Table of Contents
Understanding Locations and Directions in Urdu
In this chapter you will learn how to talk about where things are, how to say where you are going, and how to give or understand simple directions in Urdu. You will see many examples with English translations so you can start using these patterns immediately.
Talking about “in, on, at”: Basic Location Ideas
English uses many prepositions, such as “in”, “on”, “at”, “under”, “near”. Urdu usually uses postpositions instead. They come after the noun, not before it. The detailed grammar of postpositions is in a later subchapter, so here we focus on use in directions and places.
Some very common location words:
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| in / inside | mein | میں |
| on / over | par | پر |
| at / to | par | پر |
| under | neechay | نیچے |
| above / over | oopar | اوپر |
| in front (ahead) | aagay | آگے |
| behind | peechay | پیچھے |
| near | paas | پاس |
| far | door | دور |
| between | darmiyan / ke darmiyan | درمیان / کے درمیان |
| outside | baahar | باہر |
Remember that place words usually come before the verb in Urdu, following the Subject–Object–Verb order.
Simple location sentences
Look at these basic patterns:
- “X is in Y”
- “X is on Y”
- “X is near Y”
Use the verb “to be” (ہے / ہیں) and a place word.
Examples
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| The book is on the table. | kitaab meiz par hai. | کتاب میز پر ہے۔ |
| The pen is in the bag. | qalam baig mein hai. | قلم بیگ میں ہے۔ |
| The car is outside. | gaari baahar hai. | گاڑی باہر ہے۔ |
| The school is near my house. | school mera ghar ke paas hai. | اسکول میرا گھر کے پاس ہے۔ |
| The bank is far. | bank door hai. | بینک دور ہے۔ |
| The park is in front of the mosque. | park masjid ke aagay hai. | پارک مسجد کے آگے ہے۔ |
| The shop is behind the hospital. | dukaan hospital ke peechay hai. | دکان ہسپتال کے پیچھے ہے۔ |
| The keys are under the chair. | chaabiyaan kursi ke neechay hain. | چابیاں کرسی کے نیچے ہیں۔ |
Important pattern:
[Thing] + [place phrase] + ہے / ہیں
Example:
“Book table on is.” → kitaab meiz par hai.
(“The book is on the table.”)
Talking about Movement: “To” a Place
For movement to a place, Urdu often uses کو (ko) or پر (par) after the place, and a movement verb like “to go”, “to come”, or “to return”.
Very common verbs:
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| to go | jaana | جانا |
| to come | aana | آنا |
| to return / go back | waapas jaana | واپس جانا |
| to enter | daakhil hona / andar jaana | داخل ہونا / اندر جانا |
| to exit / go out | baahar jaana | باہر جانا |
| to turn | mur-na (mur-naa) | مُڑنا |
Here we focus on short, useful sentences.
Saying where you are going
Pattern:
- “I am going to X”
- “We are going to X”
Use a pronoun, then the place, then ko or par, then jaana in present tense.
Examples
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| I am going to the market. | main bazaar jaa raha hoon. (m) / jaa rahi hoon. (f) | میں بازار جا رہا ہوں۔ / میں بازار جا رہی ہوں۔ |
| I am going to school. | main school jaa raha hoon. / jaa rahi hoon. | میں اسکول جا رہا ہوں۔ / میں اسکول جا رہی ہوں۔ |
| We are going to the park. | hum park jaa rahe hain. | ہم پارک جا رہے ہیں۔ |
| They are going to the station. | woh station jaa rahe hain. | وہ اسٹیشن جا رہے ہیں۔ |
| Are you going to the office? | kya aap office jaa rahe hain؟ | کیا آپ آفس جا رہے ہیں؟ |
| I am going home. | main ghar jaa raha hoon. / jaa rahi hoon. | میں گھر جا رہا ہوں۔ / میں گھر جا رہی ہوں۔ |
Here you see ko or par is often not written after places like “school”, “office”, or “park” in everyday speech. For this chapter, you can understand that:
- X ko jaana and X par jaana and simple X jaana are all common in speech.
- You do not need to worry about the difference yet for communication.
