آداب
ādāb/ɑː.d̪ɑːb/
آداب (ādāb) is the Urdu way to say "greetings".
آداب is used as a formal way to say "Greetings!" It is a polite expression often used in highly respectful social contexts or literary settings.
Meaning: formal way of saying "hello" (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word آداب literally means "manners" or "etiquette".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
آداب is a formal and polite greeting. For other formal greetings, you might use As-Salamu Alaykum or Salam. In contrast, informal phrases include Kia haal hai? (How are you?), Kya chal raha hai? (What's up?) or Kia scene hai? (What's going on?).
How do you pronounce it?
ādāb
When do people say it?
آداب is used to convey respect through the lens of etiquette. Other time-specific greetings include Subah Bakhair (Good morning), Shaam Bakhair (Good evening) and Raat Bakhair (Good night).
Did you know?
- The greeting آداب was coined by Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, to serve as a secular alternative to religious greetings.
- In traditional settings, saying آداب is often accompanied by a gesture where the right hand is raised toward the forehead in a slight bow.
- Although derived from Arabic, the way آداب is used in Urdu as a standalone greeting is a distinct cultural evolution from its Classical Persian roots.
Examples in context
- آداب، آپ کیسے ہیں؟Aadaab, aap kaise hain?Greetings, how are you?
- سب کو میری طرف سے آداب کہیے گا۔Sab ko meri taraf se aadaab kahiye ga.Give my greetings to everyone.
- انہوں نے ہمیں آداب پیش کیے۔Unhon ne hamein aadaab pesh kiye.They offered us greetings.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Fatima meet at a formal social gathering.
- احمد Ahmedآداب، فاطمہ بی بی۔Aadaab, Fatima Bibi.Greetings, Ms. Fatima.
- فاطمہ Fatimaآداب، احمد صاحب۔ آپ کیسے ہیں؟Aadaab, Ahmed Sahib. Aap kaise hain?Greetings, Mr. Ahmed. How are you?
- احمد Ahmedمیں بالکل ٹھیک ہوں۔Mein bilkul theek hoon.I am quite well.
- فاطمہ Fatimaیہ جان کر خوشی ہوئی۔Yeh jaan kar khushi hui.I am happy to hear that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry آداب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries آداب, CC BY-SA 4.0.
