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Urdu basics — the script, sounds and first steps
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The starting point: the Urdu (Nastaliq), your first words, and the honest answer to where to begin. Urdu is written right to left in the beautiful Nastaliq style — start at the RIGHT end of the line! Letters change shape (start/middle/end) and join up, there are no capital letters, and short vowels (a/i/u) are usually left unwritten: you read مل as 'mil' (meet) or 'mal' by context. Dots do heavy lifting: ب ت ث ن ی are the same stroke with different dots. Persian gave Urdu پ چ ژ گ, India gave it ٹ ڈ ڑ, and nasalization comes from ں (nūn-ghunna): میں (main, I) vs مین — count the dots, then read.
The alphabet at a glance
The Urdu (Nastaliq) script has 8 vowels and 40 consonants. The full tables with sounds are on the pronunciation page — learn to recognise them before you memorise any words.
Your first five words
| English | Hindi | Urdu | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello! (peace greeting) | अस्सलाम अलैकुम | السلام علیکم! | Assalām Alaikum! |
| reply: وعلیکم السلام (Va Alaikum Assalām) | |||
| Hello! (Lucknow style) | आदाब | آداب! | Ādāb! |
| the tehzeeb greeting — hand raised to the forehead | |||
| How are you? (formal) | आप कैसे हैं? | آپ کیسے ہیں؟ | Āp kaise hain? |
| I'm fine | मैं ठीक हूँ | میں ٹھیک ہوں | Main ṭhīk hūn |
| What is your name? | आपका नाम क्या है? | آپ کا نام کیا ہے؟ | Āp kā nām kyā hai? |
The order to learn in
- Script + sounds — Urdu is phonetic: learn the letters and you can read anything.
- Greetings + pronouns — say hello, introduce yourself, ask where.
- Numbers 1–20 — prices, time and quantities unlock immediately.
- Word order + present tense — one pattern (میں روٹی کھاتا ہوں۔) builds a thousand sentences.
- Topics (food, travel, shopping) — learn what your life needs first.