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	{{language\|name=Urdu		{{language\|name=Urdu
	\|nativename=~~اردو~~		\|nativename=اردو
	\|familycolor=lawngreen		\|familycolor=lawngreen
	\|states=], ], and by at least 1% of the population of ], ], ], ]?, ], ], ], ]		\|states=], ], and by at least 1% of the population of ], ], ], ]?, ], ], ], ]
	\|region=]		\|region=]
			\|rank=19-21 (native speakers), in a near tie with Italian and Turkish

	\|speakers=61 million native,<br>104 million total		\|speakers=61 million native,<br>104 million total
	\|rank=19-20 (native speakers, in a near tie with Italian and Turkish
	\|family=]<br>		\|family=]<br>
	]<br>		]<br>
	]<br>		]<br>
	]<br>		]<br>
	~~'''Urdu'''~~<br>		]<br />
			'''Urdu'''<br>
	\|nation=]<br>] , ] States (India)
			\|nation=]<br>]<br>] , ] States (India)
	\|agency=-		\|agency=-
	\|iso1=ur\|iso2=urd\|sil=URD}}		\|iso1=ur\|iso2=urd\|sil=URD}}
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	]		]
	'''Urdu''' ('''~~اردو~~''')is an ] language which ~~arose~~ in ~~the~~ ] ~~during~~ ~~the period of Muslim rule in Southern Asia. It was spoken mainly~~ in the ~~courts~~ of ~~the rulers of the~~ ], in the ~~time~~ of the ] ~~and its successor states~~.		'''Urdu''' ('''اردو''') is an ] language which is generally believed to have developed in the vicinity of ], from where it spread to the rest of the ].

	It is believed to have arose around the vicinity of ] (once the capital of the Mughal Empire). Cities with a strong tradition of the language include ], ], ], ], and ].

	The language of the court, and of literature, was usually ], while that of religion was ], the language of the ]. This process of the mingling of these languages and the local dialects led to the development of everyday speech that came to be known as ].
	Urdu, especially in its less formalized form as it developed from a dialect to a more formal language, has also been referred to as a "''raikhtha''" (ریختہ), which literally means "a rough mixture".

	Urdu further developed as a vernacular dialect in modern times from the gradual infusion of English and Hindi words during ] in the late 1800s and the widespread success of the Indian film industry in Urdu-speaking areas.

	The formal language is sometimes referred to as ''Zaban-e-Urdu-e-Moalla'' (زبانﹺ اردوﹺ معلہ), which can be translated as "Language of Camp and Court". The word ''urdu'' itself means "army", "horde" or "tent" in ]. ''Urdu'', the Turkish word ''ordu'', and the word ''horde'' (found in several European languages) have the same origin. The name Urdu, or camp, was given to the language as it was used as a communication tool between the Muslim army camps in the Subcontinent.

	It soon became the language of the ], distinguished linguistically from local languages by its large and significant ]-] vocabulary with a base of grammar and usages that it shares in common with ]. The result was what has been called one of the world's most beautiful languages, the "]" ("Mountain of Light," a famed native, large and brilliant diamond from the region) of languages. It is widely spoken today in both ] and ] and all countries having a sizeable South Asian diaspora.

	In South Asia today, the majority of Urdu speakers are Muslim and the majority of Hindi speakers are Hindu. It is not uncommon, however, for Muslims to know Hindi and Hindus to know Urdu. Over the last century, formal Urdu and Hindi have become increasingly differentiated as distinct idioms, primarily through a divergence of vocabulary. When there is a choice between a Persian- or Arabic-derived word and a Sanskrit-derived one, formal Urdu chooses the Perso-Arabic word, while formal Hindi chooses the Sanskrit word.

	Though not a very old language, Urdu is considered a language full of charm and elegance, a language of high culture and courtly elegance. Even today, when the this native language has almost lost its importance in India and faces challenges in Pakistan from English and Punjabi, those with a slightly poetic and aesthetic sensibility prefer to express themselves in Urdu only, as the language adds charm to prose and poetry. Urdu is still widely used in literary fiction and poetry, in schools, and in the theatre.

	The mix of Urdu and Hindi forming the ] dialects, spoken in northern India and Pakistan, comprise the second-most-popular 'first' language and second-most-popular 'first or second' language in the world. Urdu by itself is the twentieth most popular 'first' language in the world, the national language of ], and one of the 22 national languages of ].

	==History==
	:'See also ]''

	There are many views on the origins of Urdu, differing in both time and geographic location.

	The birthplace of the Urdu language is not known to an exact location. There are hypotheses that are backed by Urdu literature having been found in certain areas as far back as the period of the ]. Keeping in mind the linguistic character of the areas around Delhi, it is often said that Urdu originated in or around Delhi over a period of a few centuries. It is believed that Urdu was developed by the Mughal rulers in India and initially it was used and adopted by the Muslims of the region.

	Wherever Muslim soldiers went and settled, they carried Urdu with them. Urdu enjoyed commanding status in the literary courts of Muslim rulers and ]s, and flourished under their patronage, partially but not entirely displacing ] as the language of intellectuals in Indian society.

	The prestige bestowed upon Urdu at the expense of regional languages always remained a source of irritation for Hindu commoners, as it disturbed the homogeneity of Indian society. The Hindu masses of the country never accepted Urdu as their language, since to them it symbolised an instrument of Muslim barbarism, even though some urban Hindus adopted Urdu in pursuit of their economic interests.

	== Classification and Related Languages ==

	Urdu is a member of the ] group of languages, which is in turn part of the ] family of languages.

	Urdu is related to most of the languages of northern South Asia &mdash in that they all have similar grammatical structures. The vernacular that is spoken widely in the current times is similar to Punjabi and Hindi due to loan words infused into the Urdu language.

	=== Urdu - Hindi - Hindustani ===

	Urdu, Hindi and the consequent ] have a very strange and complex relationship with each other. Urdu and Hindi have been called different languages on the one hand and dialects of the same language on the other. Hindustani is generally thought of as the language that encompasses both Urdu and Hindi and forms the mother language of these two languages. (Such a state of affairs is sometimes known as a ].)

	The largest difference between Urdu and Hindi is that Urdu is written in the ] form of the modified Arabic script while Hindi is written in the ] script.

	Urdu, Hindi and Hindustani are all segments on a long linguistic chain. At one end is a heavily Persianized language which is written in the Nasta'liq font and in a modified Arabic script. At the other end is a heavily Sanskritized language which is written in the Devanagari form. The progression from one to the other is continuous and slow. The basic grammars are the same. The words are replaced either by more Sanskritized or more Persianized forms. Urdu forms the segment of the chain more towards the Persian side and Hindi forms the segment of the chain more towards the Sanskrit side. The language generally spoken in the north of the Indian subcontinent is basically halfway between the two extremes and represents Hindustani.

	Despite this, the casual spoken languages are similar and in some cases not even distinguishable. For example, it is said that Indian movies (of the North and North-West regions, primarily of ]) are made in Hindi, but the language used in many of these movies is exactly the same language used by Urdu speakers in Pakistan. The dialogue of these films is frequently developed in English and later adapted to an intentionally neutral Hindi/Urdu which can be easily understood by speakers of most North Indian languages. The songs, however, are typically pure Urdu, and many of the top Urdu poets make their livings writing for films. On the other hand, Pakistani TV dramas are said to be made in Urdu, yet the language used in many of these dramas is exactly the language used by Hindi speakers in India.

	As the language becomes more formal, the difference between the two languages starts to become clearer. In more serious speech and writing, the Sanskritization or Arabo-Persianization will become more pronounced. The languages used in newscasts, encyclopaedia articles and courtrooms become very heavily Sanskritized or Persianized and may be nearly unintelligible to speakers from the other languages.


	=== Roman Urdu ===

	Roman Urdu is Urdu written in the Roman script.
	Roman Urdu has been used since the days of the ], partly as a result of the availability and low cost of Roman ] for printing presses.
	The use of Roman Urdu was common in some contexts, such as product labels.
	It is gaining popularity among users of text-messaging and Internet services — especially the young — and is developing its own style and conventions. ] says in his article, "In fact, Urdu’s inherited script can produce and display its sounds properly. Urdu can be proud of having the richest variety of alphabet characters (44 compared to English’s 26) that can represent most of the sounds. Urdu’s own script is far more superior to the Roman script, yet the younger generation of Urdu speaking people around the world are using it on the Internet and it has become essential for them, because they use the Internet and English is its language. A person from Islamabad chats with another in Delhi on the Internet only in Roman Urdu. They both speak (almost) the same language but with different scripts, The Urdu message is alien for an Indian and similarly the Devanagari message is alien for a Pakistani. Moreover, the younger generation of those who are from the English medium schools or settled in the west, can speak Urdu but can’t write it in the traditional Arabic script and thus Roman Urdu is a blessing for such a population. It is the need of the time to recognise and properly shape the Roman Urdu officially. We can’t deny the ground realities of 21st century."

