साहब
sāhabpolite address
In India most people searching this mean Hindi. To address a man politely without his name say साहब (sāhab), and in formal writing श्रीमान (shrīmān). It is also called मिस्टर (misṭar).
Meaning: polite way to address a man (noun)
Ways to say it
| Indian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| साहब | sāhab | polite address |
| श्रीमान | shrīmān | formal |
| मिस्टर | misṭar | with a name |
With a name people use श्री (shrī) or मिस्टर (misṭar), and also add जी (jī) for respect, as in शर्मा जी (sharmā jī).
Which one should you use?
A woman is addressed as मैडम (maiḍam) or श्रीमती (shrīmatī) if married. साहब (sāhab) is also what you call a boss or an official.
Did you know?
- साहब (sāhab) comes from Arabic and was widely used as a respectful address in India for a long time.
Examples in context
- साहब, आपका सामान तैयार है।sāhab, āpkā sāmān taiyār hai.Sir, your luggage is ready.
- श्रीमान शर्मा, कृपया अंदर आइए।shrīmān sharmā, kṛpayā andar āie.Mr. Sharma, please come in.
- मिस्टर वर्मा अभी बाहर हैं।misṭar varmā abhī bāhar haiṅ.Mr. Verma is out right now.
Example conversation
A receptionist greets a visitor at an office.
- Receptionistनमस्ते साहब, आपकी क्या मदद करूँ?namaste sāhab, āpkī kyā madad karūṅ?Hello sir, how can I help you?
- Visitorमुझे मिस्टर वर्मा से मिलना है।mujhe misṭar varmā se milnā hai.I want to meet Mr. Verma.
- Receptionistजी, कृपया बैठिए।jī, kṛpayā baiṭhie.Yes, please sit down.
