ارے
are/ə.ɾeː/
ارے (are) is the Urdu way to say hey.
ارے is an interjection used to grab someone's attention or to express surprise, functioning similarly to the English expressions "hey", "oh" or "hey there".
Meaning: informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While it can be used as a greeting like the English "hey", the Urdu ارے is more frequently used to express sudden realization, surprise or even mild annoyance.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is are. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- While it can be a greeting, using ارے with an elder or a stranger can come across as remarkably blunt or even disrespectful in many social contexts.
- The word ارے is a direct inheritance from the Sanskrit word are, which has been used as an interjection for thousands of years.
- In Urdu, ارے is often paired with terms of address, such as ارے بھائی meaning 'hey brother', to soften the interruption and make it sound less abrupt.
Examples in context
- ارے، تم یہاں کیا کر رہے ہو؟arey, tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?Hey, what are you doing here?
- ارے، میری بات تو سنو!arey, meri baat to suno!Hey, at least listen to me!
- ارے، دیکھو کتنا خوبصورت ہے!arey, dekho kitna khubsurat hai!Hey, look how beautiful it is!
Example conversation
Ali and Aisha bump into each other on a busy street.
- عائشہ Ayeshaارے، علی! کیسے ہو؟arey, Ali! kaise ho?Hey, Ali! How are you?
- علی Aliمیں ٹھیک ہوں، عائشہ۔ تم کیسی ہو؟main theek hoon, Aisha. tum kaisi ho?I am fine, Aisha. How are you?
- عائشہ Ayeshaمیں بھی ٹھیک ہوں۔main bhi theek hoon.I am also fine.
- علی Aliتم سے مل کر اچھا لگا۔tum se mil kar acha laga.It was good to see you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ارے, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ارے, CC BY-SA 4.0.
