10 More Dari Phrases (Nice to know)

High fives in Kunar*

Bubbles in Kabul**

One of my most popular posts is one from a while back on Dari Phrases You Need to Know.   In case it’s not obvious, this is the sequel:  Ten phrases that can take you beyond the “minimum essential” and into the “nice to know”…

1. Mushkelnest – No problem.
2. Qabelishnest – You’re welcome.
3. Zhwan! – Energy/life.  Soldiers will often say this after being recognized for exceptional performance.  I asked a terp what it meant the other day, and he struggled a little, as it doesn’t really have an exact English translation.  A different terp though, who can speak Dari, English, and Army explained, ”It means ‘Hoo-ah!’”
4. Drust – OK.
5. Ba’le – Yes.  And its counterpart…
   Ne – No.
6. Khub’ast – Cool (lit., ”good is”).  You can make it a little stronger too, as…
   Besyar khub! - Very good!
7. Booga booga booga – Say it, say it, say it.  Kind of an all-purpose phrase, it’s sometimes used like, “Blah blah blah…” but more often as the Dari equivalent of, “You go, girl!”
8. Chitur hasti? How are you?  This is the informal version, used between friends (the formal version is in my previous post).
   Khub hastam – I’m good.
   Chuma chitur hasti? And you?
9. Zenda bashi – Take care (lit., ”health always”).
10. Yak team wahed – One team together.  I love this phrase because it speaks volumes about the challenge of serving here in Afghanistan.  We have to build enduring National Security Forces in a country that, until we got here, didn’t even have a word for Team (Americans are known for being fiercely independent, but geesh, we’ve got nothing on the Afghans…).  After 50,000 years of history though, the Afghans finally have a word for Team:  team.  Almost without exception, Afghans are quick to pick up the good ideas the Coalition has to offer.  And teamwork is certainly one of our better ones!

Bottom line:  Language matters.  Give some Dari a try!

* Photo by SSG Gary A. Witte, US Army, from Soldiers Media Center on flikr.
** Photo by Stephon M. Sterns.

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