About to meet your native family and friends, but have limited time in hands to learn to speak Urdu?
You have come to the right place! Let’s explore how to speak Urdu fast!
The best part is just learning the basic pronunciation and related rules is enough to get yourself started.
With this in mind, this article has covered some essential tips to help you improve your Urdu speaking skills and prepare yourself beforehand to impress your family!
We have also added some basic Urdu vocabulary that you might need to use when conversing with your Urdu-speaking near and dear ones. Let’s dive in!
Table Of Contents
Understanding The Basics Of The Urdu Language
The very first step when learning any language is to understand the basics, so let’s begin.
Get To Know The Urdu Alphabet
First, you should know that Urdu uses the Persian-Arabic script, which is a bit different and can be challenging to learn if you’re a beginner.
Plus, Urdu has derived several letters from other languages while having its own unique words.
Learning to read and write each Urdu character accurately will help you in your spoken Urdu, so begin by learning the correct pronunciation of the Urdu alphabet.
Remember that the pronunciation of each character varies according to its position in the word, such as initial, middle, or alone.
Learn Basic Urdu Grammar
The next step is understanding basic Urdu grammar. To start, Urdu has masculine and feminine gendered nouns.
To match in gender or number with such Urdu nouns, adjectives and verbs often change their endings according to the noun they describe.
Verbs in Urdu also change due to tenses and to agree with the subject’s gender and number.
Additionally, understanding basic sentence structure is crucial for making a proper sentence, with SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) being the word order when speaking Urdu.
Enhance Your Urdu Vocabulary
Learning some common Urdu words and phrases will ease your communication with the natives.
This mainly includes learning to formally greet, order food, inquire about locations, weekdays, asking or telling time and names of colors in Urdu.
Considering this, the following tables will give you some basic vocabulary to use as you learn how to speak Urdu.
Common Urdu Vocabulary
Let’s start with some basic Urdu vocabulary:
English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Water | پانی | pani |
Name | نام | naam |
Food | کھانا | khana |
Friend | دوست | dost |
Brother | بھائی | bhai |
Sister | بہن | behen |
Where | کہاں | kahan |
What | کیا | kiya |
Why | کیوں | kyun |
When | کب | kab |
How | کیسے | kese |
Common Phrases In The Urdu Language
Now let’s see some common phrases that you can practice out loud to build a solid foundation when learning Urdu:
English | Urdu | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Hello | اسلامُ علیکم | Assalamualaikum |
Good Morning | صبح بخیر | subah bakhair |
Goodbye | اللہ حافظ | Allah Hafiz / Khuda Hafiz |
What time is it? | ٹائم کیا ہورہا ہے؟ | Time kia horaha hai? |
It’s 5 PM. | شام کے ۵ بج رہے ہیں۔ | Shaam ke 5 baj rahe hain |
Can I get a menu? | کیا مجھے مینو مل سکتا ہے؟ | kia mujhe menu mil sakta hai? |
I would like to have one plate of biryani. | مجھے ایک پلیٹ بریانی چاہئے۔ | mujhe ek plate biryani chahiye. |
Thank You | شکریہ | shukria |
Please | براہِ کرم | barah e karam |
No | نہیں | nahin |
Yes | جی ہاں | ji han |
Sorry | معذرت | Ma’azrat |
Immerse In The Language
Besides having a strong grasp of the basics, engaging with the language will help you build a strong foundation.
For instance, you can immerse yourself in the Urdu language by engaging in the following activities.
Watching Movies
The quickest way of learning how to speak Urdu is to watch Urdu movies. This is because it’s an all-in-one learning process.
Movies enable you to hear the words and expose you to the real-life situations in which each word is used.
As they depict different cultures, you can also gain a deeper understanding of cultural traditions.
Plus, subtitles in Urdu movies can help you learn different words.
On my recommendation, try watching the Urdu movies Bol (بول) and Khuda Ke liye (خدا کے لئے).
When it comes to Urdu dramas, you can watch Humsafar (ہمسفر), Zindagi Gulzar Hai (زندگی گلزار ہے), Hum Kahan Ke Sache Thy (ہم کہاں کے سچے تھے), and Yaqeen Ka Safar (یقین کا سفر). You will surely not regret it.
Listening To Urdu Songs Or News
Listening to Urdu is another great learning process for speaking.
You can listen to Urdu music like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (نصرت فتح علی خان). Atif Aslam (عاطف اسلم), Sajjad Ali (سجاد علی), Abida Parveen (عابدہ پروین), and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (راحت فتح علی خان) are also worth listening to, as they weave deep lyrics and rich music.
Podcasts and news in Urdu also help in learning to speak the language, as they talk about current issues, familiarizing you with daily used words.
For such Urdu content, you can safely rely on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Geo News.
Reading Urdu Literature
Above all, literature is what makes Urdu the most popular language in South Asia, especially Urdu poetry.
This is because of its expressive and lyrical nature. In fact, most Urdu songs are based on Urdu Ghazal (غزل) and poems.
So, you can make learning Urdu fun by reading the works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz (فیض احمد فیض), Mirza Ghalib (مرزا غالب), Allama Iqbal (علامہ اقبال), and the intriguing short stories of Sa’adat Hasan Manto (سعادت حسن منٹو).
Joining Online Communities
Online forums like Reddit, social media groups, and language apps aid in connecting with other learners or native Urdu speakers.
YouTube videos are another great source to learn the language online.
