Anxious about making mistakes in Urdu grammar? Worry no more! This article highlights some of the most common Urdu grammar mistakes to avoid. It’s a handy guide to look at whenever you find yourself confused.
As Urdu has several grammar rules, it’s natural to make mistakes. The key is to learn from those mistakes to avoid repeating them next time. But to make things easier for you, here are some common Urdu grammar mistakes to avoid and easy ways to fix them. The idea is that you’ll feel more confident speaking Urdu!
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List Of 5 Common Urdu Grammar Mistakes To Avoid
To help you avoid making these Urdu grammar mistakes, below is a list of the 5 most common ones. Understanding them could save you from an awkward situation! Let’s look at them.
1. Incorrect Placement Of Auxiliary Verbs
This is the crucial Urdu grammar mistake that most beginners make. They often get confused with which auxiliary verb to use. Thus, they end up using the wrong one.
If you’re hearing about the auxiliary verbs for the first time, they are “is” – hai (ہے) and “are” – hain (ہیں).
We use hai (ہے) with singular subjects and hain (ہیں) with plural subjects. If you use “is” – hai (ہے) in place of “are” – hain (ہیں), it disrupts the sentence’s flow and makes it grammatically incorrect.
Suppose you want to say:
- They are my friends – Woh mere dost hain (وہ میرے دوست ہیں).
If instead of saying “They are my friends”, you say “They is my friends” – Woh mere dost hai (وہ میرے دوست ہے), the verb ending is wrong.
Here, the subject “friends” – dost (دوست) is plural, so we write the plural verb “are” – hain (ہیں) with it.
Let’s look at another example.
- This is a red book – Yeh ek surkh kitaab hai (یہ ایک سرخ کتاب ہے).
Here, the subject, “a red book,” is singular. That’s why we use the singular verb hai (ہے) here.
So remember, we use a singular verb with a singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject.
Practice the following sentences to get a strong grasp on this grammar rule:
| English | Urdu | Pronunciation | Break down |
|---|---|---|---|
| This book is new | یہ کتاب نئی ہے | Yeh kitaab nayi hai | Singular Subject: Book- kitaab (کتاب) Singular verb: is – hai (ہے) |
| These books are new | یہ کتابیں نئی ہیں | Yeh kitabain nayi hain | Plural subject: books – kitabain (کتابیں) Plural Verb: are – hain (ہیں( |
| That girl is beautiful | وہ لڑکی خوبصورت ہے | Wo larki khoobsurat hai | Singular subject: girl – larki (لڑکی) Singular verb: is – hai (ہے( |
| Those boys are intelligent | وہ لڑکے ذہین ہیں | Wo larkay zaheen hain | Plural subject: boys- larkay (لڑکے) Plural Verb: are – hain (ہیں( |
2. Incorrect Use Of Possessive Postposition
Another common Urdu grammar mistake learners make is using incorrect possessive postpositions.
In Urdu, we use postposition ka (کا), ki (کی), and ke (کے) to show possession.
We use ka (کا) for masculine nouns, ki (کی) for feminine nouns, and ke (کے) for plural nouns.
Imagine saying,
- This is Ali’s book – Yeh Ali ka kitaab hai (یہ علی کا کتاب ہے)
Here, the use of the possessive postposition ka (کا) is wrong. That’s because we use ka (کا) for masculine Urdu nouns.
As “book” is a feminine noun, we should use ki (کی) to show possession. So, the correct way of saying this is,
- This is Ali’s book – Yeh Ali ki kitaab hai (یہ علی کی کتاب ہے)
Similarly, in the phrase,
- Ali’s house – Ali ka ghar (علی کا گھر)
“House” is a masculine noun, so we used ka (کا) to show that the house belongs to Ali.
- Children’s toys – bachon ke khilone (بچوں کے کھلونے)
Here, the subject ‘children’ (bachon) is plural, so we used ke (کے) to indicate that these are children’s toys.
You see, this is a minor mistake that people often overlook, but it is grammatically incorrect. Using the right possessive postposition in Urdu is significant for writing accurate sentences. Otherwise, your friends and peers might make fun of you as ours do.
