Ways to say it
| Dari | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| بامداد خوش | bâmdâd-e xoš |
| صُبْح بَخَیْر | subh baxayr |
These phrases are used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase بامداد خوش (bâmdâd-e xoš) is composed of بامداد, meaning dawn or early morning and خوش, meaning good or pleasant. The phrase صُبْح بَخَیْر (subh baxayr) is composed of صُبْح, meaning morning and بَخَیْر, meaning be well or good.
Which one should you use?
صُبْح بَخَیْر is the most standard and frequently used way to say good morning in daily conversation. In contrast, بامداد خوش is a more poetic or formal way to say the same thing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
صُبْح بَخَیْر is also considered a formal way to say good morning.
How do you pronounce it?
bâmdâd-e xoš
When do people say it?
When someone says صُبْح بَخَیْر, a common response is صُبْح شما هم بَخَیْر, which means "Good morning to you too". Additionally, some Dari speakers use Ruzkhayr, which means "Good Day", as a morning greeting.
Did you know?
- In Afghanistan, a morning greeting is often accompanied by placing the right hand over the heart as a sign of respect.
- The word خوش in 'good morning' may share an ancient root with the English word 'sweet', coming from a Proto-Indo-European word for 'taste'.
- The word صُبْح is shared with Arabic, but the way it is used in the phrase صُبْح بَخَیْر follows a specifically Persian structure.
Example sentences for Dari are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Fatima and Hussein meet at the breakfast table.
- فاطمه Fatimaبامداد خوش، حسین!bamdad khosh, Husain!Good morning, Hussein!
- حسین Husseinبامداد خوش، فاطمه. چای میخوری؟bamdad khosh, Fatima. chay mikhuri?Good morning, Fatima. Do you want tea?
- فاطمه Fatimaبله، لطفاً یک پیاله بده.bala, lutfan yak pyala beda.Yes, please give me a cup.
- حسین Husseinبفرمایید، نوش جان.bafarmaid, noshan jan.Here you go, enjoy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بامداد, خوش, CC BY-SA 4.0.
