तशरीफ़ (tashriif)
noun
A polite/honorific noun used almost exclusively in fixed courteous expressions about someone's arrival, seating, or presence -- it does not stand alone with an independent everyday meaning outside these set phrases.
Sense
1
:
honorific term for a respected person's presence/arrival (used in polite set phrases)
noun, feminine Almost always appears as part of a fixed collocation such as तशरीफ़ लाना (tashriif laanaa, 'to come, honorific'), तशरीफ़ रखना (tashriif rakhnaa, 'to sit down, honorific'), or तशरीफ़ ले जाना (tashriif le jaanaa, 'to leave, honorific'). It is not used as a free-standing noun with its own sentence outside these frames.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word comes from the same courteous register as other Persian-origin polite vocabulary in Hindi-Urdu, and you will hear it most from shopkeepers, hosts, and hotel staff welcoming a guest: तशरीफ़ लाइए (tashriif laaie, 'please come in') or तशरीफ़ रखिए (tashriif rakhie, 'please have a seat'). It carries the same warm formality as calling someone आप (aap) rather than तुम (tum), and pairing तशरीफ़ with तू (too) or तुम (tum) would feel jarringly mismatched.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use तशरीफ़ (tashriif) alone as if it simply meant 'you' or 'arrival' -- it only works glued to a verb like लाना (laanaa) or रखना (rakhnaa) in these honorific set phrases. 2) Because it is deferential, it is odd (even comic) to use it about yourself in a plain statement -- e.g. saying मैंने तशरीफ़ रखी (mainne tashriif rakhii) sounds like you are mocking your own importance; it is meant for addressing or describing someone else respectfully.
Sample Sentences:
आइए, तशरीफ़ लाइए।
Please, come in.
(aaie, tashriif laaie।)
तशरीफ़ रखिए, चाय अभी आती है।
Please have a seat, the tea is coming right away.
(tashriif rakhie, chaay abhii aatii hai।)
आपकी तशरीफ़ से यह घर धन्य हो गया।
This house has been blessed by your gracious presence.
(aapkii tashriif se yah ghar dhany ho gayaa।)
क्या आप कल शाम को तशरीफ़ ला सकते हैं?
Could you kindly come tomorrow evening?
(kyaa aap kal shaam ko tashriif laa sakte hain?)
मैनेजर साहब ने मेहमानों से तशरीफ़ रखने के लिए कहा।
The manager asked the guests to please be seated.
(mainejar saahab ne mehmaanon se tashriif rakhne ke lie kahaa।)
अगर आप तशरीफ़ लाते तो हमें बहुत ख़ुशी होती।
If you had graced us with your presence, we would have been very happy.
(agar aap tashriif laate to hamen bahut khushii hotii।)
होटल का दरबान हर मेहमान से 'तशरीफ़ लाइए' कहकर स्वागत करता है।
The hotel doorman welcomes every guest by saying, 'Please come in.'
(hotal kaa darbaan har mehmaan se 'tashriif laaie' kahkar svaagat kartaa hai।)
उनकी तशरीफ़ का हमें बेसब्री से इंतज़ार रहेगा।
We will eagerly await your gracious presence.
(unkii tashriif kaa hamen besabrii se intzaar rahegaa।)
दुकानदार ने हाथ जोड़कर कहा, 'साहब, तशरीफ़ लाइए, देखिए क्या पसंद है।'
The shopkeeper joined his hands and said, 'Sir, please come in, see what you like.'
(dukaandaar ne haath jodkar kahaa, 'saahab, tashriif laaie, dekhie kyaa pasand hai।')
समारोह में मंत्री जी की तशरीफ़ की घोषणा की गई।
The minister's honored presence was announced at the ceremony.
(samaaroh men mantrii jii kii tashriif kii ghoshnaa kii gaii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
तशरीफ़
(tashriif)
(sg.f.oblique):
तशरीफ़
(tashriif)
(pl.f.direct):
तशरीफ़ें
(tashriifen)
(pl.f.oblique):
तशरीफ़ों
(tashriifon)