100+ Core Urdu Words – Learn the Most Common Words in Urdu

Did you know that 100 Urdu words account for 50% of any communication in Urdu?

100+ Core Urdu Words – Learn the Most Common Words in Urdu

Improving your Urdu vocabulary is one of the key aspects of learning Urdu. The more Urdu words you’ll know, the closer you’ll be to fluency. But keep in mind that not all words are equally important. In the beginning, you have to focus on basic, high-frequency words – words that make up the majority of everything we say on a daily basis.

Studies have shown that knowing as little as 100 words will help you understand 50% of any text in Urdu. Surprising as it may seem, it’s true. The most common 1,000 words in Urdu will give you a high coverage of 75% of any Urdu text. Isn’t that amazing?

The most common everyday Urdu words

The everyday words in Urdu are the ones you’ll probably use the most in your daily conversations. This is why we are going to focus on these high-frequency, high-value words first and then move to some of the most popular words in online searches.

  • easy — آسان (aasan)
  • hard — مشکل (mushkil)
  • good — اچھا (acha)
  • bad — برا (bura)
  • near — نزدیک (nazdeek)
  • yes — ہاں (haan)
  • no — نہیں (nae)
  • (to) have — رکھنا (rakhta)
  • (I) use — میں استعمال کرتا ہوں (Mein istemal karta hoon)
  • (to) go — جانا (jana)
  • (to) come — آنا (aana)
  • (to) laugh — ہنسنا (hansna)
  • (to) make — بنانا (banana)
  • (I) like — میں پسند کرتا ہوں (Mein pasand karta hoon)
  • (to) want — چاہنا (chahna)
  • (to) take — لینا (laina)
  • (to) see — دیکھنا (daikhna)
  • far — دور (door)
  • small — چھوٹا (chota)
  • big — بڑا (barha)
  • beautiful — خوبصورت (khoobsoorat)
  • ugly — بدصورت (badsoorat)
  • hard — مشکل (mushkil)
  • delicious — مزیدار (mazaydar)
  • week — ہفتہ (hafta)
  • year — سال (saal)
  • today — آج (aaj)
  • tomorrow — کل (kal)
  • yesterday — کل (kal)
  • hour — گھنٹہ (ghanta)
  • minute — منٹ (minet)
  • time — وقت (waqt)
  • Monday — پير (peer)
  • Tuesday — منگل (mungal)
  • Wednesday — بدھ (budh)
  • Thursday — جمعرات (jumarat)
  • Friday — جمعہ (jumma)
  • Saturday — ہفتہ (hafta)
  • Sunday — اتوار (itwar)
  • zero — صفر (sifar)
  • one — ایک (aik)
  • two — دو (do)
  • three — تین (teen)
  • four — چار (chaar)
  • five — پانچ (paanch)
  • six — چھ (chhey)
  • seven — سات (saat)
  • eight — آٹھ (aath)
  • nine — نو (no)
  • ten — دس (das)
  • I — میں (mein)
  • you — تم (tum)
  • he — وہ (wo)
  • she — وہ (wo)
  • we — ہم (hum)
  • they — وہ (wo)
  • what — کیا (kya)
  • where — کہاں (kahan)
  • who — کون (kon)
  • stop — رکو (ruko)

The most popular Urdu words searches

While we’re at it, why not also learn some of the most popular words for which people want an Urdu translation? If they are so popular in searches, I’m sure they can also be useful to you on your way to speaking Urdu.

If you study them carefully, you’ll understand the reason why people want to know what these words mean in Urdu. They are very powerful words. Superlatives that can spice up any conversation. Isn’t it?

  • weird — عجیب (ajeeb)
  • curious — متجسس (mutajassas)
  • nostalgic — ماضی میں کھویا ہوا (mazi mein khoya hua)
  • gorgeous — خوبصورت (khoobsurat)
  • humble — عاجز (aajiz)
  • rude — بدتمیز (badtameez)
  • obvious — واضح (wazeh)
  • fabulous — شاندار (shandaar)
  • incredibile — ناقابل یقین (naqaabile yaqeen)
  • amazing — حیرت انگیز (hairat angaiz)
  • charming — دلکش (dilkash)
  • cheap — سستا (sasta)
  • crazy — دیوانہ (deewana)
  • unique — منفرد (munfarid)
  • hope — امید (umeed)

Urdu words related to food and drink

Did you know that the Urdu language was one of the premier languages of poetry in South Asia for centuries? And rightly so. Just listen to the music of its words and you’ll understand.

words in urdu by Sumeet B©

Meanwhile, let’s add some flavor to your Urdu vocabulary. What are the best words to learn if not the words related to food and drink?