	The following are Urdu vocabulary in the Nast'aliq text:

	Consonants:

	¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

	(گربہ) billi (Cat)

	(تر): bheegi (Wet)

	(پنکہ): paNkha (Fan)

	(گل): phool (Flower)

	(ترازو):taraazu (Balance)

	(قاب): thaali (Plate)

	(تمیتو): Timaatar (Tomato)

	(درست):Theek (Correct)

	(جنگ): jaNg (War)

	(گہوارہ):jhoola (Swing)

	(عشق): caahat (Love)

	(خاص): Qaas (Special)

	(دنیا): dunya (World)

	(فریب): dhoka (Fraud)

	(رشتہ): Dori (Thread)

	(سست): Dheela (Loose)

	(شب): raat (Night)

	(کبیر): baRaa (Big, Large)

	(زندگی):zindagi (Life)

	(ژالہ باری):Zaala baari (Hail storm)

	(زمستان):sardi (Winter)

	(شکریا):Sukrya (Thanks)

	(غم): Gam (Grief)

	(فاصلہ):faasla (Distance)

	(قافلہ):qaafila (Caravan)

	(ریزہ): qeemam qeemah (Mince)

	(کارواں):kaaravaaN (Caravan)

	(بازی): kheyl (Game, play)

	(کوچہ): gali (Street)

	(اسپ): ghoRa (Horse)

	(ساق): laat (Leg)

	(محبت): muhabbat (Love)

	(نوکر): naokar (Employee)

	(یہاں): vahaaN (There) yahaaN (here)

	(ورنہ): varna (Otherwise)

	(یے): yeh, yey (This)


	Vowels:

	¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

	(اگر): agar (if)

	(عکس): (reflection)

	(اتش): aag (fire)

	(ہے): hay (is)

	(ہیں): hayN (are)

	(وہ): they (were)

	(گہے): gaey (went)

	(دل): dil (heart)

	(حیات): jeevan (life)

	(نیوش): sun (listen)

	(خموش): chup (silent)

	(خاک): dhool (dust)

	(و): aor (and, more)

			Urdu developed as local ] dialects came under the influence of the court languages of the Muslim rulers of the ]. The language spoken in the court, and the language of literature, was primarily {{ll\|Persian}}, while the language of religion was {{ll\|Arabic}}. The mingling of these languages led to a ] that sounded much like today's {{ll\|Urdu}}. Dialects of this vernacular are spoken in cities and villages throughout ] and northern ]. Cities with a strong tradition of the language include ], ], ], ], and ].
	(جانِ من):jaan e man (my life/love), dil e man (my heart)

			The full range of Urdu-Hindi dialects spoken in northern India and Pakistan is usually called {{ll\|Hindustani}}. Hindustani is the second-most-populous language in the world, both by the number of its native speakers, and by the number who use it daily as a second language, if it is understood to include all idioms commonly referred to as "dialects" of Hindi. Urdu by itself is the twentieth most populous natively-spoken language in the world, and is the national language of ] as well as one of the 22 national languages of ].
	(دل و نگاہ):dil o nigaah (heart and vision) roz o shab (day and night)

	== Speakers and geographic distribution ==		== Speakers and geographic distribution ==

	In Pakistan, Urdu is spoken as a mother tongue by a majority of urban dwellers in such cities as ] and ] in the southern province of ]. In spite of its status as the national language, however, only 8% of Pakistanis speak Urdu as their first language ~~with~~ ~~about~~ 48% ~~speaking~~ Punjabi as a mother tongue. It is, however, the language of prestige ~~and~~ all signage, and ~~literacy is compulsory in the Pakistani school system. As time goes by~~, ~~more~~ and ~~more Pakistanis of ] or other backgrounds are speaking Urdu as a first language. It is evident that~~ the number of native Urdu speakers is increasing quickly in urban centers.		In Pakistan, Urdu is spoken as a mother tongue by a majority of urban dwellers in such cities as ] and ] in the southern province of ]. In spite of its status as the national language, however, only 8% of Pakistanis speak Urdu as their first language, compared to 48% who speak Punjabi as a mother tongue. Urdu is, however, the language of prestige, all signage, and education, and the number of native Urdu speakers is increasing quickly in urban centers.

	In India, Urdu is spoken as a mother tongue by many in the northern and central states. While in India Muslims might ostensibly be seen as identifying more with Urdu, Hindus and Sikhs naturally speak Urdu regardless of religion, especially when they have grown up in such traditional Urdu strongholds as Lucknow and Hyderabad. Some would contend that ~~Language~~ spoken in ] films is in fact closer to Urdu than Hindi, especially in ]s.		In India, Urdu is spoken as a mother tongue by many in the northern and central states. While in India Muslims might ostensibly be seen as identifying more with Urdu, Hindus and Sikhs naturally speak Urdu regardless of religion, especially when they have grown up in such traditional Urdu strongholds as Lucknow and Hyderabad. Some would contend that the language spoken in ] films is in fact closer to Urdu than Hindi, especially in ]s.

	~~Apart from the Indian subcontinent,~~ Urdu is also spoken in urban ]. It is ~~also~~ spoken to ~~some~~ ~~extent~~ in the major urban centres in the ] countries and in ]. Urdu is spoken by a large ~~number~~ of ~~people~~ in the major urban centres of the ], the ], ] and ].		Urdu is also spoken in urban ]. Outside the Indian subcontinent, it is spoken by large numbers of workers in the major urban centres of the ] countries and ]. Urdu is also spoken by large numbers of immigrants and their children in the major urban centres of the ], the ], ], and ].

	Countries with large numbers of First Language Urdu speakers.		Countries with large numbers of First Language Urdu speakers:
	<table><tr><td valign=top>		<table><tr><td valign=top>
	* ],		* ],
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	* ].		* ].
	</td></tr></table>		</td></tr></table>


	=== Official Status ===		=== Official Status ===

	Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. ~~According to Pakistani government websites, it also~~ shares ] status with English. Although English is an ] and is used in most elite circles, and Punjabi has a plurality of native speakers, Urdu is ~~seen as~~ the ~~one~~ ] that is expected to prevail. Urdu is one of the official languages of India, and while the government school system - especially in northern states - emphasizes ] , many universities, especially in ], continue to ~~foster~~ Urdu as a language of prestige and learning. In ] and ], Urdu has official language status.		Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. It shares ] status with English. Although English is an ] and is used in most elite circles, and Punjabi has a plurality of native speakers, Urdu is the ] that is most commonly expected to prevail. Urdu is also one of the official languages of India, and while the government school system—especially in the northern states—emphasizes ], many universities, especially in ], continue to promote Urdu as a language of prestige and learning. In the Indian states of ] and ], Urdu has official language status.

			== Classification and related languages ==
	<!-- == Sounds ==

			Urdu is a member of the ] family of languages, which is in turn a branch of the ] family.
	--Add info here--

	-->
			Urdu is related to most of the languages of northern South Asia — they all have similar grammatical structures, and even a certain common vocabulary. The ], for instance, is very similar to Urdu. Written Punjabi (in ] script) can be understood by speakers of Urdu with a little difficulty, but spoken Punjabi has a very different ] (pronunciation system) and cannot be easily understood by Urdu speakers. However, the language mostly closely linked to Urdu is ].

	== Grammar ==		== Grammar ==
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	In Urdu there is also a singular or a plural noun form.		In Urdu there is also a singular or a plural noun form.
	<!-- is that correct? or was the original author talking about verbs? -->		<!-- is that correct? or was the original author talking about verbs? -->
			== Levels of formality in Urdu ==

			Urdu, especially in its less formalized form, has been referred to as a ''raikhtha'' (ریختہ), a "rough mixture".

			The more formal ] of Urdu is sometimes referred to as ''Zaban-e-Urdu-e-Moalla'' (زبانﹺ اردوﹺ معلہ), the "Language of Camp and Court".

