Do you think learning Urdu is challenging? Let’s take a look at a comprehensive list of over 100 everyday words in Urdu that you already know as an English speaker! These words have made their way from English into the Urdu language and are commonly used by Urdu speakers in their everyday conversations.
While going through the list, you may wonder why these words are the same in both Urdu and English. You’ll notice that Urdu and English share words due to British colonial influence and globalization. The words traveled both ways between these two languages— from English to Urdu and from Urdu to English. The words in the former category are borrowed words in Urdu, which you’ll find below, while the words in the latter category are loanwords from Urdu that have made their way into the English vocabulary. These are covered in another fascinating blog, where you’ll not only recognize the words but also learn a bit about their background. Check it out too!
Another reason for these common words is modernization. As technological items and trends emerge, certain words continue to be used in the same way in both languages. And the final reason behind these similar words is even more fascinating—something truly intriguing about the Urdu language! Some English words fit naturally into Urdu without needing translation and have become a part of the language as is. So, in a way, no new words were added to the language.
Now is the time for an exciting sneak peek into the words you already know in Urdu—exciting, isn’t it? You already know over 100 words in Urdu as you get started, and you’ll find them useful as a beginner Urdu speaker and learner—yay! After reviewing this comprehensive list, don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
Everyday Objects & Common Items:
These are everyday items you’ll commonly find around you, and they mean the same thing in Urdu! Since Urdu is a gendered language, each item you see here has a gender. As you review the list of words you know, be sure to check their correct gender in Urdu too!
Shampoo 🧴
In Urdu, ‘shampoo’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Lipstick 💄
In Urdu, ‘lipstick’ is pronounced as “li + pis + tick,” where “li” rhymes with “he,” “pis” rhymes with “kiss,” and “tick” sounds like the regular “tick.” In Urdu, lipstick is considered feminine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Glass 🥛
In Urdu, ‘glass’ is pronounced as “gi + lass,” where “gi” rhymes with “he,” and “lass” sounds like the “lass” in “glass.” Glass is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Plate 🍽️
In Urdu, ‘plate’ is pronounced as “pi + late” where “pi” rhymes with “he,” and “late” sounds like the “late” in “plate.” Plate is considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Lamp 🛋️
In Urdu, ‘lamp’ refers to the same light appliance as in English—and it’s considered masculine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Travel & Entertainment:
Bus 🚌
In Urdu, ‘bus‘ refers to the same mode of transportation as in English—and it’s considered feminine. But did you know ‘bus‘ also means ‘stop’ or ‘that’s it’? 🫸 So next time you want someone to stop, just say ‘bus‘! Play the audio below to hear the word.
Taxi 🚖
In Urdu, ‘taxi’ refers to the same mode of transportation as in English—and it’s considered feminine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Train 🚆
In Urdu, ‘train’ refers to the same mode of transportation as in English. It is also called ‘rail gaari‘ or ‘laaree.’ Since both ‘rail gaari‘ and ‘laaree‘ end with an -ee sound, they are feminine, and as a result, the word ‘train’ is also considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
You’ll notice that ‘train‘ and ‘rail gaari‘ are the most commonly used, while ‘laaree‘ is often heard in poetry or songs. This reminds me of the song Laaree Chootee, which happens to be one of my favorites! Enjoy the song below!
