urdu

Friends, What does naak se makkhii uRaana mean, as occurring in the following text: “شائد وہ ٹھیک ہیں۔ میں اپنے غم، بیماری اور ٹراما میں خود غرض ہوگئی ہوں ۔ میں نے دوسری طرف کی کہانی سننا چھوڑ دی ہے۔ مجھےاس کی بات سننی چاہیے تھی۔ وہ قتل تھا یا نہیں، مجھے اس سے ملناچاہیے تھا۔” “ تمہاری جگہ...

Friends, In songs, I find often forms that seem to be subjunctive, both inside and outside a condition, as in: teraa jalva(h) jo paauN, maiN har Gam bhuul jaauuN = "if I attained your brilliance, I would forget every sorrow" tuu bhii dekhe agar, to kahe, hamanshin = "if you saw her, you...

Friends, I have noticed on both Pakistani and Indian channels presenters and others not declining yih to is and vuh to us. I have heard plenty of such cases on Pakistani TV channels but haven't written any examples down. Just now I heard one of the sports presenters on an Indian channel utter...

Friends, what is the pronunciation and meaning of نیہواڑنا (the sentence is سر نیہواڑے، وہ اکڑوں بیٹھا تھا). On the net too the combination سر نیہواڑے is frequently encountered. Thanks.

Friends, This sentence is from a Urdu novel, and I am unable to understand the meaning of the word نیک occurring there: (Curiously, there is no entry for نیک in Platts Dictionary) Thanks for help.

Friends, When using possessive pronouns like is_kii, un_kaa, etc., but in a context in which the possessor's distance in relation to the speaker is unimportant, is it my impression, or speakers overwhelmingly choose the distant forms, i.e., us_kaa, un_kii, etc. over the is_, in_ forms? Is it...

For example: "Is this action considered committing a crime?" کیا اس کارروائی کو جرم کا ارتکاب کرنا سمجھا جاتا ہے؟

Friends, When the word starts with alif (with zer) + 3ain, I notice that the set tends to be pronounced "e". For example: اِعْتِبار etibaar "trust" اِعْتِدال etidaal "moderation" اِعْدام edaam "annihilation" (Those words also happen to have a jazm over the 3ain) Can I safely...

A man acquitted of a murder charge foisted on him is saying this: “جن نظروں سے میرے رشتے دار مجھے دیکھتے ہیں، میرے قریب آنےپہ میرے بارے میں سرگوشیاں کرتے ہیں، ان پہ خون جلانے کے لئےمیرے پاس نہ وقت ہے نہ انائی۔” What exactly does انائی mean here? Thanks for help.

Friends, I began the following thread in the past Urdu: maiN shahr nahiiN jaane kaa/mujhe shahr nahiiN jaanaa hai marrish SaaHib in one of the posts (#21) stated the following. "QP SaaHib, I meant to say that example a) maiN shahr nahiiN jaane kaa, is a negative statement and doesn't have...

Dear Foreros, In a police interrogation where an accomplice is put through the ringer a question that is often yelled to him/her is give me the names of the kingpins involved. How would one express that very sentiment in Urdu/Hindi? Would "mujhe/hameN naam do un ke/us kaa" suffice or is naam...

Friends, In some texts (not many), I see the tashdiid over the chhoTii ye used to differentiate kiya (past of karnaa) from kya (what), like this: کیا کیّا Is that a valid usage of the tashdiid, or both words should be spelled the same? Thanks in advance

Friends, In final form, is the hamzaa typically used over the chhoTii ye directly, or it is more typical to have it "on its own seat", preceding the chhoTii ye? In other words, to say "she came" can I write آئ , or it has to be آئی ? Are both forms completely equivalent, or there is any...

Friends, I would like to know what is in the mind of profficient Urdu writers when they occasionally put a hamzaa over the vaao in words like ہؤا (past participle of honaa). What are they trying to say? That they disagree with the interpretation that would otherwise be forced by the...

Friends, Here is something quite perplexing: what does آغوش ہوس واکی تھی mean in the text below: لیکن وہی وزیر جو دریاگنج کی حویلی کے مہمان خانے میں دھیرےدھیرے کھلی تھی ، اور پھر اس نے اس طرح آغوش ہوس واکی تھی کہ شمس الدین احمد کو اس کا بحر حسن سراسر اوج و موج وتلاطم لگتا تھا اور اس کا شوق...

How is ہونہہ pronounced? What does it mean? “مومنہ! تم اتنی اداس کیوں ہو؟” علی نے اسے بغور دیکھتے ہوئے کہا۔ “کیا تم نہیں جانتے؟” مومنہ کا لحجہ شکوہ کناں تھا۔ “شائد۔” اس نے نفی میں سر ہلا دیا۔ “ہونہہ، مجھے پتا ہے علی تم شائد نہیں یقیناً جانتے ہو۔” مومنہ کے انداز میں بھرپور یقین تھا، علی اس کے...

