Words symbolize our thoughts and emotions so that we can express them to others. However, the more complex these ideas are, the more difficult they become to communicate. This is where we can clearly see the importance of having a strong vocabulary, one that is stocked with plenty of words that convey subtle nuances in meaning.

Being equipped with a variety of advanced Urdu words will help you find greater success and acceptance in Pakistani society. After all, native Urdu speakers like to use appropriately embellished language and appreciate when foreigners can do the same.

In this article, UrduPod101.com will provide you with a list of essential advanced Urdu words to help you beef up your existing lexicon. Using these advanced Urdu vocabulary words will help you express yourself with greater clarity and open up new vistas for your triumph in specific fields.

Table of Contents

1. Advanced Academic Words
2. Advanced Business Words
3. Advanced Medical Words
4. Advanced Legal Words
5. Alternative Words for Acing Urdu Proficiency Tests and Writing Assignments
6. Conclusion

1. Advanced Academic Words

The Urdu language is replete with academic vocabulary. Learning these more advanced Urdu words will provide you with innumerable chances to excel in the world of academia. In particular, you’ll find these words useful when it comes to reading and comprehending the masterpieces of Urdu literature. They’ll also help you discuss written works with fellow students and write compelling essays. Ultimately, familiarity with this set of vocabulary is sure to increase your understanding of Pakistani society as a whole.

Verbs

• رہنمائی کرنا (rehnumai kerna) – to lead
• تمہید باندھنا (tamheed bandhna) – to preamble
• دلائل دینا (dalayal dena) – to argue
• بحث کرنا (behas kerna) – to debate
• قیاس کرنا (qayas kerna) – to infer
• تخمینہ لگانا (takhmeenah lagana) – to assess
• نتیجہ اخذ کرنا (nateejah akhaz kerna) – to conclude
• وثوق سے کہنا (wasooq say kehna) – to assert
• تردید کرنا (tardeed kerna) – to negate
• تصدیق کرنا (tasdeeq kerna) – to validate
• خلاصہ کرنا (khulasah kerna) – to summarize
• جائزہ لینا (jaiza lena) – to review

Example sentence: 

اس نے اپنے ہی بیان کی تردید کی۔
Uss nay apnay he byaan ki tardeed ki.
He negated his own statement.

Nouns

• تلخیص نگاری (talkhees nigari) – precis writing
• مضمون نویسی (mazmoon naveesi) – essay writing
• املاء (imla) – dictation
• ذخیرۂ الفاظ (zakheera-e-alfaaz) – vocabulary
• درستی (durusti) – correction
• مقالہ (maqalah) – article
• مباحثہ (mabahsah) – debate
• مکالمہ (makalmah) – dialogue
• خلاصہ (khulasah) – summary
• مبہم (mubham) – ambiguous
• تنازعہ (tanazaah) – controversy

Example Sentence: 

تلخیص نگاری گرامر کی درستی میں مددگار ہوتی ہے۔
Talkhees nigari grammar ki durusti mein madadgaar hoti hai.
Precis writing is helpful in the correction of grammar.

Adverbs

• ٹھیک طریقے سے (theek tareeqay say) – precisely
• یقیناً (yaqeenan) – certainly
• مطلقاً (mutliqan) – absolutely
• حرف بہ حرف (harf ba harf) – literally
• محاورتاً (mahavaratan) – proverbially
• عزم و استقلال سے (azm-o-istaqlal say) – resolutely

Example Sentence:

اس نے ٹھیک طریقے سے سوال کا جواب دیا۔
Uss nay theek tareeqay say sawaal ka jawaab diya.
He answered the question precisely.

2. Advanced Business Words

In the business world, we often make use of a lingua franca to ensure effective communication between parties. While this may suffice for discussing and executing business matters, remember that leaders always lead from the front. This means that the best way to set yourself apart from the crowd is to learn—and start using—advanced Urdu vocabulary related to the business world. This is especially true if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to make a name for yourself in this country of ample opportunity.

There is great fortune to be made in Pakistan, so you should certainly consider exploring the numerous business opportunities available here. You’ll find an active and well-developed Pakistani business community with an established code of ethics and principles guided by the Pakistan Business Council. Therefore, if you’re a leader or want to become one, the following list of advanced Urdu business words will get you far.

 Nouns

• معاہدہ (muahidah) – contract
• طویل المیعادی معاہدہ (taveel-ul-meeadi muahidah) – long-term contract
• شرحِ سود (sharhe sood) – interest rate
• انسانی وسائل (human resources) – human resources
• دیوالیہ پن (diwaliah pun) – bankruptcy
• ملازمت (mulazmat) – employment / job
• ملازم (mulazim) – employee
• مالک (maalik) – employer
• مرکزی دفتر (markazi daftar) – head office
• دفتر (daftar) – office
• اثاثہ (asasah) – asset
• منافع (munafa) – profit
• نقصان (nuqsaan) – loss
• کاروبار (karobar) – business
• کاروباری دورہ (karobari dorah) – business tour

Verbs

• ادا کرنا (ada kerna) – to pay
• تلافی کرنا (talafi kerna) – to compensate
• درخواست دینا (darkhwast dena) – to apply
• استعفٰی دینا (istifa dena) – to resign
• ملازمت پر رکھنا (mulazmat par rakhna) – to employ
• برخاست کرنا (barkhwast kerna) – to dismiss

Adjective

• مستقل (mustaqil) – permanent

3. Advanced Medical Words

Before visiting a foreign country, it’s imperative to learn some fundamental health-related words and phrases so that you can cope with any medical emergency that might pop up. If you’re an advanced Urdu learner, picking up these advanced words will allow you to converse with medical consultants and get your desired results in any medical situation. Knowing the Pakistani healthcare system would be an added advantage in such scenarios. 

Memorize the following list of unavoidable medical terms to surprise native speakers and to find yourself at an advantage.

Nouns

• وبا (waba) – epidemic
• عالمی وبا (almi waba) – pandemic
• دوائی (dawae) – medicine
• علاج (ilaaj) – treatment
• فشارِ خون (fishaar-e-khoon) – blood pressure
• دل کا دورہ (dil ka dorah) – heart attack
• قوّتِ مدافعت (quwwat-e-mudafiat) – immunity
• نظامِ مدافعت (nizaam-e-mudafiat) – immune system
• خون (khoon) – blood
• خون بہنا (khoon behna) – bleeding
• نسخۂ ادویات (nuskha-e-adwiyat) – prescription
• نزلہ زکام (nazlah zukaam) – flu
• ماہواری (mahwari) – menstruation
• خارش (kharish) – itching
• دندان ساز (dandaan saaz) – dentist

Verb

• بیہوشی دینا (behoshi dena) – to anesthetize

Adjective

• چھوتی (chooti) – contagious

4. Advanced Legal Words

Though unlikely, you may find yourself in need of legal assistance while in Pakistan. While you’re not required to have extensive knowledge of Pakistani law, we recommend you get acquainted with some useful legal words, terms, and phrases in Urdu. Once you gain proficiency in using them, you’ll be better placed to deal with most situations concerning the Pakistani penal and civil code.

You should also become familiar with the rule of law. The Pakistani judicial system is a strong one, and Pakistani courts are also famous for their judicial activism. 

Now, let us move on to our list of essential legal words in Urdu without any further delay.

 Nouns

• قانونی حراست (qanooni hirasat) – legal custody
• پولیس کی حراست (police ki hirasat) – police custody
• ضمانت (zamanat) – bail
• مجرمانہ ریکارڈ (mujrimanah record) – criminal record
• تحریری ثبوت (tahreeri sabot) – written proof
• عدلیہ (adliah) – judiciary
• عدالتی نظام (adalti nizaam) – judicial system
• پروانۂ طلبی (parwanah-e-talbi) – summon
• قانونی کاروائی (qanooni karwai) – legal proceeding
• طبّی قانون (tibbi qanoon) – medicolegal
• مستغیث (mustagees) – prosecutor
• استغاثہ (istaghasah) – prosecution
• پولیس (police) – police
• تھانہ (thanah) – police station
• وکیل (wakeel) – advocate
• مجرم (mujrim) – criminal
• جرم (jurm) – crime
• حراست (hirasat) – custody
• التجا (iltija) – appeal

Verb

• مقدمہ چلانا (maqadmah chalana) – to prosecute

Adjectives

• ناقابلِ ضمانت (na kabil e zamanat) – unbailable
• جوابدہ (jawabdeh) – liable

5. Alternative Words for Acing Urdu Proficiency Tests and Writing Assignments

One of the easiest ways to distinguish between a new Urdu learner and an experienced one is by the vocabulary they use. Now that you have achieved excellence in the beginner and intermediate levels of Urdu, it’s time to replace some of those basic words with their more sophisticated counterparts. 

Doing so will reflect your deep knowledge and mastery of the Urdu language, not to mention earn you a special place in the eyes of your teachers and interlocutors. This approach is also key to scoring well on all sorts of written and spoken examinations across Pakistan. 

In the following section, you will see several sets of two words. The first word is basic and used in casual conversations. If you replace it with the second one, it will greatly embellish your Urdu writing and speaking.

• ابتداء کرنا / شروع کرنا (ibtida kerna / shuru kerna) – to start
• انتہا کرنا / ختم کرنا (inteha kerna / khatam kerna) – to end
• بولنا / مخاطب کرنا (bolna / mukhatib kerna) – to speak
• دینا / عنایت کرنا (dena / inayat kerna) – to give
• کھونا / محروم ہونا (khona / mehroom hona) – to lose
• توڑنا / منقطع کرنا (torna / muqata kerna) – to break

• سچّا / راست گو (saccha / raast go) – truthful
• جھوٹا / دروغ گو (jhoota / darogh go) – liar
• ضروری / لازم (zaroori / lazim) – necessary
• مفید / کارآمد (mufeed / karaamad) – useful
• ناقابلِ برداشت / غیر متحمّل (naqabil-e-bardasht / ghair muthammil) – unbearable
• مناسب / موزوں (munasib / mozoon) – proper

• ابھی ابھی / حال ہی میں (abhi abhi / haal he mein) – recently
• تہذیب سے / شائستگی سے (tehzeeb say / shaistgi say) – politely
• غصّے سے / برہمی سے (ghussay say / barhami say) – angrily
• پیار سے / اُلفت سے (pyaar say / ulfat say) – lovingly
• خوشی سے / رضامندی سے (khushi say / raza mandi say) – willingly
• سکون سے / اطمینان سے (sukoon say / itmenaan say) – calmly

6. Conclusion

This article has helped you learn several advanced words in the Urdu language. It has also provided you with an advanced Urdu vocabulary list that you can refer back to as often as you’d like. 

Now, are you ready to benefit from this guide and achieve your goals? Or do you think that something is missing? In case of any further questions, do write to us at UrduPod101.com. We’ll get back to you at the earliest to address your concerns.

In the meantime, don’t forget to explore UrduPod101.com. We are a rich repository of Urdu language learning resources and practical tools, such as this Urdu-English dictionary. You’ll also find guides on Urdu pronunciation and grammar, in addition to a number of free vocabulary lists. 

Not sure where to start? We recommend heading over to our advanced Urdu course, which contains 25 curated lessons designed just for advanced learners like yourself. 

Very Happy Urdu Learning!

Paulo Coehlo said it well: When you say “Yes” to others, make sure you are not saying “No” to yourself.

Wherever you are in the world, knowing how to say ‘no’ tactfully is an invaluable skill. It’s crucial to have the linguistic tools necessary to assert your identity and keep in balance with others. 

In Pakistan, it’s customary to be mindful and courteous while giving a negative statement or response to someone. Due to these cultural nuances, today we’ll teach you not only how to form negative sentences in Urdu but also how to apply them to various real-life situations. In addition, we’ll introduce you to several negative expressions in the Urdu language that you can start practicing right away.

→ Looking for more ways to assert your identity? Then you may also enjoy our vocabulary list of Must-Know Expressions for Agreeing and Disagreeing!

Table of Contents

1. How to Negate a Statement
2. Giving a Negative Response to a Question
3. Other Negating Words and Phrases
4. Double Negatives
5. Conclusion

1. How to Negate a Statement

The basic words of negation in Urdu are: نہ (nah) – “no“ and نہیں  (nahin) – “no” / “not.“ In this section, you’ll learn how to use these words in different sentences to impart the proper meaning to your interlocutors.

