کیا (سوالیہ لفظ)

Asking What

Level 1

Use کیا when you want the listener to name a thing or describe an action. A yes-or-no answer alone does not supply that information.

How It Works

Ask بیگ میں کیا ہے؟ when you want to know what is inside the bag. The answer might be بیگ میں ایک کتاب ہے.

With an action, place the question word where the object can go: ندا کیا لکھ رہی ہے؟. An answer can name a letter, an address or another thing she is writing.

Urdu does not require an English-style helper such as do in these questions. Keep the Urdu verbal group together.

The same written کیا has several uses. Compare the thing-question ندا کیا لکھ رہی ہے؟ with the yes-or-no question کیا ندا لکھ رہی ہے؟. The expected answer helps you identify which use is intended.

Examples (4)

  1. بیگ میں کیا ہے؟

    What is in the bag?

    کیا asks for the thing inside.

  2. ندا کیا لکھ رہی ہے؟

    What is Nida writing?

    The answer should name what she is writing.

  3. آپ کیا پڑھ رہے ہیں؟

    What are you reading?

    The question asks about the reading material; this uses masculine respectful agreement.

  4. اس کا مطلب کیا ہے؟

    What does it mean?

    The question asks for the meaning, expressed as a noun phrase in Urdu.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

کیا (سوالیہ لفظ)Level 1Asking What

Learn This First

Distinguish question-word کیا from the already introduced yes-or-no marker.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

کیا