کیوں
kyõ, kyū̃/kjõː/
The Urdu word for 'why' is کیوں (kyõ, kyū̃). Wiktionary also lists کاہے (kāhe).
Meaning: (interrogative) for what reason (adv)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| کیوں | kyõ, kyū̃ | /kjõː/ (Standard, Urdu) /kjũː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| کاہے | kāhe |
The word is an interrogative adverb used to ask for the reason.
Which one should you use?
کیوں is the standard form, while کاہے is a more colloquial or dialectal variation of the word.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kyõ or kyū̃. The IPA is /kjõː/.
Did you know?
- In Urdu poetry, questioning 'why' often serves as a philosophical device to lament the cruelty of fate, rather than a literal request for a cause.
- In highly formal Urdu, a speaker might avoid کیوں and instead use a phrase meaning 'for what reason' to avoid sounding too abrupt or demanding.
- A common cultural response to a persistent کیوں is to simply shrug and say بس, which translates to 'just because' or 'enough'.
Examples in context
- سکرین بند کیوں ہو گئ؟Why did the screen go off?This sentence shows how to use کیوں to ask about a screen turning off.Tatoeba #10812141 by Roomba_Unit, translation #6691409 by srovorake
- تم اتنے بدتمیز کیوں ہو؟Why are you so mean?This sentence uses کیوں to ask about a person's behavior.Tatoeba #10817045 by Roomba_Unit, translation #7589944 by Ricardo14
- کیوں نہ ہم اسے ملنے چلے؟Why don't we drop by to see her?This sentence demonstrates using کیوں to make a suggestion.Tatoeba #1452265 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1317054 by CK
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah asks Hamza why he is late to the meeting.
- سارہ Saraتم دیر سے کیوں آئے؟tum der se kyun aaye?Why did you come late?
- حمزہ Hamzaگاڑی خراب ہو گئی تھی۔gaari kharab ho gayi thi.The car had broken down.
- سارہ Saraکیا حمزہ، اب کیا کرو گے؟kya hamza, ab kya karo gay?Hamza, what will you do now?
- حمزہ Hamzaمیں اب ٹیکسی سے آؤں گا۔mein ab taxi se aaoon ga.I will come by taxi now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “why” translations and entries کیوں, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