Generally speaking, the most common way to make a sentence negative in Urdu is: 

Noun + نہیں (nahin) + Conjugated Verb

This is a simple formula that requires no additional changes to the sentence nor any further negation words.

Urdu Negation in Simple Present Tense

وہ سکول جاتا ہے۔
Woh school jata hai.
He goes to school.

وہ سکول نہیں جاتا ہے۔
Woh school nahin jata hai.
He does not go to school.

In the negative sentence, you can see that the Urdu word نہیں (nahin) is placed after the noun سکول (school) and before the conjugated form of the Urdu verb جاتا (jata).

Urdu Negation in Simple Past Tense

وہ لاہور گئی۔
Woh Lahore gayi.
She went to Lahore.

وہ لاہور نہیں گئی۔
Woh Lahore nahin gayi.
She did not go to Lahore.

In the negative Urdu sentence above, you can see that the word نہیں (nahin) is added after the noun لاہور (Lahore) and before the conjugated verb گئی (gai).

Urdu Negation in Future Simple Tense

ہم رات کا کھانا کھائیں گے۔
Hum raat ka khana khayain gay.
We will have dinner.

ہم رات کا کھانا نہیں کھائیں گے۔
Hum raat ka khana nahin khayain gay.
We will not have dinner.

Again, you can see that the word نہیں (nahin) is added after the noun رات کا کھانا (raat ka khana), meaning “dinner,” and before the conjugated verb کھائیں (khayain).

2. Giving a Negative Response to a Question

Having learned the fundamentals of negation in the Urdu language, let’s now look at how to respond to questions by negating them in Urdu. In this context, you can take one of two approaches: 

1) You can be courteous enough to refuse politely.

2) You can give an upfront “No” to avoid any such invitations in the future.

Giving a Polite Negative Response in Urdu

If you find yourself caught in a formal situation where you want to say no to an invitation, it’s always recommended that you refuse it politely. Otherwise, the other person may take offense. 

Let’s see how to do this…

Question:

کیا آپ میرے ساتھ رات کا کھانا کھائیں گے؟
Kia aap mere sath raat ka khana khayain gay?
Will you have dinner with me?

Response:

معذرت خواہ ہوں، میں ذاتی مصروفیت کی وجہ سے ایسا کرنے سے قاصر ہوں۔
Maazrat khwah hun, mei zati masroofiyat ki wajah se aisa kernay se qasir hun.
Sorry, I am unable to do so due to personal commitments.

In this scenario, someone asks you to have dinner with him in Urdu and you wish to decline politely. Here, the most formal and recommended way of declining is to add the Urdu phrase, معذرت خواہ ہوں (maazrat khwah hun) to the beginning of the sentence. This phrase is equivalent to the English word “sorry” and can be used by both male and female speakers without any changes.

The next sentence—میں ذاتی مصروفیات کی وجہ سے ایسا کرنے سے قاصر ہوں۔ (Mein zati masroofiyat ki wajah se aisa kernay se qasir hun.)—will allow you to decline an invitation without offending the other person.

→ For more options, you can check out our vocabulary list Ways to Reject an Invitation.

Giving a Flat Negative Response in Urdu

Now, it’s time to learn how to assert yourself while refusing an unwelcome invitation and preventing future invitations.

Question:

کیا آپ میرے ساتھ رات کا کھانا کھائیں گے؟
Kia aap meray sath raat ka khana khayain gay?
Will you have dinner with me?

Response:

نہیں، آپ اپنے کام سے کام رکھیں۔
Nahin, aap apne kaam se kaam rakhain.
No, mind your own business.

In this sentence, you can see that the word نہیں، (nahin) serves as a sort of blunt refusal that does not have any preceding courtesy word or phrase. The remaining part of the sentence—آپ اپنے کام سے کام رکھیں (Aap apne kaam se kaam rakhain.)—is an indication that you’re not interested in any such future invitations.

3. Other Negating Words and Phrases

Besides نہ (nah) and نہیں (nahin), there are a few other expressions that can be used for negation in Urdu. Here are just a few more negation words in Urdu you should know: 

نہ یہ نہ وہ (nah ye nah woh) – neither…nor

This phrase is equivalent to “neither…nor” in English. Here’s an example for you:

مجھے نہ یہ پسند ہے نہ وہ۔
Mujhay nah ye pasand hai nah who.
I like neither this nor that.

 (kabhi nahin) – never

میں تمھیں کبھی نہیں بھولوں گا۔
Mei tumhain kabhi nahin bhoolon ga.
I will never forget you.

کچھ نہیں (kuch nahin) – nothing

This is a versatile phrase that can be used to form a variety of negative sentences in Urdu. It’s used to negate a thing. Here’s just one example: 

میں نے صبح سے کچھ نہیں کھایا۔
Mei ne subah se kuch nahin khaya.
I have eaten nothing since morning.

 (koi nahin) – nobody

This phrase of Urdu negation refers to people. Here’s an example:  

یہاں کوئی نہیں آیا۔
Yahan koi nahin aaya.
Nobody came here.

کہیں نہیں (kahin nahin) – nowhere

The word کہیں نہیں (kahin nahin) is used for the negation of a place:

وہ کہیں نہیں گیا۔
Woh kahin nahin gaya.
He went nowhere.

4. Double Negatives                        

While conversing with native Urdu speakers, you’ll notice that they often use double negatives in their conversations. To understand how double negatives are used in Urdu, you must first learn how to use the word نا (na) as a prefix to negate adjectives and verbs. For example:

• خوش (khush) – “happy” ➜ ناخوش (nakhush) – “unhappy”

When these negative adjectives and verbs are used in tandem with the word نہیں (nahin), the latter word cancels out the negative adjective or verb to make it positive. See the use of the word ناخوش (nakhush) / نہیں (nahin) in the following sentence to better understand this concept: 

وہ مجھ سے ناخوش نہیں ہے۔
Woh mujh se nakhush nahin hai.
He is not unhappy with me.

Ultimately, the sentence is used to negate the already reported negative adjective ناخوش (nakhush). In other words, it indicates that the speaker is on good terms with the person being spoken about. 

Here’s another example: 

مجھے سمجھانا ناممکن نہیں ہے۔
Mujhay samjhana namumkin nahin hai.
It is not impossible to make me understand.

This sentence cancels out the negative adjective ناممکن (namumkin). In other words, it is possible to explain. 

وہ کرکٹ ناپسند نہیں کرتا ہے۔
Woh cricket napasand nahin karta hai.
He does not dislike cricket.

In this sentence, the verb پسند کرنا (pasand kerna), meaning “to like,” is made negative by adding the نا (na) prefix. After the addition of the prefix, its infinitive form becomes ناپسند کرنا (napasand karna), meaning “to dislike.” The word نہیں (nahin) is used with the conjugated form of the negative verb ناپسند کرنا (napasand karna) to further negate it.

In other words: He does like cricket. 

5. Conclusion

In this article, you’ve learned the essentials of Urdu negation. You can now…

• …negate sentences in Urdu.
• …give negative responses to questions.
• …apply a variety of negative Urdu words and phrases to sentences.
• …begin practicing double negation in Urdu.
• …negate verbs and adjectives using the prefix نا (na).

Do you still have any questions? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible! 

In the meantime, make sure to continue exploring UrduPod101.com. We are a rich repository of useful resources that will hone your integrated Urdu language skills. With a free lifetime account, you’ll have access to an Urdu dictionary, grammar and pronunciation guides, vocabulary lists, lessons on useful phrases and expressions, and more. 

Very Happy Urdu Learning!

Do you aim at passing through the labyrinth of Urdu tenses without becoming lost in it? Like you, many Urdu learners are hesitant to enter the intricate maze of Urdu-language tenses and their numerous conjugations for the present, past, and future.

That said, you may be relieved to hear that dealing with mundane matters in the Urdu language does not require you to learn the verb tenses in Urdu to mastery. If you’re a smart learner with some linguistic common sense, you’ll find ways to formulate Urdu sentences for everyday usage—even if you only have a rudimentary knowledge of tenses. 

In this article from UrduPod101, we’ll guide you through the vast world of Urdu verbs and tenses. You’ll learn how to form everything from the simple present to the future conditional, and the examples we provide along the way will help you understand how each tense is used. 

Are you ready for the challenge?

Table of Contents

1. An Overview of Urdu Verb Conjugation
2. Present Tenses in Urdu
3. Past Tenses in Urdu
4. Future Tenses in Urdu
5. Conclusion

1. An Overview of Urdu Verb Conjugation

Urdu verbs conjugate according to the person, mood, tense, voice, and gender. For now, though, don’t worry too much about the details. In this section, we’ll cover only the most important aspects.

→ Of course, if you do want to study these topics in greater depth, you can read our article Urdu Verb Conjugation: A Beginner’s Companion on UrduPod101.com!

A- Tense

As an Urdu learner, you should be glad to know that learning just three basic Urdu tenses can empower you to deal with any real-life situation in an Urdu-speaking society. 

1. زمانۂ ماضی (zamana-e-maazi) – past tense
2. زمانۂ حال (zamana-e-haal) – present tense
3. زمانۂ مستقبل (zamana-e-mustaqbil) – future tense

If you can master using the present simple, past simple, and future simple effectively, you’ll be well-equipped to manage any situation or occasion that may arise while in Pakistan.

B- Mood 

“Mood” refers to the speaker’s attitude toward the action described by the verb. This is a key factor in the conjugation of Urdu verbs, but we won’t go into too much detail here. For now, just keep in mind that there are four grammatical moods in Urdu:

• I – Indicative
• II – Subjunctive
• III – Conditional
• IV – Imperative

C- Simple vs. Complex Tenses

In Urdu, tenses can be further categorized as “simple” or “complex.” 

A simple tense is one that does not make use of auxiliary verbs; a complex tense is one that does. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to easily distinguish one from the other. 

D- Gender

In the Urdu language, every noun has a gender. While this can certainly make it a challenge to use nouns properly, it also affects the conjugation of Urdu verbs!

2. Present Tenses in Urdu

Because present tenses are the most commonly used in daily Urdu conversations, it’s appropriate for us to study them first. The Urdu present tense is used to describe actions that happen frequently, ongoing affairs, and what may happen in the future. 

For your convenience and understanding, we’ll use a single Urdu sentence and verb throughout this article to demonstrate how a verb conjugates for each tense. We’ll use the Urdu verb کھیلنا (khelna), meaning “to play.”

Also keep in mind that each conjugation will be for the first person singular. 

·  فعل حال مطلق (fael haal mutliq) – Present Indefinite Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیلتا ہوں۔
Mein cricket khelta hun.
I play cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیلتی ہوں۔
Mein cricket khelti hun.
I play cricket.

·         فعل حال جاری (fael haal jari) – Present Continuous Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیل رہا ہوں۔
Mein cricket khel raha hun.
I am playing cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیل رہی ہوں۔
Mein cricket khel rahi hun.
I am playing cricket.

·          فعل حال مکمل (fael haal mukammal) – Present Perfect Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیل چکا ہوں۔
Mein cricket khel chuka hun.
I have played cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیل چکی ہوں۔
Mein cricket khel chuki hun.
I have played cricket.

·          فعل حال مکمل جاری (fael haal mukammal jari) – Present Perfect Continuous Tense

        Masculine

میں صبح سے کرکٹ کھیل رہا ہوں۔
Mein subah se cricket khel raha hun.
I have been playing cricket since morning.

        Feminine

میں صبح سے کرکٹ کھیل رہی ہوں۔
Mein subah se cricket khel rahi hun.
I have been playing cricket since morning.

Present Conditional

        Masculine

اگرمیں وقت پر آؤں تو کرکٹ کھیل سکتا ہوں۔
Agar mein waqt par aao tu cricket khel sakta hun.
If I come on time, I can play cricket.

        Feminine

اگرمیں وقت پر آؤں تو کرکٹ کھیل سکتی ہوں۔
Agar mein waqt par aao tu cricket khel sakti hun.
If I come on time, I can play cricket.

Present Imperative

Here, you can simply use the same sentence for both genders.

کرکٹ کھیلو۔
Cricket khelo.
Play cricket.