Truck 🚚🚛🛻🚒
In Urdu, ‘truck’ refers to the same mode of transportation as in English—and it’s considered masculine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Cycle 🚲
In Urdu, ‘cycle’ refers to the “bike” in English—and it’s considered feminine. It’s pronounced as “saa + ee + kul” where “saa” rhymes with “maa”, “ee” rhymes with “tea”, and “kul” rhymes with “hull”. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Scooter 🛵
In Urdu, ‘scooter’ refers to the “bike” and is pronounced as “is + koo+ ter” where “is” rhymes with “miss,” “koo” rhymes with “poo”, and “ter” rhymes with “her”. Scooter is considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Engine 🚂
In Urdu, ‘engine’ refers to any regular engine of a machine as in English—and it’s considered masculine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Hotel 🏨
In Urdu, ‘hotel’ is pronounced as “ho + tul,” where “ho” sounds like Santa Claus’s “ho ho ho,” and “tul” rhymes with “dull.” Hotel is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Magazine 🗞️📰
In Urdu, ‘magazine’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Movie 🎥
In Urdu, ‘movie’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Drama 🎭
In Urdu, ‘drama’ is pronounced as “di + ra+ ma,” where “di” rhymes with “he,” and “ra” and “ma” rhymes with “ha.” Drama is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Concert 🪗🎤🎸🎹
In Urdu, ‘concert’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Club 🥳💃
In Urdu, ‘club’ is pronounced as “ci + lub” where “ci” rhymes with “he,” and “lub” rhymes with “hub.” Club is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Conference 🤝💼📊
In Urdu, ‘conference’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Meeting 🤝💼📊👥👥
In Urdu, ‘meeting’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Team
In Urdu, ‘team’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Buy Me a Cup of Chai or Dessert
If my work has brought you joy, helped you learn something new, or made you smile, you can show your appreciation by treating me to a virtual cup of chai! Or to my favorite piece of dessert, gulaab jaaman. Whether it’s a one-time gesture or an occasional treat, every cup means the world to me! 🌍✨ Shukriya! 🌿✨
Password 🔑
In Urdu, ‘password’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Menu 🧾
In Urdu, ‘menu’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Ticket 🎫
In Urdu, ‘ticket’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Passport
In Urdu, ‘passport’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Sports and Musical Instruments:
Football 🏈
In Urdu, ‘football’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu because anything ending with a ball would be a feminine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Cricket 🏏
In Urdu, ‘cricket’ is pronounced as “kir + kit” where “kir” rhymes with “pill” with an ending sound, “r,” and “kit” rhymes with “hit.” Cricket is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Hockey 🏒
In Urdu, ‘hockey’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu because it ends with an -i (ee) sound at the end. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Tennis 🎾
In Urdu, ‘tennis’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Basketball ⛹️
In Urdu, ‘basketball’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu because anything ending with a ball would be a feminine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Guitar 🎸
In Urdu, ‘guitar’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Piano 🎹
In Urdu, ‘piano’ is pronounced as “pi + ya + no” where “pi” rhymes with “he,” “ya” rhymes with “ha”, and “no” is the regular no just like in English. Piano is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Stationery and Office Supplies:
Sticker
In Urdu, ‘sticker’ is pronounced as “is + tee + ker” where “is” rhymes with “his,” “tee” rhymes with “she”, and “ker” rhymes with “her”. Sticker is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Pencil ✏️
In Urdu, ‘pencil’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Marker
In Urdu, ‘marker’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Card
In Urdu, ‘card’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Any word ending with a card, such as pokemon card, wedding card, birthday card, would be considered masculine. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Printer 🖨️
In Urdu, ‘printer’ is pronounced as “pi + rin + ter” where “pi” rhymes with “he,” “rin” rhymes with “fin”, and “ter” rhymes with “her”. Printer is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Email 📧
In Urdu, ’email’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Mask 😷🎭
In Urdu, ‘mask’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Electronics and Technology:
You’ll notice that most electronic items are considered masculine in Urdu, except for those with an -ee (-i) sound at the end or in the middle of the word, such as battery, USB, and machine. TV, although commonly used in conversation, stems from ‘television’ and is therefore considered masculine in Urdu.
Mobile 📱
In Urdu, ‘mobile’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Phone 📱
In Urdu, ‘phone’ is pronounced more like “foon” rhyming with “moon”—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Laptop 💻
In Urdu, ‘laptop’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Computer 🖥️
In Urdu, ‘computer’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Tablet
In Urdu, ‘tablet’ is pronounced just like in English and is considered masculine. However, when referring to a medicine tablet 💊, it is considered feminine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
iPad
In Urdu, ‘iPad’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Charger
In Urdu, ‘charger’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Headphones
In Urdu, ‘headphones’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Speaker 🔈🔉🔊🔇
In Urdu, ‘speaker’ is pronounced as “is + pee + ker” where “is” rhymes with “miss,” “pee” rhymes with “tea”, and “ker” rhymes with “her”. Speaker is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Microphone
In Urdu, ‘microphone’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Keyboard ⌨️
In Urdu, ‘keyboard’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Any word ending with a board, such as dashboard, blackboard, billboard, would be considered masculine. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Mouse 🖱️
In Urdu, ‘mouse’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Camera 📷📸
In Urdu, ‘camera’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Radio 📻
In Urdu, ‘radio’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Internet
In Urdu, ‘internet’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Wi-Fi
In Urdu, ‘Wi-Fi’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Battery 🔋🪫
In Urdu, ‘battery’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
TV 📺
In Urdu, ‘TV’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Machine ⚙︎・•● ● •・⚙︎
In Urdu, ‘machine’ refers to any type of machine, just like in English—and it’s considered feminine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Remote
In Urdu, ‘remote’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Button 🔘🔳🔲
In Urdu, ‘button’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Alarm
In Urdu, ‘alarm’ is pronounced as “a + laa + rum” where “a” rhymes with “ba” in baba, “laa” rhymes with “ha” in haha, and “rum” sounds like the rum, rhyming with “mum”. Alarm is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Robot 🤖
In Urdu, ‘robot’ is pronounced as ‘row-boat,’ just like in the phrase ‘row a boat,’ but without the ‘a.’ For the most accurate pronunciation, try not to let air pass through your mouth while saying the word. You can test this by placing your palm in front of your mouth—if you don’t feel a puff of air, you’re saying it correctly. ‘Robot’ is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation.
