If you are a beginner-level language learner looking for ways to quickly learn Urdu, then learning the basic Urdu sentence structure rules is the first step you need to take. Urdu sentence structure has three main types, but learning even one of them can start you on the path to writing and speaking the language like a native speaker. What’s more, Urdu sentences only feel tricky at first, but with a few basic rules and tips, you can master them easily.
With this in mind, let’s break down a few basic Urdu sentence structure rules for learners to give you a head start. We’ll also give you a quick overview of three different sentence structure types for a sneak peek at advanced learning. Let’s start!
Table Of Contents
Basic Urdu Sentence Structure Rules For Learners
Basic Word Order
Let’s start simple. Basic Urdu sentence structure differs slightly from the Subject-Verb-Object commonly used in English. Instead, it follows a Subject-Object-Verb structure. You see, Urdu places the verb at the end of the sentence.
Let’s look at an example:
Me Urdu seekh rahi hun
میں اردو سیکھ رہی ہوں
I am learning Urdu
Here, me (میں) is the subject, Urdu (اردو) is the object, and seekh rahi hun (سیکھ رہی ہوں) is the verb. You can see that the verb is placed after the object, unlike in English.
Adjectives Come Before Nouns
When we want to describe something in Urdu, we place the adjective before the noun. This is different from English, where adjectives can also follow a verb.
For example:
khoobsurat phool
خوبصورت پھول
beautiful flower
As you can see, in Urdu we write the adjective khoobsurat (خوبصورت – beautiful) before the noun phool (پھول – flower).
The Placement Of Prepositions
Let’s look at prepositions now. In English, we write prepositions before the object, but in Urdu sentences, we write them after it.
So don’t get confused if you see the term “postpositions” in Urdu grammar. They got this name because they are placed “post,” or after, the object.
For example:
Wo kamre main hai
(وہ کمرے میں ہے)
He is in the room (Lit.: “He room in is”)
In English, we say “He is in the room,” but in Urdu, it is wo kamre main hai (وہ کمرے میں ہے), which literally translates into “He room in is.” The postposition main (میں – in) goes after the object kamray (کمرے – room).
Urdu Verb Conjugation Based On Number And Gender
Here comes a tricky part. In Urdu, the verb should always agree in number and gender with the noun. That is, we write a masculine verb with a masculine noun and a feminine verb with a feminine noun.
Let’s understand this with the help of an example:
She is eating – wo khana khaa rahi hai (وہ کھانا کھا رہی ہے)
He is eating – wo khana khaa raha hai (وہ کھانا کھا رہا ہے)
And it’s the same with the number. We use singular Urdu nouns with a singular verb and plural nouns with plural verbs. For instance:
I am going – Me jaraha hun (میں جارہا ہوں)
We are going – Hum jarahe hain (ہم جارہے ہیں)
In the first sentence, the subject me (میں) is singular, so we used the singular verb jaraha hun (جارہا ہوں). In the second sentence, hum (ہم) is a plural subject, so the verb becomes jarahe hain (جارہے ہیں).
Negation Words In Urdu
Now, this part is much easier. If you want to say no to someone, simply add the word nahi (نہیں) before the verb.
Example:
He is coming – Wo araha hai (وہ آرہا ہے)
He is not coming – Wo nahi araha (وہ نہیں آرہا)
Question Words In Urdu
Unlike negative sentences, making interrogative or questioning sentences is a bit challenging. You can make a questioning sentence in Urdu in two different ways:
Firstly, you can simply add an Urdu question word at the beginning. These are words like kya (کیا – what), kon (کون – who), kab (کب – when), etc.
On the other hand, you can use the question word anywhere in the sentence and just keep the tone interrogative. For example: What is it? – yeh kya hai (یہ کیا ہے؟).
Types Of Sentence Structures In The Urdu Language
Now that you got the basics, let’s dive deeper into the subject. Urdu sentence structures are of 3 types, as explained below.