3. Past Tenses in Urdu

You can’t expect to master any language without giving due consideration to the past tense forms of its verbs. In this part of the article, you’ll learn a few constructions that are widely used in formulating the Urdu past tense.

 فعل ماضی مطلق (fael maazi mutliq) – Past Indefinite Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیلا۔
Mein cricket khela.
I played cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیلی۔
Mein cricket kheli.
I played cricket.

 فعل ماضی جاری (fael maazi jari) – Past Continuous Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیل رہا تھا۔
Mein cricket khel raha tha.
I was playing cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیل رہی تھی۔
Mein cricket khel rahi thi.
I was playing cricket.

فعل ماضی مکمل (fael maazi mukammal) – Past Perfect Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیل چکا تھا۔
Mein cricket khel chuka tha.
I had played cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیل چکی تھی۔
Mein cricket khel chuki thi.
I had played cricket.

 فعل ماضی مکمل جاری (fael maazi mukammal jari) – Past Perfect Continuous Tense

        Masculine

میں صبح سے کرکٹ کھیل رہا تھا۔
Mein subah se cricket khel raha tha.
I had been playing cricket since morning.

        Feminine

میں صبح سے کرکٹ کھیل رہی تھی۔
Mein subah se cricket khel rahi thi.
I had been playing cricket since morning.

Past Conditional 

        Masculine

اگر میں وقت پر آتا تو کرکٹ کھیل سکتا۔
Agar mein waqt par aata tu cricket khel sakta.
If I had come on time, I could have played cricket.

        Feminine

اگر میں وقت پر آتی تو کرکٹ کھیل سکتی۔
Agar mein waqt par aati tu cricket khel sakti.
If I had come on time, I could have played cricket.

4. Future Tenses in Urdu

Learning to speak or write about the future in Urdu is an essential skill that any Urdu learner will need to master eventually. To give you an idea of what to expect from the Urdu future tenses, we’ve compiled some example sentences for you.

 فعل مستقبل مطلق (fael mustaqbil mutliq) – Future Indefinite Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیلوں گا۔
Mein cricket khelun ga.
I will play cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیلوں گی۔
Mei cricket khelun gi.
I will play cricket.

 فعل مستقبل جاری (fael mustaqbil jari) – Future Continuous Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیل رہا ہوں گا۔
Mein cricket khel raha hun ga.
I will be playing cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیل رہی ہوں گی۔
Mein cricket khel rahi hun gi.
I will be playing cricket.

 فعل مستقبل مکمل (fael mustaqbil mukammal) – Future Perfect Tense

        Masculine

میں کرکٹ کھیل چکا ہوں گا۔
Mei cricket khail chuka hun ga.
I will have played cricket.

        Feminine

میں کرکٹ کھیل چکی ہوں گی۔
Mei cricket khail chuki hun gi.
I will have played cricket.

 فعل مستقبل مکمل جاری (fael mustaqbil mukammal jari) – Future Perfect Continuous Tense

        Masculine

میں صبح سے کرکٹ کھیل رہا ہوں گا۔
Mein subah se cricket khel raha hun ga.
I will have been playing cricket since morning.

        Feminine

میں صبح سے کرکٹ کھیل رہی ہوں گی۔
Mein subah se cricket khel rahi hun gi.
I will have been playing cricket since morning.

Future Conditional 

        Masculine

اگر میں وقت پر آؤں گا تو کرکٹ کھیل لوں گا۔
Agar mein waqt par aaon ga tu cricket khel lun ga.
If I come on time, I’ll play cricket.

        Feminine

اگر میں وقت پر آؤں گی تو کرکٹ کھیل لوں گی۔
Agar mein waqt par aaon gi tou cricket khail lun gi.
If I come on time, I’ll play cricket.

5. Conclusion

In this article, you learned about both simple and complex tenses in Urdu. You should now have a better idea of how to conjugate Urdu verbs for each tense and gender. With some practice and real-world experience, you’ll be able to handle nearly any conversation topic using what you’ve learned today! 

Do you already feel confident in your Urdu conjugation skills? Or do you still have a question or concern about something we covered? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us in the comments; we’ll get back to you at the earliest! 

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to create your free lifetime account on UrduPod101.com today to explore the easiest and most effective ways to learn the Urdu language. You’ll benefit from a wide range of online Urdu resources, including simple guides to Urdu pronunciation and grammar, vocabulary lists, and more. 

Very Happy Urdu Learning!

Is it possible to give a definite time-frame for learning Urdu? 

Frankly speaking, it’s quite difficult to specify exactly how long it will take someone to learn the language. There are multiple variables that affect one’s second-language acquisition, such as necessity, motivation, level of education, culture, and previous experience with languages.

Keeping this in view, it’s also imperative for an aspiring Urdu learner to decide what level of fluency they hope to attain. For example, picking up basic survival phrases for travel will take far less time than trying to become fluent.

In this article, we’ll answer questions such as, “How long does it take to learn Urdu?” and give you some tips on how to learn Urdu fast!

Table of Contents

1. Key Considerations
2. Beginner Level
3. Intermediate Level
4. Advanced Level
5. Learning Urdu When You’re Short on Time
6. Conclusion

Key Considerations

The United States’ Foreign Service Institute (FSI) groups languages into four categories, with Category I languages being those most similar to English and Category IV languages being the least similar. According to this system, Urdu falls under Category III. The FSI approximates that one can gain basic fluency in a Category III language with about 720 hours of intensive study (10 hours per day) and reach full fluency with around 1100 hours (44 weeks) of intensive study. 

Of course, this is only an approximate.

If you plan to study Urdu, you must first take the time to consider the following factors. Doing so will give you a good idea of what your strengths and weaknesses will be as you start out, so you can plan accordingly. Who knows? You may even discover that you’re at an advantage! 

1. Your Background

Have you already studied a second language? Were you raised bilingual? What language(s) do you know besides English? 

Your answers to these questions will play a major role in how long it takes to learn Urdu. 

Urdu learners who already know an Oriental language tend to have a much easier time with their studies than learners who do not. In addition, people who have learned a second language already—no matter what that language is—have a huge advantage over those who only know one language. 

Also, a person with prior exposure to the native Pakistani culture and ways of living is at an advantage. 

2. Your Motivation

Another dominant factor that may affect the pace of your Urdu learning is your implicit or explicit motivation for learning the language. If you have a lucrative end-goal in mind (such as a promotion or acceptance to a university) or are learning so you can better communicate with a loved one, you’ll be willing to put in more effort and will achieve your goals faster.

3. Your Learning Methods

Your selected method of learning is another significant factor here. For example, students who learn via the grammar-translation method will require a different amount of overall learning time than students being taught via the direct method. 

In the same vein, you should determine whether to take an Urdu course at a language institution, at a university, via a tutor, or even online. Each of these methods will result in a different type of language learning experience, and the amount of time it takes you to master Urdu will vary as a result. 

Of course, any learning method you opt for should be supplemented (as much as possible) by direct exposure to the language and immersion in the culture.

Beginner Level

It may take you around 150 to 200 hours to reach the A1 (absolute beginner) level.

At the beginner level, you should be able to understand and apply basic survival phrases and other day-to-day vocabulary. There are a few fundamental concepts of the Urdu language you should focus on mastering at this point. Here are some tips on how to learn Urdu quickly as you approach and attain the beginner level: 

1. Study the basic syntax. 

Try to focus on the rudimentary word order and sentence structure. It’s too early to comprehend all of it right away, but you should still familiarize yourself with the basics. It will become more clear to you as you advance and gain more exposure to the language. 

→ A great place to start is with our blog post Urdu Sentence Structure & Word Order: An Ultimate Companion. Here, we outline the basics and provide you with solid examples!

2. Start dealing with the present. 

The present tense is very important when learning any language. Try to grasp command over the present tense, and practice using it with the first and second person pronouns.

3. Don’t hesitate to conjugate.

While you shouldn’t be overly ambitious here, you should try learning to conjugate some basic Urdu verbs. Practice is the only way to get better, and your mistakes will help you learn even faster! 

→ Conjugation can be intimidating, but we at UrduPod101.com want to make this aspect of your studies a little bit easier. Check out our article Urdu Verb Conjugation: A Beginner’s Companion for a brief introduction.

4. Flashcards are effective.

Never underestimate the power of the flashcard technique. Try to learn as many nouns, verbs, and adjectives as possible, along with examples of their appropriate usage in the Urdu language.

→ Learn how to use UrduPod101’s mobile flashcards, and start learning new vocabulary anywhere and anytime you’d like!

Intermediate Level

It may take you approximately 500-600 hours to reach the B1 level of proficiency in the Urdu language.

At the intermediate level, you’ll be able to…

• …comprehend basic conversations on familiar topics and things that interest you.
• …interact with native Urdu speakers concerning routine matters. 
• …explain your ideas, plans, and experiences with others in an appropriate manner. 

Here are a few things you can do to learn Urdu effectively at this point:

1. Experiment with the tenses.

At the beginner level, you became familiar with how to use the present tense. Now that you’re approaching the intermediate level, you should begin experimenting with the other tenses. In doing so, you can formulate more interesting sentences on a number of topics.

→ With a free UrduPod101 account, you can go through this intermediate-level audio lesson to learn more about the past tense and how to use it.

2. Build up your vocabulary and practice your pronunciation.

You should focus on building and expanding your vocabulary so that you can avoid using words that sound very basic or childish. In addition, you should work on mastering your pronunciation of Urdu words. Being able to use more advanced words and pronounce them correctly will surely impress native speakers! 

→ Our free vocabulary lists are a great place to learn practical words and phrases revolving around a certain theme, while our pronunciation guide will teach you everything you should know about Urdu pronunciation! 

3. Start learning and using common phrases.

As you build your vocabulary, you should also start learning more common phrases. Pay attention to how native speakers converse with each other, and try applying the most frequently used phrases and sentences to your own speech. At this stage, you can also begin crafting your own unique phrases using your newly acquired vocabulary. This will enhance your sentence formulation skills and keep you interested in your studies.

→ Why not start with our Key Phrase List?

Advanced Level

You should expect to spend a good 1000-1200 hours reaching the threshold of the advanced (C1) level. 

While many learners are satisfied with reaching the intermediate level, the most devoted students have set their minds to mastering Urdu completely! This is a huge feat and certainly not an easy one, but well worth the effort. At the advanced level, you can…

• …understand intricate texts and their implicit meanings. 
• …effectively communicate in both professional and casual contexts. 
• …present your thoughts and ideas in a clear, unmistakable manner. 

Here are a few tips to speed up your progress: 

1. Confidence does matter.

Having reached the B1 level, you’ve covered a lot of distance. Total mastery and command of the Urdu language are not too far out of reach at this point. Nonetheless, you must remember that the final steps are always hard to take.

But don’t worry. Have confidence in yourself. Keep the joy of getting a befitting reward in your mind to muster up your courage for these heavy steps. There’s only one level (B2) between you and your dream level (C1).

2. Explore classic Urdu books, movies, and music.

While traditional study methods play a key role in mastering Urdu, you should begin exploring some secondary Urdu resources as well. The best way to become proficient in the language is to expose yourself to it outside of the classroom (or textbook, or app). 

Some of the best ways to immerse yourself in the language include: 

• Watching classic Urdu movies
• Reading Urdu literature
• Listening to Urdu music

If you’re not sure where to start, why not see our lists of the Top 10 Urdu TV Shows and Drama Series and YouTube Channels to Enhance Your Skills?

3. Interact with native Urdu speakers.

If possible, you should plan to either live in Pakistan for a while or visit for a short time. This will work wonders for your Urdu language skills! Your time in Pakistan will give you constant exposure to Urdu in natural contexts, from slang terms to formal everyday language—something you would miss out on in the traditional classroom setting. 

Learning Urdu When You’re Short on Time

As already discussed, how long it takes to learn Urdu is determined by numerous factors. These include your attitude toward learning it, how much time you spend studying each day, and why you’re learning it in the first place. 

We understand that not everyone has enough time in their busy schedules to attend regular classes or devote hours a day to studying. The good news is that you can learn Urdu online or through mobile apps—both methods give you much more flexibility than traditional courses and let you study from anywhere. 

While there’s no substitute for hard work, we believe these methods can help you learn Urdu more effectively even when you’re short on time. Let’s take a closer look. 

1. Online Resources

Despite the proven track record of classroom education, virtual education has revolutionized the way in which people learn and study. This applies to language learning as well, and you can find many online resources to help you learn Urdu to varying degrees of proficiency.

UrduPod101.com is unparalleled in this regard. We have the solutions to all your language learning problems, and we seek to answer all of your questions and dispel all of your doubts. When you subscribe, you get access to a huge resource of online lessons customized to the needs of Urdu learners at all different levels. We make learning Urdu both fun and effective! 

To reinforce what you’ve learned on our website, you can head over to our YouTube channel and watch any number of our fun, educational videos. 

2. Mobile Phone Applications

Google and other app stores are replete with applications claiming to teach the Urdu language effectively. While many of them can be used as excellent secondary resources, we recommend choosing your learning apps with caution. 

In addition to the InnovativeLanguage101 app, we recommend trying out Learn Urdu Kids. 

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the frequently asked question: How long will it take to learn Urdu? 

We also discussed what factors will determine your learning speed, what skills are expected of you at each Urdu proficiency level, and how to learn Urdu effectively. 

Are you ready to hop on the plane of Urdu learning and enjoy its adventurous pathways? More importantly: Have we answered all of your questions? If not, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible! 

We hope you choose to make UrduPod101.com a part of your Urdu learning diet. We’re a rich repository of learning resources, ready to help you master all of the necessary Urdu language skills. 

Very Happy Urdu Learning!

Have you ever found yourself struggling to get a point across, only to have the perfect proverb come to mind and save the day? You really can’t deny the utility of proverbs in everyday communication! 

The Urdu language is resplendent with traditional sayings and proverbs that reflect the collective consciousness and group identity of its speakers. These Urdu proverbs may come from a variety of sources, from popular folk wisdom to words of the learned elite, but they all share a common cultural understanding and value for the community. 

In this article, we’ll introduce you to several of the most common Urdu proverbs and their meanings in English. Studying these proverbs will not only stretch your vocabulary and grammar muscles, but also get you better acquainted with Pakistani culture and enlighten you on a personal level. Shall we begin?

Table of Contents

1. Proverbs About Success
2. Proverbs About Life
3. Proverbs About Time
4. Proverbs About Love
5. Proverbs About Family and Friends
6. Proverbs About Health
7. Conclusion

1. Proverbs About Success

Let’s start our Urdu proverbs list with a few frequently used proverbs on success. These can serve as words of congratulations or as advice on how to succeed in life. 

→ For even more inspiring words on the topic, make sure to visit our free vocabulary list of the Top 11 Quotes About Success.

#1 

محنت کامیابی کی کنجی ہے۔
‘mehnat kamyabi ki kunji hai.’
Hard work is the key to success.

This proverb is popular in both Urdu- and English-speaking cultures. It can be used to motivate someone to work hard in order to achieve his/her goals, or as a compliment to acknowledge someone’s hard work. 

#2

ہمتِ مرداں مددِ خدا۔
‘himmat e marda madad e khuda.’
God helps those who help themselves.

This Urdu proverb means that when men muster up their courage, the God Almighty helps them. While it literally translates to, “Courage of men, help of God,” it’s very close in meaning to the English saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” Like the previous phrase, it can be used to motivate or compliment someone. 

#3 

کام بِن دام نہیں۔
‘kaam bin daam nahi.’
No pain, no gain.

This proverb means that if you do not work, you will not get money. It’s the near equivalent of the given English proverb. It can be used to warn a worker who isn’t performing well, or to motivate someone to work even harder to earn more money.

#4

مشق انسان کو کامل بنا دیتی ہے.
‘mashq insaan ko kamil bana deti hai.’
Practice makes a man perfect.

This Urdu proverb is the true translation of its English counterpart. It’s used to encourage someone who wants to master a skill or to congratulate someone who has already mastered a skill after practicing very hard.

#5

جہاں چاہ وہاں راہ۔
‘jahan chah wahan raah.’
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Here’s another Urdu proverb that’s the exact translation of its English counterpart. It means that if someone is interested in any particular job, he’ll find an apt way to do it successfully. 

#6

انت بھلا تو سب بھلا۔
‘anth bhala toh sab bhala.’
All’s well that ends well.

This proverb has the same meaning as the English version. In Urdu, it’s used to congratulate someone who has completed a task well despite facing multiple hurdles. It can also be roughly translated as, “The ends justify the means.”

2. Proverbs About Life

Now, let’s spend some time poring over the most common Urdu proverbs about life. These sayings touch on the harsh and sweet realities of our existence, and they’re sure to give you valuable insight into Pakistani culture. 

#7

زندگی پھولوں کی سیج نہیں۔
‘zindagi phoolon ki sej nahi.’
Life is not a bed of roses.

This Urdu proverb is the true translation of its English counterpart. It’s typically used to console someone who has undergone a bitter life experience, though it can also be used to warn young people not to waste their time without purpose and to instead prepare for the hard times. 

#8

زندگی زندہ دلی کا نام ہے۔
‘zindagi zinda dili ka naam hai.’
Life is the name of liveliness.

This is a poetic verse by Sheikh Imam Baksh Nasikh, but has gained acceptance as a proverb in Pakistani society. It’s used to cheer up sad souls and to uplift their spirits to enjoy life fully.

#9

تجربہ سب سے بڑا استاد ہے۔
‘tajurba sab say barha ustad hai.’
Experience is the greatest teacher.

If you know someone who is going through a trying situation or a new experience, you can use this proverb to shed some light on how significant it is.

#10

دودھ کا جلا چھاچھ بھی پھونک پھونک کر پیتا ہے۔
‘doodh ka jala chach bhi phoonk phoonk kar peeta hai.’
A burnt child dreads the fire.

The Urdu version of this proverb is very similar to the Turkish proverb that goes: “If you burn your mouth on hot milk, you blow before you eat yogurt.” It evokes the same imagery as its English counterpart does.  

3. Proverbs About Time

No society could make any significant progress without giving due importance to time. With this in mind, let’s see how people in Pakistan value this priceless commodity…

#11

وقت کسی کا انتظار نہیں کرتا۔
‘waqt kisi ka intezar nahi karta.’
Time and tide wait for none.

In Urdu-speaking societies, this proverb is often used to address the fanciful youth who waste their precious time doing unimportant activities. Feel free to use this phrase on occasion if you come across any such person!

#12

وقت پر ایک ٹانکا نو کا کام کر دیتا ہے۔
‘waqt par ek tanka no ka kaam kar deta hai.’
A stitch in time saves nine.

The Urdu proverb is the literal translation of the English one. It refers to the mending of any stitched article, where getting it fixed early on using only one stitch will save you needing to use nine stitches later on. It means that if one acts in a timely manner, it can save that person from many impending ordeals. 

#13

وقت سب سے بڑا مرہم ہے۔
‘waqt sab say barha marham hai.’
Time is a big healer.

Like its English equivalent, this proverb is used to soothe one’s grief and sorrow. It guarantees that all wounds will heal with time.

#14

وقت وقت کا راگ اچھا ہوتا ہے۔
‘waqt waqt ka raag acha hota hai.’
An appropriate action at the right time and right place is appreciated.

This proverb literally translates to, “The melody is good from time to time.” It refers to raags, a unique component of Eastern Classical music. In a raag, a specific melodic framework is used and then built upon through improvisation in order to influence the emotions of the audience in a fresh, distinctive way. 

The proverb encourages us to take the right step at the right time, and to talk pertinently. For example, if an old person was talking and acting like he was still young, someone may tell him this proverb as a way of saying, “Act your own age.”

#15

وقت پڑنے پر گدھے کو باپ بناتے ہیں۔
‘waqt parhnay per gadhe ko baap banatay hain.’
In the hour of need, fools are praised and respected.

This Urdu proverb can be translated as, “to make a donkey your father in the hour of need.” Both this translation and its English counterpart describe the bitter reality that, when in need, people give even fools undue attention. 

#16

دیر آید درست آید۔
‘der ayad durust aayad.’
Better late than never.

In Urdu-speaking societies, this proverb might be used when a person understands something very late. Saying this to someone would simultaneously point out their mistake and show them that it’s not a big deal. 

#17

آج کا کام کل پر مت چھوڑو۔
‘aaj ka kaam kal par mat chorho.’
Do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

The Urdu and English versions of this proverb are synonymous with each other. This proverb is used to help someone understand the value of doing a given task on time.

4. Proverbs About Love

Love is a universal phenomenon, and people from all walks of life and in every culture have something to say about it. Though there are myriads of Urdu proverbs about love, we’ll only cover the most common ones here.

#18

محبت اندھی ہوتی ہے۔
‘Mohabbat andhi hoti hai.’
Love is blind.

This Urdu proverb refers to the blind nature of love. It means that when a person is in love, he/she is unable to evaluate their feelings or the situation rationally. This proverb is often used to point out the irrationality of lovers.

 #19

محبت اور جنگ میں ہر چیز جائز ہوتی ہے۔
‘Mohabbat aur jang mei har cheez jayaz hoti hai.’
Everything is fair in love and war.

The English and Urdu versions of this proverb are identical in meaning. One can use this proverb to comment on (or to justify) the wrongdoings of lovers and warriors. 

#20

دل کو دل سے راہ ہوتی ہے۔
‘dil ko dil se raah hoti hai.’
Love begets love.

This Urdu proverb is the near equivalent of the given English proverb. It means that a loving heart attracts another loving heart. It’s used to express that a person who feels love for another will have their love reciprocated.

#21

دل کو ہو قرار تو سب کو سوجھیں تیوہار۔
‘dil ko ho qarar to sab ko soojhain teohaar.’
A cheerful heart aims at festivities.

We use this proverb when we see someone who is happy and unworried engaging in merrymaking. 

5. Proverbs About Family and Friends

Family and friends are part and parcel of any humane society. Therefore, you’ll find an abundance of proverbs related to friends and family in the Urdu language.

#22

دوست وہ جو مصیبت میں کام آئے۔
‘dost woh jo moseebat mei kaam aaye.’
A friend in need is a friend indeed.

This Urdu proverb means the same thing as its English equivalent, and it helps us to differentiate between true friends and false friends.

#23

اپنا اپنا غیر غیر۔
‘apna apna ghair ghair.’
Blood is thicker than water.

This one refers to the fact that blood relations differ from all other relations. It expresses that our family should always come before the other people in our lives. 

#24

دوست ہوتا نہیں ہر ہاتھ ملانے والا۔
‘dost hota nahi har hath milane wala.’
Every visitor is not a friend.

This is a poetic verse by the famous Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz. Nowadays, it has gained currency as an Urdu proverb, and we use it to draw a line of demarcation between true friends and seasonal birds.

#25

دوست کا دشمن دشمن، دشمن کا دشمن دوست
‘dost ka dushman dushman, dushman ka dushman dost’
The enemy of a friend is an enemy; the enemy of an enemy is a friend.

This famous quote has gained status as a proverb in Pakistan. It justifies the act of befriending the enemy of an enemy and developing animosity for the enemy of a friend. 

#26

یار زندہ صحبت باقی۔
‘yaar zinda sohbat baqi.’
Reunion is subordinate to survival.

We use this phrase when parting ways with friends and loved ones. It also contains an embedded prayer for the survival of the other party and for future reunions with him/her. 

#27

ماں کی دعا جنت کی ہوا۔
‘maa ki dua Jannat ki hawa.’
A mother’s prayer brings heavenly air.

This Urdu proverb is used to elevate the rank of the mother in society. It also has a religious connotation as it’s inspired by an Islamic Hadith meaning that Heaven lies under the feet of the mother.

#28

دوستوں کو قریب لیکن دشمنوں کو قریب تر رکھو۔
‘dosto ko qareeb lekin dushmano ko qareeb tar rakho.’
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

We use this proverb to advise others to keep a close eye on their enemies. Because an enemy is likely to try and harm you, it’s important to be vigilant about watching them. 

6. Proverbs About Health

All the pleasures of life become meaningless if you’re unhealthy. Take a look at the proverbs below to see how much importance Pakistani culture places on health.

#29

تندرستی ہزار نعمت ہے
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
Health is wealth.

