غریب
ġarīb/ɣə.ɾiːb/
The Urdu word for poor is غریب, romanized as ġarīb. If unsure, use غریب. Wiktionary also lists دین (dīn).
Meaning: with few or no possessions or money (adj)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| غریب | ġarīb | /ɣə.ɾiːb/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| دین | dīn |
غریب describes someone with little or no money. In casual speech it can also describe someone pitiable or unfortunate, even if they are not short of money.
Which one should you use?
محتاج means poor in the sense of needy and suits formal speech. کنگال is an informal word for someone who is broke. دین, romanized as dīn, is another listed word for poor.
How does it change in a sentence?
غریب does not change for gender or number. It stays the same for masculine, feminine, singular and plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /ɣə.ɾiːb/ in two syllables. The first sound is a throaty g, similar to the French r and the second syllable has a long ee.
Did you know?
- While غریب is the standard term for 'poor', its Arabic root originally referred to being 'strange' or 'a stranger'. This is why the word can also imply someone who is an outsider or a misfit.
- The word دین is a linguistic chameleon. Depending on the context and spelling, it can mean 'poor' in Sanskrit, 'religion' in Persian/Urdu, or 'debt' in Arabic.
- While غریب describes someone with little money, it is also used as a term of endearment or pity. Calling someone میرا غریب can be like saying 'my poor thing' in English.
Examples in context
- کہا جاتا ہے کہ غریب ہمیشہ اداس نہیں ہوتے ہیں۔It is said that the poor are not always unhappy.Here غریب is used as a noun, the poor.Tatoeba #13545989 by Roomba_Unit, translation #318519 by CM
- اس نے اسے اپنی نوکری چھوڑنے سے منع کیا کیونکہ وہ غریب ہے اور ان کو پیسوں کی ضرورت ہیں۔She asked him to not quit his job because they were poor and needed the money.غریب describes the family's situation here.Tatoeba #1463926 by nabeel_tahir, translation #886979 by CK
- وہ ایک غَرِیب لَکَڑْہارے سے لَکْڑی کَٹْوانے گَیا ہَے۔He went to get the wood cut by a poor carpenter.Here غَرِیب describes a woodcutter.
- ہمیں اپنے سماج میں غریبوں کی مدد کرنے کے طریقے تلاش کرنے چاہئے۔We should find ways to help the poor in our society.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Saira and Umar are discussing a neighbor's situation.
- عمر Omarکیا وہ پڑوسی غریب ہیں؟Kya woh parosi ghareeb hain?Are those neighbors poor?
- سارہ Saraہاں، وہ بہت غریب ہیں۔Haan, woh bohat ghareeb hain.Yes, they are very poor.
- عمر Omarہمیں ان کی مدد کرنی چاہیے۔Hamein un ki madad karni chahiye.We should help them.
- سارہ Saraعمر، یہ ایک اچھا خیال ہے۔Umar, yeh ek accha khayal hai.Umar, that is a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poor” translations and entries غریب, دین, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries دین, غریب, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
