Editing Pakistani English (section)

==Influences==
Pakistani English is heavily influenced by Pakistan's languages as well as the English of other nations. Many words or terms from Urdu, such as 'cummerbund', have entered the global language and are also found in Pakistan. In addition the area which is now Pakistan was home to the largest garrisons of the British Indian Army (such as Rawalpindi and Peshawar) and this, combined with the post-partition influence of the [[Pakistan Military]], has ensured that many military terms have entered the local jargon.<ref name="Rahman1990"/>{{rp|76–78}}

The type of English taught (and preferred) is [[British English]]. The heavy influence and penetration of American culture through television, films and other media has brought in great influences of American English.

===Vocabulary and colloquialisms===
{{refimprove|section|date=June 2022}}
Pakistani English contains many unique terms,{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} as well as terms which are utilised somewhat differently in Pakistan. For instance, "{{lang|en-PK|chips}}" is used for [[potato chip]]s as well as for [[French fries]] (usage of these terms is common in the UK) and "{{lang|en-PK|lemon}}" is used for both lime and lemon.<ref name="Rahman1990"/>{{rp|69–71}}
* "{{lang|en-PK|italic=yes|Uncle / Aunty}}" – Respectful way of addressing anyone who is significantly older than oneself: "Uncle, please give way".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-02-13|title=Indians use 'Aunty' and 'Uncle' as terms of respect all over the world|url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2016/02/13/opinion/letters/indians-use-aunty-uncle-terms-respect-world/|access-date=2021-09-23|website=Stabroek News|language=en-US}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=A 'letter to the editor' is not a reliable source|date=September 2021}}
* Use of ''double'' and ''triple'' for numbers occurring twice or three times in succession (this is also in usage in the UK), especially for a phone number: for example, a phone number 2233344 would be pronounced as "double two, triple three, double four"; however the phone number 2222555 would be pronounced as "double two, double two, triple five".
* ''Shopper'' means a shopping bag, rather than a person who is shopping, the latter is referred to as a customer.
* ''Petrol pump'' — This term used to refer to a petrol station (gas station).
* ''Opening/closing an object'' refers to turning something on or off; this is due to the verbs for to open and to close being the same as the verbs for to turn on and to turn off in [[Urdu]] and other Pakistani languages.
* ''"Alphabet"'' - can be used to refer to a single letter and ''"alphabets"'' can refer to a group of two or more letters.{{cn|date=June 2022}}
* The use of "''much''" to emphasize the extent/magnitude of something. e.g. ''very much true'' instead of that's very true and ''too much difficult'' instead of very difficult.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-is-job-seeking-too-much-difficult-in-Pakistan?ch=10&share=56b9fd46&srid=VoqGT|title = Why is job seeking too much difficult in Pakistan?}}</ref>{{better source|reason=Quora is a self-published website, and this is using an example from a sentence, not a claim that this syntax is widespread.|date=September 2020}}
* ''Light'' – The term "light" has an additional meaning, referring to electricity. When the power goes out or comes back after an outage, one might say "Light has gone" or "Light's back."
* ''Number''&nbsp;– Often used in place of "marks" in an exam (used as both singular and plural without ''s'' while speaking in mixed English-Urdu).
* ''His/her meter has turned'' or ''-is high'' means that the person has lost his/her temper.  Usually used for a sudden outburst, one which is construed as unreasonable.
* ''Got no lift'' – received no attention or assistance from someone.
* ''In-Charge'' – a casual as well as formal title given to unit, group or division heads.
* ''Same to same'' – an expression to indicate something is exactly the same as some other thing.
* ''On parade'' – being at work or at a set activity.  Usually (though not always) in the context of starting something for the first time.  For example, ''I have been hired by the company, on parade from next Monday''.
* ''Become a direct Sergeant'' – be promoted out of turn/ given responsibility and authority very early. Often in the context that a person is out of his/her depth. For example, ''no wonder that team has failed so badly, leader was a direct Sergeant''.  Usually "Sergeant" is replaced by "Havildar" the equivalent rank in the [[Pakistan Army]].  Also used for upwardly mobile, ambitious or [[nouveau riche]].
* ''Miss'' is used to address or refer to female teachers, whatever their marital status, e.g. ''Yes, I have done my homework, Miss.'' Less commonly used to refer to women colleagues or subordinates. (Usage is also common in the UK)
* ''Madam'' is used to address and refer to females in positions of authority, usually a superior, e.g. ''Madam has ordered me to get the figures for last year's sales.'' Can also be used as a noun, e.g. ''She is the madam of that department'' meaning she is the head of the department, without it being derogatory.
* ''Sir'' is used for a male superior, often combined with their name or used as a noun. E.g. ''Is Sir in?'' or ''Sir Raza wants to see you in his office as soon as possible''.
* ''Well left'' – avoided artfully, often a tricky situation; from [[cricket]], the term "well left" is applied when a batsman chose not to play a potentially dangerous delivery, e.g. ''I well left that offer, it could have caused many problems.''
* ''Threw/Received a googly'' – an unexpected situation arose, a person was surprised, often unpleasantly, e.g. ''had just settled down and then got the googly about the transfer''. From [[googly]], a delivery in cricket.
* ''Yorker'' – a sudden, dangerous and potentially devastating situation; similar use to [[googly]], but usually has a certain amount of danger attached to it. ''My mother's heart attack while we were hiking in the mountains hit like a [[yorker]], we were far from any medical help''. Also used in a similar manner; ''[[Bouncer (cricket)|bouncer]]''. All three terms are derived from actual [[cricket]] deliveries, cricket being a popular sport in the country.
* ''Hit [[middle stump]]'' – did an action in such a manner that there is little room for further action, or a decisive blow, e.g. ''Really hit middle stump last year on that contract''. Also derived from cricket.
* ''Master Sahib'', contracted to ''Ma'Sahib'' – used to refer to a master craftsman.  The term is now used more frequently to refer to tailors and carpenters.
* ''Drinking a cigarette/cigar'' – smoking a cigarette.  This is due to the verbs for smoking being the same as the verbs for drinking in [[Urdu]] and other Pakistani languages.
* ''Elder'' – used as a comparative adjective in the sense of ''older''.  For example, "I am elder to you", instead of "I am older than you."
* ''Even'' – ''as well/also/too'': "Even I didn't know how to do it." This usage of ''even'' is borrowed from native grammatical structure.
* ''Graduation'' – completion of a bachelor's degree (as in the UK): "I did my graduation at Presidency College" ("I earned my [[bachelor's degree]] at Presidency College"), whereas in the United States it refers to completion of Highschool, Master's or PhD as well.{{dubious|date=December 2011}}
* ''Paining'' – ''hurting'' would be correct in Standard American and British: "My head is paining."
* ''Shirtings and suitings'' – the process of making such garments; a suffix in names of shops specialising in men's formal/business wear.
* ''Timings'' – hours of operation; scheduled time, such as ''office timings'' or ''train timings'', as opposed to the standard usage such as "The timing of his ball delivery is very good."
* ''[[Gentry]]'' – generalised term for social class&nbsp;– not specifically 'high social class'.  The use of 'good', 'bad', 'high' and 'low' prefixed to 'gentry' is common.
* ''[[mutton]]'' – [[goat meat]] instead of [[Lamb (food)|sheep meat]].