USB
In Urdu, ‘USB’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Home Appliances:
Fridge
In Urdu, ‘fridge’ is pronounced as “fi + ridge” where “fi” rhymes with “he” and “ridge” is the same sound as in fridge. Fridge is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Oven
In Urdu, ‘oven’ is pronounced as “o+ one” where “o” rhymes with “oh” and “one” is the same sound as in the number one. Oven is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Microwave
In Urdu, ‘microwave’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Toaster
In Urdu, ‘toaster’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Blender
In Urdu, ‘blender’ is pronounced as “bi+ len + der” where “bi” rhymes with “he”, “len” rhymes with “hen”🐔, and “der” rhymes with “her”. Blender is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Heater
In Urdu, ‘heater’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Washing Machine
In Urdu, ‘washing machine’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Any word that ends with a machine is feminine in Urdu because machine itself is considered feminine. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Hair Dryer
In Urdu, ‘hair dryer’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Projector
In Urdu, ‘projector’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Clothing Items and Accessories:
Dress 👗🥻
In Urdu, ‘dress’ is pronounced as “di+ ress” where “di” rhymes with “he” and “ress” rhymes with “mess”. Dress is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Jacket 🧥
In Urdu, ‘jacket’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Sweater
In Urdu, ‘sweater’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Hoodie
In Urdu, ‘hoodie’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Legging
In Urdu, ‘legging’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Button
In Urdu, ‘button’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Boot 👢👢🥾🥾
In Urdu, ‘boot’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Jeans
In Urdu, ‘jeans’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Shawl
In Urdu, ‘shawl’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Or you can also pronounce it as “shaal“. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Handbag / Purse 👝👜
In Urdu, ‘handbag’ or ‘purse’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Perfume
In Urdu, ‘perfume’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
People and Places:
Doctor 🧑⚕️👩⚕️👨⚕️
In Urdu, “doctor” is pronounced just like in English—and it’s used for both male and female doctors. The key difference? In Urdu, there’s no puff of air when you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth as you say “doctor” and check that you don’t feel a burst of air.
While the formal Urdu word for a doctor is “tubeeb” (طبیب), the term “doctor” is far more commonly used. For specialized doctors, “doctor” is often combined with a descriptive phrase—like a dentist being called “daanton ka doctor” (male dentist) or “daanton ki doctor” (female dentist). Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation!
Teacher 👨🏫👩🏫🧑🏫
In Urdu, “teacher” is pronounced just like in English—and it’s used for both male and female teachers. The key difference? In Urdu, there’s no puff of air when you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth as you say “teacher” and check that you don’t feel a burst of air.
While the formal Urdu word for a teacher is “ustaad” (استاد), the term “teacher” is also commonly used in conversational Urdu. While ustaad now can be considered a gender neutral word for teacher, “ustaad” used to be for male teachers and “ustaani” used to be for female teachers. Ustaad can also mean “master” in a particular skill or field. It is often used as a respectful title for experts, especially in traditional arts, music, and craftsmanship.
For example:
- A music maestro might be called “Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.”
- A highly skilled teacher can be referred to as “Ustaad“ by students.
- In everyday speech, it can also be used informally, like calling a skilled driver or worker “Ustaad” as a mark of respect.
🎧 Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation of teacher, ustaad, and ustaani!
Engineer
In Urdu, ‘engineer’ is pronounced as “in+ jee + knee + yer” where “in” rhymes with “bin”, “jee” rhymes with “me”, “knee” is pronounced just like the word “knee” 🧎, and “yer” rhymes with “her”. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Pilot 🧑✈️👨✈️👩✈️
In Urdu, ‘pilot’ is pronounced just like in English—and could be used for male or female pilots. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Nurse
In Urdu, “nurse” is pronounced just like in English—and it’s used for both male and female nurses. While the formal Urdu word for a nurse is “daaee“, the term “nurse” is far more commonly used. In modern Urdu, “daaee” often refers to a midwife. Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation!
