khosh

Khosh is a Persian word (خوش) that functions as an adjective meaning good, pleasant, or happy. It appears in everyday speech as a basic descriptor and serves as the common root for numerous compounds and related terms in Persian, Dari, and other languages influenced by Persian.

In Persian and its closely related varieties, khosh forms the basis of several widely used words and phrases. For example, خوش آمدید (khosh āmadid) means “welcome,” while خوشحال (khush-ḥāl) means “happy,” خوشبخت (khushbakht) means “fortunate,” and خوشی (khushī) denotes happiness or pleasure. The compound خوشبو (khushbu) can mean fragrant, a sense of pleasant smell that is also found in Urdu and Hindi contexts as khushbu.

The root also appears in South Asian languages through Persian influence. In Urdu and Hindi, the root manifests as khush, with related nouns such as khushī (happiness). Phrases like khush raho (be happy) are commonplace in everyday speech. In Turkish and Azerbaijani, cognate forms such as hoş (Turkish) and xoş (Azerbaijani) carry the same meaning of pleasant or nice, and appear in common expressions like hoş geldiniz (“you are welcome” in Turkish) and similar forms in Azerbaijani.

In modern usage, khosh remains a productive element in Persian and related languages, appearing in greetings, adjectives, and nominal forms to express positivity and well‑being. Its cross‑linguistic presence reflects the widespread cultural and linguistic influence of Persian across the region.