یہ کیا ہے؟
yeh kya hai?
To say "what is this?" in Urdu, use یہ کیا ہے؟ (yeh kya hai?).
This phrase is used to ask for the identity or the name of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of یہ (this), کیا (what) and ہے (is).
Which one should you use?
Use وہ کیا ہے؟ if the object is far away from you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word order in this question follows a subject-complement-verb pattern common in Urdu interrogatives.
How do you pronounce it?
yeh kya hai?
Did you know?
- While the word یہ (this) is used for objects, if you are pointing at a person, using this phrase might sound overly blunt or even dehumanizing in polite Urdu conversation.
- The word کیا (what) shares an ancient ancestor with the Sanskrit word किम् (kim), making it a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'which'.
- In many parts of South Asia, if you use this phrase while pointing, your meaning can change from asking 'what is this?' to 'what is wrong with this?' depending on your facial expression.
Examples in context
- یہ کیا ہے؟yeh kya hai?What is this?
- میز پر یہ کیا ہے؟mez par yeh kya hai?What is this on the table?
- آپ کے ہاتھ میں یہ کیا ہے؟aap ke haath mein yeh kya hai?What is this in your hand?
Example conversation
Ayesha sees a strange fruit on the table and asks Ahmed.
- عائشہ Ayeshaاحمد، یہ کیا ہے؟Ahmed, yeh kya hai?Ahmed, what is this?
- احمد Ahmedیہ ایک آم ہے۔Yeh ek aam hai.This is a mango.
- عائشہ Ayeshaیہ بہت اچھا لگتا ہے۔Yeh bohat acha lagta hai.This looks very good.
- احمد Ahmedہاں، یہ بہت میٹھا ہے۔Haan, yeh bohat meetha hai.Yes, it is very sweet.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries کیا, یہ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