	=== Politeness ===		== Politeness ==

	A host of words are used to show respect and politeness. These words are generally used with people who are older in age or with whom you are not acquainted. For example the English pronoun 'you' can be translated into three words in Urdu: the singular forms 'tu' (informal, extremely intimate, or derogatory) and 'tum' (informal) and the plural forms 'aap' (formal and respectful).		A host of words are used to show respect and politeness. These words are generally used with people who are older in age or with whom you are not acquainted. For example the English pronoun 'you' can be translated into three words in Urdu: the singular forms 'tu' (informal, extremely intimate, or derogatory) and 'tum' (informal) and the plural forms 'aap' (formal and respectful).
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	== Vocabulary ==		== Vocabulary ==

	Urdu has a vocabulary rich in words with Indian and Middle Eastern origins. The ~~Urdu~~ ~~language is~~ dominated by words from Arabic~~, Persian,~~ and ~~some Sanskrit~~. There are also a number of borrowings from Turkish, Portuguese and English. Many of the Arabic ~~words~~ that have found a place in the Urdu ~~Language~~, often through the conduit of Persian, have different nuances of meaning and usage.		Urdu has a vocabulary rich in words with Indian and Middle Eastern origins. The borrowings are dominated by words from Arabic and Persian. There are also a number of borrowings from Sanskrit, Turkish, Portuguese and English. Many of the words of Arabic origin that have found a place in the Urdu language, often through the conduit of Persian, have different nuances of meaning and usage than they do in Arabic.

	== Writing System ==		== Writing System ==
	]		]
	{{IPA notice}}		{{IPA notice}}
	Urdu is written in a derivative of the ] which is itself derivative of the ]. It is read from right to left. Urdu is similar in appearance and letters to ], ], and ]. Urdu differs in appearance from ] in that it uses the more complex and sinuous ] script whereas ] ~~tends~~ to the ~~more modern~~ ]. Nasta'liq is notoriously difficult to typeset, so Urdu newspapers are made from hand-written masters. ~~Although the styles are different, people who can read Urdu can read ], as Arabic uses the same alphabet but with fewer letters.~~ There are efforts underway to develop more practical Urdu support on computers.		Urdu is written in a derivative of the ] which is itself derivative of the ]. It is read from right to left. Urdu is similar in appearance and letters to ], ], and ]. In their modern incarnation, Urdu differs in appearance from ] in that it typically uses the more complex and sinuous '']'' style of script, whereas ] is more commonly written in the modernized '']'' style. ''Nasta'liq'' is notoriously difficult to typeset, so Urdu newspapers are made from hand-written masters. There are efforts underway to develop more practical Urdu support on computers.

	Usually, bare transliterations of Urdu into Roman letters omit many ~~subtle phonetic~~ ~~aspects~~ which have no equivalent in English or other languages ~~which are~~ written ~~with~~ the Roman alphabet~~, such as a sharp exhale at the end of certain words (known as ])~~. It should be noted that a reasonably comprehensive system has emerged with specific notations to signify non-English sounds, but it is only properly read by someone already familiar with Urdu or ]; ~~this phoneticizing~~ script, ~~however,~~ ~~does~~ ~~serve~~ a ~~valid~~ ~~purpose~~ as it ~~would allow~~ Indians, who ~~usually~~ write Hindi and even Urdu in ] script, to communicate with ]s only familiar with Nasta'liq.		Usually, bare transliterations of Urdu into Roman letters omit many ] elements which have no equivalent in English or other languages commonly written in the Roman alphabet. It should be noted that a reasonably comprehensive system has emerged with specific notations to signify non-English sounds, but it can only be properly read by someone already familiar with Urdu or ]. This script may be found on the internet, and it allows Indians who write Hindi and even Urdu in the ] script to communicate with ]s who are only familiar with ''Nasta'liq''.

	A list of the ~~alphabet of~~ Urdu ~~along~~ ~~with its~~ pronunciation is given below. A more detailed list with ~~detailed~~ phonetic information will be added later on.		A list of the Urdu alphabet and pronunciation is given below. A more detailed list with phonetic information will be added at a later date.

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			<b>Writing Forms, Hindi and English Transliteration Table<b> </br>
	== Literature==

	Urdu has been used as a language for literature for a relatively short period of time, Persian being the language of choice until recently. But even so, a varied and extensive literature of the language has come up.

	A large number of volumes of Islamic works are extant in Urdu. These include translations of classical texts from Arabic and Persian, Urdu commentaries on these classical texts, and contemporary works in all fields of Islamic thought and representing a wide array of ideological positions. Relatively inexpensive publishing and the fact that Urdu serves as the ] for Muslims across South Asia mean that Urdu almost certainly has more contemporary Islamic works than any other language.

	Two genres have seen a lot of development in Urdu as compared to other languages. The ''daastaan'' is a long story which might include multiple story lines, plots and may not have any particular focus, but it had beautiful lingustic structures. It is not used any more. The ''afsaana'' is a short story. It has become the primary genre of Urdu fiction. The most well known ''afsaana'' writers, or ''afsaana nigaar'', in Urdu are ], ], ], and ]. Premchand, a Hindu writer, became known as a pioneer in the ''afsaana'' (though some contend that his were not technically the first) and showed that religion was not an obstacle to Urdu's grand capacity to express. In post-independence South Asia the pulp novel (a natural extension of the ''daastaan'') has been a major medium for writers of popular literature.

	== Poetry ==

	Urdu is very well known for its beautiful ]. Urdu was the premiere language of poetry in South Asia for two centuries and has a large and rich collection of poetry in a host of different poetic forms.

	The ] (غزل) is a form of poetry that was used extensively by poets all over South Asia, generally by Muslim poets. Its beauty and grace has made it well-liked by people from all faiths all over the region. ], ], and ] are some of the major poets in the genre of Ghazal.

	Except for Ghazal the poetic forms of ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] are very well developed in Urdu. Foreign forms such as the ] and ] have also been used by Urdu poets, mainly in the modern era.

	Probably the most widely read, recited, and memorized genre of contemporary Urdu poetry is na`t - panegyric poetry written in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. Na`t can be of any formal category, but is most commonly in the ghazal form. The language used in Urdu na`t ranges from the intensely colloquial to highly Persianized formal language. The great early twentieth century scholar Imam ], who wrote many of the most well known na`t's in Urdu, epitomized this range in a ghazal of nine stanzas (bayt) in which every stanza contains half a line each of Arabic, Persian, formal Urdu, and colloquial Hindi. The same poet composed a salam - a poem of greeting to the Prophet, derived from the universal Muslim practice of qiyam, or standing, during the ], or celebration of the birth of the Prophet - "Mustafa Jan-e Rahmat," which, due to being recited nearly every Friday in a majority of Urdu speaking mosques throughout the world, is probably the most frequently recited Urdu poem of the modern era.

