What Meaning in Urdu: کیا, جو and کون سا With Examples

The English word "what" most often means کیا (kya) in Urdu. It is used to ask questions, as in "What is this?" = یہ کیا ہے؟. But "what" has other jobs too. Depending on the sentence, it can also mean جو (jo), جو کچھ (jo kuch) or کون سا (kaun sa).

Quick answer

Pronunciation

English "what" is said wot (British) or wut (American). The Urdu word کیا is said kyaa, as one short syllable with a long "aa" at the end. It is spelled with ک, ی and ا.

Be careful: the same spelling کیا is also read kiya, the past tense of کرنا (to do). Context tells you which one is meant. تم نے کیا کیا؟ (tum ne kya kiya?) means "What did you do?" and uses both.

1. "What" as a question word: کیا

This is the most common use. In Urdu, کیا usually comes in the middle of the sentence, before the verb, not at the start as in English.

• What is your name? — آپ کا نام کیا ہے؟ (aap ka naam kya hai?)
• What are you doing? — تم کیا کر رہے ہو؟ (tum kya kar rahe ho?)
• What happened? — کیا ہوا؟ (kya hua?)
• What do you want? — آپ کو کیا چاہیے؟ (aap ko kya chahiye?)

One more point. کیا placed at the very start of a sentence often turns it into a yes/no question rather than meaning "what". For example, کیا آپ آئیں گے؟ means "Will you come?"

2. "What" meaning "the thing that": جو / جو کچھ

When "what" is not a question but means "the thing that", Urdu uses جو or جو کچھ. The second part of the sentence usually starts with وہ (that).

• Tell me what you saw. — جو تم نے دیکھا، وہ مجھے بتاؤ۔ (jo tum ne dekha, woh mujhe batao.)
• What he said is true. — جو اس نے کہا، وہ سچ ہے۔ (jo us ne kaha, woh sach hai.)
• I will give you what I have. — میرے پاس جو کچھ ہے، میں تمہیں دے دوں گا۔ (mere paas jo kuch hai, main tumhein de doon ga.)

3. "What" meaning "which": کون سا

Before a noun, "what" often asks you to pick one thing. Urdu uses کون سا (masculine) or کون سی (feminine). For time, کیا is used.

• What colour do you like? — آپ کو کون سا رنگ پسند ہے؟ (aap ko kaun sa rang pasand hai?)
• What book are you reading? — تم کون سی کتاب پڑھ رہے ہو؟ (tum kaun si kitaab parh rahe ho?)
• What time is it? — کیا وقت ہوا ہے؟ or کتنے بجے ہیں؟ (kya waqt hua hai? / kitne baje hain?)

4. "What" as an exclamation

"What!" shows surprise or disbelief. Urdu uses کیا! in the same way. To praise something, Urdu speakers say کیا بات ہے!.

• What! You failed? — کیا! تم فیل ہو گئے؟ (kya! tum fail ho gaye?)
• What a beautiful view! — کیا خوبصورت منظر ہے! (kya khoobsurat manzar hai!)

Common mistakes learners make

• Putting کیا first every time. "What do you eat?" is تم کیا کھاتے ہو؟, not کیا تم کھاتے ہو؟. The second one means "Do you eat?"
• Using کیا for "the thing that". "I know what you mean" is میں سمجھتا ہوں تمہارا کیا مطلب ہے in speech, but in careful writing جو is clearer.
• Forgetting gender with کون سا. Use کون سا for masculine nouns (رنگ) and کون سی for feminine nouns (کتاب).

For more uses and idioms, see the Rekhta dictionary entry for kya.

Related words and phrases

Other question words you will often see with "what": who = کون (kaun), why = کیوں (kyun), how = کیسے (kaise), where = کہاں (kahan), when = کب (kab).

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of "what" in Urdu?

"What" usually means کیا (kya). It can also mean جو (jo) when it means "the thing that", and کون سا (kaun sa) when it means "which".

How do you say "What is your name?" in Urdu?

آپ کا نام کیا ہے؟ (aap ka naam kya hai?). Among friends, you can say تمہارا نام کیا ہے؟.

What does "whatever" mean in Urdu?

"Whatever" means جو بھی (jo bhi) or جو کچھ بھی (jo kuch bhi).

Is "kya" and "kiya" the same word?

No. Both are written کیا, but kya means "what" and kiya means "did". You tell them apart from the sentence.

What is the Urdu of "what for"?

"What for" is کس لیے (kis liye), which means "for what reason".