Learning Urdu, a language with profound literary traditions and intricate grammatical structures, requires a deep understanding of its verbs. Urdu verbs are inflected for tense, aspect, mood, and sometimes voice, offering nuanced ways to convey action and state. This guide provides an in-depth exploration of Urdu verbs and their grammatical rules, including transliterations for pronunciation help.

Introduction to the Urdu Verb System

Urdu, written in the Perso-Arabic script, is known for its rich expression and poetic potential. Its verb system plays a crucial role in this expressiveness, allowing speakers to convey detailed nuances of action, timing, and mood.

Verb Roots and Inflection

Urdu verbs originate from three primary sources: native, Persian, and Arabic. The root form of a verb, known as the masdar (مصدر), is its infinitive or nominal form. Verbs are then inflected to denote various tenses, aspects, and moods by adding suffixes, prefixes, or employing auxiliary verbs.

Present Tense

The present tense in Urdu is used to describe current actions or states and is expressed in two forms: habitual and continuous.

• Habitual Present: Indicates regular or habitual actions. It is formed by adding -ta hoon, -te ho, -ta hai, etc., to the verb stem, depending on the subject’s gender and number.

  Example: “کھانا” (khānā – to eat):

  • میں کھاتا ہوں (main khātā hoon) – I eat (masculine)
  • تو کھاتا ہے (tū khātā hai) – You eat (masculine, singular)

• Continuous Present: Used for ongoing actions. It is formed with the help of raha hoon, rahe ho, rahi hai, etc., after the verb stem.

  Example: “لکھنا” (likhnā – to write):

  • میں لکھ رہا ہوں (main likh rahā hoon) – I am writing (masculine)
  • وہ لکھ رہی ہے (voh likh rahī hai) – She is writing

Past Tense

The past tense is used to indicate actions completed in the past. It is often marked by suffixes like -a, -i, -e, based on the verb’s root ending and the subject’s gender and number.

Example: “پینا” (pīnā – to drink):

• میں نے پیا (main ne pīyā) – I drank (masculine)
• اس نے پی (us ne pī) – He/She drank

Future Tense

The future tense in Urdu is expressed by adding -gā, -ge, -gi to the verb stem, which varies according to the subject’s gender and number, or by using the auxiliary verb جائے گا (jayega – will go).

Example: “آنا” (ānā – to come):

• میں آؤں گا (main āūngā) – I will come (masculine)
• وہ آئے گی (voh āyegī) – She will come

Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used for direct commands or requests. It usually employs the verb stem or adds -o for politeness.

Example: “کرنا” (karnā – to do):

• کرو (karo) – Do it! (informal)
• کیجئے (kījiye) – Please do it! (formal)

Negative Form

Negation in Urdu is formed by placing نہیں (nahīn) before the verb in present and future tenses, and نہ (nah) for negative imperatives.

Example: “جانا” (jānā – to go):

• میں نہیں جاتا (main nahīn jātā) – I do not go
• نہ جاؤ (nah jāo) – Don’t go!

Participles and Verb Conjugation

Urdu uses participles for compound tenses, formed by conjugating auxiliary verbs with the participle form of the main verb.

Example: “کھیلنا” (khēlnā – to play):

• میں کھیل رہا ہوں (main khel rahā hoon) – I am playing
• وہ کھیل چکا ہے (voh khel chukā hai) – He has played

Verb Agreement and Honorifics

Verb agreement in Urdu is sensitive to the subject’s gender and number. Additionally, honorific forms are used to convey respect, often by adding -ī or using polite auxiliary verbs.

Example: “بولنا” (bolnā – to speak):

• آپ بولیے (āp bolīye) – You speak (respectful)

Conclusion

Mastering verbs in Urdu involves understanding the intricacies of tense, aspect, mood, and the politeness level required by the context. Regular practice with these conjugation patterns and memorization of common irregular verbs will greatly aid in becoming proficient in Urdu. The language’s verb system offers a window into the rich cultural and literary traditions of the Urdu-speaking world, making it a rewarding area of study for language learners.