			<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3>
	Urdu also gave birth to a new genre of poetry, the ] (نوحہ)</font>. It usually describes the circumstances of the Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain in the form of an elegy, occasionally accompanied by lamentation.
			<tr>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>Final </p></td>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>Medial </p></td>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>Initial </p></td>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>Isolated </p></td>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>Devanagari </p></td>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>English </p></td>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>Urdu Name </p></td>
			<td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><p align=center style='text-align:center'>Name </p></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺎ</td>
			<td>ﺎ</td>
			<td>ا</td>
			<td>ا</td>
			<td>अ</td>
			<td>a, i, ʔ</td>
			<td>آلِف</td>
			<td>ālif </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺐ</td>
			<td>ﺒ</td>
			<td>ﺑ</td>
			<td>ب</td>
			<td>ब</td>
			<td>b</td>
			<td>بے</td>
			<td>be </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﭗ</td>
			<td>ﭙ</td>
			<td>ﭘ</td>
			<td>پ</td>
			<td>प</td>
			<td>p</td>
			<td>پے</td>
			<td>pe </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺖ</td>
			<td>ﺘ</td>
			<td>ﺗ</td>
			<td>ت</td>
			<td>त</td>
			<td>t</td>
			<td>تے</td>
			<td>te </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﭧ</td>
			<td>ﭩ</td>
			<td>ﭨ</td>
			<td>ٹ</td>
			<td>ट</td>
			<td>ṭ</td>
			<td>ٹے</td>
			<td>ṭe </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺚ</td>
			<td>ﺜ</td>
			<td>ﺛ</td>
			<td>ث</td>
			<td>स</td>
			<td>ṡ</td>
			<td>ثے</td>
			<td>se </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﭻ</td>
			<td>ﭽ</td>
			<td>ﭼ</td>
			<td>چ</td>
			<td>च</td>
			<td>c</td>
			<td>چے</td>
			<td>ce </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺢ</td>
			<td>ﺤ</td>
			<td>ﺣ</td>
			<td>ح</td>
			<td>ह</td>
			<td><u>h</u></td>
			<td>بَڑى حے</td>
			<td>badi he </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺦ</td>
			<td>ﺨ</td>
			<td>ﺧ</td>
			<td>خ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td><u>kh</u></td>
			<td>خے</td>
			<td><u>kh</u>e </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺪ</td>
			<td>ﺪ</td>
			<td>ﺩ</td>
			<td>ﺩ</td>
			<td>द</td>
			<td>d</td>
			<td>دال</td>
			<td>dāl </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﮉ</td>
			<td>ﮉ</td>
			<td>ﮈ</td>
			<td>ﮈ</td>
			<td>ड</td>
			<td>ḍ</td>
			<td>ڈال</td>
			<td>ḍāl </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺬ</td>
			<td>ﺬ</td>
			<td>ﺬ</td>
			<td>ﺬ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>ż</td>
			<td>ذال</td>
			<td>zāl </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺮ</td>
			<td>ﺮ</td>
			<td>ﺭ</td>
			<td>ﺭ</td>
			<td>र</td>
			<td>r</td>
			<td>رے</td>
			<td>re </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﮍ</td>
			<td>ﮍ</td>
			<td>ﮌ</td>
			<td>ﮌ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>ṛ</td>
			<td>ڑے</td>
			<td>ze </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺰ</td>
			<td>ﺰ</td>
			<td>ﺯ</td>
			<td>ﺯ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>z</td>
			<td>زے</td>
			<td>eṛ</td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﮋ</td>
			<td>ﮋ</td>
			<td>ﮊ</td>
			<td>ﮊ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>zh</td>
			<td>ژے</td>
			<td>zhe </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺲ</td>
			<td>ﺴ</td>
			<td>ﺳ</td>
			<td>ﺱ</td>
			<td>स</td>
			<td>s</td>
			<td>سِين</td>
			<td>sīn </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺶ</td>
			<td>ﺸ</td>
			<td>ﺷ</td>
			<td>ﺵ</td>
			<td>श</td>
			<td>ś</td>
			<td>شِين</td>
			<td>śīn </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺺ</td>
			<td>ﺼ</td>
			<td>ﺻ</td>
			<td>ﺹ</td>
			<td>स</td>
			<td><u>s</u></td>
			<td>صُاد</td>
			<td>su'ād </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺾ</td>
			<td>ﻀ</td>
			<td>ﺿ</td>
			<td>ﺽ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>ẓ</td>
			<td>ضُاد</td>
			<td>zu'ād </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻂ</td>
			<td>ﻄ</td>
			<td>ﻃ</td>
			<td>ﻁ</td>
			<td>त</td>
			<td><u>t</u></td>
			<td>طوے</td>
			<td>to'e </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻆ</td>
			<td>ﻈ</td>
			<td>ﻇ</td>
			<td>ﻅ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td><u>z</u></td>
			<td>ظوے</td>
			<td>zo'e </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻊ</td>
			<td>ﻌ</td>
			<td>ﻋ</td>
			<td>ﻉ</td>
			<td>अ</td>
			<td>‘a, ʔ</td>
			<td>عَين</td>
			<td>‘ain </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻎ</td>
			<td>ﻐ</td>
			<td>ﻏ</td>
			<td>ﻍ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td><u>gh</u></td>
			<td>غَين</td>
			<td><u>gh</u>ain </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻒ</td>
			<td>ﻔ</td>
			<td>ﻓ</td>
			<td>ﻑ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>f</td>
			<td>فے</td>
			<td>fe </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻖ</td>
			<td>ﻘ</td>
			<td>ﻗ</td>
			<td>ﻕ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>q</td>
			<td>قَاف</td>
			<td>qāf </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻚ،ﮏ</td>
			<td>ﻜ</td>
			<td>ﻛ</td>
			<td>ﻙ،ﮎ</td>
			<td>क</td>
			<td>k</td>
			<td>كَاف</td>
			<td>kāf </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﮓ</td>
			<td>ﮕ</td>
			<td>ﮔ</td>
			<td>ﮒ</td>
			<td>ग</td>
			<td>g</td>
			<td>گَاف</td>
			<td>gāf </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻞ</td>
			<td>ﻠ</td>
			<td>ﻠ</td>
			<td>ﻝ</td>
			<td>ल</td>
			<td>l</td>
			<td>لاَل</td>
			<td>lāl </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻢ</td>
			<td>ﻤ</td>
			<td>ﻣ</td>
			<td>ﻡ</td>
			<td>म</td>
			<td>m</td>
			<td>مِيم</td>
			<td>mīm </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻦ</td>
			<td>ﻨ</td>
			<td>ﻧ</td>
			<td>ﻥ</td>
			<td>न</td>
			<td>n</td>
			<td>نوْن</td>
			<td>nūn </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻮ</td>
			<td>ﻮ</td>
			<td>ﻭ</td>
			<td>ﻭ</td>
			<td>व</td>
			<td>v, o, ū</td>
			<td>وَاو</td>
			<td>vā'o </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﮧ</td>
			<td>ﮩ</td>
			<td>ﮨ</td>
			<td>ﮦ</td>
			<td>ह</td>
			<td>h</td>
			<td>چهوٹى ەے</td>
			<td>choṭī he </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﮫ</td>
			<td>ﮭ</td>
			<td>ﮬ</td>
			<td>ﮪ</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>دو چَشمى ەے</td>
			<td>do chaśmī he </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﺀ</td>
			<td>ﺌ</td>
			<td>ﺋ</td>
			<td&gt;ﺀ</td>
			<td> </td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>ەَمزَه</td>
			<td>hamza </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﻰ</td>
			<td>ﻴ</td>
			<td>ﻳ</td>
			<td>ﻯ</td>
			<td>य, ई</td>
			<td>y, ī</td>
			<td>چهوٹى يے</td>
			<td>choṭī ye </td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			<td>ﮮ</td>
			<td>ﻴ</td>
			<td>ﻳ</td>
			<td>ﮯ</td>
			<td>य, ए</td>
			<td>y, e</td>
			<td>بَڑى يے</td>
			<td>badi ye </td>
			</tr>
			</table>

	== Examples ==		== Examples ==
Line 393:		Line 601:
	</table>		</table>

	==~~Footnote~~==		== Literature==

			Urdu has only recently become a literary language, as Persian and Arabic were formerly the idioms of choice for "elevated" subjects. However, despite its late development, Urdu literature already boasts some world-recognized artists and a considerable corpus.

			=== Prose ===

			There are many Islam-related works in Urdu. These include translations of classical texts from Arabic and Persian, Urdu commentaries on these classical texts, and contemporary works in all fields of Islamic thought.

			Secular prose comprises all categories of non-fiction, and three literary genres:

			* the ''daastaan'', or tale, a traditional story which may have many characters and complex plotting; it has fallen into disuse.

			* the ''afsaana'', or ], probably the best-known genre of Urdu fiction. The best-known ''afsaana'' writers, or ''afsaana nigaar'', in Urdu are ], ], ], and ]. Premchand, a Hindu writer, became known as a pioneer in the ''afsaana'' (though some contend that his were not technically the first).

			* the popular ], in the tradition of the English novel.

			=== Poetry ===

			Urdu was originally the language of court and high society, and so of cultivated ]. There are many genres of Urdu poetry.

			* '']'' (غزل), as practiced by many poets in the Arab tradition. ], ], and ] are well-known composers of ghazal.
			* '']''
			* '']''
			* ''] ''
			* ''] ''
			* ''] ''
			* ''] ''
			* '']''

			Foreign forms such as the ] and ] have also been used by some modern Urdu poets.

			Probably the most widely read, recited, and memorized genre of contemporary Urdu poetry is '']''—panegyric poetry written in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. ''Naat'' can be of any formal category, but is most commonly in the ''ghazal'' form. The language used in Urdu ''naat'' ranges from the intensely colloquial to a highly Persianized formal language. The great early twentieth century scholar Imam ], who wrote many of the most well known ''naats'' in Urdu, epitomized this range in a ''ghazal'' of nine stanzas (''bayt'') in which every stanza contains half a line each of Arabic, Persian, formal Urdu, and colloquial Hindi. The same poet composed a ''salam''—a poem of greeting to the Prophet, derived from the universal Muslim practice of ''qiyam'', or standing, during the '']'', or celebration of the birth of the Prophet—''Mustafa Jan-e Rahmat'', which, due to being recited nearly every Friday in a majority of Urdu speaking mosques throughout the world, is probably the most frequently recited Urdu poem of the modern era.

