مسیحی

See also: مسيحي

Persian

Etymology

From مسیح (masih) +‎ ـی (-i, suffix forming adjectives).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ma.siː.ˈhiː/, /ma.seː.ˈhiː/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [mä.siː.ɦíː], [mä.seː.ɦíː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [mä.siː.ɦíː], [mä.seː.ɦíː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [mä.siːíː], [mä.seː.jíː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [mä.sií], [mä.sií]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [mæ.siː.ɦíː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [mä.si.ɦí], [mä.se.ɦí]

Readings
Classical reading?	masīhī, masēhī
Dari reading?	masīhī, masēhī
Iranian reading?	masihi
Tajik reading?	masihi, masehi

Adjective

Dari	مسیحی
Iranian Persian
Tajik	масеҳӣ, масиҳӣ

مسیحی • (masihi)

1. Christian

Noun

مسیحی • (masihi) (plural مسیحیان, or مسیحی‌ها)

1. Christian

   Synonyms: نصرانی (nasrâni), (archaic) ترسا (tarsâ), (archaic) عیسائی ('isâ'i), (archaic) عیسوی ('isavi)

Related terms

• مسیح (masih)
• مسیحیت (masihiyat)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian مَسِیحِی (masīhī).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /mə.siː.ɦiː/
• Rhymes: -iː
• Hyphenation: مَ‧سِی‧حِی

Adjective

مَسِیحی • (masīhī) (Hindi spelling मसीही)

1. Christian; relating to Christianity or Christ.
2. Anno Domini; Christian Era

   Synonym: عِیسْوی ('īsvī)

Noun

مَسِیحی • (masīhī) m (Hindi spelling मसीही)

1. (Christianity) Christian

   Synonyms: نَصْرانی (nasrānī), عِیسائی ('īsāī)

Usage notes

Preferred term by the modern Christians who speak Urdu.

عِیسائی ('īsāī) is the more common term, but has become derogatory due to its association with negative stereotypes of Christians.

References

• “مسیحی”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “مسیحی”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971), “مسيح”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.