Language/Urdu/Grammar/Common-Mistakes
Common Mistakes Using Urdu Language
Urdu is a mixture of many languages: Arabic, Turkish, Hindi, Persian and Sanskrit. In modern Urdu of Pakistan lots of nouns of English are used very smoothly. We see some mistakes people make using Urdu.
Usage of The Letter ھ
From Hindi Urdu has lent the letter: ھ. No word in Urdu is used with this word, but people often use this letter in place of ہ. Words in Arabic start from this word, but don't use it in Urdu. You can find this type of mistake in many places even in good books. There are certain letters in Urdu after which this letter is used: ب ت ٹ ج چ د ڈ ک گ۔. If you find this letter after any other letter, it is a mistake. In Urdu metrical system of poetry both the letters, the letter before the letter ھ , are counted as one.For example, کھانا (to eat) has 4 words: کھ، ا، ن، ا. Both ک and ھ are counted as one.
You will find this type of mistake with pronouns very often. Following is the wrong and correct usage of the letter.
(Correct Usage)صحیح استعمال |
(Wrong Usage)غلط استعمال |
|---|---|
| (We are very sad today)ہم آج بہت اداس ہیں۔ | ھم آج بہت اداس ھیں۔ |
| (Our house is burnt)ہمارے کھر میں آگ لگی ہے۔ | ھمارے گھر میں آگ لگی ھے- |
| (What has happened to you today?)تمہیں آج کیا ہو گیا ہے؟ | تمھیں آج کیا ھو گیا ھے؟ |
| (I am going to take a bath.)-میں نہانے جا رہا ہوں | میں نھانے جا رھا ھوں۔ |
So, next time you use ھ, use it correctly.
The Possessive Construction of Persian
People often take the Persian Possessive Construction which is used in Urdu as it's Urdu's, but this is not the case. The possessive construction in Urdu is called مرکب اضافی. It is used very much in Urdu. Urdu's possessive structure is quite different from that of the Persian's. In Urdu we use the word کا، کی، کے، کو to show the possession. Examples follow.
Meaning in English |
(Urdu's Possessive Structure)اردو مرکب اضافی |
(Persian Possessive Construction)فارسی مرکب اضافی |
|---|---|---|
| The progeny of Adam is unthankful. | آدم کی اولاد ناشکری ہے۔ | اولاد آدم ناشکری ہے۔ |
| Allah's book is truthful. | اللہ کی کتاب سچی کتاب ہے۔ | کتاب اللہ سچی کتاب ہے۔ |
- Note: In Persian the Possession (مضاف) is read with a Kasrah (accent as the sound of the letter a) on the last letter. The first example will be read: Oulad-e-Adam nashukri hai.
The Adjectival Construction of Persian
Another lent construction is the Adjectival Construction (مرکب توصیفی). It is also taken as Urdu's own construction, but it is lent from Persian. In Urdu the adjective is used first and the noun, which is modified, is used after the adjective, but in Persian it is opposite. Examples follow.
| (Meaning in English) | (Urdu's Adjectival Construction) اردو مرکب توصیفی |
(Persian Adjectival Construction) فارسی مرکب توصیفی | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Righteous children are a blessing of Allah. | صالح اولاد اللہ کی نعمت ہے۔ | اولاد صالح اللہ کی نعمت ہے۔ | |
| This simple book is mine. | یہ سادہ کتاب میری ہے۔ | یہ کتاب سادہ میری ہے۔ |
- Note: In Persian the Noun, being modified, (موصوف) is read with a Kasrah (accent as the sound of the letter a) on the last letter. The first example will be read: Oulad-e-Adam nashukri hai.
Writing the Word کہہ
I saw many people writing the word کہہ (say, imperative) as کہ, especially in text messages. This word written with two ہs.
Using کہ in Place of کے
This mistake is more usual nowadays. کہ means that, and کے is used to show possession.