			] Urdu poets also wrote '']'' (نوحہ), poems commemorating the death of the Shi'a ] ].

			== History ==

			{{main\|History of Urdu}}

			The birthplace of the Urdu language is not known with certainty. Urdu literature has been found from the ]. One hypothesis proposes that Urdu originated in or around Delhi over a period of several centuries, with the Muslim rulers of India, and that initially it was used and adopted by Muslims. The word ''urdu'' itself comes from the {{ll\|Turkish}} word ''ordu'', "tent" or "army", from which we get the word "horde".

			== Differentiation from Hindi ==

			Everyday Hindi and Urdu, as spoken by villagers and the lower classes in the region of Delhi, are indistinguishable. However, formal Hindi and Urdu have become increasingly differentiated, primarily through a divergence of vocabulary. When there is a choice between a Persian- or Arabic-derived word and a Sanskrit-derived one, formal Urdu chooses the Perso-Arabic word, while formal Hindi chooses the Sanskrit word.
			The divergence in vocabulary is underlined by a divergence in scripts. Urdu is written in the '']'' style of a modified Arabic script while Hindi is written in the ] script.

			Hindustani is generally thought of as the language that encompasses both both of these standardized languages. Such a state of affairs is sometimes known as a ].

			Differentiation of the standardized languages has become so well developed that nationalists, both Hindu and Muslim, claim that Hindi and Urdu are separate languages, and often that they have always been separate languages. However, judging whether colloquial speech is Urdu or Hindi is often a highly subjective affair.

			For example, it is said that Indian films (of the North and North-West regions, primarily of ]) are made in Hindi, but the language used in many of these films is exactly the same as that of Urdu speakers in Pakistan. The dialogue is frequently developed in English and later adapted to an intentionally neutral Hindi/Urdu which can be easily understood by speakers of most North Indian languages. The songs, however, are typically pure Urdu, and many of the top Urdu poets make their livings writing for "Hindi" films. On the other hand, Pakistani TV dramas are said to be made in Urdu, yet the language used in many of these dramas is the same as that used by Hindi speakers in India.

			However, as the language register becomes more formal, the difference between the two languages starts to become clearer. In more serious speech and writing, the Sanskritization or Arabo-Persianization becomes more pronounced. The language used in newscasts, encyclopaedia articles, and courtrooms is very heavily Sanskritized or Persianized and may be nearly unintelligible to speakers educated in the other standard.

			== Roman Urdu ==

			Roman Urdu is Urdu written in the Roman script.
			Roman Urdu has been used since the days of the ], partly as a result of the availability and low cost of Roman ] for printing presses.
			The use of Roman Urdu was common in some contexts, such as product labels.
			It is gaining popularity among users of text-messaging and Internet services — especially the young — and is developing its own style and conventions. ] says in his article, "In fact, Urdu’s inherited script can produce and display its sounds properly. Urdu can be proud of having the richest variety of alphabet characters (44 compared to English’s 26) that can represent most of the sounds. Urdu’s own script is far more superior to the Roman script, yet the younger generation of Urdu speaking people around the world are using it on the Internet and it has become essential for them, because they use the Internet and English is its language. A person from Islamabad chats with another in Delhi on the Internet only in Roman Urdu. They both speak (almost) the same language but with different scripts, The Urdu message is alien for an Indian and similarly the Devanagari message is alien for a Pakistani. Moreover, the younger generation of those who are from the English medium schools or settled in the west, can speak Urdu but can’t write it in the traditional Arabic script and thus Roman Urdu is a blessing for such a population. It is the need of the time to recognise and properly shape the Roman Urdu officially. We can’t deny the ground realities of 21st century."

			A suggestion for standardising Roman Urdu as following by ]:

			Consonants:

			¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

			b: billi (cat)

			bh: bheegi (wet)

			p: paNkha پنکہ (fan)

			ph: phool گل (flower)

			t: taraazu ترازو (balance)

			th: thaali (plate)

			T: Timaatar (tomato)

			Th: Theek (correct)

			j: jaNg جنگ (war)

			jh: jhoola (swing)

			c: caahat (love)

			ch: chakka (a six eg in cricket)

			Q: Qaas (special)

			d: dunya دنیا (world)

			dh: dhoka (fraud)

			D: Dori (thread)

			Dh: Dheela (loose)

			r: raat (night)

			R: baRaa (big, large)

			z: zindagi زندگی (life)

			Z: Zaala baari ژالہ باری (hail storm)

			s: sardi (winter)

			S: Sukrya (thanks)

			G: Gam (grief)

			f: faasla فاصلہ (distance)

			q: qaafila قافلہ (caravan)

			k: kaaravaaN کارواں (caravan)

			kh: kheyl (game, play)

			g: gali (street)

			gh: ghoRa (horse)

			l: laat (leg)

			m: muhabbat محبت (love)

			n: naokar نوکر (employee)

			N: yahaaN یہاں (here)

			v: varna ورنہ (otherwise)

			y: yeh, yey یے (this)


			Vowels:

			¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

			a: agar اگر (if), aks عکس (reflection)

			aa: aag (fire)

			ay: hay ہے (is), hayN ہیں (are)

			ey: they وہ (were), gaey گہے (went)

			i: dil دل (heart)

			ee: jeevan (life)

			u: sun (listen), chup (silent)

			oo: dhool (dust)

			ao aor (and, more)

			e: jaan e man جانِ من (my life/love)

			o: dil o nigaah دل و نگاہ (heart and vision)


			<!-- == Sounds ==

			--Add info here--
			-->

			== Footnote ==

	{{fn\|1}}As in ]'s famous couplet where he compares himself to his great predecessor, the master poet ] :		{{fn\|1}}As in ]'s famous couplet where he compares himself to his great predecessor, the master poet ] :
	<div style="font-size:x-large;"></div>		<div style="font-size:x-large;"></div>
Line 401:		Line 782:
	:You, alone, are not the master of 'Raikhta', Ghalib		:You, alone, are not the master of 'Raikhta', Ghalib
	:They say that in days of yore, there was one (called) Mir		:They say that in days of yore, there was one (called) Mir

			== References ==

			# Anwar Azim, 'Urdu a victim of cultural genocide.' ''Muslims in India.'' ed. Zafar Imam, 1975. p. 259).

	==See also==		==See also==
			*]

			*]
			*]
	*]		*]
	*]		*]
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	===Online Use of Urdu===		===Online Use of Urdu===
	*[http://www.alqamaronline.com/ alqamar Onlien Urdu Network from London		*
	*		*
	*		*
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	]		]
	]		]
			]
	]		]
	]		]
			]
	]		]
	]		]
			]
	]		]
	]		]

Revision as of 07:31, 11 October 2005

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File:Zabaan-e-urdu-e-moalla.png

Urdu (اردو) is an Indo-European language which is generally believed to have developed in the vicinity of Delhi, from where it spread to the rest of the Indian subcontinent.

Urdu developed as local Prakrit dialects came under the influence of the court languages of the Muslim rulers of the Indian subcontinent. The language spoken in the court, and the language of literature, was primarily Template:Ll, while the language of religion was Template:Ll. The mingling of these languages led to a vernacular that sounded much like today's Template:Ll. Dialects of this vernacular are spoken in cities and villages throughout Pakistan and northern India. Cities with a strong tradition of the language include Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Lucknow.

The full range of Urdu-Hindi dialects spoken in northern India and Pakistan is usually called Template:Ll. Hindustani is the second-most-populous language in the world, both by the number of its native speakers, and by the number who use it daily as a second language, if it is understood to include all idioms commonly referred to as "dialects" of Hindi. Urdu by itself is the twentieth most populous natively-spoken language in the world, and is the national language of Pakistan as well as one of the 22 national languages of India.

Speakers and geographic distribution

In Pakistan, Urdu is spoken as a mother tongue by a majority of urban dwellers in such cities as Karachi and Hyderabad in the southern province of Sindh. In spite of its status as the national language, however, only 8% of Pakistanis speak Urdu as their first language, compared to 48% who speak Punjabi as a mother tongue. Urdu is, however, the language of prestige, all signage, and education, and the number of native Urdu speakers is increasing quickly in urban centers.

