Learning pronouns in Urdu, an Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in Pakistan and India, is essential for mastering both spoken and written communication. Urdu pronouns are characterized by their forms according to person, number, gender, and case. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each, including transliterations for pronunciation help.
Personal Pronouns
Subject Pronouns:
- میں (Main) – I: “میں جا رہا ہوں۔” (Main ja raha hoon) – I am going.
- تم / آپ (Tum / Aap) – You (informal / formal): “تم کیسے ہو؟” / “آپ کیسے ہیں؟” (Tum kaise ho? / Aap kaise hain?) – How are you?
- وہ (Woh) – He/She/It: “وہ پڑھ رہا ہے۔” / “وہ پڑھ رہی ہے۔” (Woh parh raha hai / Woh parh rahi hai) – He is studying. / She is studying.
- ہم (Hum) – We: “ہم کھیل رہے ہیں۔” (Hum khel rahe hain) – We are playing.
- تم لوگ / آپ لوگ (Tum log / Aap log) – You (plural): “تم لوگ کہاں جا رہے ہو؟” / “آپ لوگ کہاں جا رہے ہیں؟” (Tum log kahan ja rahe ho? / Aap log kahan ja rahe hain?) – Where are you all going?
- وہ لوگ (Woh log) – They: “وہ لوگ سو رہے ہیں۔” (Woh log so rahe hain) – They are sleeping.
Object Pronouns:
- مجھے (Mujhe) – Me: “مجھے دیکھو۔” (Mujhe dekho) – Look at me.
- تمہیں / آپ کو (Tumhein / Aap ko) – You: “میں تمہیں یاد کرتا ہوں۔” / “میں آپ کو یاد کرتا ہوں۔” (Main tumhein yaad karta hoon / Main aap ko yaad karta hoon) – I miss you.
- اسے (Usay) – Him/Her: “میں اسے جانتا ہوں۔” (Main usay janta hoon) – I know him/her.
- ہمیں (Humein) – Us: “ہمیں بلاؤ۔” (Humein bulao) – Call us.
- تمہیں / آپ کو (Tumhein / Aap ko) – You (plural): “میں تمہیں دیکھ رہا ہوں۔” / “میں آپ کو دیکھ رہا ہوں۔” (Main tumhein dekh raha hoon / Main aap ko dekh raha hoon) – I am looking at you.
- انہیں (Unhein) – Them: “میں انہیں سمجھتا ہوں۔” (Main unhein samajhta hoon) – I understand them.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns in Urdu indicate ownership and are used with the noun they modify.
- میرا / میری / میرے (Mera / Meri / Mere) – My: “یہ میرا گھر ہے۔” (Yeh mera ghar hai) – This is my house.
- تمہارا / تمہاری / تمہارے (Tumhara / Tumhari / Tumhare) / آپ کا / آپ کی / آپ کے (Aap ka / Aap ki / Aap ke) – Your: “یہ تمہاری کتاب ہے۔” / “یہ آپ کی کتاب ہے۔” (Yeh tumhari kitab hai / Yeh aap ki kitab hai) – This is your book.
- اس کا / اس کی / اس کے (Us ka / Us ki / Us ke) – His/Her: “یہ اس کا فون ہے۔” (Yeh us ka phone hai) – This is his/her phone.
- ہمارا / ہماری / ہمارے (Hamara / Hamari / Hamare) – Our: “یہ ہمارا ملک ہے۔” (Yeh hamara mulk hai) – This is our country.
- تمہارا / تمہاری / تمہارے (Tumhara / Tumhari / Tumhare) / آپ کا / آپ کی / آپ کے (Aap ka / Aap ki / Aap ke) – Your (plural): “یہ تمہارے جوتے ہیں۔” / “یہ آپ کے جوتے ہیں۔” (Yeh tumhare jootay hain / Yeh aap ke jootay hain) – These are your shoes.
- ان کا / ان کی / ان کے (Un ka / Un ki / Un ke) – Their: “یہ ان کا خیال ہے۔” (Yeh un ka khayal hai) – This is their idea.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns in Urdu point to specific nouns and vary based on distance.
- یہ (Yeh) – This: “یہ کیا ہے؟” (Yeh kya hai?) – What is this?
- وہ (Woh) – That: “وہ کون ہے؟” (Woh kaun hai?) – Who is that?
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns in Urdu are used when the subject performs an action upon itself.
- اپنا / اپنی / اپنے (Apna / Apni / Apne) – Oneself: “اس نے اپنا کام خود کیا۔” (Us ne apna kaam khud kiya) – He/She did his/her work himself/herself.
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.
- کون (Kaun) – Who: “کون آیا؟” (Kaun aaya?) – Who came?
- کیا (Kya) – What: “کیا ہوا؟” (Kya hua?) – What happened?
- کہاں (Kahan) – Where: “کہاں جا رہے ہو؟” (Kahan ja rahe ho?) – Where are you going?
Understanding and correctly using Urdu pronouns is vital for navigating both simple and complex conversations. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun, and try to engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, context, formality, and the nuances of Urdu grammar and culture play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.