ستاسو نوم څه دی؟
stāso num tsə day?
To ask "what is your name?" in Pashto, use ستاسو نوم څه دی؟ (stāso num tsə day?).
This phrase is a question used to ask someone for their name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of stāso (your), num (name), tsə (what) and day (is).
Which one should you use?
The form ستا نوم څه دی؟ is the informal version of the question, whereas ستاسو نوم څه دی؟ is the polite version.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form stāso is the plural or polite form of 'your', used to show respect to elders or strangers.
How do you pronounce it?
stāso num tsə day?
When do people say it?
To answer the question, you can say زما نوم … دی (my name is …).
Did you know?
- The word نوم (num) shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'name', tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European reconstruction *h₁nómn̥.
- In many Pashto-speaking cultures, asking for a name is often the first step in a much longer, ritualized process of establishing family lineage rather than just getting a single word.
- If you use the polite form ستاسو (stāso) when addressing a single person, you are not just being polite, you are grammatically treating them as a group of people to show respect.
Examples in context
- بښنه غواړم، ستاسو نوم څه دی؟bakhshana ghwāram, stāso num tse de?Excuse me, what is your name?
Example conversation
Zala and Khan meet for the first time at a community event.
- زالا Zalaسلام، ستاسو نوم څه دی؟Salam, staso num tsa day?Hello, what is your name?
- خان Khanزما نوم خان دی.Zma num Khan day.My name is Khan.
- زالا Zalaزه زالا یم. ستاسو سره په لیدو خوښ شوم.Ze Zala yam. Staso sara pa lido khwosh shom.I am Zala. Nice to meet you.
- خان Khanمننه، زه هم ډېر خوښ شوم.Manana, ze ham der khwosh shom.Thank you, I am also very glad.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries نوم, څه, CC BY-SA 4.0.