In India, Urdu is spoken as a mother tongue by many in the northern and central states. While in India Muslims might ostensibly be seen as identifying more with Urdu, Hindus and Sikhs naturally speak Urdu regardless of religion, especially when they have grown up in such traditional Urdu strongholds as Lucknow and Hyderabad. Some would contend that the language spoken in Bollywood films is in fact closer to Urdu than Hindi, especially in filmi songs.

Urdu is also spoken in urban Afghanistan. Outside the Indian subcontinent, it is spoken by large numbers of workers in the major urban centres of the Persian Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia. Urdu is also spoken by large numbers of immigrants and their children in the major urban centres of the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia.

Countries with large numbers of First Language Urdu speakers:

Malawi,
Mauritius (64,000),
Myanmar,
Nepal,
The Netherlands,
Norway,
Oman,
Pakistan (14 Million),
Qatar,

Official Status

Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. It shares official language status with English. Although English is an official language and is used in most elite circles, and Punjabi has a plurality of native speakers, Urdu is the lingua franca that is most commonly expected to prevail. Urdu is also one of the official languages of India, and while the government school system—especially in the northern states—emphasizes Hindi, many universities, especially in Lucknow, continue to promote Urdu as a language of prestige and learning. In the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh, Urdu has official language status.

Classification and related languages

Urdu is a member of the Indo Aryan family of languages, which is in turn a branch of the Indo European family.

Urdu is related to most of the languages of northern South Asia — they all have similar grammatical structures, and even a certain common vocabulary. The Punjabi language, for instance, is very similar to Urdu. Written Punjabi (in Shahmukhi script) can be understood by speakers of Urdu with a little difficulty, but spoken Punjabi has a very different phonology (pronunciation system) and cannot be easily understood by Urdu speakers. However, the language mostly closely linked to Urdu is Hindi.

Grammar

Urdu nouns fall into two grammatical genders: masculine and feminine. However, there is disagreement over the gender of some words, particularly words newly introduced from English which do not have genders.

In Urdu there is also a singular or a plural noun form.

Levels of formality in Urdu

Urdu, especially in its less formalized form, has been referred to as a raikhtha (ریختہ), a "rough mixture".

The more formal register of Urdu is sometimes referred to as Zaban-e-Urdu-e-Moalla (زبانﹺ اردوﹺ معلہ), the "Language of Camp and Court".

Politeness

A host of words are used to show respect and politeness. These words are generally used with people who are older in age or with whom you are not acquainted. For example the English pronoun 'you' can be translated into three words in Urdu: the singular forms 'tu' (informal, extremely intimate, or derogatory) and 'tum' (informal) and the plural forms 'aap' (formal and respectful).

Vocabulary

Urdu has a vocabulary rich in words with Indian and Middle Eastern origins. The borrowings are dominated by words from Arabic and Persian. There are also a number of borrowings from Sanskrit, Turkish, Portuguese and English. Many of the words of Arabic origin that have found a place in the Urdu language, often through the conduit of Persian, have different nuances of meaning and usage than they do in Arabic.

Writing System

This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between , / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

Urdu is written in a derivative of the Persian alphabet which is itself derivative of the Arabic alphabet. It is read from right to left. Urdu is similar in appearance and letters to Arabic, Persian, and Pashto. In their modern incarnation, Urdu differs in appearance from Arabic in that it typically uses the more complex and sinuous Nasta'liq style of script, whereas Arabic is more commonly written in the modernized Naskh style. Nasta'liq is notoriously difficult to typeset, so Urdu newspapers are made from hand-written masters. There are efforts underway to develop more practical Urdu support on computers.

Usually, bare transliterations of Urdu into Roman letters omit many phonemic elements which have no equivalent in English or other languages commonly written in the Roman alphabet. It should be noted that a reasonably comprehensive system has emerged with specific notations to signify non-English sounds, but it can only be properly read by someone already familiar with Urdu or Hindi. This script may be found on the internet, and it allows Indians who write Hindi and even Urdu in the Devanagari script to communicate with Pakistanis who are only familiar with Nasta'liq.

A list of the Urdu alphabet and pronunciation is given below. A more detailed list with phonetic information will be added at a later date.

Alphabet	English Name	Pronunciation
ا	Alif	/ə/
ب	Bay	/b/
پ	Pay	/p/
ت	Tay	/t̪/ (plosive dental)
ٹ	Ttay	/ʈ/
ث	Say	/s/
ج	Jeem	/ɟ/
چ	Chay	/c/
ح	Hay	/ɦ/
خ	Khay	/x/
د	Daal	/d̪/ (plosive dental)
ڈ	Ddaal	/ɖ/
ذ	Zaal	/z/
ر	Ray	/r/
ڑ	Arrhay	/ɽ/ (retroflex r sound used in many South Asian lanugages)
ز	Zay	/z/
ژ	Dzhay	/ʑ/
س	Seen	/s/
ش	Sheen	/ɕ/
ص	Suad	/s/
ض	Zuad	/z/
ط	Toay	/t/
ظ	Zoay	/z/
ع	Aein	/Ø~ʔ~ʕ/
غ	Ghain	/ɣ/
ف	Fay	/f/
ق	Qaaf	/q/
ک	Kaaf	/k/
گ	Gaaf	/g/
ل	Laam	/l/
م	Meem	/m/
ن	Noon	/n/
و	Wow	/ʋ/
ہ / ھ	Hay	/ɦ/
ء	Hamzah	Ø~ʔ
ی	Choti Yay	/j/
ے	Bari Yay	/eː/

Writing Forms, Hindi and English Transliteration Table

<td>ﺀ

Final

Medial

Initial

Isolated

Devanagari

English

Urdu Name

Name

ﺎ ﺎ ا ا अ a, i, ʔ آلِف ālif

ﺐ ﺒ ﺑ ب ब b بے be

ﭗ ﭙ ﭘ پ प p پے pe

ﺖ ﺘ ﺗ ت त t تے te

ﭧ ﭩ ﭨ ٹ ट ṭ ٹے ṭe

ﺚ ﺜ ﺛ ث स ṡ ثے se

ﭻ ﭽ ﭼ چ च c چے ce

ﺢ ﺤ ﺣ ح ह h بَڑى حے badi he

ﺦ ﺨ ﺧ خ kh خے khe

ﺪ ﺪ ﺩ ﺩ द d دال dāl

ﮉ ﮉ ﮈ ﮈ ड ḍ ڈال ḍāl

ﺬ ﺬ ﺬ ﺬ ż ذال zāl

ﺮ ﺮ ﺭ ﺭ र r رے re

ﮍ ﮍ ﮌ ﮌ ṛ ڑے ze

ﺰ ﺰ ﺯ ﺯ z زے eṛ

ﮋ ﮋ ﮊ ﮊ zh ژے zhe

ﺲ ﺴ ﺳ ﺱ स s سِين sīn

ﺶ ﺸ ﺷ ﺵ श ś شِين śīn

ﺺ ﺼ ﺻ ﺹ स s صُاد su'ād

ﺾ ﻀ ﺿ ﺽ ẓ ضُاد zu'ād

ﻂ ﻄ ﻃ ﻁ त t طوے to'e

ﻆ ﻈ ﻇ ﻅ z ظوے zo'e

ﻊ ﻌ ﻋ ﻉ अ ‘a, ʔ عَين ‘ain

ﻎ ﻐ ﻏ ﻍ gh غَين ghain

ﻒ ﻔ ﻓ ﻑ f فے fe

ﻖ ﻘ ﻗ ﻕ q قَاف qāf

ﻚ،ﮏ ﻜ ﻛ ﻙ،ﮎ क k كَاف kāf

ﮓ ﮕ ﮔ ﮒ ग g گَاف gāf

ﻞ ﻠ ﻠ ﻝ ल l لاَل lāl

ﻢ ﻤ ﻣ ﻡ म m مِيم mīm

ﻦ ﻨ ﻧ ﻥ न n نوْن nūn

ﻮ ﻮ ﻭ ﻭ व v, o, ū وَاو vā'o

ﮧ ﮩ ﮨ ﮦ ह h چهوٹى ەے choṭī he

ﮫ ﮭ ﮬ ﮪ - دو چَشمى ەے do chaśmī he

ﺀ ﺌ ﺋ - ەَمزَه hamza

ﻰ ﻴ ﻳ ﻯ य, ई y, ī چهوٹى يے choṭī ye

ﮮ ﻴ ﻳ ﮯ य, ए y, e بَڑى يے badi ye

Examples

English Transliteration IPA Notes

Hello As-Salam Alaykum (السلام علیکم) ˈaʔsaɭam ˈaɭikum Adaab would generally be used for Non-Muslims. Wa-Le-Kum-As Salam is the correct response. (و علیکم السلام)

Hello Adaab arz hai (اداب عرض ہے) aˈdaːb aɽˈzai Literally "Regards are expressed" (Regards to you), a very formal secular greeting.

