Word stress in Pashto is dynamic, meaning that it can be put not only on the last syllable (like in Dari or Farsi) but also on any other syllable. (A syllable is a part of a word pronounced without interruption. For example, there are three syllables in the English word 'syllable' - 'syl-la-ble'.)
Placing the stress on different syllables can produce different words:
"incident" - [péKha], "mockery" - [peKhá] → پېښَه
"peace" - [jóRa], "couple" - [joRá] → جُوړَه
The stress must be put on a specific syllable in the following cases:
a) The stress is always put on the first syllable of perfective verbs which use the prefix و "wu-" in the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative moods:
"They wrote books" - [duy kitaabúna wú-likAl] دُوی کِتابُونَه وُلیکٌل
"I will read" - [zA bA wú-lwalAm] زٌه بٌه وُلْوَلٌم (indicative)
"I would do" - [wú- kRAm] وُکْړٌم (subjunctive)
"write" - [wú-lika] وُلیکَه (imperative)
b) In negative verbs in the imperative mood, the stress is placed on the negative particle مَه "ma":
"Do not read" - [má lwala] مَه لْوَلَه
c) The stress is always placed on the last syllable of infinitive verbs:
"to do" - [kawÁl] کَوٌل
"to write" - [likÁl] لیکٌل
"to read" - [lwastÁl] لْوَسْتٌل
d) The stress is usually placed on the last syllable in words adopted from Arabic, Persian, or the languages of Western Europe:
"knife" - [chaakú] چاقُو
"school" - [maktáb] مَکْتَب
"tragedy" - [traazhedí] تْراژیدى
See Also: