Some may believe that Urdu speakers can read and understand Arabic. To a certain extent, this is true: Urdu is written in an adapted form of the Arabic script, so the two look alike on the page. Yet they are very different languages from different language families.
Let’s look at Urdu script versus Arabic together. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, and there are also many Urdu speakers in India and a few in Bangladesh, but it is the native language mainly of Pakistan.
What Is The Difference Between Urdu And Arabic Script?
Urdu and Arabic both run from right to left, but Urdu is an adaptation of the Arabic script. Here are the main differences between them:
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- Letters: Urdu has up to 39 or 40 letters, while Arabic has only 28.
- Writing style: Urdu is usually written in the flowing Nastaliq style, while Arabic is mostly written in the clearer Naskh style.
- Language family: Urdu is an Indo-European language, while Arabic is an Afro-Asiatic language.
- Where they are spoken: Urdu is spoken mainly in Pakistan and India, while Arabic is an official language across the Middle East and North Africa.
To learn the letters themselves, see our guides to the Urdu alphabet and the Arabic alphabet.
What Is The Urdu Language?
The script for the Urdu language is called the Nastaliq script. The Urdu alphabet comes from the Perso-Arabic script and has up to 39 or 40 letters. The Nastaliq style is a flowing, hanging writing style, which is quite artistic and poetic.
To a listener, spoken Hindi sounds much like Urdu. The two are often mistaken for the same language because they share the same Indo-Aryan base, with the same grammar and many of the same words, but they are written differently: Arabic script for Urdu and Devanagari script for Hindi. Urdu also carries the formality and politeness of the court language it descends from.
Urdu dates back to the time of the Mughal rulers, while Arabic is even older. Persian, Turkish and Punjabi speakers used Urdu to communicate with people in Delhi who spoke different dialects. Since Pakistan’s independence in 1947, Urdu has been its lingua franca.
What Is The Arabic Language?
Arabic is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the Arabic script is used to write it as well as many other African and Asian languages. The Arabic writing system is said to be the second most used writing system in the world. The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, and it is written from right to left.
Believe it or not, about 25 countries consider Arabic an official language, and in some of them it is co-official with another language. These countries include Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Syria, Oman, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait and many more. Arabic is the mother tongue of about 411 million people, and others speak it as a second language or as part of their religion.
The modern Arabic writing system is close to Quranic Arabic in its structure and grammar, without the old forms of the language, which makes it easier to use today.
Is Urdu Written In The Same Script As Arabic?
Yes and no: Urdu uses the Arabic script, but the way it is written and the languages behind it differ. Here are some main differences between an Urdu speaker and an Arabic speaker:
- The languages are spoken in different places.
- Their syntax is different, meaning their arrangement of sentences and how each component is linked together.
- The script writing style is different, and the number of letters in their alphabets differs.
- They come from different language families. Urdu is from the Indo-European language family, and Arabic is from the Afro-Asiatic language family.
- Urdu draws on Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit. Arabic is related to Hebrew, Aramaic and the Ethiopic languages, which are also Semitic.
What Is The Main Difference Between Urdu Script And Arabic?
Although they are written similarly, Urdu is an adaptation of the Arabic script. Urdu has many more letters, up to 39 or 40, and Arabic has only 28. The loan words in Urdu come mainly from three languages: Persian, Arabic and English.What Should You Remember When Writing Urdu Script Versus Arabic?
Urdu and Arabic are both written from right to left in the Arabic script, so you might think they are closely related, but there are differences in the writing systems. Urdu is written in the Nastaliq style, while Arabic is written in the Naskh style, which was ideal for documenting the Quran because of its clear writing.
Urdu speakers sound a lot like they are speaking Hindi, because the two come from the same language family, unlike Arabic. They have different scripts, and Hindi is not an official language of Pakistan, while Urdu is one of the recognized languages of India.
Does Sharing A Script Make Urdu And Arabic Easier To Learn?
Sharing a script can help an Arabic speaker start reading Urdu, and an Urdu speaker start reading Arabic. But remember, every learner is different: for some people, having the same script is a BIG plus, while for others it can be a point of confusion! If you are weighing up the effort, see is Urdu hard to learn.
Frequently Asked Questions About Urdu Script Versus Arabic
Is Urdu Written In Arabic Script?
Yes. Urdu is written in an adapted form of the Perso-Arabic script, from right to left, usually in the Nastaliq style.
How Many Letters Does The Urdu Alphabet Have Compared To Arabic?
The Urdu alphabet has up to 39 or 40 letters, while the Arabic alphabet has 28.
Can An Urdu Speaker Read Arabic?
To a certain extent. Because the scripts are similar, an Urdu speaker can recognize most Arabic letters, but Urdu and Arabic are different languages from different families, so reading the letters is not the same as understanding the words.
Learn Urdu With The Ling App!
Now you know how Urdu script and Arabic differ, from the letters to the writing style. If you want to take the next step, Ling’s flashcards with native speaker audio, writing lessons for the Urdu script and Dialog for real conversation practice make it easy to learn a little every day.
Start learning Urdu with Ling today and enjoy the beauty of Nastaliq one letter at a time!