Good Bye Khuda Hafiz (خدا حافظ) kudaː hafəz Khuda is the Persian word for God, and Hafiz comes from the Arabic root word hifz meaning "protection". So literally, "May God Almighty be your Guardian." Standard and commonly used for Muslims and Non-Muslims

yes haan (ہاں) haː̃ casual

yes ji (جی) ʤi formal

no na (نا) nã casual

no nahi (نہیں) ˈna̤i formal

please Meherbani (مہربانی) mɛhɛrˈbani

thank you Shukriya (شکریہ) ʃʊˈkrija

Please come in Thashreef laa'iye(تشریف لائیے) aːpʰ ʈaˈʃrif ɭaˈiː lit. Bring your honor

Please have a seat Thashreef rak'hiye(تشریف رکھیئے) aːpʰ ʈaˈʃrif ɽaˈxi "lit." 'Place your honor'

I am happy to meet you Aap se mil kar khushi hui (اپ سے مل کر خوشی ہوی) aːpʰ sɛ miɭ kar kʊˈʃi hwi

Do you speak English? Kya aap angrezi boltay heyn? (کیا اپ انگریزی بولتے ہیں؟) kja aːpʰ ˈaŋgrɛzi boɭʈɛ hæ̃

I do not speak Urdu. Main Urdu naheen bolta. (میں اردو نہیں بولتا) mæ̃ urdʰu nahĩ boɭʈa

My name is ... Mera nam ... hai. (میرا نام ۔۔۔ ہے) mɛɾa naːm ... hai

Which way to Lahore Lahore kiss taraf heyh(لاھور کس طرف ہے؟)

Where is Mumbai? Mumbai kahaan hai? (ممبئی کہاں ہے؟)

Urdu is a good language. Urdu ek achchhee zubaan hai. (اردو ایک اچھی زبان ہے)

Literature
Urdu has only recently become a literary language, as Persian and Arabic were formerly the idioms of choice for "elevated" subjects. However, despite its late development, Urdu literature already boasts some world-recognized artists and a considerable corpus.
Prose
There are many Islam-related works in Urdu. These include translations of classical texts from Arabic and Persian, Urdu commentaries on these classical texts, and contemporary works in all fields of Islamic thought.
Secular prose comprises all categories of non-fiction, and three literary genres:
the daastaan, or tale, a traditional story which may have many characters and complex plotting; it has fallen into disuse.
the afsaana, or short story, probably the best-known genre of Urdu fiction. The best-known afsaana writers, or afsaana nigaar, in Urdu are Saadat Hasan Manto, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Munshi Premchand, and Krishan Chander. Premchand, a Hindu writer, became known as a pioneer in the afsaana (though some contend that his were not technically the first).
the popular novel, in the tradition of the English novel.
Poetry
Urdu was originally the language of court and high society, and so of cultivated poetry. There are many genres of Urdu poetry.
Ghazal (غزل), as practiced by many poets in the Arab tradition. Mir, Ghalib, and Faiz are well-known composers of ghazal.

Rubai

Masnavi

Qaseeda

Geet

Marsia

Shehr aashob

Doha, Urdu
Foreign forms such as the sonnet and haiku have also been used by some modern Urdu poets.
Probably the most widely read, recited, and memorized genre of contemporary Urdu poetry is naat—panegyric poetry written in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. Naat can be of any formal category, but is most commonly in the ghazal form. The language used in Urdu naat ranges from the intensely colloquial to a highly Persianized formal language. The great early twentieth century scholar Imam Ahmad Raza Khan, who wrote many of the most well known naats in Urdu, epitomized this range in a ghazal of nine stanzas (bayt) in which every stanza contains half a line each of Arabic, Persian, formal Urdu, and colloquial Hindi. The same poet composed a salam—a poem of greeting to the Prophet, derived from the universal Muslim practice of qiyam, or standing, during the mawlid, or celebration of the birth of the Prophet—Mustafa Jan-e Rahmat, which, due to being recited nearly every Friday in a majority of Urdu speaking mosques throughout the world, is probably the most frequently recited Urdu poem of the modern era.
Shi'a Urdu poets also wrote noha (نوحہ), poems commemorating the death of the Shi'a imam Hussain.
History

Main article: History of UrduThe birthplace of the Urdu language is not known with certainty. Urdu literature has been found from the Delhi Sultanate. One hypothesis proposes that Urdu originated in or around Delhi over a period of several centuries, with the Muslim rulers of India, and that initially it was used and adopted by Muslims. The word urdu itself comes from the Template:Ll word ordu, "tent" or "army", from which we get the word "horde".
Differentiation from Hindi
Everyday Hindi and Urdu, as spoken by villagers and the lower classes in the region of Delhi, are indistinguishable. However, formal Hindi and Urdu have become increasingly differentiated, primarily through a divergence of vocabulary. When there is a choice between a Persian- or Arabic-derived word and a Sanskrit-derived one, formal Urdu chooses the Perso-Arabic word, while formal Hindi chooses the Sanskrit word. The divergence in vocabulary is underlined by a divergence in scripts. Urdu is written in the Nasta'liq style of a modified Arabic script while Hindi is written in the Devanagari script.
Hindustani is generally thought of as the language that encompasses both both of these standardized languages. Such a state of affairs is sometimes known as a diasystem.
Differentiation of the standardized languages has become so well developed that nationalists, both Hindu and Muslim, claim that Hindi and Urdu are separate languages, and often that they have always been separate languages. However, judging whether colloquial speech is Urdu or Hindi is often a highly subjective affair.
For example, it is said that Indian films (of the North and North-West regions, primarily of Bollywood) are made in Hindi, but the language used in many of these films is exactly the same as that of Urdu speakers in Pakistan. The dialogue is frequently developed in English and later adapted to an intentionally neutral Hindi/Urdu which can be easily understood by speakers of most North Indian languages. The songs, however, are typically pure Urdu, and many of the top Urdu poets make their livings writing for "Hindi" films. On the other hand, Pakistani TV dramas are said to be made in Urdu, yet the language used in many of these dramas is the same as that used by Hindi speakers in India.
However, as the language register becomes more formal, the difference between the two languages starts to become clearer. In more serious speech and writing, the Sanskritization or Arabo-Persianization becomes more pronounced. The language used in newscasts, encyclopaedia articles, and courtrooms is very heavily Sanskritized or Persianized and may be nearly unintelligible to speakers educated in the other standard.
Roman Urdu
Roman Urdu is Urdu written in the Roman script. Roman Urdu has been used since the days of the British Raj, partly as a result of the availability and low cost of Roman movable type for printing presses. The use of Roman Urdu was common in some contexts, such as product labels. It is gaining popularity among users of text-messaging and Internet services — especially the young — and is developing its own style and conventions. Habib R. Sulemani says in his article, "In fact, Urdu’s inherited script can produce and display its sounds properly. Urdu can be proud of having the richest variety of alphabet characters (44 compared to English’s 26) that can represent most of the sounds. Urdu’s own script is far more superior to the Roman script, yet the younger generation of Urdu speaking people around the world are using it on the Internet and it has become essential for them, because they use the Internet and English is its language. A person from Islamabad chats with another in Delhi on the Internet only in Roman Urdu. They both speak (almost) the same language but with different scripts, The Urdu message is alien for an Indian and similarly the Devanagari message is alien for a Pakistani. Moreover, the younger generation of those who are from the English medium schools or settled in the west, can speak Urdu but can’t write it in the traditional Arabic script and thus Roman Urdu is a blessing for such a population. It is the need of the time to recognise and properly shape the Roman Urdu officially. We can’t deny the ground realities of 21st century."
A suggestion for standardising Roman Urdu as following by Jawad Swati:
Consonants:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
b: billi (cat)
bh: bheegi (wet)
p: paNkha پنکہ (fan)
ph: phool گل (flower)
t: taraazu ترازو (balance)
th: thaali (plate)
T: Timaatar (tomato)
Th: Theek (correct)
j: jaNg جنگ (war)
jh: jhoola (swing)
c: caahat (love)
ch: chakka (a six eg in cricket)
Q: Qaas (special)
d: dunya دنیا (world)
dh: dhoka (fraud)
D: Dori (thread)
Dh: Dheela (loose)
r: raat (night)
R: baRaa (big, large)
z: zindagi زندگی (life)
Z: Zaala baari ژالہ باری (hail storm)
s: sardi (winter)
S: Sukrya (thanks)
G: Gam (grief)
f: faasla فاصلہ (distance)
q: qaafila قافلہ (caravan)
k: kaaravaaN کارواں (caravan)
kh: kheyl (game, play)
g: gali (street)
gh: ghoRa (horse)
l: laat (leg)
m: muhabbat محبت (love)
n: naokar نوکر (employee)
N: yahaaN یہاں (here)
v: varna ورنہ (otherwise)
y: yeh, yey یے (this)

