Indo-Aryan · Nastaliq
Urduاردو
170M speakers · South Asia
250 terms
assalam-o-alaikum
Hello (peace be upon you)
The standard Urdu greeting, wishing peace upon the listener.
walaikum assalam
Reply to the greeting
The reply to assalam-o-alaikum, returning the wish of peace.
adaab
Greetings (Adaab)
A graceful secular greeting of Lucknow and Hyderabad culture.
subah bakhair
Good morning
A morning greeting, literally may the morning be well.
shab bakhair
Good night
Said before going to bed, literally may the night be well.
khuda hafiz
Goodbye
The classic farewell, literally may God protect you; also Allah hafiz.
phir milenge
See you again
A warm farewell, literally we will meet again.
shukriya
Thank you
The standard expression of gratitude; bahut shukriya means thank you very much.
koi baat nahin
You're welcome; no problem
The easy-going reply to thanks or apologies, literally no matter.
maaf kijiye
Sorry; excuse me
A polite apology, also used to get someone's attention.
ji haan
Yes (polite)
A polite yes; ji alone also shows respect.
nahin
No; not
A negative answer; also negates verbs.
theek hai
Okay; alright
The all-purpose phrase for okay, fine, alright.
mera naam
My name is
Used to introduce yourself; mera naam ... hai.
aap se milkar khushi hui
Nice to meet you
Said when meeting someone, literally meeting you brought happiness.
khush amdeed
Welcome
Used to welcome guests, from Persian — happy you came.
mubarak ho
Congratulations
Used to congratulate; Eid Mubarak blesses the festival.
nek khwahishat
Best wishes; good luck
A wish for success and well-being.
shabash
Well done!
An exclamation of praise and encouragement.
mujhe samajh nahin aaya
I don't understand
A useful phrase for learners when something is unclear.
ek
One
The number one.
do
Two
The number two.
teen
Three
The number three.
chaar
Four
The number four.
paanch
Five
The number five.
chhe
Six
The number six.
saat
Seven
The number seven.
aath
Eight
The number eight.
nau
Nine
The number nine.
das
Ten
The number ten.
sau
Hundred
The number one hundred.
hazaar
Thousand
The number one thousand.
aaj
Today
The present day.
kal
Tomorrow; yesterday
Means both tomorrow and yesterday — the verb tense tells you which!
abhi
Now; right now
At the present moment.
ghanta
Hour
A period of sixty minutes.
mint
Minute
A period of sixty seconds.
hafta
Week; Saturday
A period of seven days; also means Saturday.
mahina
Month
A period of about thirty days.
saal
Year
A period of twelve months.
khandaan
Family
A group of people related by blood or marriage.
ammi
Mom
The affectionate word for mother; formally walida.
abbu
Dad
The affectionate word for father; formally walid.
bhai
Brother
A male sibling; also a friendly address for any man.
behen
Sister
A female sibling.
beta
Son
A male child; elders also lovingly call any youngster beta.
beti
Daughter
A female child.
dada
Grandfather (paternal)
Your father's father; the mother's father is nana.
dadi
Grandmother (paternal)
Your father's mother; the mother's mother is nani.
shauhar
Husband
The man a woman is married to.
biwi
Wife
The woman a man is married to.
bachcha
Child
A young person; plural bachche.
dost
Friend
A person you know well and like.
aadmi
Man
An adult male person.
aurat
Woman
An adult female person.
ustaad
Teacher; master
A teacher; also an honored master of any craft or music.
talib-e-ilm
Student
A person who studies, literally seeker of knowledge.
parosi
Neighbor
A person who lives next to or near you.
paani
Water
The clear liquid essential for life.
chai
Tea
Milky sweet tea — Pakistan runs on it, from dhabas to drawing rooms.
kaafi
Coffee
A drink made from coffee beans; the same word also means enough!
roti
Bread; roti
The flatbread at the heart of every Pakistani meal.
chawal
Rice
Rice; biryani and pulao are its royal forms.
gosht
Meat
The flesh of animals; nihari and karahi are famous meat dishes.
murghi
Chicken
A chicken, or chicken meat.
machhli
Fish
An animal that lives in water, eaten as food.
anda
Egg
An egg laid by a hen; anda paratha is a breakfast classic.
daal
Lentils (daal)
Lentil curry, the humble everyday hero; daal chawal is comfort food.
sabzi
Vegetables
Plants grown for food, or a vegetable curry.
phal
Fruit
Sweet plant foods such as mangoes and oranges.
aam
Mango
The king of fruits; Pakistani Chaunsa and Anwar Ratol are world-famous.
doodh
Milk
A white drink produced by cows or buffaloes.
joos
Juice
A drink made from pressed fruit; sugarcane juice is a summer favorite.
cheeni
Sugar
A sweet substance; the same word also means Chinese!
namak
Salt
A white seasoning; the Khewra salt mines are the world's second largest.
nashta
Breakfast
The first meal of the day; halwa puri is the festive version.
dopahar ka khana
Lunch
The midday meal, literally afternoon food.
raat ka khana
Dinner
The evening meal, literally night food.
