How Do You Learn to Speak Basic Pashto? A Beginner’s Guide

Pashto, or Pukhto, is one of the official languages of Afghanistan. Around 60 million people in northwestern Pakistan and southeastern Afghanistan speak Pashto as their mother tongue. In order to chat with Pashto-speakers or even watch TV shows set in their homeland, you can learn some basic Pashto phrases that will help you greet others, introduce yourself, and even travel around Afghanistan, Pakistan, and nearby areas.

Top Phrases to Know in the Pashto Language

Salaam: “Hello.”
Manana: “Thank you.”
Da khoday pa amaan: “Goodbye.”
Lotfan: “Please.”
Ho: “Yes.”
Kha: “Okay.”
Nah: “No.”

Section 1 of 7:

Saying Basic Words & Phrases in Pashto

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The most important words to know in Pashto include polite phrases like “Thank you,” “Please,” and “Excuse me.” It may also help to know some expressions to help you communicate, like “Do you speak Pashto?” and “I don’t understand.” Here are some handy translations to have if you’re having a basic conversation in Pashto.^{[1]
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- Thank you (very much) = (dera) manana
- You’re welcome = teh gabarah nada
- My = zama
- Your = sta
- Yes = ho
- No = nah
- Okay = kha
- Sorry = bakhana ghwarum
- Please = lotfan
- Excuse me = bakhana ghwaaram^{[2]
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- I love you = za la ta sara meena kawom^{[3]
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- I don’t understand = za na poheegum^{[4]
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- Speak more slowly = karaar karaar khabaree kawa
- Do you speak Pashto? = aya ta pa pakhto khabarey kawalai shey?
- A little = lig lig
- How do you say ___ in Pashto? = da pa pakhto ki sanga waii?

Section 2 of 7:

Greeting Others in Pashto

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Many Afghan people and other Islamic speakers of Pashtun greet each other by saying salaam or the longer salaam alaikum, which means “peace be with you” and is borrowed from Arabic. It’s also customary in formal settings to give a handshake or to place your right hand over your heart and nod gently. Here are some other phrases to greet people in Pashto:^{[5]
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- Hello = salaam (casual), salaam alaikum (more formal).
- Good morning = sahr pikheyr
- Good afternoon = wradz mo pa kheyr
- Good evening = khah maakhaam
- Welcome = pikheyr
- How are you? = tsenga yee?
- I’m well = sheh yem
- I’m fine, thanks, and you? = za kha yam, manana, tatsenga yee?
- Goodbye = da khoday pa amaan
- Have a nice day = kha wraz olari^{[6]
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Section 3 of 7:

Making Small Talk in Pashto

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To introduce yourself, ask others about themselves, and generally make small talk in Pashto, you may need to learn expressions like “What’s your name?” and “My name is.” Below, you can read the translations for these phrases as well as some other useful expressions for getting to know others.
- What’s your name? = staa num tsa dhe?^{[7]
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- My name is ____. = zama num ___ deh
- Pleased to meet you = khwash yam che tase gorum
- Where are you from? = tase d’kum dzay yast?^{[8]
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- I am from ___. = za da ____ yem
- How is everything at home? = koor ta sa ahwal day?

Section 4 of 7:

Food & Travel Phrases to Learn in Pashto

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If you’re heading to Afghanistan or Pakistan, it’s a great idea to learn some of the language that’s spoken there. If you’re learning Pashto, it’s helpful to know some transportation words and how to ask for basic necessities—like the bathroom or a glass of water. Check out these travel-friendly Pashto vocab words to get you started:
- Where’s the restroom? = tashnab cheri day?^{[9]
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- Where’s the airport? = hawayee dagar cherta day?
- Bus = bas
- Road = arrak
- Airplane = alwateka^{[10]
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- Bread = dodai^{[11]
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- Milk = pe
- Apple = mana
- Water = ao-bah^{[12]
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Section 5 of 7:

Numbers 1-10 in Pashto

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Whether you’re talking about money, bus routes, or the number of mantu you want, basic numbers are essential for communicating in any language. For Pashto, you can start by learning the numbers 1-10, which are written here:
- One = yau^{[13]
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- Two = dwa
- Three = dre
- Four = tsaloor
- Five = peenzuh
- Six = shpeeg
- Seven = uwa
- Eight = atuh
- Nine = unuh
- Ten = ias

Section 6 of 7:

Talking About People & Family in Pashto

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Being able to describe or point out others can help you communicate lots of different ideas with Pashtun people. Maybe you want to ask someone about their family or are trying to find your sister that wandered off on her sightseeing. Either way, knowing basic Pashto words like “man,” “woman,” “father,” and “mother” can be really helpful:
- Father = palaar^{[14]
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- Mother = moor
- Brother = wror
- Sister = khor
- Son = zoey
- Daughter = loor^{[15]
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- Man = saray
- Woman = khaza
- Boy = halak
- Girl = jinai

Section 7 of 7:

What is the Pashto language?

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Pashto is an IndoEuropean language spoken in Central Asia. Pashto is part of the Iranian group of IndoEuropean languages with about 40 million people speaking Pashto as a native language. Native speakers (referred to as Pashtuns) mostly live in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Pashto is heavily influenced by Dari (the lingua franca of Afghanistan). However, Pashto also uses many loanwords from Arabic and Urdu.^{[16]
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- Linguistically, Pashto is an inflectional language with two grammatical genders. Instead of traditional tenses, it uses aspect (a completed or incomplete action) to communicate time.^{[17]
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- The Pashto alphabet is largely based on the Perso-Arabic alphabet that’s used in Farsi and Dari. Like these Persian languages, Pashto is written and read from right to left and doesn’t have any defined capital letters.
- The alphabet consists of 44 letters and is written in the naskh style script. When attempting to learn the Pashto language as an English speaker, the original script must first be transliterated and studied alongside a pronunciation guide such as the one included on this page. For this reason, English spellings of Pashto words often differ.
- One of the best ways to learn to speak basic Pashto (or teach yourself any new language) is with an app like Pashto (Afgh.) Basic Phrases, where you can hear the pronunciation of common Pashto words and phrases.

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How do I say "Hello, Brother" in Pashto?

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You can say the Islamic greeting, or "pa khere ragh le" (you have come safely). Brother is "roar," so you could also say "zama roara." Together, you would say "pa khere ragh le, zama roara."

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How can I say, "What were you doing there?" in Pashto?

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You would say, "Alta de sa kol?"

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How do I say "you are my brother" in Pashto?

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Te: You - It's a soft 't' sound; as if it's inching towards the 'th' sound, but not quite. Instead of tapping the tip of your tongue against the bottom of your teeth, move it back just a little - but not too far - to create that soft sound Zma: My Roar: Brother Ye: Are - Almost pronounced as the word 'yay'; it's a sharp 'e' sound This may seem like broken Pashto, but remember; the structure and word arrangements vary in different languages.

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