Friends, what does the word جم mean in the following text: بیٹا! جب تمہیں اعتراض نہیں ہے تو میں تمہاری ماں ہوں، مجھے کیا اعتراض ہو سکتا ہے۔” “تھینک یو مما جان۔” “کون لڑکی ہو سکتی ہے، یہاں آفس، گھر یا جم اس کا حلقہ احباب اتنا وسیع نہیں ہے، ۔۔۔” Thanks.

Friends, Do the digraphs forming the aspirated consonants for example as ڑھ , دھ have proper names such as "ڑھے"، "دھے" or they should only be properly referred to as "the aspirated/haayya(h) form of the consonant x"?

Friends, When one speaks of a word metalinguistically (i.e. the word sound or spelling per se, not the meaning it represents), that word is feminine (because it is a baat) or it is a generic masculine? For example, if I wanted to say: Neha said a "hey!". That "hey" is masculine or feminine...

Hello all. Nendra نیندرا is money that is given by wedding guests to the family of the newly wedded couple to cover the expenses. I was wondering if anyone had any idea where this word comes from. It doesn't sound like a loan word. Thanks in advance

Friends, When words have this sign ــیـ , without a zer, and denoting the sound /e:/ like in پیچ = "screw, complication" That sign is "the middle form of the baRii ye" or "the middle form of the chhoTii ye"? For me, it was always the latter, as I always thought the baRii ye doesn't really...

Friends, What is soouuN in the following context? نعمان شوق - غزل کھیل ہی کھیل میں چھو لوں میں کنارا اپنا ایسے سوؤں کہ جگانا مجھے مشکل ہو جائے The Rekhta dictionary gives "sleep" as a definition, but what would be the headword? (BTW, I am just assuming it is soouuN, with 2 long vowels...

I’ve heard the expression “chalaakomaasii”, often used for young kids who act clever or naughty in an endearing way. I’m curious about the formation of this term. It may be of Punjabi origin but I have heard it used by non-Punjabis as well. How would you analyze the term “chalaakomaasii”? Does...

Friends, In the text quoted below, the writer sees his friend Budh Singh Qalandar, surrounded by a crowd, from a distance. ایک لمہے کے لیے میں نے بدھ سنگھ قلندر سے آنکھیں چار کیں۔ مجھے ان کی آنکھوں میں بھی ایک تبسم نظر آیا۔ گویا کہہ رہے ہوں،کیوں، کیسی رہی؟ Looks like ‘kyuuN, kaisii rahii?‘...

I've noticed that I and many others I know pronounnce words following the pattern of consonant+schwa+h+'long a' with a 'long a' instead of the schwa. For example the pronouncing यहाँ as याहाँ, महान as माहान, महा as माहा. Am I just mishearing this or is this a Mumbai thing or does this happen in...

Friends, could you please give me a translation of the following sentence? I hope I have put the izafat in the right places: سوارِ دولتِ جاوید کیا بلا ہے؟ Thanks.

Friends, I do not understand the meaning of آں in the following conversation: “سبحان اللہ، بڑے پائے کے بزرگ ہیں۔ ایک جہان ان کا مرید ہے۔ اور شاعری میں کیا ریختہ کیا فارسی، سعدئ وقت ہیں۔ “ہاں، لیکن افسوس کہ شاعری کی طرف آں جناب کی توجہ اب نہیں رہ گئی۔” .Thanks for help.

Friends, what does سعدی وقت ہیں mean, at the end of the following text: “شاعر تو میں بھی نہیں ہوں، یوں ہی ریختہ میں کچھ بک لیتا ہوں۔” “شاگردی کس کی اختیار فرمائی؟” “باقاعدہ شاگرد تو کسی کا نہیں ہوں، لیکن گاہے ماہے قبلہ میرزا صاحب از راہ تبرک ایک آدھ غزل پر نقطہ لگا دیتے ہیں۔ اس وقت میں...

Friends: Is mph (m + aspirated ph) a valid sound in either Urdu or Hindi? I cannot find in this forum a single word with the mph substring. In the Rekhta website (whose input box kind of suggests searches by substring as one types parts of the word) مپھ yields no results. Typing ंफ /...

Friends, I would like to know the meaning of ‘shaam ho kar hii nah degii’ in the following sentence: گرمیوں کی شام دیر سے ہوتی ہے، لیکن اس دن ایسا لگتا تھا شام ہو کر ہی نہ دے گی۔ Thanks.

Friends, If one takes away: - loanwords from Sanskrit like: viSHNRu, praaNR, kiraNR, pariNRiit, etc - loanwords from Punjabi like: sohNRii, raaNjhNRaa etc. - loanowrds from other languages: koNkaNR (?) - words in which the NR is not and independent sound (phoneme), but a mere nasal...

میں کافی عرصہ سے بے روزگار ہوں۔ میں نے اپنے علاقے کے چودہری سے بات کی۔ میں نے ان سے درخواست کی کہ "میری نوکری لگوا دیں"۔ The part is inverted commas is: Meri nokri (job) lagwa den. Can I please ask how native speakers of English say this part? Thanks a lot.