hawai adda
Airport
A place where airplanes take off and land.
hawai jahaz
Airplane
A flying vehicle, literally air ship.
rail gari
Train
A connected line of carriages that runs on rails.
isteshan
Station
A place where trains stop for passengers.
bas
Bus
A large road vehicle; the same word also means enough or just.
riksha
Rickshaw
The buzzing auto-rickshaw, painted like a moving artwork.
taiksi
Taxi
A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.
hotel
Hotel; eatery
A hotel; small roadside eateries are also called hotel.
restoran
Restaurant
A place where you pay to eat meals.
shehar
City
A large town where many people live and work.
gaon
Village
A small settlement in the countryside.
sarak
Road; street
A way for vehicles and people.
passport
Passport
An official document needed for traveling abroad.
ticket
Ticket
A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.
naqsha
Map
A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries.
baink
Bank
A place where people keep and borrow money.
bazaar
Market; bazaar
The bustling market — Anarkali and Empress Market are legends.
safar
Journey; travel
A journey — note that Urdu safar gave English the word safari.
sooraj
Sun
The star that gives Earth light and warmth.
chaand
Moon
The moon — beloved of Urdu poetry, and watched for at every Eid.
sitara
Star
A point of light in the night sky.
aasmaan
Sky
The space above the earth where clouds and stars appear.
samandar
Sea
The large body of salt water; Karachi sits on the Arabian Sea.
darya
River
A large stream of water; the Indus is Pakistan's lifeline.
pahar
Mountain
A very high hill; K2, the world's second-highest peak, is in Pakistan.
jangal
Forest; jungle
A large area covered with trees — the very word jungle comes from here.
darakht
Tree
A tall plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves.
phool
Flower
The colorful blossom of a plant; jasmine is the national flower.
barish
Rain
Water from the clouds; the monsoon brings welcome relief.
barf
Snow; ice
Frozen water; the northern valleys lie under deep barf in winter.
hawa
Wind; air
Moving air, or the air itself.
mausam
Weather; season
The weather or a season of the year.
janwar
Animal
A living creature such as a dog, bird, or fish.
sher
Lion; tiger
The lion — symbol of courage; sher also means a couplet of poetry!
jism
Body
The whole physical structure of a person.
sar
Head
The top part of the body; also a respectful address like sir.
aankh
Eye
The part of the body used for seeing.
kaan
Ear
The part of the body used for hearing.
naak
Nose
The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.
munh
Mouth; face
The mouth, and informally the face.
haath
Hand
The part of the body at the end of the arm.
paon
Foot; leg
The lower limb used for walking.
dil
Heart
The heart — the most-sung word in all of Urdu poetry and song.
baal
Hair
The hair on a person's head.
pait
Stomach; belly
The front part of the body below the chest.
doctor
Doctor
A person trained to treat sick people.
haspatal
Hospital
A place where sick people are treated.
dawa
Medicine
Something you take to treat an illness.
sehat
Health
The condition of the body and mind.
bimar
Sick
Ill, not in good health.
kaam
Work; job
A job, or the activity of working.
company
Company
A business organization that sells goods or services.
daftar
Office
A room or building where people work at desks.
afsar
Boss; officer
The person in charge at work.
saathi
Colleague; companion
A person you work with, or any companion.
ijlaas
Meeting
A formal meeting; everyday speech also uses meeting.
paisa
Money
Money in general; the rupee is the currency.
tankhwah
Salary
The money you receive regularly for your work.
computer
Computer
An electronic machine used for work and entertainment.
phone
Phone
A device used for calling and messaging people.
pesha
Profession
The type of work a person is trained to do.
mansooba
Project; plan
A planned piece of work with a clear goal.
gaahak
Customer
A person who buys goods or services.
muahida
Contract; agreement
A formal written agreement.
manager
Manager
The person who leads a company, shop, or team.
karkhana
Factory
A building where goods are made with machines.
saqafat
Culture
The art, customs, and traditions of a society.
tareekh
History; date
The study of past events; the same word also means a calendar date.
zabaan
Language; tongue
A system of words; also means the tongue itself.
kitaab
Book
Written pages bound together for reading.
mauseeqi
Music
Sounds arranged in a pleasing way; qawwali is the soulful classic.
film
Film; movie
A story shown in moving pictures.
fan
Art
Creative work; calligraphy is a treasured Urdu art.
ajaib ghar
Museum
A building where important objects are shown, literally house of wonders.
tehwar
Festival
A special time of celebration.
eid
Eid
The joyous festival ending Ramzan, with new clothes, sheer khurma, and eidi.
mazhab
Religion
Belief in and worship of God.
hukoomat
Government
The group of people who rule a country.
khabrein
News
Reports about recent events; singular khabar.
muashara
Society
People living together in an organized community.
hona
To be; to happen
To exist, be, or happen.
rakhna
To keep; to have
To keep or possess; mere paas hai expresses I have.
jaana
To go
To move from one place to another.
aana
To come
To move toward the speaker or a place.
khana
To eat
To eat; the same word is also the noun for food.
peena
To drink
To take liquid into your mouth and swallow it.
