Urdu · Urdu letters

Urdu Alphabet

Urdu is written right to left in a Perso-Arabic script (Nastaliq style): about 39 letters that join to the next one and change shape, with extra letters for Urdu sounds (ٹ ڈ ڑ ں ے ھ). Short vowels are normally left out, so you learn each word's sound. Several Arabic letters share one sound in Urdu (s: ث س ص; z: ذ ز ض ظ; t: ت ط). Sounds use the same simple spelling as the lessons; cards mark the tongue-curled letters with a dot (ṭ ḍ ṛ), which the lessons write as t d r.

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Letters 1 (alif to zhe)

اa / aaalif · a short a at the start of a word, a long aa after a consonantاچھا (achchha) good

آaaalif madd · a long aa at the start of a wordآم (aam) mango

بbbe · b; one dot belowبس (bas) bus; enough

پppe · p; three dots belowپانی (paani) water

تtte · soft t, tongue on the teeth; two dots aboveتین (teen) three

ٹṭṭe · hard t, tongue curled back; a small ط above (the lessons write t)ٹماٹر (tamaatar) tomato

ثsse · s; three dots above; Arabic words onlyثبوت (saboot) proof

جjjeem · j as in 'jam'; one dot belowجی (jee) yes (polite)

چchche · ch as in 'church'; three dots belowچائے (chai) tea

حhbaṛi he · h; Arabic wordsحال (haal) condition, how one is

خkhkhe · kh as in Scottish 'loch'; dot aboveخوش (khush) happy

دddaal · soft d, tongue on the teethدودھ (doodh) milk

ڈḍḍaal · hard d, tongue curled back (the lessons write d)ڈاکٹر (daaktar) doctor

ذzzaal · z; Arabic wordsذرا (zara) a little

رrre · a tapped rرات (raat) night

ڑṛṛe · a flapped r, tongue curled back (the lessons write r)بڑا (bara) big

زzze · zزبان (zabaan) language, tongue

ژzhzhe · zh as the s in 'pleasure'; rare, Persian wordsژالہ (zhaala) hail

Letters 2 (seen to bari ye)

سsseen · sسات (saat) seven

شshsheen · sh; three dots aboveشہر (shehar) city

صsswaad · s; Arabic wordsصبح (subah) morning

ضzzwaad · z; Arabic wordsضرور (zaroor) of course

طttoye · t; Arabic wordsطرف (taraf) side, direction

ظzzoye · z; Arabic wordsنظر (nazar) sight, glance

ع'ain · in Urdu mostly silent or a vowel breakعورت (aurat) woman

غghghain · a gargled g, like French rغلط (ghalat) wrong

فffe · fفون (fon) phone

قqqaaf · k said far back in the throatقلم (qalam) pen

کkkaaf · kکتاب (kitaab) book

گggaaf · g as in 'go' (ک with an extra stroke)گاڑی (gaari) car

لllaam · lلال (laal) red

مmmeem · mماں (maan) mother

نnnoon · nنام (naam) name

ں(nasal)noon ghunna · no dot; the vowel before it is said through the noseمیں (main) I

وw / o / oo / auwao · w before a vowel, otherwise o, oo or auدو (do) two

ہhchoti he · h; at the end of a word often a short aہاتھ (haath) hand

ھ(h after a letter)do-chashmi he · only joins another letter to add a breathy hبھائی (bhai) brother

ء(vowel break)hamza · a break between two vowelsآئیے (aaiye) please come in

یy / eechoti ye · y before a vowel, otherwise eeیہ (yeh) this

ےe / aibari ye · e or ai, only at the end of a wordہے (hai) is

Breathy pairs with ھ

بھbhب + ھ · b with a breathy hبھائی (bhai) brother

پھphپ + ھ · p with a puff of airپھل (phal) fruit

تھthت + ھ · soft t with a puff of air (not English 'th')ساتھ (saath) with

ٹھṭhٹ + ھ · hard t with a puff of airٹھیک (theek) fine, OK

جھjhج + ھ · j with a breathy hجھیل (jheel) lake

چھchhچ + ھ · ch with a puff of airچھوٹا (chhota) small

دھdhد + ھ · soft d with a breathy hدھوپ (dhoop) sunshine

ڈھḍhڈ + ھ · hard d with a breathy hڈھول (dhol) drum

کھkhک + ھ · k with a puff of air (not the throaty خ)کھانا (khaana) food

گھghگ + ھ · g with a breathy hگھر (ghar) house

Vowel marks (on ب)

بَbazabar · a small stroke above = short a; usually not writtenبَس (bas) enough

بِbizer · a small stroke below = short i; usually not writtenبِل (bil) bill

بُbupesh · a small curl above = short u; usually not writtenبُرا (bura) bad

بْbjazm · a small circle = no vowel after the letterسَبْز (sabz) green

بّbbtashdeed · a small w-shape = the letter is doubledاَبّا (abba) dad

Basic Urdu phrases