  • water — پانی (pani)
  • tea — چائے (chaey)
  • coffee — کافی (kafi)
  • juice — رس (rus)
  • wine — واین (wine)
  • beer — بیئر (beer)
  • alcohol — الکوحل (alcohol)
  • chicken — مرغی (murghi)
  • fish — مچھلی (machli)
  • soup — سوپ (soup)
  • salad — سلاد (salad)
  • sandwich — سینڈویچ (sandwich)
  • pie — پائی (pie)
  • bread — روٹی (roti)
  • dessert — میٹھا (meetha)
  • cake — کیک (cake)
  • breakfast — ناشتہ (nashta)
  • lunch — ظہرانہ (zohrana)
  • dinner — عشائیہ (ishayia)
  • salt — نمک (namak)
  • sugar — شکر (shakar)
  • pepper — مرچ (mirch)

Urdu words related to body and health

The names of the body parts in Urdu are some of the most basic and useful words you can learn. Whether you are in a clothing store, or at the doctor’s office, various parts of the body can come up in conversation more often than you think.

  • head — سر (sar)
  • hair — بال (baal)
  • neck — گردن (gardan)
  • chest — سینا (seena)
  • arm — بازو (bazu)
  • finger — انگلی (ungli)
  • foot — پاؤں (paon)
  • face — چہرہ (chehra)
  • eye — آنکھ (aankh)
  • hand — ہاتھ (hath)
  • nose — ناک (naak)
  • mouth — منہ (munh)
  • leg — ٹانگ (taang)
  • knee — گھٹنا (ghutna)
  • disease — بیماری (beemari)
  • allergy — الرجي (allergy)
  • fever — بخار (bukhar)
  • pain — درد (dard)
  • medicine — دوا (dawa)
  • pharmacy — دواخانہ (dawakhana)

Urdu words related to transportation and places

While this crash course in Urdu words will get you from zero to beginner in as little as 15 minutes, these words will get you to the other hemisphere if you need it so.

  • aeroplane — ہوائی جہاز (hawai jahaz)
  • train — ریل گاڑی (rail garhi)
  • subway — ریل گاڑی (rail garhi)
  • taxi — ٹیکسی (teksi)
  • car — گاڑی (garhi)
  • bus — بس (bus)
  • ticket — ٹکٹ (tiket)
  • restaurant — ریستوران (resturan)
  • hotel — ہوٹل (hotel)
  • airport — ہوائی اڈہ (hawai adda)
  • train station — ریلوے اسٹیشن (railway station)
  • market — بازار (bazar)

Now that you’ve mastered some of the most basic Urdu vocabulary words, you can dive into the practical phrases that’ll help you ease into real-world conversations.

The most common Urdu phrases

The following phrases in Urdu are a great place to start learning. Simple phrases like ‘good morning’, ‘how are you’ or ‘you’re welcome’ are the most effective way to get from 0 to conversational fast. Learn these phrases today and make Urdu-speaking friends tomorrow!

  • Hello — سلام (Salam)
  • Good morning — صبح بخیر (Subh bakhair)
  • Good afternoon — سہ پہر بخیر (Seh pehar bakhair)
  • Good evening — شام بخیر (Sham bakhair)
  • Good night — رات بخیر (Raat bakhair)
  • Goodbye — الوداع (Alwida)
  • How are you? — تم کیسے ہو؟ (Tum kaisay ho?)
  • Very well — بہت بہتر (Bohat behtar)
  • Please — براہ مہربانی (Barae mehrbani)
  • Thank you — تمہارا شکریہ (Tumhara shukriya)
  • What is your name? — تمہارا نام کیا ہے؟ (Tumhara naam kya hai?)
  • My name is_____  — میرا نام _____ ہے (Maira naam _____ hai)
  • Nice to meet you — تم سے مل کر اچھا لگا (Tum say mil kar acha laga)
  • Great — زبردست (Zabardast)
  • I’m sorry — مجھے افسوس ہے (Mujhe afsos hai)
  • You’re welcome — تمہیں خوش آمدید (Tumhein khush aamdeed)
  • Excuse me — مجھے معاف کرو (Mujhe muaf kao)
  • What time is it? — یہ کون سا وقت ہے؟ (Yeh kon sa waqt hai?)
  • Can you help me? — کیا آپ میری مدد کر سکتے ہیں؟ (Kya aap mairi madad kar saktay hain?)
  • How much does it cost? — اس پر کتنی لاگت آتی ہے؟ (Is par kitni lagat aati hai?)