This proverb is the near equivalent of its English counterpart, and it means that health is equal to a thousand blessings. It’s often used to encourage someone to be thankful for their health.

#30

تن سکھی تو من سکھی
‘tan sukhi toh mann sukhi’
Healthy body, healthy mind.

This one states that only a healthy body guarantees a healthy mind. It’s often used to emphasize the significance of a healthy lifestyle, especially when speaking to workaholics or those who don’t take good care of themselves. 

#31

پرہیز علاج سے بہتر ہے۔
‘perhaiz ilaj se behtar hai.’
Prevention is better than cure.

This proverb underscores that it’s better to prevent a problem than to fix it after it happens. We most often use it to convince someone to take preventive measures so they can avoid the anticipated medical complications.

7. Conclusion

In this article, you learned a number of commonly used Urdu proverbs with their meanings in English. By memorizing these proverbs and learning how to use them, you can begin to take on your new identity as a very literate Urdu speaker and impress those around you. 

Which proverbs did you most resonate with, and why? We recommend starting with those, because they’ll be easier for you to remember! 

If studying these proverbs has made you even more curious about Pakistani culture and the nuances of the Urdu language, consider creating your free lifetime account with UrduPod101.com. We will be your friendly and knowledgeable companion, always here to help you along on your language learning journey. To give you a sample of what to expect, here are links to just a few resources we provide our learners: 

• Free Vocabulary Lists 
• Painless Urdu Grammar
• Basic Urdu Pronunciation
• Urdu Alphabet
• Cracking the Urdu Writing System

Very happy Urdu learning! 

Edgar Allan Poe believed, “A man’s grammar, like Caesar’s wife, should not only be pure, but above suspicion of impurity.” 

If you want to sanctify your Urdu grammar, you’re in the right place.

The structure of every language hinges upon its grammar. Having a basic understanding of a language’s grammar allows learners to fine-tune their listening comprehension and use the language clearly and accurately.

On this page, UrduPod101.com will inspire you to learn Urdu grammar in full by providing you with comprehensive overviews of the Urdu grammar basics and showing you how everything falls together.

Table of Contents

1. The Urdu Script and Transliteration System
2. Urdu Syntax and Word Order
3. Verbs and Tenses
4. Nouns
5. Pronouns
6. Adjectives
7. Negation
8. Interrogation
9. Conclusion

1. The Urdu Script and Transliteration System

Urdu is a complete language with a unique script. It borrows its script from two widely popular oriental languages: Persian and Arabic. خطِ نستعلیق (khat-e-Nastaliq) is the standard Urdu writing system, which emerged from a mixture of two different writing scripts called Naskh and Talique. As a rule, you’ll find it written from right to left (instead of left to right, like in English). This writing script includes thirty-eight letters and ten vowel marks (called airaabs).

→ UrduPod101.com uses a comprehensive system of Urdu transliteration for your convenience. If you want more information on how this works, visit our dedicated page.

2. Urdu Syntax and Word Order

As an English speaker, you’re probably used to the SVO (Subject + Verb + Object) word order. Well, in Urdu grammar, sentences follow the SOV (Subject + Object + Verb) order, where the verb and object switch places.

Urdu is called a ‘verb final’ language because, syntactically, the verb comes at the end of the sentence.

To understand this properly, have a look at the following example:

میں چائے پیتا ہوں۔
mei chaye peeta hun.
Subject + Object + Verb

In English, this sentence would be:

I take tea.
Subject + Verb + Object

The word order will take some getting used to, but with enough practice and exposure, it will become second-nature to you.

I take tea.

3. Verbs and Tenses

In Urdu grammar, verbs are rather complex. That said, it’s generally best to start learning the Urdu verbs in their basic (infinitive) form.

Urdu Infinitives

Urdu infinitives always end with نا (na):

•  بولنا (bolna) – “to speak”
• ہنسنا (hansna) – “to laugh”
•  دوڑنا (dodhna) – “to run”

See our article on the 100+ Must-Know Urdu Verbs on UrduPod101.com to learn the most common verbs and how to use them.

The Conjugation of Urdu Verbs

Once you’ve learned a good number of Urdu infinitives, you’ll be better placed to start learning how to conjugate them. We’ll admit that Urdu verb conjugation is pretty complex, but there are several keys to it that will make the process simpler for you over time.

Urdu verbs conjugate according to the tense, person, number, gender, and mood. For the purposes of this overview, we’ll discuss the two most important factors: tense and gender.

Tenses

In Urdu grammar, tenses affect conjugation in a consistent manner. To see what we mean, study the example given below.

سونا (sona) is the base for the Urdu verb that means “to sleep.” Now, let’s have a look at how it conjugates in the present, past, and future simple tenses.

وہ سوتا ہے۔
woh sota hai.
“He sleeps.”

وہ سویا۔
woh soya.
“He slept.”

وہ سوئے گا۔
woh soye ga.
“He will sleep.”

Gender

Gender also plays a vital role in the conjugation of Urdu verbs. Let’s see how gender affects the conjugation of سونا (sona), or “to sleep.”

Male:

میں سوتا ہوں۔
mein sota hun.
“I sleep.”

Female:

میں سوتی ہوں۔
mein soti hun.
“I sleep.”

You can see that the English translation of the sentence remains the same, while the gender of the subject has conjugated the verb in Urdu.

To learn everything about verb conjugation in Urdu, visit our Urdu Verb Conjugation article on UrduPod101.com.

4. Nouns

Now that we’ve talked about verbs and their conjugation, let’s spend some time discussing the Urdu nouns.

Every Noun Has a Gender 

Remember: In Urdu, every noun has a gender. This means that it’s necessary for foreigners to learn the nouns with their proper gender. 

For example:

• کرسی (kursi) – “chair” [feminine]
• میز (maze) – “table” [masculine]

Once you acquire the skill of using Urdu nouns properly, it means that you’ve covered a long distance in your learning and aren’t very far away from total mastery!

Noun Types and Placement in Sentences

The two basic noun types in Urdu are: 

• اسمِ نکرہ (isme nakirah) – “common noun”
• اسمِ معرفہ (isme marfa) – “proper noun” 

They play the same roles in Urdu as their counterparts do in English. Normally, Urdu nouns are placed between the subject and verb of a sentence.

To know more on this topic, read our Urdu Nouns article on UrduPod101.com.

5. Pronouns

Just like English pronouns, Urdu pronouns play a significant role in the structure and function of sentences. They replace nouns that are mentioned more than once in order to avoid repetition.

Basic Types of Urdu Pronouns

Urdu uses many of the same pronoun types as English does. For example, you’ll find the following groups in Urdu:

• ضمیر متکلم (zameer mutkallam) – “first person”
• ضمیر حاضر (zameer hazir) – “second person”
• ضمیر غائب (zameer ghayab) – “third person”

The Special Case of تم (tum) and آپ (aap)

In Pakistan, always be vigilant when using the second person pronoun “you,” which can be translated two ways: آپ (aap) and تم (tum). You must use the former with people you don’t know, the elderly, or those who are above you in status; it sounds the most respectful and formal. Use the latter only if you’ve developed a high level of intimacy with the other person. Otherwise, you may face some serious repercussions.

To explore this topic further, read our Urdu Pronoun article on UrduPod101.com.

6. Adjectives

Like those in English, Urdu adjectives describe nouns and thus are a crucial element of Urdu grammar. Let’s have a cursory look at the nature and function of Urdu adjectives.

The first thing that you must learn is that the gender of an adjective is determined by the noun:  

• گہرا دریا (gehra darya) – “deep river”
• گہری نہر (gehri nehar) – “deep canal”

In the first example, the adjective گہرا (gehra) is used in masculine form because the noun دریا (darya) is masculine. In the second example, the adjective گہری (gehri) is used in feminine form because the noun نہر (nehar) is feminine. Thus, you can see how Urdu adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they describe.

Also remember that Urdu adjectives are normally placed before the nouns they describe. 

7. Negation

In the Urdu language, نہیں (nahi) and نہ (nah) are the most important words of negation. They are equivalent to “no” or “not” in English. Being able to use these words of negation in your own Urdu sentences is a huge milestone, as it will allow you to communicate more complex thoughts. 

Here are a couple of examples of how these words can be used:

یہ نہ کرو۔
yeh na karo.
“Don’t do this.”

میں تم سے ناراض نہیں ہوں۔
mein tum se naraz nahi hun.
“I am not angry with you.”

8. Interrogation

You can hardly imagine a conversation without questions, right? Let’s look at how to form questions in Urdu! 

Words of Interrogation

The first step is to memorize the question words in Urdu. These are:

• کیا (kia) – “what”
• کیوں (kyun) – “why”
• کب (kab) – “when”
• کہاں (kahan) – “where”
• کیسے (kaise) – “how”

Using These Words in Questions

Got it? Great! Then let’s see how to form interrogative sentences with them. 

You can form questions by placing the appropriate question word at the beginning of the sentence or after the subject. 

کیا تم خوش ہو؟
kia tum khush ho?
“Are you happy?”

 تم کیسے ہو؟
tum kaise ho?
“How are you?”

تم کیوں ناراض ہو؟
tum kyun naraz ho?
“Why are you angry?”

تم کہاں ہو؟
tum kahan ho?
“Where are you?”

تم کب آؤ گے؟
tum kab aaoge?
“When will you come?”

9. Conclusion

We’ve now guided you on the basic Urdu grammar rules. You can always use this concise Urdu grammar guide as a quick reference point for your Urdu learning in the future. 

How do you feel so far? If you have any questions or concerns about something we covered here, don’t hesitate to let us know! We’ll be glad to help you out. And if you feel like you need to go over this information with fresh eyes, check out our lesson Painless Urdu Grammar. 

If you enjoyed this lesson and want to learn more with us, feel free to explore UrduPod101.com. We are a rich repository of Urdu language learning resources designed to enhance your Urdu vocabulary, pronunciation, and other relevant skills.

Very Happy Urdu Learning! 

Some people say that Urdu is easy to learn, while others claim that Urdu is difficult. 

Who are these people, and why should you believe them? Is it hard to learn Urdu, or easy? 

Ask yourself these fundamental questions, and you may discover that the answers aren’t so straightforward. 

At this stage, say goodbye to assumptions and taking others at their word. Instead, figure out the answers to these questions yourself as you begin your Urdu language-learning journey. It’s very likely that you’ll find some aspects of the language quite difficult and others much easier—this is normal when you start learning a language. 

Due to its completely different writing script, Urdu tends to be a struggle for native English-speakers and Europeans, especially when they first start learning. Conversely, Arabic and Persian natives will find Urdu much easier to master. This is because the Urdu language contains a handful of words from these two languages, as well as Punjabi, Pashto, Turkish, Sindhi, Sanskrit, etc. This particularity of the Urdu language provides speakers of these other languages with a fairly easy Urdu-learning experience. 

That said, is Urdu worth learning? And if so, why?

Urdu is a rapidly growing language. The total number of Urdu-speakers across the globe exceeds 170 million, and Urdu is also the official language of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The constitution of India also recognizes it as one of the country’s twenty-two official languages. So if you plan on visiting these countries, doing business there, or even relocating, you should absolutely learn Urdu! 

In this article, we’ll guide you through the easy and hard tracks of the Urdu language. We anticipate that after reading this article, you’ll be better placed to accept the truth that Urdu is the language of civilized and courteous people, and anyone can master it with enough practice and dedication.

Table of Contents

1. What is the Hardest—and Easiest—Part of Learning Urdu?
2. I Want to Learn Urdu. Where Should I Start?
3. Advice for New Learners
4. Why is UrduPod101.com Great for Learning Urdu?
5. Conclusion

1. What is the Hardest—and Easiest—Part of Learning Urdu?

You can’t learn any language until you overcome its challenges. In this section, we’ll unfold some of the hardest and easiest parts of Urdu language-learning for you.

A- Why Urdu is Easy

When you set out to learn Urdu, you’re going to hear a lot of false myths and misconceptions concerning the language’s difficulty. Well, we’re here to let you know that Urdu isn’t that hard. At least, not all of it. Following is a list of things about Urdu that make it surprisingly easy for foreigners to learn.

