Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| آدَر | ādar | masculine |
| اِحْتِرام | ihtirām | masculine |
The term refers to admiration for a person or entity due to perceived merit. In practice, you can use the noun اِحْتِرام with the auxiliary verb karnā to form the verb phrase اِحْتِرام کرنا, meaning 'to respect'. Additionally, to show formal respect toward an individual, you can place the honorific janab (sir/madam) before their name.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean respect, آدَر is more common in everyday or traditional contexts, whereas اِحْتِرام is a formal word of Persian origin often used in literature or polite speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of respecting, you must pair the noun اِحْتِرام with the auxiliary verb karnā (to do) to create the phrase اِحْتِرام کرنا.
How do you pronounce it?
ādar
Did you know?
- Urdu speakers use 'pluralization' to show respect to a single person. By using plural verbs and pronouns for one individual, they communicate a high level of ehtiram without needing to say the word 'respect' explicitly.
- In traditional Urdu etiquette, showing respect to a teacher or elder often involves avoiding direct eye contact, as staring too intently can be perceived as a challenge rather than ehtiram.
- In Urdu, respect is not just a feeling but is baked into the grammar through a 'respect register'. Speakers switch from the informal 'you' tu to the polite tum or the highly respectful āp depending on the status of the person they are addressing.
Example sentences for Urdu are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are discussing their favorite teacher.
- عمر Omarسارہ، کیا تم اپنی استانی کی آدَر کرتی ہو؟Sarah, kya tum apni ustadani ki aadar karti ho?Sarah, do you respect your teacher?
- سارہ Saraہاں، میں ان کی بہت آدَر کرتی ہوں۔Haan, mein un ki bohat aadar karti hoon.Yes, I respect her very much.
- عمر Omarوہ واقعی ایک اچھی انسان ہیں۔Woh waqai ek achi insaan hain.She is truly a good person.
- سارہ Saraاسی لیے سب ان کی عزت کرتے ہیں۔Isi liye sab un ki izzat karte hain.That is why everyone honors her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “respect” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
