ساڑھے
sāṛhe/sɑː.ɽʱeː/
In Urdu, the phrase "half past" is expressed using ساڑھے (sāṛhe). Wiktionary also lists دیڑھ بجا (ḍeṛh bajā) and ڈھائی بجے (ḍhāī baje).
Meaning: "half past one" as example of usage in other languages (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ساڑھے | sāṛhe | /sɑː.ɽʱeː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| دیڑھ بجا | ḍeṛh bajā | |
| ڈھائی بجے | ḍhāī baje |
The term ساڑھے is used to indicate that it is half past a specific hour. For example, to say "half past three", you place ساڑھے before the number three.
Which one should you use?
While ساڑھے is the standard prefix used for most hours, Urdu uses unique words for the first two half-hour marks. Instead of using the standard prefix, the word دیڑھ is used to mean one and a half (1:30) and the word ڈھائی is used to mean two and a half (2:30).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ساڑھے acts as a prefix and is placed immediately before the hour number.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ساڑھے is /sɑː.ɽʱeː/.
Did you know?
- The word ڈھائی is a distant relative of the Sanskrit word ardhatṛtīya, which literally meant 'the half of the third'. This reflects a counting system where you count two whole units and then a fraction of the next one.
- Even though they are used for time, the words دیڑھ and ڈھائی can also be used in many other contexts to describe any quantity of one and a half or two and a half.
Examples in context
- اب ساڑھے تین بج رہے ہیں۔ab saarhay teen baj rahay hain.It is half past three now.
- ہمیں ساڑھے پانچ بجے ملنا چاہیے۔hamain saarhay paanch bajay milna chahiye.We should meet at half past five.
- ساڑھے آٹھ بجے تک بارش ہو سکتی ہے۔saarhay aath bajay tak barish ho sakti hai.It might rain by half past eight.
Example conversation
Zainab and Umar are discussing a meeting time at home.
- زینب Zainabکیا ہم ساڑھے چھ بجے مل سکتے ہیں؟kya hum saarhay chhay bajay mil saktay hain?Can we meet at half past six?
- عمر Omarہاں، یہ وقت میرے لیے ٹھیک ہے۔haan, yeh waqt meray liye theek hai.Yes, this time is fine for me.
- زینب Zainabبہت اچھا، میں وقت پر آؤں گی۔bohat acha, mein waqt par aaon gi.Great, I will come on time.
- عمر Omarٹھیک ہے، میں تمہارا انتظار کروں گا۔theek hai, mein tumhara intezar karoon ga.Alright, I will wait for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “half past” translations and entries ساڑھے, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بجے, ساڑھے, ڈھائی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
