Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شَوہَر | śauhar | masculine |
| پَتی | patī | masculine |
| خاوَنْد | xāvand | masculine |
| خاوِنْد | xāvind | masculine |
| مِیاں | miyā̃ | masculine |
| سَرْتاج | sartāj | masculine |
| خَصَم | xasam | masculine |
| زَوج | zauj | masculine |
| مَرْد | mard | masculine |
The primary way to refer to a male partner in marriage is using terms like شَوہَر or پَتی. In specific social contexts, the word مَرْد is used to refer to one's husband, though it literally means 'man'. For highly romanticized or poetic expressions, one might use سَرْتاج, which literally means 'crown on the head'.
Which one should you use?
While شَوہَر is a standard term, زَوج is a formal term often found in religious or legal documents. For a poetic or romantic effect, سَرْتاج is used. In casual or domestic settings, مِیاں is common. The term مَرْد is contextual and serves as a way to refer to a husband by using the word for 'man'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
شَوہَر is a common formal way to say husband. For official, religious or legal contexts, the term زَوج is used. Conversely, مِیاں is an informal, colloquial term used in casual settings and شوہر جان is an intimate and dear way to address a husband. سَرْتاج is used in a poetic register.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term مِیاں is more commonly used in certain regions of Pakistan.
How do you pronounce it?
śauhar
Did you know?
- In some very old or highly stylized poetic registers, the word خَصَم can appear, though it is quite rare today and can strangely imply a sense of 'adversary' or 'opponent'.
- The term پَتی is derived from Sanskrit, reflecting the historical linguistic layers of Urdu and its shared roots with Hindi.
- The formal term زَوج is not just used for 'husband' but is a gender-neutral term in Arabic-derived contexts to mean 'spouse', meaning the same word covers both partners.
Examples in context
- میں نے اپنے شوہر کو ایک تحفہ دیا۔I gave my husband a gift.
- میرا شَوہَر بہت مہربان ہے۔merā shauhar bahut meharbān hai.My husband is very kind.
- کیا آپ کا شَوہَر گھر پر ہے؟kyā āp kā shauhar ghar par hai?Is your husband at home?
- وہ اپنے شَوہَر کے ساتھ بازار گئی۔voh apne shauhar ke sāth bāzār gayī.She went to the market with her husband.
Example conversation
Two neighbors are chatting near their houses in the afternoon.
- احمد Ahmedزینب، آپ کا شَوہَر کیسا ہے؟Zainab, āp kā shauhar kaisā hai?Zainab, how is your husband?
- زینب Zainabاحمد بھائی، وہ بالکل ٹھیک ہیں۔Ahmed bhāī, voh bilkul ṭhīk hain.Ahmed, he is perfectly fine.
- احمد Ahmedیہ سن کر خوشی ہوئی۔Yeh sun kar khushī huī.I am happy to hear that.
- زینب Zainabآپ کا شکریہ۔Āp kā shukriyā.Thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
