Simple Sentences

The order of words in a simple sentence in Urdu differs from that in English. When the predicate contains a finite verb, that verb always takes the final position in the sentence:

میں سپاھی ھوں

maiN sipaahii huuN

'I am a soldier'

In compound verbal forms, the verb 'to be' always follows the participle:

ھم کالج جاتے ھیں

ham kaalij jaate haiN

'We go to the college'

If the sentence contains a direct object, that object usually precedes the verb:

احمد نے کرسی بنائی ھے

ahmad ne kursii banaaii hai

'Ahmad has made a chair'

An adjective always precedes the noun it qualifies:

اچھا آدمی

acchaa aadmii

'a good man'

لمبی رسی

lambii rassii

'a long rope'

This rule is also valid for an attribute expressed by a participle or a noun with a postposition:

دوڑتا لڑکا

dauRtaa laRkaa

'a running boy'

میرے باپ کا گھر

mere baap kaa ghar

'my father's house'

اس کے بیٹے کے دوست کا کتا

us ke beTe ke dost kaa kuttaa

'a dog of his son's friend'

The verb does not change its position in the sentence when forming questions:

وہ سپاھی ھے ؟

vah sipaahii hai?

'Is he a soldier?'

احمد نے کرسی بنائی ھے ؟

ahmad ne kursii banaaii hai?

'Has Ahmad made the chair?'

There is no auxiliary verb similar to the verb 'to do' in English:

تم چائے پیتے ھو ؟

tum caae piite ho?

'Do you drink tea?'

Very often, questions are introduced by the interrogative pronoun کیا kyaa 'what?', which cannot be translated into English. It serves only to mark the beginning of an interrogative sentence:

کیا وہ سپاھی ھے ؟

kyaa vah sipaahii hai?

'Is he a soldier?'

کیا احمد نے کرسی بنائی ھے ؟

kyaa ahmad ne kursii banaaii hai?

'Has Ahmad made the chair?'

کیا تم چائے پیتے ھو ؟

kyaa tum caae piite ho?

'Do you drink tea?'

In questions where interrogative words such as interrogative pronouns, pronominal adjectives, or pronominal adverbs are necessary, the interrogative words usually don't take the initial position. Most frequently, they immediately precede the predicate:

تم کون ھو ؟

tum kaun ho?

'Who are you?'

وہ کیوں رو رھی ھے ؟

vah kyoN ro rahii hai?

'Why is she crying?'