1. Simple Sentences – Saada Jumlay (سادہ جملے)
These are the easiest-to-make sentences. We can easily construct simple sentences by adding one subject and one verb. We can also call them independent sentences or independent clauses, since they have a verb and a subject and give a complete meaning.
As we saw at the beginning, the structure for simple sentences in Urdu is:
Subject + Object + Verb
For Example:
I am reading a book – Me kitaab parh rahi hun (میں کتاب پڑھ رہی ہوں)
My brother went to school today – Mera bhai aj school gaya (میرا بھائی آج سکول گیا تھا)
These sentences are made by combining one subject and one verb. Yet, you have to ensure that the sentence has a complete sense of thought. That is: me (میں – I) is a subject who is kitaab parh rahi hun (کتاب پڑھ رہی ہوں – reading a book).
2. Compound Sentences – Murakab Jumlay (مرکب جملے)
You can make compound sentences by combining two simple or complete clauses (the first type of sentence structure). For this, we use coordinating conjunctions, which are words that join two complete sentences to make one. These are words like “and” – aur (اور), “but” – lekin (لیکن), “or” ya (یا), etc.
The structure for compound sentences is:
Sentence 1 + Coordinating Conjunction + Sentence 2
For example:
My brother went to school today, but he came back early – Mera bhai aj school gaya lekin wo jaldi wapis agaya (میرا بھائی آج سکول گیا لیکن وہ جلدی واپس آگیا)
I ate food, and then I slept – Me ne khana khaya or phir me so gai (میں نے کھانا کھایا اور پھر میں سو گئی)
These sentences have two subjects and two verbs. Let’s break down the first sentence for a closer look.
Mera bhai aj school gaya (میرا بھائی آج سکول گیا – My brother went to school today) it is one complete sentence, and Wo jaldi wapis agaya (وہ جلدی واپس آگیا – He came back early) is the second one.
We have connected the two sentences with the coordinating conjunction lekin (لیکن – but) to make one complete compound sentence: Mera bhai aj school gaya lekin wo jaldi wapis agaya (میرا بھائی آج سکول گیا لیکن وہ جلدی واپس آگیا).
3. Complex Sentences – Murakab Paicheeda Jumlay (مرکب پیچیدہ جملے)
Finally, we can make complex sentences by joining one complete sentence or clause and one dependent clause.
A dependent clause is one that has a subject and a verb but doesn’t give a complete meaning. Thus, they can’t stand alone as a sentence.
For example, jab barish hoti hai (جب بارش ہوتی ہے – when it rains) or film khatam hone ke baad (فلم ختم ہونے کے بعد – after the movie ended).
So, complex sentences connect one dependent clause with one independent clause to make a complete sentence with a clear meaning. This is done with the help of subordinating conjunctions, words like “because” – kyunke (کیونکہ), “if” – agar (اگر), “while/whereas” – jabke (جبکہ), etc.
The structure for complex sentences is:
Clause 1 + Subordinating Conjunction + Clause 2
(Note that the dependent clause can come before or after the subordinating conjunction).
For example:
When it rains, I close the windows – Jab barish hoti hai tou me khirkian band kar deti hun (جب بارش ہوتی ہے تو میں کھڑکیاں بند کردیتی ہوں )
Here, Jab barish hoti hai (جب بارش ہوتی ہے – When it rains) is a dependent clause, tou (تو – then) is the subordinating conjunction, and me khirkian band kar deti hun (میں کھڑکیاں بند کردیتی ہوں – I close the windows) is the independent clause.