1.  لشکری زبان

Although historians of the Urdu language are divided on its origin and its label as a لشکری زبان (lashkri zuban) camp language, it’s clear that Urdu uses an abundance of words from other languages. Some critics say that Urdu possesses this rich abundance of words because the language came into being as a shared language for soldiers of different ethnicities in a common war camp. Irrespective of this belief’s authenticity, it emphasizes the fact that non-natives were able to pick up the language easily due to shared vocabulary.

2. Similarities with other languages

If you’re familiar with Oriental languages—such as Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, or Turkish—you’ll start to see similarities with Urdu right away. The majority of Oriental languages have common writing scripts or sounds, usually with a little bit of variation. Most of the alphabets present in one Oriental language can be identified in the others too, with a few exceptions. 

That said, it’s true that there are a couple of unique alphabets and sounds in Urdu which are missing in the other Oriental languages altogether. Also note that Urdu has the capacity to assimilate new words from other languages. For example, Urdu has borrowed a number of English words and molded them for use in Urdu-speaking countries: 

• فریج (fridge) — fridge
• ٹیلیویژن (television) — television
• ڈاکٹر (doctor) — doctor
• انجینیئر (engineer) — engineer

B- Why Urdu is Hard

Below are some of the most common difficulties faced by Urdu learners. As you go through these, remember that being aware of an Urdu difficulty is the best way to prepare for it and succeed! 

1. The uniqueness of the Urdu script خطِ نستعلیق

The Urdu language is complete with its own script, which is an amalgam of the Arabic and Persian scripts. Urdu uses thirty-eight letters in total, and has its own اعراب (airaab) vowel marks that are not included in those thirty-eight letters.

The Urdu writing system is called خطِ نستعلیق (khat-e-Nastaliq). Since the two writing scripts نسخ (naskh) and تعلیق (talique) were combined to make another script, it was initially named Naskh-Talique. With the passage of time, it received fame as Nastalique. The script is written from right to left and follows the top right to bottom left order. This particular characteristic makes it difficult for many non-natives to understand and master it.

2. Different grammatical syntax – فاعل،مفعول،فعل

Aside from the script itself, why is Urdu so hard to read for non-natives? Well, this is likely because the sentence structure of Urdu is different from that of most other languages. It does not follow the usual SVO (Subject + Verb + Object) pattern, and instead uses the SOV (Subject + Object + Verb) arrangement.

Here’s an example:

میں یونیورسٹی جاتا ہوں۔

mei university jata hu.

S      O     V

“I go to University.”

If you want to learn more about Urdu sentence structure and word order, UrduPod101.com has you covered.

3.  Complicated conjugations

Like its syntax, the فعل کی گردان کرنا (fail ki gardaan kerna), or “conjugation of verbs,” in Urdu can be a bit tricky. However, once you’ve learned the basic rules, you’ll be able to conjugate with ease. 

Urdu verbs conjugate depending on their person, mood, voice, gender, and tense. Remember that these concepts are a little hard to comprehend, but they’re certainly not impossible to learn. 

To make this task a bit easier for you, UrduPod101.com has this handy article on Urdu verb conjugation. Read through it a couple of times and start conjugating Urdu verbs right away.

4.  Never undermine the role of gender

Now, here comes another point you have to remember as an Urdu-learner: everything, movable or immovable, has a gender. This may create some trouble for learners just starting out. 

To overcome this challenge of the Urdu language, you must memorize each new noun you learn along with its gender. This will reduce the chances of making a mistake, and you’ll also be in a position to identify and rectify the mistakes you do make. Have a look at the following sentences:

میری قمیض تنگ ہے۔
meri qameez tang hai.
“My shirt is tight.”

میرا جوتا کھلا ہے۔
mera joota khula hai.
“My shoe is loose.”

You can see in these sentences that قمیض (qameez), or “shirt,” is feminine while جوتا (joota), or “shoe,” is masculine.

5. Beware of false friends

With ten vowels and thirty-eight consonants, the Urdu language is self-sufficient in terms of sound representation. As it has a rich assortment of sounds, however, there’s a greater chance of mispronouncing something. The situation becomes even more stressful when you throw in false friends:

دوا (dawa) — “medicine”                        and                           دعا (dua) — “prayer”

سستی (sasti) — “cheap”                           and                           سُستی (susti) — “laziness”

عرض (arz) — “request”                          and                           ارض (arz) — “land”

6. Pronunciation difficulties

Now, let’s look at some sounds that non-natives (especially English-speakers) find rather exotic. 

The most difficult of these sounds is ڑ (rr), the fifteenth letter in the Urdu language. It’s unique in that it never comes at the beginning of a word. 

غ (ghain) is the twenty-fifth letter, and its sound is not found in English. The letter is preceded by another sound not found in English: ع (ain). 

Since many Urdu sounds are new to English-speakers, it’s imperative that they become familiar with them early on in the learning process. Luckily for you, UrduPod101.com has a blog post dedicated to Urdu Pronunciation. Check it out! 

2. I Want to Learn Urdu. Where Should I Start?

Deciding to learn Urdu is a huge leap, so we recommend starting small. For example, studying Urdu vocabulary lists, learning the most common sentence patterns, and getting started with basic everyday phrases will help you ease into the learning process. Becoming familiar with the basic parts of speech in Urdu will also prove beneficial moving forward. 

Here are some highly useful articles to start your Urdu-learning journey.

• Most Common Urdu Nouns
• Most Common Urdu Verbs
• Most Common Urdu Adverbs

3. Advice for New Learners

The best advice we can give is to keep it simple. Try to learn phrases in small chunks and practice using them often. Small bricks of knowledge can be used to craft a building with the right tools and enough time. 

Here’s an example of what we mean:

میں جاتا ہوں
mei jata hu.
“I go.”

Now add an object to the phrase to make a complete sentence.

میں گھر جاتا ہوں۔
mei ghar jata hu.
“I go home.”

And you can always add an adverb.

میں آہستہ آہستہ گھر جاتا ہوں۔
mei ahista ahista ghar jata hu.
“I go home slowly.”

By learning phrases this way, you’ll be able to easily alter and add to them to meet your communication needs. Indeed, it’s a small step but a giant leap. 

Practice Makes a Man Perfect

You can never expect to become masterful at anything if you don’t put in the time and practice. Practicing on a daily basis will not only improve your skills, but it will also increase your self-confidence. In particular, we recommend practicing your Urdu with native Urdu-speakers if possible, as this will expedite your language skills.  

4. Why is UrduPod101.com Great for Learning Urdu?

Even the most ambitious man needs the proper means to reach his goals. In this case, a determined Urdu-learner requires top-notch learning materials and teachers. By signing up for UrduPod101.com, you’ll gain access to tons of fun lessons and learning tools that will make learning Urdu so much easier than traditional learning methods. Let’s take a look at our best features:

A- A Hub for Learning Integrated Language Skills

UrduPod101.com focuses on all aspects of the language so you’ll never be left out in the cold! Each of our lessons contains material to help you improve your Urdu listening, writing, reading, and speaking skills at the same time. This feature makes us a unique hub of Urdu language-learning and distinguishes us from other online resources.

B- An Affordable but High-Quality Learning Resource

In this era of consumerism, it’s a rarity to find a free lunch anywhere. But UrduPod101.com understands the need for valuable resources at reasonable prices, and we won’t disappoint—in fact, we have tons of free learning tools just waiting for you! You can even download some of these to use offline. Creating an account will also allow you to communicate with our team about any issues or questions! 

C- Tailored Learning Approach to Meet Your Individual Needs

Once you’ve gotten the Urdu basics down, you’ll probably want to move forward to more advanced lessons. This is easy! All you need to do is subscribe to our MyTeacher service to start getting live interactive coaching from experienced Urdu teachers. Your Urdu teacher can help you find and complete suitable exercises, help you correct your pronunciation, and offer customized assignments through audio or text messages. This will help you set and achieve personalized goals without a hitch. 

5. Conclusion

So, is Urdu hard to learn? We’ll let you answer that question yourself once you’ve begun your studies! 

Do you have any further questions about how to learn Urdu in an easy way? Are you ready to apply the tips and techniques discussed here to learn Urdu free and easily? If you have any questions about what we covered today, let us know in the comments section; we’ll be glad to help you out! 

Keep exploring UrduPod101.com, a rich repository of Urdu language-learning. Take full advantage of our free Urdu-learning resources and start your journey toward Urdu mastery.

Very Happy Urdu Learning!

“The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.” — Meister Eckhart

As a learner of a foreign language, you should always opt to make mistakes instead of keeping quiet. While no one enjoys making mistakes, they’re an inevitable part of language-learning, and every successful learner has made them. Just remember that it’s important to learn from those mistakes so as not to repeat them! 

In this article, we’ll outline the most common mistakes Urdu-learners make and how to avoid them. 

But before we start, a quick note:

If you’re an Urdu-learner, you’ll come to know at some point that even native Pakistanis are susceptible to making mistakes in their own language. For example, many Pakistanis are unable to differentiate between غلط العام (ghalat-ul-aam), which are Urdu words that are incorrect but accepted by the academics due to their overuse, and غلط العوام (ghalat-ul-awam), which are incorrect Urdu words that are frequently used in public but are not accepted by the academics as correct.

So don’t be discouraged if you make the occasional error in Urdu—you’re not alone!

Table of Contents

1. The Incorrect Use of Gender Cases
2. Beware of False Friends
3. Some Common Mistakes in the Conjugation of Urdu Verbs
4. Common Word Order Mistakes in Urdu
5. Some Common Urdu Pronunciation Mistakes
6. Other Urdu Mistakes
7. Conclusion

1. The Incorrect Use of Gender Cases

Native speakers almost never make this mistake in Urdu, but new learners make it all the time! For example, in Pakistani society, a native Urdu-speaker will never say:

کیا آپ نے دودھ پی؟
kia aap nay doodh pi?

It’s an incorrect sentence because دودھ (doodh), meaning “milk,” is always masculine. The correct sentence is:

کیا آپ نے دودھ پیا؟
kia aap nay doodh piya?
“Did you drink milk?”

A non-native may also say:

کیا آپ نے چائے پیا؟
kia aap nay chaye piya?

This is also incorrect, for the noun چائے (chaye), meaning “tea,” is always treated as feminine in the Urdu language. The correct sentence is:

کیا آپ نے چائے پی؟
kia aap nay chaye pi?
“Did you take tea?”

We recommend that you always learn the Urdu nouns along with their gender so you can use them correctly in terms of gender agreement.

Appropriate use of تاہے/تی ہے and تاہوں/تی ہوں

Another set of common Urdu-learner mistakes involves using the inappropriate words for masculine and feminine subjects. Here’s an example of how a non-native female may speak incorrectly in this regard:

میں ٹی-وی دیکھنا پسند کرتا ہوں۔
mei TV dekhna pasand karta hu.
“I like to watch TV.”

The sentence above is incorrect when spoken by a female, but is correct when spoken by a male. The following sentence is the correct way for a female to say this sentence:

میں ٹی-وی دیکھنا پسند کرتی ہوں۔
mei TV dekhna pasand karti hu.
“I like to watch TV.”

Here, the key is to learn the appropriate usage of تا ہوں (masculine) and تی ہوں (feminine). This will help you avoid making gender agreement mistakes in Urdu.

2. Beware of False Friends

Common Urdu mistakes often arise from “false friends,” which you’ll find plenty of while studying the language. False friends are words which appear to be similar to each other, but communicate different meanings. This may result in confusion and complicate the communication process. 

Below is a list of words that are often mistaken for one another in Urdu:

• محرم (moharam) – first month of the Islamic calendar / محرم (mehram) – “one who knows”
• پیڑ (peerr) – “pain” / پیڑ (pairr) – “tree”
• دانہ (dana) – “grain” / داناء (danaa) – “wise”
• ریت (rait) – “sand” / ریت (reet) – “tradition”
• پریت (preet) – “love” / پریت (prait) – “apparition”
• کھاتہ (khata) – “account” / کھاتا (khata) – “eats” [conjugation of the Urdu verb کھانا (khana), meaning “eat”]
• پتہ (pata) – “address” / پتا (patta) – “leaf”

3. Some Common Mistakes in the Conjugation of Urdu Verbs

Making it through the labyrinth of Urdu verb conjugation is an uphill task for any foreign learner. However, it is achievable once you understand the rules and how they work. Before we continue, you may want to read our article all about Urdu Verb Conjugation to brush up on the basics. 

