Urdu vocabulary reflects a three tiered system of politeness called Adab. This means that any verb can be conjugated in three different ways depending who is being addressed. To add to the formality and politeness, Urdu has a host of auxiliary verbs and expressions. For example, the expression "no" could be nah, nahin, nahin ji or ji nahin in order of politeness. Nouns can also vary depending who is being addressed. For example, us ki walidah, is a polite way of saying "his mother". Us ki walidahyi muhtarmah is an even more polite reference.
Due to its emphasis on politeness, Urdu has always been considered a somewhat aristocratic language in South Asia. It continues to be preferred for song-writing and poetry, even by nonnative speakers.
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