Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| لُطْفاً | lutfan | |
| بَرائے مِہْرْبانی | barāe mihrbānī | |
| بَراہِ مِہْرْبانی | barāh-i mihrbānī | |
| بَراہِ کَرَم | barāh-i karam | |
| اَز راہِ کَرَم | az rāh-i karam | |
| اَز راہِ تَلَطُّف | az rāh-i talattuf | |
| اَزْراہِ لُطْف و کَرَم | azrāh-i lutf o karam | |
| اَزْراہِ مِہْرْبانی | azrāh-i mihrbānī | |
| اَزْراہِ نَوازِش | azrāh-i navāziś | |
| مِہْرْبانی کَر کے | mihrbānī kar ke | |
| مِہْرْبانی فَرْما کَر | mihrbānī farmā kar | |
| مِہْرْبانی فَرْمائیے | mihrbānī farmāye | |
| مِہْرْبانی کِیجِیے | mihrbānī kījiye | |
| ذَرا | zarā | |
| ذَرَہ | zara | |
| پْلِیز | plīz | colloquial |
These expressions are used as interjections to make a polite request.
What does it mean word for word?
The word لُطْفاً is derived from the Arabic root for 'kindness' or 'grace'.
Which one should you use?
The English loanword پْلِیز is used in casual settings. Highly formal or literary contexts use the long phrase اَزْراہِ لُطْف و کَرَم to show extreme politeness.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual, urban Urdu speech, it is very common to use the English loanword پْلِیز. For formal situations, you can use بَرائے مِہْرْبانی (for kindness' sake or for the sake of mercy). The phrase اَزْراہِ لُطْف و کَرَم is reserved for highly formal or literary contexts. For a common polite request, use مِہْرْبانی کِیجِیے.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form مِہْرْبانی کَر کے functions as a participial phrase meaning 'having done a kindness' or 'by being kind'.
How do you pronounce it?
lutfan
Did you know?
- The word ذَرا is often used as a polite way to say 'please' when asking for a small favour, even though it literally means 'a little' or 'a bit'.
- The most formal versions of 'please' in Urdu, such as اَزْراہِ نَوازِش, contain Persian elements that reflect the Mughal courtly tradition of extreme deference toward superiors.
- In very traditional Urdu, politeness is often achieved through 'honorific' verb endings rather than a specific word for 'please'. This means the request is embedded in the grammar of the sentence itself.
Examples in context
- برائے مہربانی، میرے ساتھ رابطہ کریں۔Please contact me.
- مہربانی کر کے میرا فون دیں۔Please give me the phone.
Example conversation
Fatima is asking Hamza for a glass of water.
- فاطمہ Fatimaحمزہ، لُطْفاً مجھے پانی دیں۔Hamza, lutfan mujhe paani dein.Hamza, please give me water.
- حمزہ Hamzaجی، یہ لیجئے پانی۔Ji, yeh lijiye paani.Yes, here is the water.
- فاطمہ Fatimaآپ کا بہت شکریہ۔Aap ka bohat shukriya.Thank you very much.
- حمزہ Hamzaکوئی بات نہیں، فاطمہ۔Koi baat nahi, Fatima.No problem, Fatima.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
