Urdu grammar and vocabulary guides

Urdu: common questions

1. 1What script is Urdu written in?Urdu uses the Nastaliq style of the Perso-Arabic script, written right to left. Nastaliq slopes diagonally down the line, which distinguishes it from the Naskh style used for Arabic. The same letter changes shape depending on its position in a word.
2. 2How similar are Urdu and Hindi?In everyday speech they are largely mutually intelligible, sharing grammar and core vocabulary, which is why speakers of one usually follow the other without study. They diverge in script and in formal register: Urdu draws advanced vocabulary from Persian and Arabic while Hindi draws from Sanskrit. The written forms are entirely different and must be learned separately.
3. 3Does Urdu have grammatical gender?Yes. Every noun is masculine or feminine, and adjectives and verbs must agree with it, so the gender affects the whole sentence rather than just the noun. Gender is not always predictable from meaning or ending, which is why nouns are best learned together with their gender from the very start.