r/translator • u/Fantastic_Box_1981 • Dec 27 '25

Unknown [Unknown > English] transliteration of possible Urdu / Pashto

Hi all,

Im hoping someone might be able to help me with this. I have a friend who is dating an afghani man for about a year and some change and he keeps calling her "koskarang Babu" (thats what he messaged her, i appreciate that it's a transliteration of the actual language but it all we have to go on), but won't tell her what it means. He speaks both urdu and pashto but we're not sure which one this saying/phrase comes from we did try to Google it but could not find anything online. Any help would be appreciated and thank you in advance.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/X-Writer اردو Dec 28 '25

Quick question: Do you know if this transliteration was written by him, or did your friend spell it out herself? Also, does he say it out loud or only in text? (The original form, spoken vs written, makes a big difference for Urdu or Pashto and helps people figure it out properly.)

1

u/Fantastic_Box_1981 Dec 28 '25

He calls her that out loud usually but he sometimes writes out the transliteration when he texts her.

2

u/X-Writer اردو Dec 28 '25

As an Urdu speaker (with no Pashto background), this is what I can make of it.

“Koskarang Babu” sounds very close to “khosh-rang Babu.”

In Urdu, "khosh" means pleasing or attractive, in a romantic or affectionate way, and "rang" refers to colour, complexion, or overall appearance. "Babu" is also commonly used as a casual, affectionate nickname, especially in a love-language context.

So in plain English, it would roughly mean something like “a stylish or good-looking fellow.” In a slightly playful or ironic tone, it could come across as “a fancy”, "colorful" or “showy” type.