خود غرض
xud ġaraz/xʊd̪ ɣə.ɾəz/
The English word 'selfish' is translated into Urdu as خود غرض (xud ġaraz).
خود غرض is an adjective used to describe someone who has regard for their own well-being above that of others.
Meaning: having regard for one's own well-being above that of others (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the adjective in a verbal sense, such as 'to be selfish', you should add the auxiliary verb ہونا (to be) after the adjective خود غرض.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /xʊd̪ ɣə.ɾəz/.
Did you know?
- The word غرض in خود غرض originally meant a 'target' or 'goal' in Arabic, evolving from a physical mark for arrows to a metaphorical personal 'motive'.
- In some Urdu idioms, the phrase غرض is used to say 'anyway' or 'in short' when summarizing a story, unrelated to being 'selfish'.
- Urdu distinguishes between خود غرض, which is a general trait, and words like لالچی, which specifically means 'greedy' and focuses on material gain.
Examples in context
- خود غرض خود لئے جیتے ہیں۔The selfish live for themselves alone.This sentence illustrates the use of خود غرض to describe people who live only for themselves.Tatoeba #6314336 by eeyinn, translation #1525571 by erikspen
- وہ بہت خود غرض انسان ہے۔Woh bohat khud gharz insaan hai.He is a very selfish person.
- خود غرض ہونا اچھی بات نہیں ہے۔Khud gharz hona achi baat nahi hai.Being selfish is not a good thing.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Fatima are discussing a mutual friend's behavior.
- فاطمہ Fatimaکیا احمد، تم نے اس کا رویہ دیکھا؟Kya Ahmed, tum ne us ka rawaiya dekha?Ahmed, did you see his behavior?
- احمد Ahmedہاں، وہ بہت خود غرض ہو رہا ہے۔Haan, woh bohat khud gharz ho raha hai.Yes, he is being very selfish.
- فاطمہ Fatimaاسے دوسروں کا بھی سوچنا چاہیے۔Usay doosron ka bhi sochna chahiye.He should also think about others.
- احمد Ahmedتم صحیح کہہ رہی ہو، فاطمہ۔Tum sahi keh rahi ho, Fatima.You are right, Fatima.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry خود غرض, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خود, خود غرض, غرض, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
