Ways to say it
| Dari | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| خوش اومَدین | xoš umadin | colloquial, polite |
| خوش آمَدید | xoš âmadid | literary, polite |
| خوش آمَدی | xoš âmadi | familiar, literary |
| خوش اومَدی | xoš umadi | colloquial, familiar |
In Dari, this expression is used as a greeting given upon someone's arrival.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of خوش, which literally means 'good' or 'happy' and اومَدین, a colloquial form of the verb meaning 'you came'.
Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on whether you are addressing one person or a group, and the level of respect you wish to show. Use خوش اومَدی (xoš umadi) for one person you are close to. Use خوش اومَدین (xoš umadin) for a group of people or for one person you want to show respect to. The literary forms خوش آمَدید and خوش آمَدی use different verb spellings compared to the colloquial versions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For everyday spoken Dari, the most common form is the colloquial خوش اومَدین. The form خوش آمَدید is considered polite and literary, while خوش آمَدی is a familiar and literary form. In informal situations, you might use the colloquial خوش اومَدی.
How does it change in a sentence?
The literary form خوش آمَدید (xoš âmadid) uses the formal/literary spelling of the verb 'to come' instead of the colloquial اومَدین (umadin).
How do you pronounce it?
xoš umadin
Did you know?
- The word خوش in this greeting is a distant relative of the English word 'sweet'. Both can be traced back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'taste (sweet)'.
- Hospitality is so central to the culture that a guest might hear خوش اومَدین multiple times throughout a single visit, as the host continues to express joy at their presence.
- In Afghan culture, saying خوش اومَدین is often accompanied by a warm embrace or a handshake between people of the same gender to reinforce the hospitality.
Examples in context
- خوش آمدید! واقعاً خوشحالم که شما را می‌بینم.Welcome! I am really glad to see you.
- اشتیاقاً خوش آمدید! منتظرتان بودیم.Welcome! We have been waiting for you.
- خوش آمدی! خیلی خوبه که امشب باهم هستیم.Welcome! It's great that we are together tonight.
- خوش اومَدین به خانه ما.khosh omadin ba khana-ye ma.Welcome to our home.
- خوش اومَدین، بفرمایید داخل.khosh omadin, befarmayid dakhel.Welcome, please come inside.
- خیلی خوش اومَدین به کابل.khayli khosh omadin ba Kabul.You are very welcome to Kabul.
Example conversation
Sara welcomes Ahmed to her house.
- سارا Saraسلام احمد، خوش اومَدین!Salam Ahmad, khush omadin!Hello Ahmed, welcome!
- احمد Ahmadتشکر سارا، زحمت دادم.Tashakur Sara, zahmat dadam.Thank you Sara, sorry for the trouble.
- سارا Saraخواهش می‌کنم، بفرمایید داخل.Khwahish mikonam, befarmayid dakhil.You're welcome, please come in.
- احمد Ahmadخیلی ممنون.Kheyli mamnoon.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خوش, CC BY-SA 4.0.