3. Mixing Up Conjunctions: Ne (نے) And Ko (کو)
Learners also often get confused with the conjunctions ne (نے) and ko (کو), even though they serve different purposes.
As a reminder, we use ne (نے) to show who performed the action and ko (کو) to indicate who received the action.
For instance,
- Ali greeted Ahmed – Ali ne Ahmed ko salaam kia (علی نے احمد کو سلام کیا).
This sentence contains both ne (نے) and ko (کو).
We first used the conjunction ne (نے) placed after Ali to show that Ali did the action of greeting Ahmed. Then, we used ko (کو) placed after Ahmed to show that Ahmed received the action of greeting from Ali.
If you don’t write ko (کو) after Ahmed and instead say…
- Ali greeted Ahmed – Ali ne Ahmed salaam Kia (علی نے احمد سلام کیا)
…the sentence will remain incomplete, as who received the action is unclear.
Let’s see another example:
- Ali gave a book to Ahmed – Ali ne Ahmed ko kitaab di (علی نے احمد کو کتاب دی).
Here, Ahmed is receiving the book from Ali, so we write ko (کو) after Ahmed. And, as Ali is giving the book to Ahmed, we have written ne (نے) after Ali.
Have you understood the difference?
Remember, we use ne (نے) with the subject who acts and ko (کو) with the object who receives the action. Using these conjunctions correctly makes your sentences clear and precise.
4. Incorrect Sentence Structure In Questioning Sentences
This is another common Urdu grammar mistake that learners often make. They repeat the questioning word twice, unnecessarily.
Imagine you’re trying to say:
- What are you doing? – Tum kya kar rahe ho? (تم کیا کر رہے ہو)
But you end up using the questioning Urdu word “what” – kya (کیا) twice, and instead say:
- What are you doing what? – Tum kya kar rahe ho kya? (تم کیا کر رہے ہو کیا؟)
Here, the questioning word “what” – kya (کیا) is repeated twice. One is after the subject, and one is at the end. This repetition makes the sentence sound unnatural and confusing.
So, the only right way of using question words in Urdu is at the beginning or before the verb. Never repeat it at the end.
For instance,
- Where are you going? – Tum kahan ja rahe ho? (تم کہاں جا رہے ہو)
It will be incorrect if you say,
- Where are you going where? – Kahan ja rahe ho tum kahan? (کہاں تم جا رہے ہو کہاں؟)
So, remember to place the question word accurately and avoid repeating it unnecessarily.
5. Subject-Verb Agreement Mistakes
Another frequent mistake students make when learning Urdu is they fail to match the verb with the subject’s number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine).
Look at the following example:
- The girl is running – Woh larki bhaag rahi hai (وہ لڑکی بھاگ رہی ہے)
This sentence is correct because the subject, “girl” – larki (لڑکی), is feminine singular, so we use a singular feminine verb “is running” – bhaag rahi hai (بھاگ رہی ہے) with it.
Never say “The girl are running” – Woh larki bhaag rahe hain (وہ لڑکی بھاگ رہے ہیں). It’s wrong because it uses the plural verb “are running” – bhaag rahe hain (بھاگ رہے ہیں) with the singular noun “girl” – larki (لڑکی).
In the same way,
- Singular Feminine: A girl is playing – Larki khel rahi hai (لڑکی کھیل رہی ہے).
- Singular Masculine: A boy is playing – Larka khel raha hai لڑکا کھیل رہا ہے).
- Plural Subject: Children are playing – Bachay khel rahe hain (بچے کھیل رہے ہیں).
Always ensure that the verb agrees with the subject in both number and gender to maintain grammatical accuracy.
Let’s look at one last example.
To say “The boys are playing,” say:
- Bachay khel rahe hain (بچے کھیل رہے ہیں) instead of Bachay khel rahi hai (بچے کھیل رہی ہے)
So remember that singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
Similarly, masculine subjects take masculine verbs, and feminine subjects take feminine verbs.
Tips To Avoid Common Urdu Grammar Mistakes
Now that you know which common Urdu grammar mistakes to avoid, here are some simple tips to stay clear of them and make grammatically correct sentences:
- Read and write regularly. Start reading simple books, newspapers, and short stories and write daily, even if it’s just a few sentences.