Officer
In Urdu, ‘officer’ is pronounced as “uf + sir” where “uf” rhymes with “puff”, and “sir” rhymes with “her”. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Police Officer 👮🚨👮♂️🚓👮♀️🚔
In Urdu, police is pronounced as “pu + lees” where “pu” rhymes with “boo”, and “lees” rhymes with “lease”. And ‘officer’ is pronounced as “uf + sir” where “uf” rhymes with “puff”, and “sir” rhymes with “her”. Play the audio below to hear the word.
School 🏫
In Urdu, ‘school‘ is pronounced as “is + kool” where “is” rhymes with “his”, and “kool” rhymes with “tool”.
The original word for school was madarsa (مدرسہ), which came into the Urdu language from Persian. However, over time, the usage of madarsa has shifted. While it originally referred to a regular school, it is now commonly used to mean an Islamic school.
So, when referring to a regular academic school, use the word school. An Islamic school can be referred to as madarsa, which still literally means school.
🎧 Play the audio below to hear how it’s pronounced!
College
In Urdu, chocolate is pronounced in two common ways:
- “kaw + lij” – where “kaw” rhymes with the word “maw”, and lij sounds just like the ending sound in college.
- “kaa + lij” – where “kaa” rhymes with “haa”, and lij again sounds just like college in English.
College is considered masculine in Urdu.
🎧 Play the audio below to hear how it’s pronounced!
University
In Urdu, university is pronounced just like in English. It is considered feminine in Urdu because it ends with an -ee sound. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Jungle
In Urdu, ‘jungle’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Interestingly, this is one of the words in Urdu that made its way into the English language, and not the other way around. You’ll find more such words here. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Bank 🏦💸
In Urdu, ‘bank’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Hotel
In Urdu, hotel is pronounced as “ho + tul” where “ho” rhymes with “bow”, and “tul” rhymes with “hull”. Hotel is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Hospital 🏥
In Urdu, hospital is pronounced as “hus + pa + taal” where “hus” rhymes with “fuss”, “pa” rhymes with “ma”, and “taal” rhymes with “canal”. Hospital is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Museum
In Urdu, ‘museum’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Park 🏞️
In Urdu, ‘park’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Market
In Urdu, ‘market’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. The key difference in pronunciation? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Cinema
In Urdu, ‘cinema’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Family and Medical Terms
Aunty 👩🦰👩
In Urdu, “aunty” is pronounced just like it is in English. It’s commonly used to refer to any older woman, often someone unrelated, as a sign of respect. Children often call a woman “aunty,” and refer to multiple women as “auntiyaan.” However, for blood relatives—like a parent’s siblings—Urdu has specific relationship terms, so those are used instead of “aunty.”
Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation!
Uncle 🧔♂️👨🦱
In Urdu, “uncle” is pronounced just like it is in English. It’s often used to refer to any older man, usually someone unrelated, as a respectful title. Children commonly call a man “uncle,” and refer to multiple men as “uncle”. However, for blood relatives—like a parent’s brothers—Urdu has specific relationship terms, so those are used instead of “uncle.”
Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation!
Injection 💉
In Urdu, injection is pronounced as “in + jaik + shun” where “in” rhymes with “pin”, “jaik” rhymes with “Jake”, and “shun” rhymes with “pun”. Injection is considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Surgery
In Urdu, surgery is pronounced as “sir+ ja + ree” where “sir” rhymes with “fur”, “ja” rhymes with “ma”, and “ree” rhymes with “me”. Surgery is considered feminine in Urdu because it ends with an -ee sound. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Food and Drinks:
Many food-related words are the same across both languages.
Pizza 🍕
In Urdu, pizza is pronounced as “pee + za” where “pee” rhymes with “tea”, and “za” rhymes with “ma”. Another key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air.
Pizza is considered masculine in Urdu because of its ending -aa sound.
Play the audio below to hear the word.
Burger 🍔
In Urdu, ‘burger‘ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Pasta 🍝
In Urdu, ‘pasta‘ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu because of its ending -aa sound. The key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Cheese 🧀
In Urdu, ‘cheese‘ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Mayonnaise
In Urdu, mayonnaise is pronounced as “maa + yo + nees” where “maa” rhymes with “ha”, “yo” sounds like it does in yo-yo, and “nees” rhymes with “niece”. Mayonnaise is considered a masculine word in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Ketchup
In Urdu, ‘ketchup‘ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Blueberry 🫐
In Urdu, blueberry is pronounced as “be + loo” where “be” rhymes with “be”, and “loo” rhymes with “flu”. And ‘berry’ is pronounced just like in English. Blueberry is considered feminine in Urdu because of its ending -ee sound. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Kiwi 🥝
In Urdu, ‘kiwi’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered feminine in Urdu. The key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Chocolate 🍫
In Urdu, chocolate is pronounced in two common ways:
- “chawk + late” – where “chawk” rhymes with the word “mock”, and late sounds just like the English word late.
