کی

See also: كي, گی, and گے

Persian

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (AYMT /⁠kay⁠/) 𐫐𐫏𐫏 (kyy /⁠kay⁠/), 𐫐𐫏 (ky /⁠kay⁠/).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [kaj]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [kʲej]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]

Readings
Classical reading?	kay
Dari reading?	kay
Iranian reading?	key
Tajik reading?	kay

Adverb

Dari	کی
Iranian Persian
Tajik	кай

کی • (key)

1. (interrogative) when?

   کَی خَو می‌رِی؟ ― kay xaw mē-rī? ― when are you going to sleep? (Dari, informal)

Etymology 2

From Middle Persian 𐫐𐫏 (ky /⁠kē⁠/).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ˈkiː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰíː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰíː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [kʰíː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [kʰí]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰʲíː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰí]

Readings
Classical reading?	kī
Dari reading?	kī
Iranian reading?	ki
Tajik reading?	kī

Pronoun

Dari	کی
Iranian Persian
Tajik	кӣ

کی • (ki)

1. (interrogative) who?

   شما کی هستین؟ ― šomâ ki hastin? ― Who are you? (informal polite)

Alternative forms

• که (ke) (archaic)

Etymology 3

Inherited from Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (kad /⁠kay⁠/, “legendary ancient king of Iran”), borrowed from Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬌 (kauui, “poet, bard; vision-poet, Mazdean sacrificer”), from Proto-Iranian *káwHiš, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *káwHiš, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁-. The visionary poets of the Avesta were mistakenly interpreted as ancient kings by the Sasanian Zoroastrian priests.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [kaj]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [kʲej]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [kʰäj]

Readings
Classical reading?	kay
Dari reading?	kay
Iranian reading?	key
Tajik reading?	kay

Noun

کی • (key) (plural کیان (kayân))

1. (Iranian mythology) Key, Kay: the title of a number of legendary kings of Iran, belonging to the mythical Kayanian dynasty.

Urdu

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /kiː/

Particle

کی • (kī) (Hindi spelling की)

1. feminine of کا (kā)

References

• “کی”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “کی”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.