وہاں
vahā̃/ʋə.ɦɑ̃ː/
The English word 'there' is translated into Urdu as وہاں (vahā̃). Wiktionary also lists ادھر (udhar).
Meaning: in or at that place (position) (adv)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| وہاں | vahā̃ | /ʋə.ɦɑ̃ː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| ادھر | udhar | /ɪ.d̪ʱəɾ/ (Standard, Urdu) /ʊ.d̪ʱəɾ/ (Standard, Urdu) |
In Urdu, this phrase is used as an adverb of position to indicate being in or at that place.
Which one should you use?
The form وہاں is used to mean 'there', whereas ادھر actually refers to 'hither' or 'this way' (near the speaker).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʋə.ɦɑ̃ː/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ادھر to mean 'there' (far away), but it actually means 'hither' or 'this way' (near the speaker).
Did you know?
- Some linguists suggest that ادھر may be related to the Sanskrit word for a 'stream' or 'flow', specifically دھار.
- The phonetic relationship between the demonstratives اِس (this) and اُس (that) mirrors the logic found in the directional words for 'here' and 'there'.
- Urdu uses different words for 'there' depending on whether you are pointing to a location or a direction. This distinguishes between 'at that place' and 'in that direction'.
Examples in context
- تم وہاں کس سے ملے تھے؟Who did you meet there?This sentence is useful for asking who someone met using وہاں.Tatoeba #1580454 by nabeel_tahir, translation #51000 by CK
- میں وہاں تین بار ہوکر آ چکا ہوں۔I went there twice.This sentence is useful for stating frequency of visits to a place using وہاں.Tatoeba #12032693 by Roomba_Unit, translation #9273463 by Nylez
- میں ڈھائی بجے وہاں پہنچ جائوں گا۔I'll get there at about 2:30.This sentence is useful for stating an arrival time at a location using وہاں.Tatoeba #4241534 by nabeel_tahir, translation #3732159 by CK
- آپ وہاں کیا کر رہے ہیں؟What are you doing there?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Sarah are talking on the phone about a lost bag.
- احمد Ahmedکیا تمہارا بیگ وہاں ہے؟Kya tumhara bag wahan hai?Is your bag there?
- سارہ Saraنہیں، وہ وہاں نہیں ہے۔Nahi, woh wahan nahi hai.No, it is not there.
- احمد Ahmedپھر وہ کہاں ہے؟Phir woh kahan hai?Then where is it?
- سارہ Saraشاید وہ وہیں کہیں پڑا ہے۔Shayad woh wahin kahin para hai.Maybe it is lying somewhere there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “there” translations and entries وہاں, ادھر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ادھر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
