Urdu Question Words in Transliteration: What, Who and Where
To find question words in Urdu transliteration, start with the standalone entries for “What,” “Who,” and “Where.” Keep them separate from the complete questions: a single word names the question idea, while a full entry such as “What is this?” gives you a ready-to-use question.
Start with these expressions
| English | Transliteration | Native script |
|---|---|---|
| What | kya | کیا |
| Who | kaun | کون |
| Where | kahan | کہاں |
| What is this? | yeh kya hai? | یہ کیا ہے؟ |
| Who is that? | woh kaun hai? | وہ کون ہے؟ |
| Where is home? | ghar kahan hai? | گھر کہاں ہے؟ |
Separate a question word from a complete question
Use the set in two layers. The standalone entries give you the basic question words: What, Who, and Where. The dictionary passages support those meanings directly: kya is glossed as “What,” kaun as “Who,” and kahan as “Where” [1] [2] [3].
The other three selected entries are complete questions, not single-word vocabulary. Their English glosses include an object or subject and the verb idea “is”: “What is this?”, “Who is that?”, and “Where is home?” This is the practical distinction to apply today: if you are memorising a question word, choose the short entry; if you want to ask the whole question shown by the English gloss, choose the complete entry. Do not treat a standalone word as though it already expresses the entire question.
[1] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
[2] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
[3] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
Try it
You are pointing at an unfamiliar object and want to ask a family member, “What is this?” Which selected entry fits?
Choose your answer before reading on.
Check your answer:
Use expression 4 in the table above.
Choose the complete-question entry because the situation asks for the whole question, not just the standalone meaning “What.” Its English gloss matches the object-pointing situation exactly.
At home, point to one unfamiliar object and practise the complete-question entry. Then review the standalone “What” entry separately so you remember that a question word and a full question are different learning targets.
Practise speaking with Bhol. Learn words and sentences written in English letters.