Common Place Words for Directions
When you ask the way in a city, you usually talk about:
- streets and roads
- crossroads
- left and right
- traffic lights, signs, corners
Here are important words:
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| way / path / direction | rasta | راستہ |
| road | road / sadak | روڈ / سڑک |
| street | gali | گلی |
| corner | kone par | کونے پر |
| signal / traffic light | signal | سگنل |
| side | taraf | طرف |
| left side | baayen taraf | بائیں طرف |
| right side | daayen taraf | دائیں طرف |
| straight | seedha | سیدھا |
| turn | mor / mode | موڑ |
| crossroad / intersection | chowraha | چوراہا |
| map | naqsha | نقشہ |
You will use these with verbs like jaana (to go), mur-na (to turn), nikalna (to exit), cross karna (to cross).
Asking for Directions
To ask for directions, you combine:
- a polite opening
- a question word (covered later in detail), such as kahan (where)
- a place word
Useful opening phrases
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| Excuse me | maaf kijiye | معاف کیجئے |
| Please tell me | baraae mehrbaani bataaiye | براہِ مہربانی بتائیے |
| Can you tell me…? | kya aap mujhe bata sakte hain…؟ | کیا آپ مجھے بتا سکتے ہیں؟ |
You can mix them:
- maaf kijiye, kya aap mujhe bata sakte hain…?
- baraae mehrbaani, bataaiye…
“Where is … ?”
The core question is:
Pattern:
[Place] + kahan hai؟
“Where is [place]?”
Examples
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the bank? | bank kahan hai؟ | بینک کہاں ہے؟ |
| Where is the bus stop? | bus stop kahan hai؟ | بس اسٹاپ کہاں ہے؟ |
| Where is the station? | station kahan hai؟ | اسٹیشن کہاں ہے؟ |
| Where is the hospital? | hospital kahan hai؟ | ہسپتال کہاں ہے؟ |
| Where is the toilet? | toilet kahan hai؟ | ٹوائلٹ کہاں ہے؟ |
| Where is the hotel? | hotel kahan hai؟ | ہوٹل کہاں ہے؟ |
| Where is the mosque? | masjid kahan hai؟ | مسجد کہاں ہے؟ |
For extra politeness, you can say:
- maaf kijiye, bank kahan hai؟
- maaf kijiye, nearest ATM kahan hai؟
“How can I go to … ?”
Another useful question:
Pattern:
[Place] + kaise jaa sakta hoon؟ (male)
[Place] + kaise jaa sakti hoon؟ (female)
“How can I go to [place]?”
Examples
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| How can I go to the station? | station kaise jaa sakta hoon؟ (m) / jaa sakti hoon؟ (f) | اسٹیشن کیسے جا سکتا ہوں؟ / اسٹیشن کیسے جا سکتی ہوں؟ |
| How can I go to the market? | bazaar kaise jaa sakta hoon؟ / jaa sakti hoon؟ | بازار کیسے جا سکتا ہوں؟ / بازار کیسے جا سکتی ہوں؟ |
| How can I go to the hospital? | hospital kaise jaa sakta hoon؟ / jaa sakti hoon؟ | ہسپتال کیسے جا سکتا ہوں؟ / ہسپتال کیسے جا سکتی ہوں؟ |
At beginner level, it is enough to remember “kahan hai?” (where is?) and “kaise jaa sakta hoon / sakti hoon?” (how can I go?).
Understanding Basic Directions
Now you know how to ask the question. You also need to understand typical answers. Answers often use:
- go straight
- turn left / right
- go until the corner / signal
- the place is on the left / right
Key phrases
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| Go straight. | seedha jaaiye. | سیدھا جائیے۔ |
| Go straight ahead. | seedha aagay jaaiye. | سیدھا آگے جائیے۔ |
| Turn left. | baayen mur jaaiye. | بائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ |
| Turn right. | daayen mur jaaiye. | دائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ |
| On the left side. | baayen taraf. | بائیں طرف۔ |
| On the right side. | daayen taraf. | دائیں طرف۔ |
| At the corner. | kone par. | کونے پر۔ |
| At the signal / traffic light. | signal par. | سگنل پر۔ |
| After the signal. | signal ke baad. | سگنل کے بعد۔ |
| Before the signal. | signal se pehle. | سگنل سے پہلے۔ |
| Very near. | bohat paas. | بہت پاس۔ |
| A little far. | thora door. | تھوڑا دور۔ |
| In front of you. | aap ke saamne. | آپ کے سامنے۔ |
Short direction sentences
Combine these phrases with the verbs jaaiye (go, polite), muriye (turn, polite).