Below, we’ll introduce you to some very basic Urdu mistakes that one may make while conjugating verbs.

میں یہ کرے گا
mei yeh karay ga.

وہ یہ کروں گی
woh yeh karu gi.

تم یہ کرے گی
tum yeh karay gi.

In each of these three sentences, the Urdu verb  کرنا (karna), meaning “to do,” is incorrectly conjugated. Now, let’s see how to conjugate this verb correctly:

میں یہ کروں گا۔
mei yeh karun ga.
“I will do this.”

وہ یہ کرے گی۔
woh yeh karay gi.
“She will do this.”

تم یہ کرو گے۔
tum yeh karo gay.
“You will do this.”

4. Common Word Order Mistakes in Urdu

Did you ever have to complete sentence diagrams in school? Well, believe it or not, those exercises probably gave you a good idea of how word order and sentence structure work in your language. Better still, you can transfer this knowledge over to Urdu! Here, we’ll introduce you to the basic concepts pertaining to proper Urdu word order.

If you want to have an even deeper understanding of Urdu word order, see our dedicated Urdu Word Order article!

A- SVO vs. SOV

One unique distinction of Urdu script is that it’s written from right to left; its syntactic word order is Subject + Object + Verb. On the other hand, the word order of English is Subject + Verb + Object. To understand the difference, have a look at this sentence:

وہ بانسری بجاتا ہے۔

V     O     S

woh bansuri bajata hai.

V     O      S

“He plays the flute.”

S     V     O

B- Placement of Adjectives and Pronouns

In Urdu, pronouns are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence. Here are some examples:

ہم فلم دیکھتے ہیں۔
hum film daikhtay hain.
“We watch a film.”

تم گانا گاتے ہو۔
tum gana gatay ho.
“You sing a song.”

As for the placement of adjectives in Urdu sentences, note that they’re always placed before the noun they describe:

وہ نیلی کار چلاتا ہے۔
woh neeli car chalata hai.
“He drives a blue car.”

وہ سرخ سیب پسند کرتا ہے۔
woh surkh saib pasand karta hai.
“He likes red apples.”

5. Some Common Urdu Pronunciation Mistakes

Among all of the Urdu language mistakes that learners make, incorrect pronunciation is at the top of the list. That said, the best way to improve your pronunciation is to practice and learn from your mistakes as you go. If you want to dig deeper into the topic of pronunciation, feel free to read our article all about Urdu Pronunciation. 

Now, let’s see a few of the most common pronunciation mistakes for Urdu-learners.

ا (alif) vs. ع (ain)

Urdu-learners often confuse the sounds ا (alif) and ع (ain). 

The pronunciation of آم (aam) and عام (aam) are quite similar in English, but they tend to sound different when spoken by natives. Since, in English, there’s no sound equal to the consonant ع, it’s very common for native English-speakers to say it incorrectly. 

ت (tay) vs. ط (to’e)

On a similar note, non-natives tend to confuse the sounds of ت (tay) and ط (to’e). The latter sound is absent in English as well. Let’s see how these two sounds are most often confused.

• تارک (tarik) – “the one who denounces”
• طارق (tariq) – “morning star”

Due to the absence of the latter sound in English, it’s much more commonly mispronounced by English-speakers than the former sound. 

ک (kaaf) vs. ق (qaaf)

Another pair of sounds that often confuses Urdu-learners is ک (kaaf) and ق (qaaf). However, there’s a big difference in the pronunciation of these two sounds; the former is much closer to the ‘k’ sound and the latter is equivalent to the ‘q’ sound. Here’s an example of how these sounds are often confused:

• کاش (kaash) – “would that”
• قاش (qaash) – “piece”

6. Other Urdu Mistakes

Finally, some of the most common embarrassing mistakes in Urdu have to do with using the wrong word! Following are some examples of mistakes you should avoid. 

A- Replacing سوکھی with سکھی

سدا سکھی رہو۔
sada sukhi raho.
“May you be happy forever.”

سدا سُوکھی رہو۔
sada sookhi raho.
“May you be thin forever.”

B- Replacing مرض with مرد 

اسے ایک مرض لگا ہوا ہے۔
Usay aik marz laga hua hai.
“She is suffering from an illness.”

اسے ایک مرد لگا ہوا ہے۔
Usay aik mard laga hua hai.
“A man is attached to her.” OR “A man is using her.” (sexual connotation)

7. Conclusion

In this article, you’ve learned about the most common mistakes in learning Urdu along with some common Urdu grammar mistakes. With this knowledge in mind, and an abundant source of vocabulary tools and other language lessons, you should be able to avoid these Urdu mistakes with few problems. 

Did we miss any particular Urdu mistakes that you wanted to know about? Let us know in the comments! 

Remember to visit UrduPod101.com—a storehouse saturated with resources about the Urdu language. We always take pleasure in extending our helping hand to you in your efforts to learn Urdu.

Until next time, very happy Urdu-learning!

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” 

Prince Hamlet’s famous question not only immortalized his theatrical character, but also eternalized the dialogic brilliance of Shakespeare in the world of English drama. This question further elevates the character of Hamlet when you consider the proposal rightly put forward by Voltaire: “Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”

In this article, you’ll learn the most common questions and answers in Urdu. For asking questions and understanding the answers you receive is a vital element of communication. This knowledge will help eliminate ignorance, increase your understanding, and strengthen your bonds with others.  

With this in mind, muscle up and learn how to ask smart and simple questions in Urdu, and become far more comfortable talking with native Urdu speakers. Never underestimate the significance of asking the right question at the right place in Urdu, for it may open multiple avenues of conversation and help you achieve your goals.

UrduPod101.com seeks to make your learning experience both painless and effective! So let’s go ahead and unearth the most common questions and answers in Urdu, both simple and more complex.

Table of Contents

1. Urdu Question Words
2. Digging for Personal Information
3. Conclusion

1. Urdu Question Words

First, let’s familiarize you with Urdu questioning words—also called interrogative words—so that you can more aptly ask questions in a variety of situations. 

• کیا (kya) – “what”
• کیوں (kyun) – “why”
•  کب (kab) – “when”
•  کہاں (kahan) – “where”
• کیسے (kaisay) – “how”
• کتنا/کتنی (kitna/kitni) – “how much”/”how many”

Having learned these basic question words in Urdu, it’s time to learn how to use these words in different real-life situations. We’ll introduce you to certain fundamental patterns of questions in Urdu, so that you’ll be able to improvise and tailor them according to the context. 

2. Digging for Personal Information

In Pakistani society, it’s generally best not to ask very private questions during your first conversation with someone. Therefore, we’ll start with some logical questions and answers in Urdu that you can use or expect to hear while first getting to know someone.

1.    How to Ask Someone’s Name in Urdu

The most general questions and answers in Urdu are those used to ask for someone’s name (or give your own). 

a)  Formal

If you’re meeting someone in an official environment, it’s recommended that you use the formal format to ask for that person’s name.

آپ کا نام کیا ہے؟
aap ka naam kya hai?
“What is your name?”

b)  Literary

If you find someone who has a deep understanding of Urdu, you can always surprise him or her by adding a literary touch to your question.

آپ کا اسم گرامی کیا ہے؟
aap ka ism-e-girami kya hai?
“What is your name?”

c)  Casual

If you’re in a more casual or informal situation, you can ask the question this way:

تمھارا نام کیا ہے؟
tumhara naam kya hai?
“What is your name?”

Answer

Now, here’s the most common answer pattern you can expect to hear in reply:

میرا نام عمران ہے
mera naam Imran hai.
“My name is Imran.”

→ Learn more about how to ask for someone’s name, how to give your own, and other essential introductory phrases on UrduPod101.com! 

2.    How to Ask Someone’s Age in Urdu

In this section of the article, we’ll let you know how to ask someone’s age in Urdu. You’ll find both formal and casual ways of asking the question in the Urdu language, so you can utilize them according to your needs.

a)  Formal

آپ کی عمر کیا ہے؟
aap ki umr kya hai?
“What is your age?”

آپ کتنے سال کے ہو؟
aap kitnay saal kay ho?
“How old are you?”

b)  Casual

تمھاری عمر کیا ہے؟
tumhari umr kya hai?
“What is your age?”

In response to this question, you’ll usually get the following answer. Don’t forget that you can use the same pattern to answer the question yourself. 

Answer

میری عمر پانچ سال ہے
meri umr paanch saal hai.
“I am five years old.”

3. Asking About Someone’s Family

If you’ve gotten someone to feel comfortable talking with you, you can always take the liberty of asking about his family.

a) Formal

آپ کے کتنے بہن بھائی ہیں؟
aap kay kitnay behan bhai hain?
“How many siblings do you have?”

b)  Casual

تمھارے کتنے بہن بھائی ہیں؟
tumharay kitnay behan bhai hain?
“How many siblings do you have?”

Following is a possible answer to this question in Urdu.

Answer

میرے دو بھائی اور ایک بہن ہے
meray do bhai aur ek behan hai.
“I have two brothers and a sister.”

→ Do you need more family vocabulary? UrduPod101.com has you covered with our free Family vocabulary list.

4. Asking Where Someone’s From

The following questions and answers in Urdu come up very often when natives speak with foreigners in Pakistan, so they’re certainly worth learning.

a) Formal

 آپ کہاں سے ہیں؟
aap kahan say hain?
“Where are you from?”

b) Casual

تم کہاں سے ہو؟
tum kahan say ho?
“Where are you from?”

The following pattern is the most common way to answer this question. Simply insert your own nationality into the given pattern.

Answer

میں جاپانی ہوں
mei japani hun.
“I am Japanese.”

Using this next question, you can inquire about someone’s country of origin specifically. This question is interchangeable with the one above.

Question

آپ کون سے ملک سے ہیں؟
aap kon say mulk say hain?
“What country are you from?”

Answer

میں پاکستان سے ہوں
mei Pakistan say hun.
“I am from Pakistan.”

→ Here’s a free vocabulary list of nationalities in Urdu!

5. Asking About Languages in Urdu

As a foreigner in Pakistan, you can rest easy in the knowledge that native Pakistanis will give you due respect and space. Enjoy your foreigner status, and bring an awe factor into your communication with your Urdu skills. This will make your communication effective and strengthen your bond with natives.

Here are some examples of how you can ask someone in Urdu about his competence in a particular language.

Question

کیا آپ جاپانی بولتے ہیں؟
kya aap japani boltay hain?
“Do you speak Japanese?”

Answer

Here’s how you could answer if you have limited knowledge of the given language.

جی میں تھوڑی بہت جاپانی بول لیتا ہوں
ji mei thori bohat japani bol leta hun.
“Yes, I can speak a little Japanese.”

Question

You can use this question to ask about how long someone has been studying a certain language.

آپ کتنی دیر سے جاپانی پڑھ رہے ہیں؟
aap kitni dair say japani parh rahay hain?
“For how long have you been studying Japanese?”

Answer

Here’s a brief and apt answer to the question above.

میں نے جاپانی دو سال پڑھی ہے
mei nay japani do saal parhi hai.
“I have studied Japanese for two years.”

6. Questions About Travel

As a traveler in Pakistan, you should always be ready to encounter the following questions in Urdu. People take pleasure in listening to the accounts of others’ travels, making it a good topic for spending quality time with someone.

Question

کیا آپ ٹوکیو گئے ہیں؟
kya aap Tokyo gaye hain?
“Have you been to Tokyo?”

Answer

جی ہاں، میں ٹوکیو جا چکا ہوں۔
ji han, mei Tokyo ja chuka hun.
“Yes, I have been to Tokyo.”

7. Asking About Someone’s Profession

If you’re able to indulge a Pakistani Urdu-speaker for a reasonable amount of time, expect a question about your job or profession at some point in the conversation. Pakistanis love to share their professional details and experiences with others.

Question

آپ کا پیشہ کیا ہے؟
aap ka paysha kya hai?
“What is your profession?”

Answer

Here’s the answer pattern you can use in reply. Just replace “doctor” with your own profession.

میں ڈاکٹر ہوں۔
mei doctor hun.
“I am a doctor.”

→ Check out our Jobs / Work vocabulary list and find your profession so you can answer the question! 

