Language/Urdu/Grammar/Connecting-Letters

Urdu → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Introduction to Urdu Script → Connecting Letters

Asalam-u-Alaikum! Welcome back to our Complete 0 to A1 Urdu Course. In the previous lesson, we learned about the Urdu alphabet, its characters, and their pronunciation. In this lesson, we will move forward and learn about Connecting Letters in Urdu.

As we know, Urdu is a beautiful script with great cursive qualities. All of its letters are connected to form words, but some letters require special attention when we connect them. Therefore, it is essential to understand the rules of connecting letters and how they change their shapes when connected.

Let's start by learning the joining process of Urdu letters.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: How to Use Have & Passive Voice and Causative Verbs.

Joining Process

To understand the joining process, we need to divide Urdu letters into four categories:

1. Letters that join only from the front. 2. Letters that join only from the end. 3. Letters that join from both sides. 4. Letters that do not join.

Let's discuss these categories in detail.

Letters that join only from the front

There are five Urdu letters that join only from the front. These letters are:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
ب	b	B
پ	p	P
ت	t	T
ٹ	ṭ	T
ث	s	S

These letters join from the front and leave space at the back for the next letter.

For example:

• ب + ا = باء
• پ + ا = پا

Note: The English transliteration of “باء” is “baa”.

Letters that join only from the end

There are five Urdu letters that join only from the end. These letters are:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
ہ	h	H
خ	kh	Kh
ج	j	J
ح	ḥ	H
ع	‘	‘

These letters join from the end, leaving space on the front side for the previous letter to appear.

For example:

• ـہ + م = ہم
• خ + و = خو

Note: The English transliteration of “خو” is “kho”.

Letters that join from both sides

There are eleven Urdu letters that join from both sides. These letters are:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
ر	r	R
ذ	z	Z
ز	z	Z
ڑ	ṛ	R
ڈ	ḍ	D
ژ	zh	Zh
ش	sh	Sh
ص	ṣ	S
ض	ḍ	D
ط	ṭ	T
ظ	z	Z

These letters connect Arabic-style from both sides depending on their position in a word.

For example:

• ش + ا = شا
• ض + د = ضد

Note: The English transliteration of “ضد” is “zidd”.

Letters that do not join

There are three Urdu letters that do not join. These letters are:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
و	w	W
ی	y	Y
ے	e	E

However, they can appear at any place in the word.

Now, let's see how these rules apply to some Urdu words.

Examples

These examples will help you to better understand the joining process of Urdu letters.

Examples of Letters Joining Only from the Front

• ب + ا = باء (Baa)
• پ + ا = پا (Paa)
• ت + ا = تا (Taa)
• ٹ + و = ٹو (Too)
• ث + ا = ثا (Saa)

Examples of Letters Joining Only from the End

• ـہ + م = ہم (Ham)
• خ + و = خو (Kho)
• ج + و = جو (Joo)
• ح + ی = حی (Hey)
• ع + ن = عن (‘an)

Examples of Letters Joining from Both Sides

• ش + ا = شا (Sha)
• ص + د = صد (Sad)
• ڈ + ھ = ڈھ (Dh)
• ط + ل = طل (Tall)
• ظ + ف = ظف (Zaf)

Examples of Letters that Do Not Join

• خودا = Khuda (God)
• وہ = Woh (He/She)
• سفید = Safaid (White)

Now that we have learned the joining process of Urdu letters, let's move on to the changes that occur when letters are joined.

Shape Changes

The joining of Urdu letters brings some changes to their shapes. Some letters move up, some move down, and some take different forms.

Let's take a look at some examples.

Letters Moving Up

Some letters move up when they are joined with another letter. These letters are:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
ب	b	B
پ	p	P
ٹ	ṭ	T

• ب + ا = باء (Baa)
• پ + ا = پا (Paa)
• ا + ٹ = آٹھ (Aath)

Note: When we join ب or پ, they do not take the shape of the dot. Instead, they move up and take a different form. However, when we join ٹ, it takes the shape of a dot and moves up.

Letters Moving Down

Some letters move down when they are joined with another letter. These letters are:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
ر	r	R
ذ	z	Z
ژ	zh	Zh

• ذ + ا = ذا (Zaa)
• پ + ر + و+ی = پروی (Parve)

Note: When we join these letters, they take different forms from their original shapes and move down.

Different Forms

Some letters take different forms when they are joined with other letters. These letters are:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
ج	j	J
ڑ	ṛ	R
ط	ṭ	T

• ج + و = جو (Joo)
• ڑ + ا = ڑا (Raa)
• ط + ن = طن (Tan)

Note: When we join these letters, their forms change altogether and take on a different appearance.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we discussed the joining process of Urdu letters, including the four categories of letters and the rules that govern their connections. Additionally, we looked at the shape changes that occur when letters are connected.

With practice, you will be able to master the art of joining Urdu letters and become proficient in reading and writing the beautiful Urdu script.

In the next lesson, we will move on to learning Greetings and Introductions in Urdu. Until then, practice connecting and shaping Urdu letters as much as you can.

Shukria!

Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Question Words & Pronouns.

Table of Contents - Urdu Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Urdu Script

• Urdu Alphabet
• Connecting Letters

  ---

Basic Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting
• Days of the Week and Months

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Nouns and Pronouns
• Verbs and Tenses
• Adjectives and Adverbs

  ---

Everyday Vocabulary

• Colors and Shapes
• Food and Drinks
• Clothing and Accessories

  ---

Forming Questions and Negations

• Question Words
• Negation

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

  ---

Urdu Culture and Traditions

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Urdu Literature and Poetry

Other Lessons

• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Introduction to Urdu Alphabets
• Pronouns
• Give your Opinion
• Common Mistakes
• Plurals and Gender
• Interrogation
• Adjectives
• Negation
• Question Words

Sources

• Urdu alphabet - Wikipedia
• 1.2 Alif and Non-Connectors – Basic Urdu
• Urdu - Wikipedia