Basic Kashmiri Phrases Every Visitor Should Learn

You can get through a week in Srinagar speaking only English, Hindi or Urdu, and many visitors do. But the moment you greet a shikara boatman or a shopkeeper in Lal Chowk with a few Kashmiri phrases, the conversation changes. Prices soften, tea appears, and people start telling you things they would never tell a tourist who stays in English.

You do not need fluency for that. Twenty or so words, said with the right level of politeness, go a long way. This guide covers the greetings, courtesies and practical phrases I have watched work for first time visitors, along with the etiquette that matters more than pronunciation.

What language people speak in Kashmir

Kashmiri, called Koshur by its speakers, is the mother tongue of most people in the Kashmir Valley. It is an Indo Aryan language with a lot of Persian and Sanskrit vocabulary, and it sounds quite different from Hindi. Urdu is the official language and is used on signs, in offices and in schools, so nearly everyone in Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg understands it. English is common among hotel staff, drivers and younger people.

Kashmiri is usually written in a Perso Arabic script, so spellings in the Latin alphabet vary from one guidebook to the next. Treat the transliterations below as a pronunciation guide, not a fixed spelling. Say them slowly and people will understand you.

Kashmiri phrases for greetings and courtesy

Start with these. They will cover most of your daily encounters.

Meaning	Say it like	When to use it
Hello (peace be upon you)	Assalamu alaikum, or simply Salaam	Greeting almost anyone, any time of day
Reply to the greeting	Walaikum assalam	When someone greets you first
How are you?	Kyah haal chhu?	Friendly opening after the greeting
Are you well? (polite)	Tuhi chhiv waarai?	To elders and people you have just met
Fine, well	Waarai	Answering how you are
Thank you	Shukriya	Everywhere, understood by all
Yes	Aa	Agreeing in conversation
No	Na	Declining politely, often with a smile
Good, nice	Asal	Praising food, a view or a shawl
Goodbye	Khuda hafiz	Leaving a shop, home or boat

Shukriya is technically Urdu, but it is what most Kashmiris use day to day, so it will sound natural. Saying asal after a meal is one of the warmest compliments you can give a host.

Polite forms matter more than vocabulary

Kashmiri, like Urdu, separates a respectful "you" from a casual one. Tuhi is the polite form and the one a visitor should use with everyone except small children. The casual form, tse, used with an elder or a stranger, sounds rude even if every other word is correct.

Titles carry the same weight. Add sahib after a man's name, as in Bashir sahib, or call an older man janab. An older woman is often addressed as baaji or mouj, which means mother, by people close to the family. Younger people call an older man baya, meaning brother, which is friendly without being disrespectful. If you are unsure, janab for men and a respectful nod for women is always safe.

These courtesies fit into a wider set of habits about shoes, seating and food that our guide to Kashmiri home etiquette for guests covers in detail.

Useful words for food, tea and travel

A handful of nouns will help you order, find your way and follow what your hosts are saying.

Batte: cooked rice, and by extension a meal. "Batte khyov?" means "Have you eaten?" and is a common friendly question.
Noon chai: the pink salted tea served at breakfast and in the afternoon.
Kahwa: sweet green tea with saffron, cardamom and almonds.
Tsot: the round local bread eaten with tea in the morning.
Aab: water.
Bazar: market, as in Lal Chowk bazar.
Daryav or nag: river and spring, which you will hear in many place names.

Numbers help in markets. One to five in Kashmiri are roughly akh, zah, trey, tsor and pantsh. For bigger figures, most vendors switch to Hindi or Urdu numbers, so learn those too if you plan to shop seriously. Our guide to shopping in Srinagar explains which markets expect bargaining and which do not.

Why you should not lead with a phrasebook script

Many travel guides suggest memorizing full sentences for bargaining, directions and emergencies. I think that backfires. If you open with a long, fluent sounding sentence, the other person replies at full speed in Kashmiri and you are lost within two seconds. Worse, it can come across as a performance.

A better approach is to greet in Kashmiri, add one courtesy, then switch to English or Hindi for the actual business. "Salaam, tuhi chhiv waarai?" followed by a question in English tells the person you have made an effort and respect their language, without pretending to more than you have. In my experience that small gesture earns more goodwill than a perfectly recited paragraph.

Body language does as much work as words. Place your right hand on your chest as you say salaam or shukriya, the way most Kashmiris do, and accept tea or food with your right hand. Lower your voice slightly with elders. These habits cost nothing and are noticed immediately, even when your pronunciation is shaky.

Save the extra words for moments where they fit naturally, like saying asal over a plate of wazwan or shukriya when a stranger points you to the right bus.

How to practise before you travel

Ten minutes a day for two weeks is enough to get the greetings and courtesies comfortable.

Write the ten phrases from the table on a card and keep it in your wallet.
Say them aloud while doing something else, like cooking or walking, so they become automatic.
Listen to Kashmiri songs or radio to get used to the rhythm, which is quicker and more nasal than Hindi.
On arrival, ask your houseboat or guesthouse host to correct your pronunciation. Most will be delighted.

If you are travelling on a tight budget, local language helps there too. Drivers and guesthouse owners are far more likely to offer a fair price to someone who has made the effort, as we note in our tips for planning a budget trip to Kashmir.

Frequently asked questions

Do people in Kashmir speak English?

Many do, especially in hotels, on houseboats and among younger people in Srinagar. In villages and with older people, English is less common, and Urdu or Hindi will get you further. A few Kashmiri greetings help everywhere.

How do you say thank you in Kashmiri?

Most people simply say shukriya, which is borrowed from Urdu and used across the valley. Some older speakers also use meharbani, meaning kindness. Either will be understood and appreciated.

Is Kashmiri the same as Urdu?

No. Kashmiri is a separate language with its own grammar and sounds, though it shares many words with Urdu and Persian. Urdu is the official language of the region, so most Kashmiris speak both.