Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عَورَت | 'aurat | feminine |
| خاتُون | xātūn | feminine |
| زَنانی | zanānī | feminine |
| زَن | zan | feminine |
| مَہِیلا | mahīlā | feminine |
| ناری | nārī | feminine |
| سُتْری | sutrī | feminine |
All the provided forms are feminine nouns used to refer to an adult female person.
Which one should you use?
عَورَت is the most common and standard way to say 'woman' in everyday Urdu. خاتُون and مَہِیلا are more formal, with مَہِیلا specifically used in official, legal or journalistic contexts such as news reports. زَن is a literary or poetic term that is less common in spoken conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
عَورَت is a formal and standard term. خاتُون is a polite and respectful term often used in polite society or literature. مَہِیلا is used in formal contexts like a census or official reports. زَن is reserved for literary use.
How do you pronounce it?
'aurat
When do people say it?
In social settings, speakers often use terms of respect or affection rather than just the noun for woman. For example, 'Aunty' is frequently used to refer to an older woman or a woman who is older than the speaker. Additionally, Aapa can be placed before a woman's name as a term of affection to address an older woman with respect.
Did you know?
- While عَورَت is the standard word for 'woman', its literal roots in Arabic refer to something that is 'hidden' or 'private', reflecting historical views on privacy.
- The word زَن is a cognate of the Persian word for 'woman', reflecting the heavy influence of Persian literature on the Urdu language.
- While مَہِیلا is used in formal Urdu, it is a loanword from Hindi and Sanskrit, highlighting how legal and official Urdu terminology often overlaps with its sister language.
Examples in context
- وہ ایک اچھی عَورَت ہے۔Woh ek achi aurat hai.She is a good woman.
- عَورَت کو عزت دینی چاہیے۔Aurat ko izzat deni chahiye.A woman should be respected.
- اس عَورَت کا نام کیا ہے؟Is aurat ka naam kya hai?What is this woman's name?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
