مَیں
ma͠icommon
The Urdu word for "I" is مَیں (ma͠i). Wiktionary also lists خاکْسار (xāksār) and ہَم (ham).
Meaning: personal pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مَیں | ma͠i | common |
| خاکْسار | xāksār | formal |
| ہَم | ham | dialectal |
The primary way to refer to oneself is through the personal pronoun مَیں.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term خاکْسار translates literally to "one made of dust".
Which one should you use?
While مَیں is the standard form for "I", the form ہَم is used in certain dialects or poetic registers to mean "I" instead of its standard meaning "we".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
خاکْسار is used in highly formal or poetic contexts to refer to oneself with extreme humility.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form ہَم is used in certain Urdu dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using a transitive verb in the past tense, the form مَیں changes to مَیں نے (ma͠I ne) to indicate the ergative case.
How do you pronounce it?
ma͠I
When do people say it?
In highly formal or poetic settings, speakers may use خاکْسار to refer to themselves as "your humble servant" to demonstrate extreme modesty.
Did you know?
- When using مَیں نے, the verb in the sentence no longer agrees with the speaker but instead agrees with the object of the action.
- The word خاکْسار is shared with Persian, illustrating how Urdu adopted Persian concepts of humility and courtly language.
- Using خاکْسار is not just about vocabulary but is part of 'adab', a sophisticated system of etiquette that governs social hierarchy and respect.
Examples in context
- مَیں ٹھیک ہوں۔main theek hoon.I am fine.
- مَیں چائے پیوں گا۔main chai peeon ga.I will drink tea.
- مَیں نیا طالب علم ہوں۔main naya talib-e-ilm hoon.I am a new student.
Example conversation
Zainab and Ali are meeting at a park.
- زینب Zainabعلی، مَیں آپ کو دیکھ رہی ہوں۔Ali, main aap ko dekh rahi hoon.Ali, I see you.
- علی Aliہیلو زینب، آپ کیسی ہیں؟Hello Zainab, aap kaisi hain?Hello Zainab, how are you?
- زینب Zainabمَیں بہت خوش ہوں۔Main bohat khush hoon.I am very happy.
- علی Aliیہ سن کر اچھا لگا۔Yeh sun kar acha laga.It is good to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
