Table of Contents
Understanding Gender and Number Agreement in Urdu
In Urdu, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe. They change their form according to gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This chapter focuses only on how this agreement works, not on long lists of adjectives or full sentence structures, which appear in other chapters.
Gender in Urdu: Masculine and Feminine
Every noun in Urdu is either masculine (مذکر) or feminine (مونث). Adjectives must match this gender.
Here we assume you already know that nouns have gender. We will focus on how the adjectives change.
Typical endings that affect agreement
Many common adjectives end in an open vowel sound written with a small ی:
- ا or ہ + ی sound in script, often written as:
- ا / ہ + ی (e.g. اچھا, چھوٹا, بڑا, لمبا, نیا)
- These are often called “a-type” adjectives in grammar explanations, because their dictionary form is usually masculine singular ending in "a".
Example of common “a-type” adjectives:
| Urdu (masc. sing.) | Transliteration | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اچھا | achchā | good |
| بڑا | baṛā | big |
| چھوٹا | choṭā | small |
| نیا | nayā | new |
| لمبا | lambā | tall / long |
| سستا | sastā | cheap |
These change form according to gender and number. That is our main topic.
Four Basic Forms of “a-type” Adjectives
For “a-type” adjectives like اچھا, بڑا, نیا, there are four core forms:
- Masculine singular
- Masculine plural
- Feminine singular
- Feminine plural
Let us use اچھا (good) as the main example.
| Form | Urdu | Transliteration | Used with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | اچھا | achchā | one masculine noun |
| Masculine plural | اچھے | achchē | more than one masculine noun |
| Feminine singular | اچھی | achchī | one feminine noun |
| Feminine plural | اچھی | achchī | more than one feminine noun (same as sg) |
RULE 1: Many common adjectives have these patterns:
- Masculine singular: ends in ا (ā)
- Masculine plural: ends in ے (ē)
- Feminine singular and plural: ends in ی (ī)
Let us see this rule with three adjectives.
| English | Masc. sg. | Masc. pl. | Fem. sg. | Fem. pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| good | اچھا | اچھے | اچھی | اچھی |
| big | بڑا | بڑے | بڑی | بڑی |
| new | نیا | نئے | نئی | نئی |
Agreement with Masculine Singular Nouns
When a masculine singular noun is described, the adjective takes the masculine singular form ending in ا (ā).
Examples:
| Noun phrase (Urdu) | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اچھا لڑکا | achchā laṛkā | a good boy |
| بڑا کتا | baṛā kuttā | a big dog |
| نیا کتابچہ | nayā kitābchā | a new booklet |
| سستا قلم | sastā qalam | a cheap pen |
| لمبا درخت | lambā daraḵẖt | a tall tree |
Even with definite meaning in English, the form is the same in Urdu:
- وہ اچھا لڑکا ہے
voh achchā laṛkā hai
He is a good boy. - یہ نیا فون ہے
yeh nayā fon hai
This is a new phone.
Agreement with Masculine Plural Nouns
When a masculine plural noun is described, the adjective usually changes to masculine plural ending in ے (ē).
Examples:
| Noun phrase (Urdu) | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اچھے لڑکے | achchē laṛke | good boys |
| بڑے کتے | baṛē kutte | big dogs |
| نئے فون | nayē fon | new phones |
| سستے قلم | sastē qalam | cheap pens |
| لمبے درخت | lambē daraḵẖt | tall trees |
Sample sentences:
- وہ اچھے لڑکے ہیں
voh achchē laṛke hain
They are good boys. - یہ نئے فون مہنگے ہیں
yeh nayē fon mehṅge hain
These new phones are expensive.
Agreement with Feminine Singular Nouns
When a feminine singular noun is described, the adjective takes the feminine form ending in ی (ī).
Examples:
| Noun phrase (Urdu) | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اچھی لڑکی | achchī laṛkī | a good girl |
| بڑی بلی | baṛī billī | a big cat |
| نئی کتاب | naī kitāb | a new book |
| سستی کرسی | sastī kursī | a cheap chair |
| لمبی سڑک | lambī saṛak | a long road |
Sample sentences:
- وہ اچھی لڑکی ہے
voh achchī laṛkī hai
She is a good girl. - یہ نئی کتاب آسان ہے
yeh naī kitāb āsān hai
This new book is easy.
Agreement with Feminine Plural Nouns
For feminine plural nouns, the adjective usually stays in the same form as feminine singular (ending in ی).