Vocabulary Related To Urdu Sentence Structure
If you’re learning about Urdu sentence structure, there are a few basic Urdu words you might need to be familiar with. Let’s look at some of them below!
| English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | فعل | Fa’il |
| Subject | فاعل | Faa’il |
| Object | مفعول | Maf’ool |
| Adjective | صفت | sifat |
| Noun | اسم | Is’m |
| Order | ترتیب | Tarteeb |
Quick Tips: Urdu Sentence Structure Rules For Learners
As we mentioned earlier, Urdu word order differs slightly from English. It follows the SOV (subject – object – verb) sentence structure instead of SVO (subject – verb – object). So, to avoid confusion, the following tips can help you out:
- Practice rearranging English sentences into the SVO Urdu sentence structure pattern. For example, you can change the sentence “she eats apples” to wo saib khati hai (وہ سیب کھاتی ہے – “she apples eat”).
- Master the positioning of the elements in Urdu sentences. You know, an adjective comes before the noun, and prepositions are actually postpositions and go after the object.
- Match the subject’s gender with the verb. As mentioned earlier, in Urdu, the gender of nouns is very crucial, so ensure that you use the right verb with the right subject. For instance: wo saib khati hai (وہ سیب کھاتی ہے – she eats apples) vs. wo saib khata hai (وہ سیب کھاتا ہے – he eats apples)
- Take it step-by-step. Learn the sentence structures one by one, and understand the basics before moving on to more complex topics. You can start with making short Urdu sentences and then move on to compound and complex sentences.
- Use different resources to help you. You can create flashcards to remember the rules, learn with language apps such as Ling to stay motivated, and even watch Urdu movies and series to become more familiar with the language.
Frequently Asked Questions About Urdu Sentence Structure
1. How Many Types Of Sentences Are There In The Urdu Language?
There are 5 different types of sentences in Urdu. These are:
- Assertive/Declarative Sentences: Used to state a fact, opinion, or any information. For example, “I traveled on the train today” – Me ne aj train par safar kiya (میں نے آج ٹرین پر سفر کیا).
- Interrogative Sentences: They ask a question. For example, “Do you have an umbrella?” – Kia tumharay paas chatri hai? (کیا تمہارے پاس چھتری ہے؟).
- Negative Sentences: These are the sentences that negate something. For instance, “I won’t eat this” – Me yeh nahi khaonga (میں یہ نہیں کھاؤنگا).
- Exclamation Sentences: These express emotions or surprise, like “What a beautiful view!” – Kia khoobsurat manzar hai! (کیا خوبصورت منظر ہے).
- Imperative Sentences: These sentences are used to order, request, or give commands. For example: “Don’t go there” – Wahan nahi jao (وہاں نہیں جاؤ).
2. Do Adjectives Come Before Or After Nouns In Urdu Sentences?
Adjectives in Urdu generally come before the noun they describe. For instance:
- A big house – Ek bara ghar (ایک بڑا گھر).
Here, the adjective bara (بڑا – big) comes before the noun ghar (گھر – house).
3. Where Does The Verb Go In An Urdu Sentence?
Urdu verbs always come at the end of the sentences. For example:
- Woh kitaab parh rahi hai. (وہ کتاب پڑھ رہی ہے – She is reading a book).
Here, parh rahi (پڑھ رہی – is reading) is the verb, and it goes at the end of the sentence.
Excel In Making Urdu Sentences With Handy Rules And Tips
Hopefully, you now have an idea of how to make the perfect Urdu sentences of different kinds.
We introduced different types of Urdu sentences with their rules, so even if you’re a beginner, you’ll be able to make Urdu sentences of each type.
More to it, we added a few tips that you should keep in mind when learning Urdu sentence structure rules. These tips, partnered with the FAQs and all the rules we covered, will surely aid you in mastering Urdu sentence structure. You’ll be a pro at making sentences in no time!
Learn More With Ling!
You’ve already started learning Urdu with this article. Yay! Welcome aboard your Urdu language-learning journey. If you’re worried about where to continue, Ling is a great tool for enthusiastic language learners!
To master the Urdu language, you can take the assistance of the Ling app. It’s a gamified platform that offers unit-based short lessons, fun quizzes, practice exercises, and much more, all to make learning easy and fun!
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