If you are learning the Urdu language, then knowing basic vocab won’t be enough. To make sentences and communicate like a native speaker, you must learn Urdu grammar. Hence, this blog post will walk you through Urdu grammar the simplest way possible. So let’s get started!
When it comes to the grammar of the Urdu language, the first thing you should know is that the Urdu language is highly inflected. This means that almost every word has a different form depending on its function in the sentence (subject, object, etc.). Though it may sound tricky, we’ll do our best to explain this in the sections below.
Urdu Grammar
Urdu is the lingua franca AKA the official language of Pakistan. It is widely spoken in Pakistan, along with some regions of India. Urdu is considered a mixture of Turkish, Persian, and Arabic; thus, many words in Urdu are from these languages. Urdu is exceptionally close to Hindi, as both have been derived from Sanskrit and are also often called Hindustani.
Adjectives
Adjectives are called صفت (sifat) in Urdu grammar. These describe the qualities of a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence مجھے ایک خوبصورت بلی چاہیے۔ (mujhe aik khubsurat bili chahiye), the word خوبصورت (khubsurat) means beautiful. The entire sentence means that I want a beautiful cat.
Let’s look at more adjectives in Urdu.
| English | Urdu | Romanized |
| Attractive | پر کشش | Pur Kashish |
| Bald | گنجی/گنجا | Ganji / Ganjaa |
| Beautiful | خوبصورت | Khubsorat |
| Chubby | موٹی/موٹا | Mouti / Mota |
| Clean | صاف | Saaf |
| Dazzling | شاندار | Shandaar |
| Drab | گندی/گندا | Gandi / Ganda |
| Elegant | خوبصورت | Khubsurat |
| Fancy | پسند | Pasand |
| Fit | فٹ | Fit |
| Flabby | بے چین | Bey Chain |
| Glamorous | دلکش | Dilkash |
| Gorgeous | خوبصورت | Khubsorat |
| Handsome | خوبصورت | Khubsorat |
| Long | طویل | Taweel |
| Magnificent | شاندار | Shandaar |
| Muscular | پٹھوں | Pathon |
| Plain | سادہ | Saada |
| Plump | بولڈ | Bold |
| Quaint | عجیب | Ajeeb |
| Scruffy | گندی/گندا | Gandi / Ganda |
| Shapely | سڈول | Sadool |
| Short | مختصر | Mukhtasir |
| Skinny | پتلی/پتلا | Patli / Patla |
| Ugly | بدصورت | Badsoorat |
Nouns
Nouns are called اسم (ism) in Urdu grammar. These can be the names of a person, place, or thing. For example, in the sentence میرا نام لیا ہے۔ (Mera naam Liya hai), the word لیا (Liya) is a name that is a noun. The entire sentence means that my name is Liya.
Let’s look at more nouns in Urdu.
| English | Urdu | Romanized |
| Case | معاملہ | Maamla |
| Child | بچہ | Bacha |
| Company | کمپنی | Company |
| Day | دن | Din |
| Eye | آنکھ | Aankh |
| Fact | حقیقت | Haqeeqat |
| Government | حکومت | Hukoomat |
| Group | گروپ | Group |
| Hand | ہاتھ | Haath |
| Life | زندگی | Zindagi |
| Man | آدمی | Aadmi |
| Number | نمبر | Number |
| Part | حصہ | Hissa |
| Person | شخص | Shakhs |
| Place | جگہ | Jagah |
| Point | نقطہ | Nuqta |
| Problem | مسئلہ | Masla |
| Thing | چیز | Cheez |
| Time | وقت | Waqt |
| Way | راستہ | Rasta |
| Week | ہفتہ | Hafta |
| Woman | عورت | Aurat |
| Work | کام | Kaam |
| World | دنیا | Duniya |
| Year | سال | Saal |
Pronouns
The word for pronouns in Urdu is اسم ضمیر (Ism-e-zameer). For example, in the sentence آپ میرے ساتھ آ سکتے ہیں۔ (ap meray sath aa saktay hain), آپ (aap) is a pronoun meaning you while the entire sentence means you can come with me.
Let’s look at most pronouns in Urdu.
| English | Urdu | Romanized |
| Anyone | کوئی بھی | Koi Bhi |
| Anything | کچھ بھی | Kuch Bhi |
| Everyone | ہر کوئی | Har Koi |
| Everything | سب کچھ | Sab Kuch |
| He | وہ | Woh |
| Her | اس کا | Is Ka |
| Him | اسے | Usay |
| Himself | خود | Khud |
| I | میں | Mein |
| It | یہ | Yeh |
| Itself | خود | Khud |
| Me | میں | Mein |
| Myself | میں خود | Mein Khud |
| Nothing | کچھ نہیں | Kuch Nahi |
| One | ایک | Aik |
| She | وہ | Woh |
| Someone | کسی | Kisi |
| Something | کچھ | Kuch |
| Them | انہیں | Inhen |
| Themselves | خود | Khud |
| They | وہ | Woh |
| Us | ہمیں | Humnay |
| We | ہم | Hum |
| Who | کون | Kon |
| You | تم | Tum |
Adverbs
The word for adverbs in Urdu is متعلق فعل (mutaliq fail). Adverbs talk about the quality of verbs that we will talk about next. For example, in the sentence جلدی کرو ہمیں دیر ہو رہی ہے۔ (jaldi karo hamain der ho rahi hai), جلدی کرو (jaldi karo) is an adverb meaning hurry up while the entire sentence means hurry up, we are getting late.