Examples:
| Noun phrase (Urdu) | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اچھی لڑکیاں | achchī laṛkiyā̃ | good girls |
| بڑی بلیاں | baṛī biliyā̃ | big cats |
| نئی کتابیں | naī kitābẽ | new books |
| سستی کرسیاں | sastī kursiyā̃ | cheap chairs |
| لمبی سڑکیں | lambī saṛkẽ | long roads |
Sample sentences:
- وہ اچھی لڑکیاں ہیں
voh achchī laṛkiyā̃ hain
They are good girls. - یہ نئی کتابیں مشکل نہیں ہیں
yeh naī kitābẽ mushkil nahī̃ hain
These new books are not difficult.
RULE 2: For many common adjectives:
- Feminine singular and plural forms look the same in writing and pronunciation, ending in ی (ī).
The noun itself shows if it is singular or plural.
One Adjective, Different Nouns: Comparing All Four Forms
To see agreement clearly, compare phrases using the same adjective with different nouns.
Using اچھا (good)
| Gender & number | Urdu phrase | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. singular | اچھا لڑکا | achchā laṛkā | good boy |
| Masc. plural | اچھے لڑکے | achchē laṛke | good boys |
| Fem. singular | اچھی لڑکی | achchī laṛkī | good girl |
| Fem. plural | اچھی لڑکیاں | achchī laṛkiyā̃ | good girls |
Using بڑا (big)
| Gender & number | Urdu phrase | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. singular | بڑا گھر | baṛā ghar | big house |
| Masc. plural | بڑے گھر | baṛē ghar | big houses |
| Fem. singular | بڑی گاڑی | baṛī gāṛī | big car |
| Fem. plural | بڑی گاڑیاں | baṛī gāṛiyā̃ | big cars |
Using نیا (new)
| Gender & number | Urdu phrase | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. singular | نیا دوست | nayā dost | new (male) friend |
| Masc. plural | نئے دوست | nayē dost | new (male/mixed) friends |
| Fem. singular | نئی سہیلی | naī sahelī | new (female) friend |
| Fem. plural | نئی سہیلیاں | naī saheliyā̃ | new (female) friends |
Agreement with More Than One Noun
Sometimes you describe several nouns together, especially people. In many everyday situations:
- If the group is mixed or includes any masculine, Urdu usually uses the masculine plural adjective.
- If the group is only feminine, Urdu uses the feminine plural form of the adjective (which looks like feminine singular).
Examples:
- Mixed or masculine group:
- لڑکے اور لڑکیاں اچھے ہیں۔
laṛke aur laṛkiyā̃ achchē hain
The boys and girls are good. - استاد اور طالب علم خوش ہیں۔
ustād aur ṭālib ilm ḵẖush hain
The teacher and the students are happy.
(Here ḵẖush does not change, see invariant adjectives below, but the verb shows plural.) - Only feminine group:
- امیاں اور خالائیں اچھی ہیں۔
ammiyā̃ aur ḵẖālāẽ achchī hain
Mothers and maternal aunts are good / kind. - بہنیں اور سہیلیاں مصروف ہیں۔
behenẽ aur saheliyā̃ masrūf hain
Sisters and (female) friends are busy.
Invariant Adjectives That Do Not Change
Not all adjectives change with gender and number. Many common adjectives keep the same form for all nouns. These often end in a consonant sound or in long vowels other than ā.
Examples:
| Urdu | Transliteration | Meaning | Change? |
|---|---|---|---|
| اچھت | ʿajīb | strange | no change here* |
| صاف | sāf | clean | no change |
| بڑی / بڑا type changes, but: خوب | ḵẖūb | fine / very | usually no change in form |
More common, clearly invariant examples:
| Urdu | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| لمبا (changes), but: اچھا (changes) |
For true invariants, consider:
| Urdu | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| صاف | sāf | clean |
| زبردست | zabardast | great / awesome |
| خوش | ḵẖush | happy |
| کم | kam | little / few |
| زیادہ | zyādā | much / many |
These adjectives do not change for masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Agreement is shown mainly through the noun and the verb.
Examples:
- صاف کمرہ
sāf kamrā
a clean room - صاف کمرے
sāf kamre
clean rooms - صاف پلیٹ
sāf pleṭ
a clean plate - صاف پلیٹیں
sāf pleṭẽ
clean plates
Notice that صاف stays صاف in every example.
Another example with خوش (happy):
- خوش لڑکا ہے۔
ḵẖush laṛkā hai
The boy is happy. - خوش لڑکے ہیں۔
ḵẖush laṛke hain
The boys are happy. - خوش لڑکی ہے۔
ḵẖush laṛkī hai
The girl is happy. - خوش لڑکیاں ہیں۔
ḵẖush laṛkiyā̃ hain
The girls are happy.
RULE 3: Many adjectives, especially those ending in a consonant or long vowel other than ā, do not change for gender or number.
To show agreement, pay attention to the noun and the verb, not the adjective.