- Engage with the Urdu language as much as possible. Watch Urdu movies, listen to songs, and follow news channels to improve your pronunciation and understanding of Urdu sentence structure.
- Speak with confidence, without worrying about mistakes. If you aren’t comfortable speaking Urdu in front of your family and friends, the best way is to practice in front of a mirror. This way, you become your own judge.
- Expand your vocabulary. Begin with basic Urdu words and phrases and learn a few new words daily. Keep practicing them by using flashcards or playing word games to retain them and extend your Urdu vocabulary.
- Keep practicing Urdu grammar rules to become proficient in them. You can do this through online grammar exercises, grammar books, or language-learning apps.
FAQs About Common Urdu Grammar Mistakes
1. How Can I Improve My Urdu Grammar?
You can easily improve your Urdu grammar by consistently practicing it every day. The more you practice, the better you will get. Like, try reading a short Urdu story and then writing a summary in your own words. This will help you improve your reading and writing skills.
You can also engage with native speakers or listen to podcasts and news to pick the sounds and make them natural to your ears. If you want to learn Urdu in a fun and quick manner, try using the Ling app.
2. Why Do I Keep Making The Same Urdu Grammar Mistakes?
You keep making the same Urdu grammar mistakes probably because you don’t practice the rules often. But mistakes happen when you’re learning a new language, and that’s completely normal. Just don’t stop trying. The key tip is to focus on one rule at a time. For instance, if you’re learning to use possessive postpositions in Urdu accurately, try making simple sentences with them:
- He is Ahmed’s friend – Yeh Ahmed ka dost hai (یہ احمد کا دوست ہے)
- It is Maryam’s book – Yeh Maryam ki kitaab hai (یہ مریم کی کتاب ہے).
Once you understand how each rule works, slowly move to more advanced Urdu grammar rules and start practicing complex sentences. Also, you can note the above-mentioned common Urdu grammar mistakes to avoid in your diary. Practice each daily and quickly look at them whenever you get confused to get on the right track.
3. Is Urdu Grammar Difficult To Learn?
No, Urdu grammar isn’t difficult to learn. Although some topics might sound tricky, it becomes easy once you understand the basic rules. The key is to begin with the basics. For instance, you can start by learning the basic Urdu sentence structure or the correct usage of auxiliary verbs “is” – hai (ہے) and “are” – hain (ہیں) in sentences. Don’t overstress or rush! Practice consistently, and you’ll see for yourself that Urdu grammar isn’t difficult to learn.
Urdu Practice: Learn From Your Mistakes
We’ve always heard from our elders that we learn from our mistakes – Hum apni ghaltion se hi seekhte hain (ہم اپنی غلطیوں سے ہی سیکھتے ہیں). And unsurprisingly, it’s true.
It’s either a win or a lesson; there’s no in-between. And that’s what makes learning exciting. The same applies to Urdu grammar.
And the shortcut to mastering Urdu grammar is to focus on some common Urdu grammar mistakes that most learners struggle with and try to avoid them.
However, don’t get overwhelmed if you can’t avoid them on the first try! Keep trying, and with time, you’ll see improvement in your Urdu language skills.
Some of these common Urdu grammar mistakes to avoid include using wrong auxiliary verbs, verbs not agreeing with the subject, getting confused with Urdu conjunctions, and, above all, using incorrect possessive postpositions. All these common mistakes make your sentences confusing and grammatically incorrect. Yet, you can easily get the hang of them with consistent practice. So, keep on trying until you become a pro!
Master Urdu Today!
Now that you know which common Urdu grammar mistakes to avoid, it’s time to step forward and explore the language even more. Are you ready to do that?
If yes, make the Ling app your language partner, and you surely won’t regret it!
It’s a language-learning platform that allows you to learn Urdu through beginner-friendly, short lessons, practice exercises, and fun quizzes. It even has a chatbot to practice speaking Urdu! Doesn’t that make Ling one of the best apps to practice Urdu language?
So, download this all-in-one gamified learning app and master writing and speaking Urdu in a fun and interactive way. Happy learning!