8. Asking About Someone’s Preferences & Well-Being

If you’ve made it to this point in your conversation, give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve clearly made way with your strong Urdu skills and made a good impression on your interlocutor. Following are the best questions and answers in the Urdu language to keep the conversation going.

Question

آپ کو جاپان کیسا لگا؟
aap ko Japan kaisa laga?
“How do you find Japan?”

Answer

مجھے جاپان بہت اچھا لگا
mujhe Japan bohat acha laga.
“I like Japan very much.”

Question

Cultural cuisine is another favorite topic among foreign visitors and travelers. Inquire about someone’s food preferences as follows.

کیا آپ کو پاکستانی کھانے پسند ہیں؟
kya aap ko Pakistani khanay pasand hain?
“Do you like Pakistani cuisine?”

Answer

Appreciating local cuisine is always appreciated!

جی ہاں، مجھے پاکستانی کھانے بہت پسند ہیں
ji han, mujhe Pakistani khanay bohat pasand hain.
“I like Pakistani cuisine very much.”

9. Asking About Someone’s Studies

If you and your interlocutor have gotten truly comfortable talking with each other, it may be a good time to talk about each other’s hobbies, personal interests, or studies. The question below will focus specifically on one’s studies.

Question

آپ کیا پڑھ رہے ہیں؟
aap kya parh rahay hain?
“What are you studying?”

Answer

میں انگریزی ادب میں ماسٹرز کر رہا ہوں
mei angrezi adab mei masters kar raha hun.
“I am doing my Master’s in English literature.”

10. Asking About Someone’s Problems in Urdu

Showing concern for someone will help you win the attention and empathy of Pakistanis. People share their problems only with those who are able to show sympathy or empathy toward them.

Question

First, here’s how you can ask about someone’s health.

آپ کی صحت کے ساتھ کیا مسئلہ ہے؟
aap ki sehat kay sath kya masla hai?
“What’s wrong with your health?”

Answer

میں بالکل ٹھیک ہوں
mei bilkul theek hun.
“I am perfectly alright.”

Question

Here’s how you can ask about someone’s general well-being.

آپ کی زندگی کیسی گذر رہی ہے؟
aap kis zindagi kaisi guzar rahi hai?
“How is your life going on?”

Answer

میری زندگی بہت اچھی گذر رہی ہے
meri zindagi bohat achi guzar rahi hai.
“My life is going on very well.”

11. Asking for the Cost of Something

While traveling in Pakistan, you’ll find yourself needing to ask about the price of something. Here’s an easy way to do that.

Question

اس کی قیمت کیا ہے؟
iss ki qeemat kya hai?
“How much is it?”

Answer

یہ سو روپے کا ہے
yeh so rupay ka hai.
“It costs a hundred rupees.”

12. Conclusion

By now, you should know how to ask different questions in the Urdu language, and how to understand the answers you’re likely to be given. Asking questions in Urdu conversations should be much simpler for you now than it was before you read this article!

If there’s anything we didn’t cover in this article, or if you want more information on something we did cover, leave us a comment and we’ll do our best to help! 

In addition, don’t forget to surf through UrduPod101.com. If you haven’t yet explored this online resource for learning Urdu, delay no further! Start benefiting from our exceptional content right away; you’ll feel the difference and see major improvement in your Urdu skills.

Very Happy Urdu Learning!

Do you think that the cut-and-dry grammar and complex syntaxes are the only important aspects of learning a language? If so, let us introduce you to an equally effective linguistic approach that will help you start using Urdu faster: learning the most common Urdu language sentence structures and patterns. 

Without undermining the due significance of traditional language-learning methods, it’s important to be flexible and tailor your studies to your personal needs. This is a small step that can have huge results! 

As a smart Urdu student, think outside the box and learn some widely used sentence patterns in English and Urdu for everyday communications. Once you’ve learned these well, you can even start improvising to craft your own unique sentences per situation.

This article will inform you of the ten most productive and easy Urdu sentence patterns that will help you articulate your thoughts into crisp, comprehensible Urdu sentences. Remember that it’s not a shortcut; it’s the smart cut, guaranteeing a better understanding of Urdu sentence formation with pleasing results. 

Let’s begin.

Table of Contents

1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B
2. Using Adjectives to Describe: A is [Adjective]
3. Expressing “Want”: I Want (to)…
4. Expressing “Need”: I Need (to)… / I Have to …
5. Expressing “Like”: I Like (to)…
6. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something: Please…
7. Asking for Permission: May I…? / Can I…?
8. Asking for Information About Something: What is…?
9. Asking About Time: When is…?
10. Asking About Location or Position: Where is…?
11. Conclusion

1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B

We’ll start with a simple Urdu sentence pattern for describing a noun by linking it to another noun. Before you look at the examples below, we recommend that you study our articles about Urdu Nouns and Urdu Verbs so you can better understand how they work. In particular, you should familiarize yourself with the verb “to be” in Urdu.

• عمران میرا بھائی ہے
  Imran mera bhai hai.
  “Imran is my brother.”

• ہاکی ہمارا قومی کھیل ہے
  Hockey hamara qomi khel hai.
  “Hockey is our national sport.”

• لاہور میرا شہر ہے
  Lahore mera shehar hai.
  “Lahore is my city.”

2. Using Adjectives to Describe: A is [Adjective]

Now that you know how to use nouns in Urdu sentences, it’s pertinent to step forward and learn how to describe nouns using Urdu adjectives.

• محمد ایک سچا انسان ہے
  Muhammad aik sacha insaan hai.
  “Muhammad is an honest man.”

• یہ ایک اہم موقع ہے
  Yeh aik aham moqa hai.
  “It is an important opportunity.”

• یہ کتاب بالکل نئی ہے
  Yeh kitab bilkul naiye hai.
  “This is a brand-new book.”

UrduPod101.com has a page about high-frequency Urdu adjectives that you should familiarize yourself with. Check it out! 

3. Expressing “Want”: I Want (to)…

Expressing one’s wishes or desires is an extremely important matter in any language. In Urdu, we use the verb چاہنا (chah-na) to express any such feelings. Below are some examples of how to use a proper Urdu sentence pattern with this verb.

• میں ایک کامیاب بزنس مین بننا چاہتا ہوں
  Mei aik kamyab businessman ban-na chahta hun.
  “I want to become a successful businessman.”

• میں مزید پڑھنا چاہتا ہوں
  Mei mazeed parhna chahta hun.
  “I want to study further.”

• تم سب سے آگے نکلنا چاہتے ہو
  Tum sab say aagay nikalna chahtay ho.
  “You want to lead everyone.”

To learn more about how to properly conjugate Urdu verbs, including this one, check out our article about Urdu Conjugations. 

4. Expressing “Need”: I Need (to)… / I Have to …

If you want something, it may underlie a luxury; if you need something, it signifies a necessity. Needs are more important than wants, so let’s learn the best Urdu sentence structure for expressing needs.

ضرورت (zaroorat) is the word we use to convey needs in Urdu. 

Below, you’ll find some sentences in Urdu to emphasize or express your needs. Be sure to focus on the various changes undergone by this word. 

• میرا آج واپس لوٹنا ضروری ہے
  Mera aaj wapis lotna zaroori hai.
  “I have to return today, definitely.”

• تمھیں یہ امتحان ہر صورت میں ضرور پاس کرنا ہے
  Tumhain yeh imtihan her surat mein zaroor pass karna hai.
  “You need to pass this exam at any cost.”

• ہمیں اپنا رویہ بدلنے کی ضرورت ہے
  Hamein apna rawaiyya badalnay ki zaroorat hai.
  “We need to change our attitude.”

5. Expressing “Like”: I Like (to)…

Now, let’s aim at learning how to express our likes in Urdu. پسند کرنا (pasand karna) is the true translation of “to like” in Urdu. پیار کرنا (pyaar karna) is another verb used to express love, as it’s translated as “to love” in English. However, پسند کرنا also has an implied meaning of loving someone when used in a particular context. 

• مجھے سینما جانا پسند ہے
  Mujhay cinema jana pasand hai.
  “I like to go to the cinema.”

• میں پڑھانا پسند کرتا ہوں
  Mei parhana pasand karta hun.
  “I like to teach.”

• مجھے ٹرین کا سفر اچھا لگتا ہے
  Mujhay train ka safar acha lagta hai.
  “I like to travel by train.”

6. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something: Please…

Courtesy is among the seven pillars of effective communication in Pakistani society, and around the world. In Pakistan, people like to give and receive respect while communicating with each other. In this section of the article, we’ll show you an Urdu sentence pattern used to ask for something (or for a favor).

• مہربانی فرما کر میری بات سنیں
  Meharbani farma kar meri baat sunein.
  “Please, listen to me.”

• براہ مہربانی اپنا لہجہ درست کریں
  Barah-e-meharbani apna lehja durust karein.
  “Please, mind your tone.”

• ازراہ کرم میرے پیسے واپس کر دیں
  Azrah-e-karam meray paisay wapis kar dein.
  “Please, return my money.”

7. Asking for Permission: May I…? / Can I…?

In every culture, asking permission is an essential rule of etiquette. In Urdu, we use modal verbs to ask certain questions and seek permission, along with many other functions. Below, we’ll show you how to incorporate modal verbs in your sentences by following a particular Urdu sentence pattern.   

• کیا میں اندرآسکتا ہوں؟
  Kia mei ander aa sakta hun?
  “May I come in?”

• کیا میں آپ کے گھر آ سکتا ہوں؟
  Kia mei aap kay ghar aa sakta hun.
  “May I visit your house?”

• کیا میں آپ کا تھوڑا سا وقت لے سکتا ہوں؟
  Kia mei aap ka thora sa waqt lay sakta hun.
  “Can I take a little bit of your time?”

8. Asking for Information About Something: What is…?

When visiting a foreign country, you’re probably going to have some questions for the natives. This makes learning the Urdu sentence patterns for asking questions essential for any Urdu learner.

کیا ہے (kia hai) is a basic phrase used to ask a question in Urdu. In English, it’s translated as “what is.” You can always place کیا ہے at the end of a sentence, preceded by the relevant words. Let’s see some examples:

• آپ کا ارادہ کیا ہے؟
  Aap ka irada kia hai?
  “What is your plan?”

• آپ کا سوال کیا ہے؟
  Aap ka sawal kia hai?
  “What is your question?”

• آپ کے سکول کا نام کیا ہے؟
  Aap kay school ka nam kia hai.
  “What is the name of your school?”

9. Asking About Time: When is…?

Now it’s time to learn “when is,” or کب ہے (kab hai). You can always place کب ہے at the end of a sentence. Let’s see some examples:

• آپ کی شادی کی اینیورسری کب ہے؟
  Aap ki shadi ki anniversary kab hai?
  “When is your marriage anniversary?”

• دونوں ٹیموں کے مابین اگلا میچ کب ہے؟
  Dono teemo kay maabain agla match kab hai?
  “When will the next match be played between both teams?”

• آپ کی منگنی کب ہو رہی ہے؟
  Aap ki mangni kab ho rahi hai?
  “When is your engagement taking place?”

10. Asking About Location or Position: Where is…?

Asking about someone’s location is another important inquiry. کہاں ہے (kahan is) is the expression used in Urdu to do this. Here are examples of how to use this phrase in an Urdu sentence pattern: 

• لاہور میں یادگار پاکستان کہاں ہے؟
  Lahore mein Yaadgar-e-Pakistan kahan hai?
  “Where is Yaadgar-e-Pakistan located in Lahore?”

• آپ کا کالج کہاں واقع ہے؟
  Aap ka college kahan waqia hai?
  “Where is your college situated?”

• ہماری ذاتی گاڑی کہاں ہے؟
  Hamari zati gari kahan hai?
  “Where is our personal vehicle?”

11. Conclusion

In this article, you learned the basics of how to form sentences in Urdu by focusing on basic Urdu sentence patterns. We recommend that you choose an Urdu sentence pattern to practice, and work until you master it before moving on to another one.

Do you have any questions about a sentence pattern that you want to discuss with us? Are you better prepared to interact with native Urdu-speakers with this handful of language material you learned today with UrduPod101.com?

Be sure to keep exploring UrduPod101, a rich repository of Urdu language-learning resources for students at every level. 

Very Happy Urdu Learning!