Common “a-type” Adjectives with All Forms
Here is a helpful table of several “a-type” adjectives, fully inflected.
| English | Masc. sg. | Masc. pl. | Fem. sg. | Fem. pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| good | اچھا | اچھے | اچھی | اچھی |
| big | بڑا | بڑے | بڑی | بڑی |
| small | چھوٹا | چھوٹے | چھوٹی | چھوٹی |
| new | نیا | نئے | نئی | نئی |
| cheap | سستا | سستے | سستی | سستی |
| expensive | مہنگا | مہنگے | مہنگی | مہنگی |
| long / tall | لمبا | لمبے | لمبی | لمبی |
| short | چھوٹا* | چھوٹے* | چھوٹی* | چھوٹی* |
| old (thing) | پرانا | پرانے | پرانی | پرانی |
\*چھوٹا also means “small” / “short.”
Example pairs:
- پرانا گھر / purānā ghar / old house
پرانے گھر / purānē ghar / old houses - پرانا سوال / purānā savāl / old question
پرانے سوال / purānē savāl / old questions - پرانی کہانی / purānī kahānī / old story
پرانی کہانیاں / purānī kahāniyā̃ / old stories
Quick Practice Reading Examples
Try to focus on the ending of the adjective and match it to the noun.
- اچھا کمرہ
- achchā kamrā
- Noun is masculine singular, adjective is masculine singular.
- اچھی کرسی
- achchī kursī
- Noun is feminine singular, adjective is feminine.
- بڑے شہر
- baṛē shehr
- Noun is masculine plural, adjective is masculine plural.
- نئی فلمیں
- naī filmẽ
- Noun is feminine plural, adjective is feminine.
- سستے ٹکٹ
- sastē ṭikeṭ
- Noun is masculine plural, adjective is masculine plural.
- خوش بچے
- ḵẖush bachche
- Adjective is invariant, noun is masculine plural, verb would be plural.
Summary of Key Rules
Main rules for gender and number agreement with adjectives
- Many common adjectives, especially ending in ا (ā) in their base form, follow this pattern:
- Masculine singular: ا (ā)
- Masculine plural: ے (ē)
- Feminine singular & plural: ی (ī)
- Adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they describe.
- For groups:
- Any mixed or masculine group usually takes masculine plural adjective.
- A purely feminine group takes feminine adjective (same form for singular and plural).
- Many adjectives are invariant and do not change. For these, agreement is visible in the noun and verb, not in the adjective form itself.
New Vocabulary from this Chapter
Below is a list of useful words used in examples in this chapter.
| Urdu | Transliteration | Part of speech | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| اچھا / اچھی / اچھے | achchā / achchī / achchē | adj. | good |
| بڑا / بڑی / بڑے | baṛā / baṛī / baṛē | adj. | big |
| چھوٹا / چھوٹی / چھوٹے | choṭā / choṭī / choṭē | adj. | small, short |
| نیا / نئی / نئے | nayā / naī / nayē | adj. | new |
| سستا / سستی / سستے | sastā / sastī / sastē | adj. | cheap |
| مہنگا / مہنگی / مہنگے | mehṅgā / mehṅgī / mehṅgē | adj. | expensive |
| لمبا / لمبی / لمبے | lambā / lambī / lambē | adj. | long, tall |
| پرانا / پرانی / پرانے | purānā / purānī / purānē | adj. | old (thing) |
| صاف | sāf | adj. | clean |
| خوش | ḵẖush | adj. | happy |
| زبردست | zabardast | adj. | great, awesome |
| زیادہ | zyādā | adj./adv. | much, many, more |
| کم | kam | adj./adv. | little, few, less |
| لڑکا | laṛkā | n. masc. | boy |
| لڑکی | laṛkī | n. fem. | girl |
| بچے | bachche | n. masc. pl. | children (mixed / masc.) |
| لڑکیاں | laṛkiyā̃ | n. fem. pl. | girls |
| گھر | ghar | n. masc. | house, home |
| کمرہ | kamrā | n. masc. | room |
| شہر | shehr | n. masc. | city |
| گاڑی | gāṛī | n. fem. | car |
| کتاب | kitāb | n. fem. | book |
| کتابیں | kitābẽ | n. fem. pl. | books |
| کرسی | kursī | n. fem. | chair |
| کرسیوں / کرسیاں | kursiyā̃ | n. fem. pl. | chairs |
| درخت | daraḵẖt | n. masc. | tree |
| سڑک | saṛak | n. fem. | road, street |
| سڑکیں | saṛkẽ | n. fem. pl. | roads, streets |
| فون | fon | n. masc. | phone |
| سوال | savāl | n. masc. | question |
| کہانی | kahānī | n. fem. | story |
| کہانیاں | kahāniyā̃ | n. fem. pl. | stories |
This chapter prepares you to handle how adjectives “follow” the nouns in gender and number, which will be very useful in longer descriptions and more complex sentences in later lessons.