آپ / تم / تو

Choosing a Form of You

Level 1

آپ is a useful starting point with an unfamiliar adult. Use the respectful verb pattern with it.

How It Works

Compare آپ یہاں ہیں with تم یہاں ہو. Both can mean you are here, but they use different levels of address. Keep the pronoun and verb as a pair.

Close friends or family members may use تم, depending on their relationship. Do not decide only by age: respectful آپ can also be used warmly with someone close.

تو can express deep intimacy, devotional address or hostility. It is not a neutral replacement for every singular you. Learn its social setting before using it.

Commands change too: آپ بیٹھیے is respectful and تم بیٹھو is familiar. Neither pronoun has to be spoken when the command form already makes the intended address clear.

Examples (4)

  1. آپ یہاں ہیں۔

    You are here.

    آپ pairs with ہیں in the respectful pattern.

  2. تم یہاں ہو۔

    You are here.

    تم pairs with ہو in the familiar pattern.

  3. آپ بیٹھیے۔

    Please sit down.

    بیٹھیے is a respectful command.

  4. تم بیٹھو۔

    Sit down.

    بیٹھو is a familiar command; tone still matters.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing familiar and respectful forms in the standard pattern.

    تم یہاں ہیں۔
    تم یہاں ہو۔

    Pair تم with ہو, or change the whole phrase to آپ یہاں ہیں۔

How It Connects

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

آپ / تم / توLevel 1Choosing a Form of You

Learn This First

Distinguish the listener’s grammatical person from the level of respect.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

آپتمتو