Language/Urdu/Grammar/Case-and-Sentence-Structure
As a seasoned Urdu language teacher, I have seen students struggle with grammar most times, especially when it comes to cases and sentence structures. Fortunately, the rules are relatively straightforward, and once you grasp them, you'll be able to form basic sentences with ease. In this lesson, we will discuss the different cases used in Urdu, how they affect sentence structure, and how to form basic sentences.
Cases in Urdu
Much like many other Indo-European languages, Urdu also uses cases to indicate various functions in a sentence. There are four cases in Urdu, which are: the Nominative case, the Accusative case, the Genitive case, and the Dative case. Each of these cases has a specific function, and it's essential to learn them to understand how Urdu sentences are structured correctly.
Nominative Case
The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. In other words, it is the word that's doing the action. In Urdu, the nominative case is indicated by the subject marker ہے (hai), which is added to the end of the noun or pronoun. Here is an example:
| Urdu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| میں | mein | I (subject, nominative case) |
Accusative Case
The accusative case is used for the direct object of a sentence. The direct object refers to the word that is receiving the action. In Urdu, the accusative case is marked by the particle کو (ko) placed after the noun or pronoun. Here is an example:
| Urdu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| نے | ney | (indicating past tense) |
| کتاب | kitaab | book (object, accusative case) |
| پڑھی | parhi | read |
Translated: I read the book.
Genitive Case
The genitive case is used to indicate possession or association. In Urdu, it is indicated by adding the particle کا (ka) to the end of the noun or pronoun. For example:
| Urdu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| میرا | mera | my |
| کتاب | kitaab | book (possessive, genitive case) |
Translated: My book.
Dative Case
The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence. The indirect object refers to the word that is not directly receiving the action, but rather benefiting from it. In Urdu, the dative case is marked by the particle کو (ko) placed after the noun or pronoun. Here is an example:
| Urdu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| مجھے | mujhe | me (indirect object, dative case) |
| کتاب | kitaab | book (direct object, accusative case) |
| ملی | mili | received |
Translated: I received the book.
Basic Sentence Structure in Urdu
Urdu sentences usually follow their subject-object-verb (SOV) order. That means the subject is typically placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the object, and ending with the verb. Here is an example:
| Urdu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| میں | mein | I (subject, nominative case) |
| نے | ney | (indicating past tense) |
| کتاب | kitaab | book (object, accusative case) |
| پڑھی | parhi | read (verb) |
Translated: I read the book.
It's important to note that, although Urdu follows an SOV order, there can be variations in complex sentences. Such variations involve the use of conjunctions, subordinate clauses, or phrases that introduce adjectives and adverbs. We will cover these structures in detail in a later lesson.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we discussed the different cases used in Urdu, how they affect sentence structure, and how to form basic sentences. The key takeaway is that learning these cases can go a long way in helping you understand how Urdu sentences are constructed. Once you have a good grasp of the cases, you can start building more complex sentences with ease.
Sources
- System for Grammatical relations in Urdu
- INDICATIONS OF URDU TETRAVALENT VERBS HAVING ...
- The Basics of Urdu Sentence Structure & Word Order
Related Lessons
- Plurals and Gender
- How to Use Have
- Adjectives and Adverbs
- Plurals
- Passive Voice and Causative Verbs
- Nouns
- 0 to A1 Course
- Nouns and Pronouns
- Conditional Tenses
- Introduction to Urdu Alphabets