Infinitives

The infinitive in Urdu is formed by adding the suffix ﻧ n and the ending ﺎ aa to the verbal stem:

جانا

jaanaa 'to go' (from the stem جا jaa-)

ھونا

honaa 'to be' (from the stem ھو ho-)

رکھنا

rakhnaa 'to keep, to hold, to place' (from the stem رکھ rakh-)

The infinitive is very often used as a noun. The functions of this verbal noun are similar to those of an English gerund that ends in -ing. Thus, for example, پڑھنا paRhnaa means both 'to read' and '(the act of) reading'. When used in this way, the infinitive is declined like a masculine noun and has an oblique form ending in ے e. This form appears in several constructions, usually (but not always) before postpositions: چلنے کے لیے calne ke liye 'in order to move (literally: for moving)'.

The oblique form of the infinitive is used independently (without a postposition) with motion verbs such as آنا aanaa 'to come', جانا jaanaa 'to go', etc. It is also used with the verb لگنا lagnaa 'to stick to, to begin' and with the adjective لایق laayaq 'worth, worthy':

آنا باتیں کرنے

baateN karne aanaa 'to come to talk'

فلم دیکھنے جانا

film dekhne jaanaa 'to go to see the film, to go to the cinema'

کام کرنے لگنا

kaam karne lagnaa 'to begin to work'

پڑھنے لایق کتاب

paRhne laayaq kitaab 'a book worth reading'

Infinitives are similar in form to gerundives, which end in نا -naa.