Words unique to (i.e. not generally well known outside South Asia) and/or popular in Pakistan include those in the following by no means exhaustive list:
* ''straight fire'' to describe shooting a firearm aimed directly at someone as opposed to warning shots aimed away from the target. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Sahiwal tragedy: Who permitted police straight fire at people, asks LHC CJ |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/423140-sahiwal-tragedy-who-permitted-police-straight-fire-at-people-asks-lhc-cj |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-04 |title=Straight fire by police in Karak to stop our jalsa: PTI |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1811147 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Report |first=Dawn |date=2025-01-10 |title=Traders shoot at customs raiding team |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1884186 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref>
* ''batchmate'' or ''batch-mate'' (not classmate, but a schoolmate of the same grade)
* ''compass box'' for a box holding mathematical instruments like compasses, divider, scale, protractor etc.; also widely referred to as a "geometry box"
* ''cousin-brother'' (male [[Cousin chart|first cousin]]) and ''cousin-sister'' (female first cousin)
* ''overhead bridge'' (bridge meant for pedestrians)
* ''flyover'' (overpass or an over-bridge over a section of road or train tracks)
* ''godown'' (warehouse)
* ''godman'' somewhat pejorative word for a person who claims to be divine or who claims to have supernatural powers
* ''gully'' to mean a narrow lane or alley (from the Hindi word "gali" meaning the same).
* ''long-cut'' (the opposite of "short-cut", in other words, taking the longest route).
* ''mugging/cramming'' or ''mugging up'' (memorising, usually referring to learning "by rote", as used in British English and having nothing to do with street crime, that the expression might also mean in British/American English).
* ''nose-screw'' (woman's nose-ring)
* ''[[wikt:prepone|prepone]]'' (The "opposite" of postpone, that is to change a meeting to be earlier). Many dictionaries have added this word.
* ''[[tiffin]] box'' for lunch box. The word is also commonly used to mean a between-meal snack.
* ''BHK'' is real-estate terminology for "Bedroom, Hall and Kitchen", used almost exclusively in housing size categorisation. "Hall" refers to the living room, which is highlighted separately from other rooms. For instance, a 2BHK apartment has a total of three rooms&nbsp;– two bedrooms and a living room.
* ''co-brother'' indicates relationship between two men who are married to sisters, as in "He is my co-brother"
* ''co-inlaws'' indicates relationship between two sets of parents whose son and daughter are married, as in "Our co-inlaws live in Karachi."
* ''co-sister'' indicates relationship between two women who are married to brothers, as in "She is my co-sister"
* ''boss'' is a term used to refer to a male stranger such as shopkeeper: "Boss, what is the cost of that pen?"
* ''[[vote-bank]]'' is a term commonly used during the elections in Pakistan, implying a particular bloc or community of people inclined to cast their votes for a political party that promises to deliver policies favouring them.
* ''pant'' – Trousers
* ''Mess'' – A dining hall, especially used by students at a dormitory. "Mess" is also used in reference to eateries catering primarily to a working class population. Originated from the military term of similar meaning.
* ''[[Eve teasing]]'' – Verbal sexual harassment of women.
* ''"Where are you put up?"'' means 'Where are you currently staying?".
* "''Out of station''": "out of town". This phrase has its origins in the posting of army officers to particular "stations" during the days of the [[East India Company]].
* "''acting pricey''": playing "hard to get", being snobbish.
* "''[[passing out|pass out]]''" is meant to graduate, as in "''I passed out of the university in 1995''". In American/British English, this usage is limited to graduating out of military academies.
* "''tight slap''" to mean "hard slap".
* ''Time-pass'' – Doing something for leisure but with no intention or target/satisfaction, procrastination, pastime.
* ''Time-waste '' – Something that is a waste of time; procrastination. Presumably not even useful for leisure.
* ''Pindrop silence'' – Extreme silence (quiet enough to hear a pin drop).
* ''chargesheet:'' n. formal charges filed in a court; v. to file charges against someone in court
* redressal: n. redress, remedy, reparation
* "Hill Station" – mountain resort.
* "stepney" refers to a [[spare tyre]]. The word is a [[genericised trademark]] originating from the ''Stepney Spare Motor Wheel'', itself named after Stepney Street, in [[Llanelli]], Wales.<ref>{{cite web |title=Walter Davies |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/halloffame/innovators/walterdavies.shtml |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215164144/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/halloffame/innovators/walterdavies.shtml |archive-date=15 February 2012}}</ref>
* Cooling glasses&nbsp;– sunglasses
* "cent per cent", "cent percent" – "100 percent/100 per cent" as in "He got cent per cent in math/maths".
* "loose motion" – [[diarrhoea]]
* "''papers''" – Examination or tests in any educational institution. 
* "''expire''" – To die, especially in reference to one's family member.
* "''bunking''" – To skip class without permission, compare UK ''bunking off''
* "''carrying''" – to be pregnant, as in "She is carrying".
* "pressurise" – to put pressure on someone, to influence.
* "club" or "clubbing" – To merge or put two things together. "Just club it together."
* "cantonment" – permanent military installation.
* "taking an exam/test" as opposed to "taking/writing an exam", a phrase more commonly used in the US and Canada. ("giving a test" is used to refer to a person who is going to conduct the test)
* "register" as opposed to "notebook", a phrase more commonly used in the US.
* "copy" is used for notebook.
* "lady finger" is used for [[okra]].

Words which are considered archaic in some varieties of English, but are still in use in Pakistani English:
* ''Curd'' – ''yogurt''
* ''Dicky/Dickey/Digy'' – the trunk of a car (also ''obs'' "dicky seat" UK).<ref>dicky, dickey, n., Oxford English Dictionary, 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009</ref>
* ''In tension'' – being concerned or nervous.  Phrased another way, "He is taking too much tension".  Found in eighteenth-century British English.<ref>1756 BURKE Subl. & B. IV. iii, "An unnatural tension of the nerves"</ref>
* ''Into'' – ''multiplied by'', as in ''2 into 2 equals 4'', rather than ''2 times 2 is 4'', which is more common in other varieties of English. The use of ''into'' dates back to the fifteenth century, when it had been common in British English.<ref name="OEDintoX">multiply, v., Oxford English Dictionary, 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009</ref>
* ''[[ragging]]'' – also used in public schools in the UK, [[hazing]] (US).
* Use of ''thrice'', meaning "three times", is common in Pakistani English.
* Use of the phrases ''like nothing'' or ''like anything'' to express intensity. For example, "These people will cheat you like anything". Such usage was part of colloquial English language in seventeenth century Britain and America.<ref name="OEDlikeanything">like, a., adv. (conj.), and n.2, Oxford English Dictionary, 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009</ref><ref name="AmericanLikeAnything">http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=like%20anything Reference.com. Retrieved 1 July 2009</ref>
* Word pairs "up to" and "in spite" compounded to "upto" and "inspite" respectively.
* ''Over'' – to speak frankly. "Don't be too over with me."
* ''Weeping'' – crying.

