair) is Persian in form: با (ba) means "with" and خیر (khair) means "goodness", and it appears in صبح بخیر (subah bakhair) too.
Examples in context
- شام بخیر، آپ کا خیر مقدم ہے۔shaam bakhair, aap ka khair maqdam hai.Good evening, you are welcome.
- السلام علیکم، شام کیسی گزری؟assalamu alaikum, shaam kaisi guzri?Hello, how was your evening?
- آپ سب کو شام بخیر۔aap sab ko shaam bakhair.Good evening to you all.
Example conversation
Guests arrive for dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Qureshi in Lahore.
- Qureshiشام بخیر، تشریف لائیے۔shaam bakhair, tashreef laiye.Good evening, please come in.
- Mehmaanشام بخیر، آپ کا شکریہ۔shaam bakhair, aap ka shukriya.Good evening, thank you.
- Mrs Qureshiکھانا تیار ہے۔khana tayyar hai.Dinner is ready.
