ہاں
hā̃/ɦɑ̃ː/
The Urdu word for yes is ہاں, romanized as hā̃. To be polite, say جی ہاں. If unsure, use ہاں. Wiktionary also lists جی (jī) and بلیٰ (balā).
Meaning: word used to indicate agreement or acceptance (particle)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ہاں | hā̃ | /ɦɑ̃ː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| جی | jī | /d͡ʒiː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| جی ہاں | jī hā̃ | /d͡ʒiː ɦɑ̃ː/ (Standard, Urdu, word by word) |
| بلیٰ | balā | |
| بلے | bale | /bə.leː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| آرے | āre | /ɑː.ɾeː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| نعم | na'am |
ہاں is the plain, informal yes used with friends or people junior to you. جی can also be said alone in answer to a call or to show you are listening, much like yes? In English.
What does it mean word for word?
جی ہاں combines the polite particle جی with ہاں to make a respectful, complete yes.
Which one should you use?
ہاں is informal. جی and جی ہاں are polite and show respect, so they suit elders, strangers and formal settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
جی is formal and polite.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the North Indian region where Urdu is spoken, Haanji is a common way to say yes.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /ɦɑ̃ː/, one syllable with a breathy h and a long nasal a.
Did you know?
- In Urdu, it is common to show agreement or respect by shaking the head in a side-to-side bobble, which can look like a 'no' to an English speaker.
- The polite word جی is derived from the Sanskrit word for 'life' or 'soul', effectively wishing the other person a long life every time you say 'yes'.
- While ہاں is the standard informal 'yes', you may sometimes hear the Arabic-derived نعم (na'am) in very formal or religious contexts.
Examples in context
- ہاں، یہ بڑے آرام سے ہو سکتا ہے۔Yes, it can be done very easily.Here ہاں starts the sentence as a plain yes.Tatoeba #1521829 by nabeel_tahir, translation #687870 by lukaszpp
- جی ہاں.Yes.جی ہاں is the polite, complete form of yes.Tatoeba #477094 by tzsyed, translation #477086 by soweli_Elepanto
- ہَاں یِہ صَحِیح ہَےYes, this is rightHere ہَاں is a casual yes before agreeing that something is right.
Example conversation
Fatima and Umar are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- فاطمہ Fatimaکیا ہم آج پیزا کھائیں؟Kya hum aaj pizza khayen?Shall we eat pizza today?
- عمر Omarہاں، مجھے یہ پسند ہے۔Haan, mujhe yeh pasand hai.Yes, I like that.
- فاطمہ Fatimaکیا آپ کو بہت بھوک لگی ہے؟Kya aap ko bohat bhook lagi hai?Are you very hungry?
- عمر Omarہاں، میں بہت بھوکا ہوں۔Haan, mein bohat bhooka hoon.Yes, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries ہاں, جی, بلے, آرے, نعم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (جی, ہاں) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries جی, ہاں, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
