Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شُکْرِیَہ | śukriya | |
| دَھنْیَہ واد | dhanya vād | |
| نَوازِش | navāziś | formal |
| مِہْرْبانی | mihrbānī | |
| جَزاک اَللٰہ | jazāk allāh | often |
| جَزاک اَللٰہ خَیر | jazāk allāh xair | often |
Urdu offers several ways to express gratitude depending on the context. The standard way to say thank you is شُکْرِیَہ. For a more religious tone, one can use جَزاک اَللٰہ or جَزاک اَللٰہ خَیر.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase جَزاک اَللٰہ literally means 'May Allah reward you'.
Which one should you use?
While شُکْرِیَہ is a standard and neutral way to say thank you, جَزاک اَللٰہ carries a religious connotation by asking for a divine reward. Additionally, نَوازِش is not a direct replacement for 'thank you' in casual speech but is used in highly formal or poetic contexts to acknowledge someone's kindness or favor.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
شُکْرِیَہ is a formal way to say thank you. نَوازِش is used in highly formal or poetic settings. مِہْرْبانی can be used colloquially within phrases to acknowledge kindness.
How do you pronounce it?
śukriya
Did you know?
- While شُکْرِیَہ is common, some Urdu speakers may avoid using 'thank you' with close family members because it can imply a formal distance or that the help was unexpected.
- The word نَوازِش is deeply rooted in the courtly culture of the Mughal Empire and is still used today to convey a sense of royal grace or nobility.
- In many Urdu-speaking households, a 'thank you' is often replaced by a request for prayers, such as دعا کریں, which asks the other person to pray for the speaker.
Examples in context
- آپ کی مدد کے لیے شُکْرِیَہ۔aap ki madad ke liye shukriya.Thank you for your help.
- تحفے کے لیے بہت شُکْرِیَہ۔tohfe ke liye bohat shukriya.Thank you very much for the gift.
- نئے کام کے لیے شُکْرِیَہ۔naye kaam ke liye shukriya.Thank you for the new job.
Example conversation
Omar gives Aisha a gift.
- عائشہ Ayeshaیہ کیا ہے؟ شُکْرِیَہ، عمر!Yeh kya hai? Shukriya, Omar!What is this? Thank you, Omar!
- عمر Omarیہ آپ کے لیے ایک تحفہ ہے۔Yeh aap ke liye ek tohfa hai.This is a gift for you.
- عائشہ Ayeshaآپ بہت مہربان ہیں۔Aap bohat meharban hain.You are very kind.
- عمر Omarکوئی بات نہیں، عائشہ۔Koi baat nahi, Aisha.It is no problem, Aisha.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
