Urdu Word Order

Foundations

Start by finding the verb or the final form of “to be.” Then connect the people, things and other phrases to it.

How It Works

In ندا آم کھاتی ہے۔, Nida is the person, mangoes are what she eats, and کھاتی ہے gives the action. Read the verbal group together rather than treating its last word as the whole action.

Not every sentence has an object. In آم میٹھے ہیں۔, میٹھے describes the mangoes. In چابی دراز میں ہے۔, دراز میں tells you where the key is.

Urdu normally places a postposition after its noun phrase: دراز میں means in the drawer. Keep that phrase together as you follow the sentence.

These are useful starting patterns, not a rule that every spoken sentence must follow. A speaker can move a phrase for contrast or leave out a person already clear from context.

Examples (4)

  1. ندا آم کھاتی ہے۔

    Nida eats mangoes.

    The subject comes before the object and the verbal group.

  2. آم میٹھے ہیں۔

    The mangoes are sweet.

    This sentence gives a description, not an action with an object.

  3. چابی دراز میں ہے۔

    The key is in the drawer.

    The location phrase ends in میں and comes before ہے.

  4. سارا کل آئے گی۔

    Sara will come tomorrow.

    The time word کل comes before the future verbal group.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Urdu Word OrderFoundations

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