جان
jān/d͡ʒɑːn/
The Urdu phrase jaan means 'darling' or 'life'.
جان is a term of endearment used to refer to a loved one, similar to 'dear', 'darling' or 'sweetheart' in English. It is used as a term of endearment for romantic partners, close friends or even children.
What does it mean word for word?
The word جان literally translates to 'life', 'soul' or 'spirit'.
Which one should you use?
While جان is the standard form, you may encounter more informal variations: Jaanu is an informal term meaning 'my life' and Jaaneman is an informal, adoring term that translates to 'my soul' or 'my dear'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'my darling' or 'my life', you add the possessive pronoun میری before the word, forming میری جان.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is jān and the IPA is /dʒɑːn/.
Did you know?
- If someone is described as jaan-lewa, they are literally 'life-taking', but the phrase is often used as a compliment to describe someone whose beauty is dangerously captivating.
- In some contexts, jaan can be used as an intensifier to mean 'with all my might' or 'with full force', as in the phrase jaan laga kar.
- The word jaan is used in a common Urdu idiom jaan dena, which literally means 'to give one's life' but is often used to describe the act of falling deeply in love.
Examples in context
- تم میری جان ہو۔tum meri jaan ho.You are my life.
- خدا کرے میری جان سلامت رہے۔khuda kare meri jaan salamat rahe.May my darling stay safe.
- میری جان، تم کہاں ہو؟meri jaan, tum kahan ho?My darling, where are you?
Example conversation
A husband checking on his wife after she arrives home.
- حمزہ Hamzaمیری جان، تم ٹھیک ہو؟meri jaan, tum theek ho?My darling, are you okay?
- زینب Zainabہاں حمزہ، میں بالکل ٹھیک ہوں۔haan Hamza, mein bilkul theek hoon.Yes Hamza, I am perfectly fine.
- حمزہ Hamzaتم تھک گئی ہو گی، زینب۔tum thak gayi ho gi, Zainab.You must be tired, Zainab.
- زینب Zainabتھوڑا سا تھک گئی ہوں، پر اب ٹھیک ہوں۔thora sa thak gayi hoon, par ab theek hoon.I am a little tired, but I am fine now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry جان, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
