Urdu: nahiiN, maiN ne nahiiN jaanaa

Qureshpor

Senior Member
Panjabi, Urdu پنجابی، اردو
Friends,

The subject "mujhe jaanaa hai" vs "maiN ne jaanaa hai" has been discussed in detail in a number of threads, one of them being Urdu: Maine. The purpose of this current thread is not to go into the rights and wrongs of one or the other and the supposed origins of the latter form but to see what meaning or meanings are imparted by both and whether the latter one offers something additional to the former. If there is an additional meaning resulting in the latter, then one can say that this innovation, evolution or whatever name we want to provide to this construction is a positive development in the Urdu language.

I am going to try and quote real examples (spoken and writen) wherever possible and I would request Urdu speakers to do the same if at all possible please.

For the "maiN ne jaanaa hai" type of sentence, here is a quote from the Pakistani serical "tanhaa'iyaaN", written by Haseena Moin.

الف: میں تمھیں کافی پلاتا ہوں، بڑی زبردست۔ چلو اُٹھو۔

ب۔ میں نہیں جاؤں گی۔

الف۔ دو گھنٹے میں تمھارا دفتر بھاگ تو نہیں جائے گا۔

ب۔ میں نے نہیں جانا۔

This is how my mind perceives ب's replies. You may differ, so please do let me know how you perceive the meanings.

ب۔ میں نہیں جاؤں گی۔ B. I won't go

ب۔ میں نے نہیں جانا۔ B. I am not going (intention). / I don't want to go (want/desire).

Here is an example from the mouth of Iftikhar Arif whom you will all know.

جس کو کسی کا خیال نہیں آ رہا اپنے علاوہ اُس نے کیا کرنا ہے؟

The one who is not thinking about anyone apart from herself/himself, what is s/he going to do?

اِدارے کے اہلکاروں نے اِسی ہفتے مُذاکرات کے لئے تہران جانا ہے۔ (بی بی سی اردو نیوز)

Members of the organisation are to go to Tehran this very week for negotiations.


خلاصہ اس ساری گفتگو کا یہ ہے کہ’’ مجھے جانا ہے‘‘ ،لہٰذا اجازت دیجیے۔ (ڈاکٹر رؤوف پاریکھ)

صحتِ زباں: ’’مجھے جانا ہے‘‘ یا ’’میں نے جانا ہے‘‘ ؟

The long and the short of this whole conversation is that "I have to go", so please grant me leave.

نہ جانے کب کوئی جنت کا طالب مجھ کو بھی جنت میں لے جائے۔

مجھے جنت نہیں جانا۔ I don't want to go to Paradise.

(شاعر: عابد حسین عابد)


It seems to me that the positve forms appear to give different shades of meaning compared with the negative ones.


مجھے لاہور جانا ہے۔ I have to go to Lahore (obligation)

مجھے لاہور نہیں جانا۔ I don't want to go to Lahore. (volition)


میں نے لاہور جانا ہے۔ I am going to Lahore (future) / I want to go Lahore (volition)

میں نے لاہور نہیں جانا۔ I am not going to Lahore. (future) / I don't want to go to Lahore. (volition)


Questions:

1. Does / Can مجھے لاہور جانا ہے also imply "I want to go to ؒLahore"? "I am going to Lahore"?

2. Does / Can مجھے لاہور نہیں جانا۔ also imply "I don't have to go to Lahore"?

3. Does / Can میں نےلاہور جانا ہے؟ also imply "I have to go Lahore"?

4. Does / Can میں نے لاہور نہیں جانا (ہے)؟ also imply "I don't have to go Lahore"?
 
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  • 1. Does / Can مجھے لاہور جانا ہے also imply "I want to go to ؒLahore"? "I am going to Lahore"?

    سمیع ابراہیم صاحب کے ایک نسبتاً حالیہ وی لاگ میں ایک عدالت کی کارروائی کا سلسلہ بیان کرتے ہوئے جج صاحب کے ایک سوال کے جواب
    میں ایک پولیس افسر کا اقتباس کرتے ہیں۔۔۔

    میں نے ابھی گنڈاپور کو گرفتار کرنا ہے۔

    میرے خیال میں اِس کا انگریزی ترجمہ یوں ہو سکتا ہے۔

    I intend to arrest Gandapur straight away.

    I am going to arrest Gandapur straight away.
    3. Does / Can میں نےلاہور جانا ہے؟ also imply "I have to go Lahore"?

    سمیع ابراہیم ہی کے بقول۔۔۔

    سماعت اِس لئے نہیں ہوئی کہ ایک ممبر نے بنچ کے کراچی جانا ہے۔

    The hearing didn't take place because a bench member had to go to Karachi.

    اِس ملک نے آئین کے مطابق چلنا ہے۔

    This country has to run according to the constitution.
    4. Does / Can میں نے لاہور نہیں جانا (ہے)؟ also imply "I don't have to go Lahore"?

    نیچے دیا ہؤا جملہ تو یہ معنی نہیں دیتا۔

    اِس ملک نے اِن کی خواہشات کے مطابق نہیں چلنا ہے۔

    This country is not going to run acording to their wishes.

     
    Questions:

    1. Does / Can مجھے لاہور جانا ہے also imply "I want to go to ؒLahore"? "I am going to Lahore"?

    2. Does / Can مجھے لاہور نہیں جانا۔ also imply "I don't have to go to Lahore"?

    3. Does / Can میں نےلاہور جانا ہے؟ also imply "I have to go Lahore"?

    4. Does / Can میں نے لاہور نہیں جانا (ہے)؟ also imply "I don't have to go Lahore"?

    1. Daryaa kuuze meN band, jee bilkul. If a child were to say mujhe ice cream khaanii hai, that doesn't imply that that child has to eat ice cream for their well being it just means they are persisting that one buy them ice cream. Similarly, mujhe Lahore jaanaa hai could just as well mean that one craves to go to Lahore as much as it can that she/he has to go to Lahore. Context is key. Mujhe Laahor le chalo, Laahor jaanaa hai implies a deep desire rather than an obligation. Mujhe jaanaa hai connotes insistence and temerity not necessarily an obligation

    Let's say someone is desperate for a place at the table to an exclusive meeting. They could say mujhe har-Haal meN us ijlaas/meeting meN jaanaa hai.

    2. Mujhe Laahor nahiiN jaanaa can just as well mean one is engaging in a childlike tantrum and saying that they don't want to go. The implication here is that one doesn't want to go.

    3. Yes. You could tell that to a cabbie and it would mean just that.

    4. 2 and 4 are identical to me.
     
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