خوبصورت
xūbsūrat/xuːb.suː.ɾət̪/
The English phrase 'handsome' translates to Urdu as خوبصورت (xūbsūrat).
The word خوبصورت is used to describe someone as attractive or handsome. While English speakers often use 'handsome' specifically for men and 'beautiful' for women, the Urdu word خوبصورت is gender-neutral and can be used to describe the attractiveness of both men and women.
Meaning: of man: attractive (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word خوبصورت is a compound of خوب, meaning 'good' or 'fine' and صورت, meaning 'face' or 'appearance'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, خوبصورت does not change its form based on the gender of the person you are describing.
How do you pronounce it?
xūbsūrat
Did you know?
- In poetic Urdu, beauty is often described through the metaphor of the 'moon' (چاند), so calling someone چاند جیسا ('like the moon') is a common alternative to saying they are خوبصورت.
- The word خوبصورت is actually a Persian loanword, meaning its roots lie in the literary language of poets rather than the ancient origins of Urdu.
- In Urdu poetry, the concept of 'appearance' or 'form' embodied in صورت is often treated as a mirror of the soul, a nuance not present in the English 'face'.
Examples in context
- آپ بہت خوبصورت لگ رہے ہیںYou are looking very handsome.
- وہ بہت خوبصورت آدمی ہے۔Woh bohat khoobsurat aadmi hai.He is a very handsome man.
- آپ کا بیٹا بہت خوبصورت ہے۔Aap ka beta bohat khoobsurat hai.Your son is very handsome.
- میرا شوہر بہت خوبصورت ہے۔Mera shohar bohat khoobsurat hai.My husband is very handsome.
Example conversation
Sarah is talking to Hamza about a new colleague.
- حمزہ Hamzaسارہ، کیا آپ نے نئے ملازم کو دیکھا؟Sarah, kya aap ne naye mulazim ko dekha?Sarah, did you see the new employee?
- سارہ Saraہاں، وہ بہت خوبصورت ہے!Haan, woh bohat khoobsurat hai!Yes, he is very handsome!
- حمزہ Hamzaمجھے بھی ایسا ہی لگا۔Mujhe bhi aisa hi laga.I felt the same way.
- سارہ Saraوہ واقعی بہت پرکشش ہے۔Woh waqai bohat pur-kashish hai.He really is very attractive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “handsome” translations and entries خوبصورت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خوبصورت, CC BY-SA 4.0.