Don’t forget that practice makes perfect. If you feel like you need a refresher, you can always come back.


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Diana Lăpușneanu - Linguist at Mondly Blog

Diana is a Linguist at Mondly by Pearson. Learning English as a second language early on fueled her lifelong passion for language learning, leading her to pursue a diverse array of languages as a hobby alongside her academic endeavors. With a Master’s Degree in advertising and a fascination for historical linguistics, she brings a unique perspective to her role, making language learning fun for readers worldwide.

36 comments on “100+ Core Urdu Words – Learn the Most Common Words in Urdu

  1. Thank you . I appreciate your efforts. May be with constant use of the words my communication skill would improve. Alvida

    1. You are a good learner and good trainer of Urdu .
      Can you please train me Urdu?
      Haseen ullah

  2. It was looking supercalifragilisticexpialidocious but i already knew those kind of words even then thanks .

  3. Very good effort. As I am an urdu speaking but I want to learn more words of urdu which are used in poetry. I love poetry but due to difficult words I feel irritated and its makes me frustrated.

  4. I am 60 years old woman. Learning Urdu now. It is my childhood dream. Your words and phrases helping me a lot.

  5. I am looking at this page randomly. I am Indian Gujarati . I am shocked that our languages are so smiliar hence i can understand so much of the Urdu language. But my friend is Keralan and cant relate to Gujarati or Urdu full stop. Great page by the way.

  6. Subject: Thank You for the Exceptional Urdu Learning Website!

    Dear Diana Lăpușneanu,

    I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible resource you’ve created for learning Urdu. Your website has been an invaluable tool in my journey to master this beautiful language, and I wanted to share my feedback and appreciation.

    User-Friendly Interface: Your website’s user-friendly design makes navigation a breeze. The layout is intuitive, and I appreciate how easy it is to find the resources I need, whether it’s grammar lessons, vocabulary exercises, or interactive quizzes.

    Comprehensive Content: Your website offers a comprehensive range of learning materials, catering to learners of all levels. From beginner lessons to advanced topics, I have found everything I need to progress in my Urdu language journey. The variety of content, including audio and visual aids, has been immensely helpful.

    Engaging and Interactive Lessons: The interactive lessons and exercises have made learning Urdu not only informative but also enjoyable. The quizzes and exercises are well-structured and have significantly improved my language skills.

    Cultural Insights: I appreciate the cultural insights and context you provide alongside language lessons. Learning about Urdu culture and traditions alongside the language itself adds depth and richness to the learning experience.

    Responsive Customer Support: I’ve had a few questions along the way, and your responsive customer support team has always been prompt and helpful in addressing my queries. It’s clear that you value your users’ experience and are committed to their success.

    Regular Updates: I’ve noticed that your website frequently updates its content and features. This commitment to improvement ensures that learners like me continue to have access to the most up-to-date resources.

    Community Engagement: The community forums and discussion boards on your website have been a great way for me to connect with fellow learners. It’s wonderful to be part of a community of individuals passionate about learning Urdu.

    Overall, I want to express my deep appreciation for the effort and dedication you’ve put into creating such a fantastic resource for Urdu learners. Thanks to your website, I’ve made significant progress in my language skills, and I look forward to continuing my learning journey with your support.

    Once again, thank you for your outstanding work. You’re making a positive impact on the lives of Urdu learners worldwide, and I’m truly grateful for that.

    Warm regards,

    Aman

  7. Yep – it’s an Americanism I think. Not really widely understood in lots of other English-speaking territories. (I think it stems from American sports like American Football, Baseball, Basketball etc.?)

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