ashkhaas

Ashkhaas is a term used in Urdu, Persian, and Arabic to denote “persons” or “individuals.” It is the plural form of shakhs (singular: شخص), meaning a person or an individual. In Urdu and Persian, اشخاص is written the same way and is pronounced as ashkhaas; in Arabic, the plural form is also ashkhaas (أشخاص). The singular shakhs is common in everyday speech and formal prose, while ashkhaas is typically employed in more formal, literary, or official contexts.

In usage, ashkhaas refers to people in a general sense or to a specified group of individuals under discussion, without naming them. It is common in legal, governmental, academic, and journalistic language. The term is gender-neutral and can denote persons of any gender. It tends to carry a formal or collective nuance, contrasting with more everyday terms such as insan (human) or afraad (persons) in some registers.

The precise nuance of ashkhaas can vary by language and region, and some dialects or registers may prefer alternative terms depending on context. Its recognition is widespread among speakers of Urdu, Persian, and Arabic, and it often appears in written discourse, especially where formality or specificity about people is required.

See also: shakhs, insan, afraad.