- “chaak” – where “chaak” rhymes with “haa”, but ends with a k sound, and late again sounds just like in English.
Chocolate is considered feminine in Urdu.
🎧 Play the audio below to hear how it’s pronounced!
Ice-cream 🍧🍦🍨
In Urdu, ice in ice-cream is pronounced just like in English, while cream is pronounced as “ke-reem”, where “ke” rhymes with “he”, and “reem” rhymes with “team.”
Words ending in -cream are considered feminine in Urdu because they have with an -ee sound when spoken. So, ice-cream is also treated as a feminine noun.
Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation.
Corn flakes
In Urdu, ‘corn flakes‘ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered a masculine-plural noun. The key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Biscuit 🍪
In Urdu, biscuit is pronounced as “bis + kut” where “bis” rhymes with “miss”, and “kut” rhymes with “foot”. Biscuit is considered masculine in Urdu.
Interestingly, cookies are also called biscuit in Urdu. Since a cookie is essentially the same as a biscuit (which is masculine), the word cookie is treated as masculine too—even though it ends in an “-ee” sound, which might suggest femininity to some.
In conversation, both cookie and biscuit are commonly used, even though biscuit is the original word.
🎧 Play the audio below to hear how it’s pronounced!
Coffee ☕🍵
In Urdu, coffee is pronounced in two common ways:
- “kaw + fee” – where “kaw” rhymes with “law”
- “kaa + fee” – where “kaa” rhymes with “haa”
In both cases, “fee” sounds just like the English word fee.
Coffee is considered feminine in Urdu, mainly because it ends in the -ee sound, which is one of the gender rules in Urdu.
🎧 Play the audio below to hear how it’s pronounced!
Cake 🎂🍰
In Urdu, ‘cake’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. The key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Juice 🥤🧃
In Urdu, ‘juice’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Milkshake
In Urdu, ‘milkshake‘ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu. Play the audio below to hear the pronunciation.
Omelet
In Urdu, omelet is pronounced as “aam + late” where “aam” rhymes with “calm” with no l sound, and “late” rhymes with “fate”. Another key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air.
Omelet is considered masculine in Urdu because it has a significant -aa sound when pronouncing as opposed to the -ee sound.
Play the audio below to hear the word.
Vitamin
In Urdu, vitamin is pronounced as “we + taa + min” where “we” rhymes with “tea”, “taa” rhymes with “ma”, and “min” rhymes with “tin”. Vitamin is considered a masculine noun. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Animals:
Even some animal names are the same in both Urdu and English:
Cheetah
In Urdu, ‘cheetah‘ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered a masculine noun.
The feminine form of cheetah in Urdu is cheeti. You’ll notice the change in the ending sound, and that’s a common way gender works in Urdu: -aa sounds tend to be masculine, while -ee sounds are often feminine.
A couple of key pronunciation tips:
- Keep the “t” sound soft—not sharp or aspirated.
- And make sure no air passes through your mouth when you say the “ch” sound. Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth—you shouldn’t feel a puff of air.
Fun fact: In conversational Urdu, cheetah or cheeti can also be used to describe someone who’s super fast or performs extraordinarily well—just like the animal! So next time you’re impressed, go ahead and call them a cheetah or cheeti! 🐆✨
Play the audio below to hear the word.
Unicorn 🦄
In Urdu, ‘unicorn’ is pronounced just like in English—and it’s considered masculine in Urdu when there is no specified gender. The key difference? Make sure no air passes through your mouth as you say it! Try this: place your palm in front of your mouth and check that you don’t feel a puff of air. Play the audio below to hear the word.
Panda 🐼
In Urdu, panda is pronounced as “paan + da“. Panda is considered masculine in Urdu because of its ending -aa sound. Play the audio below to hear the word.
See? You already know so much Urdu without even realizing it! 🎉 Are there any other words you’d like to add to this list? Feel free to let us know in the comments below! This shared vocabulary makes learning Urdu easier than you might have thought. If you’re feeling excited about learning this beautiful language and want to get started, I recommend my self-paced course—designed to make learning Urdu easy and fun while helping you make steady progress in your language-learning journey.
Check out my self-paced course: Urdu Conversation 101 for Adults: A Beginner Course to Speak Urdu.
Or, if you’d prefer private lessons, shoot me an email at [email protected]. And if you’d just like to chat, feel free to reach out—I’d love to hear from you! 😊