Background: Example sentence: Certain honey-based products were found to be tainted with erectile dysfunction drugs. Potential translations: -based - ? (مبنی is used in other cases - film based on a book, et cetera. شہد سے بنے could be used.) tainted - آلودہ، ملوّث erectile - نعوظی...

Friends, How does one pronounce باصرار which seems to be a combination of بہ with, and اصرار doggedness. Thanks.

Kal merey dost ne mujhy aik pizza khilaya. How would you translate this sentence into English? Thanks.

Background: Urdu/Hindi/Punjabi:Too little too late Urdu: self-conscious/insecure Questions: Would the translation attempts for unripe, underripe, overripe be considered grammatically correct? More specifically, would such use of کم، بیش/زائد as prefixes similar to under-, over- be...

Friends, what is the meaning of مرتب in the context of the following sentence: سال ۱۱۸۲ھ[۱۷۲۹عیسوی، مرتب] کی بسنت کے دن تھے۔ Thanks.

Dear Foreros, Yes on the odd occasion you may come across a dictionary which advocates the idea of bid'at be used to mean innovation, beyond religious connotations, but is this supposition even valid? Can bid'at be used for someone's innovation, or does it always have to be used in a negative...

Friends, what is the meaning of aahvaan-i-Haram in the last sentence of the following text (from Shamsur Rahman Faruqi story ‘sawaar’): لیکن کیا انسان صرف فائدے نقصان کے لیے جیتا ہے؟ کیا اور کوئی بلندتر مقصد و منظر نہیں جس کے لیے سعی کی جائے؟ یہ گھر گرھستی، یہ نام نہاد باعزت زندگی، یہ تعلیم و...

Background: relevant definitions from Cambridge English Dictionary Biology: relevant Urdu Lughat entry Other dictionaries also include سَمّیہ. Internet, Marketing: current Urdu usages وائرل ہونا - to be/become viral وائرل کرنا/بنانا - to make viral Questions: Could forum members shed...

Hello, Can somebody please translate the urdu verses into English: دیکھو میں بنجارا ہوں، مرضی کا دھارا ہوں، بجھتی ہوئ بستی میں گھومتا آوارہ ہوں My English translation is below: Look! I'm seemingly a nomad who is driven by free will; making me a lone wanderer in extinguished town.

Friends, Although I am very fond of nastaliq, I find it almost impossible to decipher the last word in the sentence in the third line in the screenshot below: : تمھیں پرائی کیا پڑی ہے اپنی ۔۔۔۔ Grateful for help.

Hello, There was a brief thread here on 'wasting time,' but I thought I would expand the question. In the thread, we spoke about vaqt barbaad karnaa, which makes sense. What about in these contexts (colloquially): To waste money -- I mostly hear uRaanaaa -- can you say vo har mahine netflix...

Friends, what is meant by the phrase ‘ہونا ہوانا تھا نہیں‘ in the following sentence : شائد راستے میں علامہ اپنے تصرف سے میری گتھی سلجھا دیں، یہاں تو اب کچھ ہونا ہوا نا تھا نہیں۔ (from Shams-ur-Rahman Faruqi short story ‘sawar’) Thanks.

Friends, how may one translate the word Sargam occurring in two places in the following sentence: ایسی صورت میں حکیم صاحب جھجکنے والے طالب علم ہی کی نبض پر ہاتھ رکھ کر نبض کو مختلف طرح سے دباتے، کہ ہر بار اس کا سرگم بدل جاتا اور حکیم صاحب طالب علم سے کہتے کہ اپنی گردن میں دائیں طرف، شاہ رگ کے...

Dear Foreros, Just for some context so that we can meet at an advanced stage of comprehension, top of mind relates to being front and center in one's cerebral attention, whereas if something is at the back of your mind, you are subconsciously wary of it, or it subliminally affects your decision...

I am marrying into an Urdu-speaking family (from northern India and Pakistan) next week, and I would like to end a small welcome speech by saying something similar to "thank you for welcoming me into your family" in Urdu. Could someone provide a translation? Ideally in a script that I can plug...

Dear Foreros, Whilst I recognize that the term for across is aar-paar besides in the context of a tunnel I have trouble formulating Urdu sentences where I intend upon conveying someone or I, have traveled across say a country like the US or halfway across the world. Therefore, in order to rid...

Can anyone read this inscription? It is inlayed on the hilt of a 19th century sword from Lahore. My best guess it that it is some kind of Landa script, like Takri or Mahajani, but I can't read it.

Background: The follow couplet is often used as assurance that others haven't (or the task they've assigned hasn't) been forgotten: گو میں رہا رہینِ ستم ہائے روزگار لیکن ترے خیال سے غافل نہیں رہا مرزا غالب Questions: How could the couplet be translated into Persian if it is to be included it...