Yet, note that learning Urdu involves improving both reading and listening skills. So, practice accordingly.
Communicating With The Natives
Speaking with native speakers is one of the best learning methods.
This is because practical experience helps a lot in retaining the language and achieving fluency, more than any book or lesson.
Therefore, I personally recommend engaging in conversations with the locals more!
Yet, this doesn’t mean you stop reading or learning the language.
In fact, learning new vocabulary and then practicing it with a native speaker is good practice for mastering any language. So, if you have an Urdu-speaking friend or a family member, that’s perfect.
Otherwise, you can enroll in any Urdu language learning course, do some exercises, and practice regularly. Consistent effort will make things easier!
How Do You Say ‘Speak’ In Urdu?
The Urdu word for the verb ‘speak’ is بولنا (bolna) or بولو (bolo).
Native Urdu speakers also say ‘speak’ as بات کرنا (baat karna) or بات کرو (baat karo). You can use this word in distinct contexts as follows:
English | Urdu | Transliteration |
---|---|---|
I speak. (for male) | میں بولتا ہوں۔ | main bolta hun |
I speak. (for female) | میں بولتی ہوں۔ | main bolti hun |
He is speaking | وہ بولرہا ہے۔ | wo bol raha hai |
She was speaking | وہ بولرہی تھی۔ | wo bol rahi thi |
Speak loudly | زور سے بولو۔ | zor se bolo |
Talk/ speak to him, maybe he will get convinced. | اُس سے بات کرو، شاید وہ مان جائے ۔ | Us se baat karo shayad wo maan jaye. |
He was saying that he will talk/ speak to you. | وہ بول رہا تھا کے وہ تم سے بات کرے گا۔ | Wo bol raha tha ke wo tmse baat kare ga |
Tips On How To Speak Urdu In Less Time
If you’re short on time and want to learn Urdu quickly to impress your family back home, here are some tips to help you.
Follow these simple steps to master speaking Urdu in the shortest time possible.
- Practice speaking Urdu daily. Engage in conversations with native speakers or use language exchange apps to build confidence.
- Make Urdu a part of your daily routine. Surround yourself with Urdu by watching movies, listening to songs, and reading simple texts regularly.
- Listen and repeat as much as possible. Pay attention to how native speakers pronounce words and try to mimic their tone, accent, and rhythm to improve your speech.
- Think in Urdu. Try forming thoughts in Urdu as in how to say this instead of translating from your native language to improve fluency.
- Learn common phrases first. Focus on frequently used sentences or the words that you already know to start speaking quickly.
- Don’t fear mistakes. Speak as much as possible without worrying about errors, as practice is key to improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Speak Urdu
How Did The Urdu Language Come Into Existence?
The Urdu language evolved over time through the interactions of different languages and cultures.
Urdu is originally an Indic language much related to Hindi, as most Sultanates and soldiers used to speak Urdu.
Yet, we write Urdu like the Persian script from right to left, and the word Urdu itself is derived from the Turkish language.
Nonetheless, the Urdu language is known as a camp language or language of soldiers لشکر (lashkar).
The mythical theory behind it is that the Mughal soldiers created this language by mixing words to communicate with each other and overcome the language barrier.
Many people in Pakistan believe in this notion of Urdu being a camp language.
How Can You Read Urdu Fluently?
If you want to read Urdu fluently, begin by understanding the Urdu script to accurately recognize how each letter is written and pronounced.
Then, start learning basic vocabulary, including the words or phrases that you’ll need the most.
As a tip, you can familiarize yourself with these basics by reading children’s books.
Reading them aloud will help you understand basic words and their pronunciation in an easier way.
How To Improve Urdu For Kids?
Language learning becomes easier if you try to use whatever you have learned in your daily communication.
Teaching Urdu to kids also calls for the same approach.
Whether it is reading, writing, or speaking, engaging your kids in different activities will improve their Urdu learning as a whole.
You can do this by planning fun discussions in Urdu between peers, asking them to write about their day in Urdu, or reading a short story aloud with them.
Nursery rhymes, children’s story books, picture books, and language games are also beneficial.
You can also get help from the Ling app to teach Urdu to your kids.
It has a wide array of Urdu vocabulary, exercises, and lessons that will help your kids improve their Urdu language learning.
It’s All About Speaking The Language Right!
So, have you got the answer to your question about How to speak Urdu?
Nonetheless, you can now agree that speaking Urdu is easy. You just need some patience and consistent practice to speak Urdu fluently and accurately!
As a crux, in this blog post, we have discussed a few aspects of the Urdu language that you must learn as you embark on the journey to discover your cultural heritage.
These are, learning the alphabet, studying grammar, and practicing vocabulary. It will help you in improving your speaking Urdu.
We have also mentioned some common daily-used Urdu vocabulary to avoid making your family doubt that you are just a beginner.
This vocabulary, partnered with quick tips to learn to speak Urdu quickly, can work as an ultimate guide for you as you improve your Urdu speaking skills!
Continue Exploring The Urdu Language
Learning to speak Urdu is not the end of the language. There are several other things that you should explore to learn more about your culture and language heritage.
So, if you want to learn more about Urdu, download the Ling app.
It is a gamified, online language learning platform packed with several fun and engaging exercises and quizzes.
Remember, there’s no better way to impress your family than talking in your native language.
Parents feel happy and proud. So, don’t miss this golden opportunity, and start learning Urdu today!