dekhna
To see; to watch
To notice something with your eyes.
sunna
To hear; to listen
To notice sounds with your ears.
bolna
To speak
To say words, to talk.
parhna
To read; to study
To read or to study.
likhna
To write
To form letters and words; Urdu flows right to left in nastaliq.
khareedna
To buy
To get something by paying money.
bechna
To sell
To give something in exchange for money.
karna
To do; to make
To perform an action; combines with nouns to form many verbs.
kaam karna
To work
To do a job, literally to do work.
sochna
To think
To use your mind to form ideas or opinions.
chahna
To want; to love
To want something; chahat is also tender love.
mohabbat karna
To love
To feel deep affection; mujhe tumse mohabbat hai means I love you.
pasand karna
To like
To find something pleasant; mujhe pasand hai means I like it.
seekhna
To learn
To gain knowledge or skill.
jaanna
To know (facts)
To have information in your mind.
pehchanna
To recognize; to know (people)
To be familiar with a person or recognize them.
dena
To give
To hand something to someone.
lena
To take
To pick something up or accept it.
dhoondhna
To look for
To try to find something.
madad karna
To help
To make something easier for someone.
shuru karna
To begin
To start doing something.
khatam karna
To finish
To bring something to an end.
achha
Good
Of high quality; also an exclamation — achha! — meaning I see!
bura
Bad
Of poor quality or unpleasant.
bara
Big; elder
Of great size; also means elder, as in bara bhai.
chhota
Small; younger
Of little size; also means younger.
naya
New
Recently made or bought.
purana
Old (things)
Having existed for a long time; old Lahore is purana Lahore.
jawan
Young
Not old; also a noun meaning a soldier.
lamba
Tall; long
Of great height or length.
garam
Hot; warm
Having a high temperature; garam masala warms every kitchen.
thanda
Cold
Having a low temperature.
tez
Fast; sharp; spicy
Quick, sharp, or spicy — a wonderfully versatile word.
aahista
Slow; slowly
Without speed; aahista aahista means little by little.
mehnga
Expensive
Costing a lot of money.
sasta
Cheap
Costing little money.
khoobsurat
Beautiful
Very pleasing to look at, from Persian — of good form.
aasaan
Easy
Not difficult to do or understand.
mushkil
Difficult
Hard to do or understand.
ahem
Important
Having great value or significance.
saaf
Clean; clear
Free from dirt; saaf saaf bolna means to speak plainly.
meetha
Sweet
Sweet in taste; meethi baat is sweet talk.
mazboot
Strong
Having great strength or firmness.
kya
What
Used to ask about things.
kaun
Who
Used to ask about people.
kahan
Where
Used to ask about places.
kab
When
Used to ask about time.
kyun
Why
Used to ask about reasons.
kaise
How
Used to ask about manner; kaise hain aap means how are you.
kitna
How much; how many
Used to ask about quantity or price.
kaun sa
Which
Used to ask about a choice between things.
kis ka
Whose
Used to ask about ownership.
kya
Question particle
At the start of a sentence, kya turns it into a yes/no question.
ghar
House; home
A building where people live, or your home.
kamra
Room
A space inside a building with its own walls.
bawarchi khana
Kitchen
The room where food is prepared, literally the cook's room.
ghusal khana
Bathroom
The room for washing, literally bathing room.
sone ka kamra
Bedroom
The room where you sleep.
darwaza
Door; gate
The entrance to a room or building; Lahore's old city has thirteen gates.
khirki
Window
An opening in a wall with glass that lets in light.
mez
Table
A piece of furniture with a flat top.
kursi
Chair
A seat with a back for one person.
bistar
Bed
A piece of furniture for sleeping.
sona
To sleep
To sleep — and, with a different sense, the word also means gold!
kapre
Clothes
Things you wear; the shalwar kameez is the national dress.
joote
Shoes
Footwear; Peshawari chappal is the famous sandal.
chaabi
Key
A metal object used to open locks.
ghari
Clock; watch
A device that shows the time.
TV
Television
A device for watching programmes; Pakistani dramas are beloved across borders.
chiragh
Lamp
A lamp or light — a favorite image of Urdu poetry.
baig
Bag
A container with handles for carrying things.
khana pakana
To cook
To prepare food by heating it.
kharidari
Shopping
The activity of buying things.
khush
Happy
Feeling pleasure and joy.
udaas
Sad
Feeling unhappy — udaasi colors many a ghazal.
gussa
Anger
The feeling of strong displeasure.
dar
Fear
The feeling of being afraid.
thaka hua
Tired
Needing rest after work or activity.
bhooka
Hungry
Feeling the need to eat; mujhe bhook lagi hai means I am hungry.
pyasa
Thirsty
Feeling the need to drink.
pareshan
Worried; troubled
Feeling anxious or troubled.
bor
Bored
Feeling tired because something is not interesting.
purjosh
Excited; enthusiastic
Full of energy and anticipation.
hairan
Surprised; amazed
Feeling wonder at something unexpected.
mohabbat
Love
Deep love — the word a thousand ghazals are made of.
umeed
Hope
The feeling that something good will happen.