شام بَخَیر
śām baxair
The English phrase 'good evening' is translated into Urdu as شام بَخَیر (śām baxair). Wiktionary also lists شَب بَخَیر (śab baxair).
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| شام بَخَیر | śām baxair |
| شَب بَخَیر | śab baxair |
شام بَخَیر is a formal greeting used when meeting someone during the evening hours.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 'śām' meaning 'evening' and 'baxair' meaning 'good' or 'well-being'.
Which one should you use?
While شام بَخَیر is a greeting used upon arrival in the evening, شَب بَخَیر is used specifically as 'good night' when parting.
How do you pronounce it?
śām baxair
Did you know?
- The Urdu word شام for 'evening' is a loanword from Classical Persian, which in turn borrowed it from the Arabic name for the region of the Levant.
- In many Urdu-speaking social circles, the formal شام بَخَیر is often replaced by the religious-rooted 'Assalam-u-Alaikum' regardless of the time of day.
- The word بَخَیر (good/well-being) is actually a combination of the Arabic word for 'good' and the preposition 'in', essentially wishing someone 'goodness in' their current state.
Examples in context
- شام بَخَیر، آپ کیسے ہیں؟shaam bakhair, aap kaise hain?Good evening, how are you?
- شام بَخَیر، سب ٹھیک ہے؟shaam bakhair, sab theek hai?Good evening, is everything okay?
- خالہ جان، شام بَخَیر۔khala jaan, shaam bakhair.Good evening, auntie.
Example conversation
Hamza and Sara meet at a community event in the evening.
- حمزہ Hamzaشام بَخَیر، سارہ!Shaam bakhair, Sara!Good evening, Sara!
- سارہ Saraشام بَخَیر، حمزہ۔Shaam bakhair, Hamza.Good evening, Hamza.
- حمزہ Hamzaآپ کی طبیعت کیسی ہے؟Aap ki tabiyat kaisi hai?How is your health?
- سارہ Saraمیں بالکل ٹھیک ہوں۔Main bilkul theek hoon.I am perfectly fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries شام, CC BY-SA 4.0.