Vowels:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
a: agar اگر (if), aks عکس (reflection)
aa: aag (fire)
ay: hay ہے (is), hayN ہیں (are)
ey: they وہ (were), gaey گہے (went)
i: dil دل (heart)
ee: jeevan (life)
u: sun (listen), chup (silent)
oo: dhool (dust)
ao aor (and, more)
e: jaan e man جانِ من (my life/love)
o: dil o nigaah دل و نگاہ (heart and vision)

Footnote
Template:FnAs in Ghalib's famous couplet where he compares himself to his great predecessor, the master poet Mir :
Raikhtha kai tum hee ustadh nahee ho Ghalib

Kehthay hain aglay zamaanay main ko'ee Mir bhee thhaa
You, alone, are not the master of 'Raikhta', Ghalib

They say that in days of yore, there was one (called) Mir
References
Anwar Azim, 'Urdu a victim of cultural genocide.' Muslims in India. ed. Zafar Imam, 1975. p. 259).
See also
Hindi language

Hindustani language

Bollywood

Ghazal

India

Pakistan

Persian and Urdu

Urdu poetry

List of Urdu poets
External links

Sites About Urdu
CRULP Center for research in Urdu language processing

urdustan.com : oldest Urdu language website

Ethnologue report for Urdu

Introductory Urdu (Volume 1)

Introductory Urdu (Volume 2)

Urdu Wiktionary

Wikitravel Hindi-Urdu Phrasebook

The New Urdu
Online Use of Urdu
alqamar Onlien Urdu Network from London

UrduWiki

Collaborative blog discussing the Urdu language and the affiliated culture

Blogging In Urdu

List of blogs in Urdu

Templates for blogging in Urdu

BBC News in Urdu

Roznama Boriat Karachi - Spoof News in Urdu
Categories:

Final	Medial	Initial	Isolated	Devanagari	English	Urdu Name	Name
ﺎ	ﺎ	ا	ا	अ	a, i, ʔ	آلِف	ālif
ﺐ	ﺒ	ﺑ	ب	ब	b	بے	be
ﭗ	ﭙ	ﭘ	پ	प	p	پے	pe
ﺖ	ﺘ	ﺗ	ت	त	t	تے	te
ﭧ	ﭩ	ﭨ	ٹ	ट	ṭ	ٹے	ṭe
ﺚ	ﺜ	ﺛ	ث	स	ṡ	ثے	se
ﭻ	ﭽ	ﭼ	چ	च	c	چے	ce
ﺢ	ﺤ	ﺣ	ح	ह	h	بَڑى حے	badi he
ﺦ	ﺨ	ﺧ	خ		kh	خے	khe
ﺪ	ﺪ	ﺩ	ﺩ	द	d	دال	dāl
ﮉ	ﮉ	ﮈ	ﮈ	ड	ḍ	ڈال	ḍāl
ﺬ	ﺬ	ﺬ	ﺬ		ż	ذال	zāl
ﺮ	ﺮ	ﺭ	ﺭ	र	r	رے	re
ﮍ	ﮍ	ﮌ	ﮌ		ṛ	ڑے	ze
ﺰ	ﺰ	ﺯ	ﺯ		z	زے	eṛ
ﮋ	ﮋ	ﮊ	ﮊ		zh	ژے	zhe
ﺲ	ﺴ	ﺳ	ﺱ	स	s	سِين	sīn
ﺶ	ﺸ	ﺷ	ﺵ	श	ś	شِين	śīn
ﺺ	ﺼ	ﺻ	ﺹ	स	s	صُاد	su'ād
ﺾ	ﻀ	ﺿ	ﺽ		ẓ	ضُاد	zu'ād
ﻂ	ﻄ	ﻃ	ﻁ	त	t	طوے	to'e
ﻆ	ﻈ	ﻇ	ﻅ		z	ظوے	zo'e
ﻊ	ﻌ	ﻋ	ﻉ	अ	‘a, ʔ	عَين	‘ain
ﻎ	ﻐ	ﻏ	ﻍ		gh	غَين	ghain
ﻒ	ﻔ	ﻓ	ﻑ		f	فے	fe
ﻖ	ﻘ	ﻗ	ﻕ		q	قَاف	qāf
ﻚ،ﮏ	ﻜ	ﻛ	ﻙ،ﮎ	क	k	كَاف	kāf
ﮓ	ﮕ	ﮔ	ﮒ	ग	g	گَاف	gāf
ﻞ	ﻠ	ﻠ	ﻝ	ल	l	لاَل	lāl
ﻢ	ﻤ	ﻣ	ﻡ	म	m	مِيم	mīm
ﻦ	ﻨ	ﻧ	ﻥ	न	n	نوْن	nūn
ﻮ	ﻮ	ﻭ	ﻭ	व	v, o, ū	وَاو	vā'o
ﮧ	ﮩ	ﮨ	ﮦ	ह	h	چهوٹى ەے	choṭī he
ﮫ	ﮭ	ﮬ	ﮪ	-		دو چَشمى ەے	do chaśmī he
ﺀ	ﺌ	ﺋ		-	ەَمزَه	hamza
ﻰ	ﻴ	ﻳ	ﻯ	य, ई	y, ī	چهوٹى يے	choṭī ye
ﮮ	ﻴ	ﻳ	ﮯ	य, ए	y, e	بَڑى يے	badi ye

English	Transliteration	IPA	Notes
Hello	As-Salam Alaykum (السلام علیکم)	ˈaʔsaɭam ˈaɭikum	Adaab would generally be used for Non-Muslims. Wa-Le-Kum-As Salam is the correct response. (و علیکم السلام)
Hello	Adaab arz hai (اداب عرض ہے)	aˈdaːb aɽˈzai	Literally "Regards are expressed" (Regards to you), a very formal secular greeting.
Good Bye	Khuda Hafiz (خدا حافظ)	kudaː hafəz	Khuda is the Persian word for God, and Hafiz comes from the Arabic root word hifz meaning "protection". So literally, "May God Almighty be your Guardian." Standard and commonly used for Muslims and Non-Muslims
yes	haan (ہاں)	haː̃	casual
yes	ji (جی)	ʤi	formal
no	na (نا)	nã	casual
no	nahi (نہیں)	ˈna̤i	formal
please	Meherbani (مہربانی)	mɛhɛrˈbani
thank you	Shukriya (شکریہ)	ʃʊˈkrija
Please come in	Thashreef laa'iye(تشریف لائیے)	aːpʰ ʈaˈʃrif ɭaˈiː	lit. Bring your honor
Please have a seat	Thashreef rak'hiye(تشریف رکھیئے)	aːpʰ ʈaˈʃrif ɽaˈxi	"lit." 'Place your honor'
I am happy to meet you	Aap se mil kar khushi hui (اپ سے مل کر خوشی ہوی)	aːpʰ sɛ miɭ kar kʊˈʃi hwi
Do you speak English?	Kya aap angrezi boltay heyn? (کیا اپ انگریزی بولتے ہیں؟)	kja aːpʰ ˈaŋgrɛzi boɭʈɛ hæ̃
I do not speak Urdu.	Main Urdu naheen bolta. (میں اردو نہیں بولتا)	mæ̃ urdʰu nahĩ boɭʈa
My name is ...	Mera nam ... hai. (میرا نام ۔۔۔ ہے)	mɛɾa naːm ... hai
Which way to Lahore	Lahore kiss taraf heyh(لاھور کس طرف ہے؟)
Where is Mumbai?	Mumbai kahaan hai? (ممبئی کہاں ہے؟)
Urdu is a good language.	Urdu ek achchhee zubaan hai. (اردو ایک اچھی زبان ہے)