| English | Urdu | Romanized |
| Annually | سالانہ | Salana |
| Briefly | مختصر طور پر | Mukhtasir Tor Par |
| Carefully | احتیاط سے | Ahthyat Se |
| Daily | روزانہ | Rozana |
| Exactly | بالکل | Bilkul |
| Fairly | منصفانہ | Munsifana |
| Greatly | بہت | Bohat |
| Immediately | فوری طور پر | Fori Tor Par |
| Jealously | حسد سے | Hasad Se |
| Keenly | دلچسپی سے | Dilchaspi Se |
| Lively | جاندار | Jandaar |
| Mysteriously | پراسرار طور پر | Pur Asraar Tor Par |
| Naturally | قدرتی طور پر | Qudrati Tor Par |
| Often | اکثر | Aksar |
| Politely | شائستگی سے | Shaistagi Se |
| Quickly | جلدی سے | Jaldi Se |
| Regularly | باقاعدگی سے | Baqaidagi Se |
| Suddenly | اچانک | Achanak |
| Thankfully | شکر ہے | Shukar Hai |
| Usefully | مفید طور پر | Mufeed Tor Par |
| Voluntarily | رضاکارانہ طور پر | Raza Karana Tor Par |
| Wrongly | غلط طریقے سے | Ghalat Tareeqay Se |
Urdu Verbs
The word for Verb in Urdu is فعل (Feal). It describes the action done by a noun/pronoun. For example, in the sentence وہ باتھ روم چلا گیا۔ (wo bathroom chla gaya), چلا گیا (chla gaya) is a verb meaning went. The entire sentence means he went to the bathroom.
Here is a list of Urdu verbs for you.
| English | Urdu | Romanized |
| Answer | جواب دینا | Jawab Dena |
| Approve | منظور کرنا | Manzoor Karna |
| Arrange | بندوبست کرنا | Bandobast Karna |
| Break | توڑنا | Torna |
| Build | تعمیرکرنا | Taa-Meer Karna |
| Cough | کھانسی کرنا | Khansi Karna |
| Create | بنانا | Banana |
| Cry | رونا | Rona |
| Dance | رقص کرنا | Raqs Karna |
| Describe | بیان کرنا | Bayan Karna |
| Edit | ترمیم کرنا | Tarmeem Karna |
| Enter | داخل کرنا | Daakhil Karna |
| Imitate | نقل کرنا | Naqal Karna |
| Invent | ایجاد کرنا | Ijaad Karna |
| Jump | چھلانگ لگانا | Chhalang Lagana |
| Laugh | ہنسنا | Hansna |
| Paint | پینٹ کرنا | Paint Karna |
| Sing | گانا | Gana |
| Sleep | سونا | Sona |
| Sneeze | چھینکنا | Chhenknaa |
| Solve | حل کرنا | Hal Karna |
| Study | مطالعہ کرنا | Mutalea Karna |
| Teach | سکھانا | Sikhana |
| Touch | چھونا | Chouna |
| Turn | موڑنا | Modna |
| Walk | چلنا | Chalna |
| Whistle | سیٹی بجانا | Seeti Bajana |
| Win | جیتنا | Jeetna |
| Write | لکھنا | Likhna |
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are called حروف عطف (haroof e ataf) in Urdu grammar. These connect different phrases and words in the Urdu language.
For example, in the sentence مجھے ایک بلی اور ایک کتا چاہیے۔ (mujhe aik bili aur aik kutta chahiye), the word اور (aur) means and. The entire sentence means that I need a cat and a dog. Let’s look at more conjunctions in Urdu.
| English | Urdu | Romanized |
| After | کے بعد | Ke Baad |
| Although | اگرچہ | Agarchay |
| And | اور | Aur |
| As | کے طور پر | Ke Tor Par |
| Because | کیونکہ | Kyunkay |
| Before | پہلے | Pehlay |
| But | لیکن | Lekin |
| Except | سوائے | Siwaye |
| If | اگر | Agar |
| Like | پسند | Pasand |
| Nor | نہ ہی | Nah Hi |
| Now | ابھی | Abhi |
| Once | ایک بار | Aik Baar |
| Or | یا | Ya |
| Since | جب سے | Jab Se |
| So | تو | To |
| Than | مقابلے | Muqablay |
| That | کہ | Ke |
| Though | اگرچہ | Agarchay |
| Unless | جب تک | Jab Tak |
| Until | جب تک | Jab Tak |
| When | کب | Kab |
| Where | کہاں | Kahan |
| Whether | چاہے | Chahay |
| While | جبکہ | Jabkay |
Wrapping Up
If you only speak your mother tongue, you need to learn a new language, as knowing a second language makes your brain sharper, and you feel more connected to other cultures.
If you want to learn the Urdu language, practice on Ling App for fifteen minutes daily. You can learn the official languages of ten-plus countries. Acquire more vocabulary in the Urdu language easily with Ling. Also, you can learn fifty-plus other languages, so download the Ling App from Google Playstore or App Store and sign up for a free account to start learning Urdu! Happy learning!
