څنګه یاست؟
sanga yast?
How to say "how are you" in Pashto is څنګه یاست؟ (sanga yast?).
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of څنګه, which means "how" and یاست, which is the second-person plural or polite form of the verb "to be".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form څنګه یاست؟ is the polite or formal version. You should use it when addressing strangers, elders or more than one person to show respect.
How does it change in a sentence?
While څنګه یاست؟ is the polite or plural form, the singular and informal version of "how are you" is څنګه یې؟, which uses the pronoun یې instead of یاست.
How do you pronounce it?
sanga yast?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you how you are, a typical response is ښه يم (I am well) or Khair o salaama (I am well and at peace).
Did you know?
- In Pashtun culture, a greeting like څنګه یاست؟ is often accompanied by a hand placed over the heart as a gesture of sincerity and warmth.
- If you are asking how a person is doing in a very traditional setting, the greeting often shifts from 'how' to 'what is the news' or 'what is the state of the house'.
- Pashto is an Eastern Iranian language, meaning that while څنګه sounds unique, it shares ancient roots with words in Persian and Avestan.
Examples in context
- ښه، څنګه یاست؟kha, sanga yast?Fine, how are you?
- سلام، څنګه یاست؟salaam, sanga yast?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Zala and Ahmad meet each other on the street.
- زالا Zalaسلام احمد، څنګه یاست؟Salam Ahmad, sanga yast?Hello Ahmad, how are you?
- احمد Ahmedزه ښه یم، مننه. ته څنګه یې؟Za kha yam, manana. Ta sanga ye?I am fine, thank you. How are you?
- زالا Zalaزه هم ښه یم، مننه.Za ham kha yam, manana.I am also fine, thank you.
- احمد Ahmedډیره ښه، لیدنه دې خوشاله کړه.Deera kha, lidana de khoshala kra.Very good, it was nice to see you.