===Numbering system===
The [[Indian numbering system]] is preferred for digit grouping, although the Western grouping system is far more widely used in Pakistan. When written in words, or when spoken, numbers less than 100,000 are expressed just as they are in Standard English. Numbers including and beyond 100,000 are expressed in a subset of the Pakistani numbering system. Thus, the following scale is used:

{| class="wikitable"
! In digits (Western system) !! In digits (Indian system) !! In words (Standard English) !! In words (Pakistani English)
|-
| colspan="2" | 10 || colspan="2" | ten
|-
| colspan="2" | 100 || colspan="2" | one hundred
|-
| colspan="2" | 1,000 || colspan="2" | one thousand
|-
| colspan="2" | 10,000 || colspan="2" | ten thousand
|-
| 100,000 || {{formatnum:1,00,000}} || one hundred thousand || one [[Lakh|lac/lakh]] (from lākh {{nq|لاکھ}})
|-
| 1,000,000 || {{formatnum:10,00,000}} || one million || ten [[Lakh|lac/lakh]] (from lākh {{nq|لاکھ}})
|-
| 10,000,000 || {{formatnum:1,00,00,000}} || ten million || one [[crore]] (from karoṛ {{nq|کروڑ}})
|-
| 1,000,000,000 || {{formatnum:1,00,00,00,000}} || one billion || one {{not a typo|arab}} (from {{not a typo|arab}} {{nq|ارب}})
|-
| 100,000,000,000 || {{formatnum:1,00,00,00,00,000}} || one hundred billion || one kharab (from kharab {{nq|کھرب}})
|}

Larger numbers are generally expressed as multiples of the above.<ref>[http://bsl.co.in/india/news/investors-lose-rs-44-lakh-crore-in-four-days/416306/ "Investors lose Rs 4.4 lakh crore in four days"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316003619/http://bsl.co.in/india/news/investors-lose-rs-44-lakh-crore-in-four-days/416306/ |date=16 March 2012 }}, Business Standard</ref><ref>[http://smartinvestor.in/market/story-31563-storydet-Corporate_chiefs_getting_crores_in_salaries_100_and_counting.htm "Back Corporate chiefs getting crores in salaries: 100 and counting!"], SmartInvestor.in</ref>

===Medical terms===
Often the cause of undesirable confusion.
* ''Viral Fever'': [[Influenza]]
*''Flu:'' Common Cold
* ''Sugar'': Diabetes
* ''Jaundice'': Acute Hepatitis. While standard medical terminology uses jaundice for a symptom (yellow discolouration of skin), in Pakistan the term is used to refer to the illness in which this symptom is most common.
* ''[[Allopathy]]'', used by homoeopaths to refer to conventional medicine.

===Food===
* ''[[Brinjal]]'': [[aubergines]] / [[eggplant]]
* ''[[Capsicum]]'': called chili pepper, red or green pepper, or sweet pepper in the UK and US; capsicum in Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India; [[bell pepper]] in the US, Canada, and the Bahamas; and paprika in the US and some other countries.
* ''Curds'': [[Yogurt]]
* ''Sooji'': [[Semolina]]
* ''Pulses'', ''[[dal]]'': [[Legume|pulses]], e.g. [[lentils]]
* ''[[Karahi]]'', ''kadai'': wok
* ''[[Sago]]'': [[tapioca]], Yuca in US
* ''Ladyfinger, bhindi'': [[okra]]
* ''Sabzi'': greens, green vegetables