Examples
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| Go straight. | seedha jaaiye. | سیدھا جائیے۔ |
| Go straight, then turn left. | seedha jaaiye, phir baayen mur jaaiye. | سیدھا جائیے، پھر بائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ |
| Go straight, then turn right. | seedha jaaiye, phir daayen mur jaaiye. | سیدھا جائیے، پھر دائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ |
| Turn left at the corner. | kone par baayen mur jaaiye. | کونے پر بائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ |
| Turn right at the signal. | signal par daayen mur jaaiye. | سگنل پر دائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ |
| The bank is on the right. | bank daayen taraf hai. | بینک دائیں طرف ہے۔ |
| The hotel is on the left. | hotel baayen taraf hai. | ہوٹل بائیں طرف ہے۔ |
| The mosque is in front of you. | masjid aap ke saamne hai. | مسجد آپ کے سامنے ہے۔ |
You may often hear phir for “then”.
Full Example Dialogues
Here are short, practical dialogues showing how to ask and answer about locations and directions. Read them several times, and try to speak them aloud.
Dialogue 1: Asking for the bank
A: Excuse me, where is the bank?
B: Go straight, then turn right. The bank is on the left.
| Speaker | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| A | maaf kijiye, bank kahan hai؟ | معاف کیجئے، بینک کہاں ہے؟ |
| B | seedha jaaiye, phir daayen mur jaaiye. bank baayen taraf hai. | سیدھا جائیے، پھر دائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ بینک بائیں طرف ہے۔ |
Dialogue 2: Asking for the station
A: Excuse me, how can I go to the station?
B: Go straight to the signal. After the signal turn left. The station is near.
| Speaker | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| A | maaf kijiye, station kaise jaa sakta hoon؟ (male) | معاف کیجئے، اسٹیشن کیسے جا سکتا ہوں؟ |
| B | seedha signal tak jaaiye. signal ke baad baayen mur jaaiye. station paas hai. | سیدھا سگنل تک جائیے۔ سگنل کے بعد بائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ اسٹیشن پاس ہے۔ |
For a female speaker, A would say:
- maaf kijiye, station kaise jaa sakti hoon؟
Dialogue 3: Looking for the hospital
A: Where is the hospital?
B: The hospital is behind the park.
A: Is it far?
B: No, it is very near.
| Speaker | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| A | hospital kahan hai؟ | ہسپتال کہاں ہے؟ |
| B | hospital park ke peechay hai. | ہسپتال پارک کے پیچھے ہے۔ |
| A | kya yeh door hai؟ | کیا یہ دور ہے؟ |
| B | nahi, bohat paas hai. | نہیں، بہت پاس ہے۔ |
Describing Your Location
You can also say where you are, or where someone else is, using the same patterns.
“I am at … / I am in …”
Pattern:
main [place] mein / par hoon.
“I am at / in [place].”
Examples
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| I am at home. | main ghar par hoon. / main ghar mein hoon. | میں گھر پر ہوں۔ / میں گھر میں ہوں۔ |
| I am at the office. | main office mein hoon. | میں آفس میں ہوں۔ |
| I am in the market. | main bazaar mein hoon. | میں بازار میں ہوں۔ |
| I am at the station. | main station par hoon. | میں اسٹیشن پر ہوں۔ |
| We are in the park. | hum park mein hain. | ہم پارک میں ہیں۔ |
| They are at the hotel. | woh hotel mein hain. | وہ ہوٹل میں ہیں۔ |
In casual speech people often choose either mein or par with places like home or office. At this level you can copy the examples and be understood everywhere.
Describing Position: Near, Far, In Front, Behind
Sometimes you want to say how one place relates to another place, for example:
- The bank is near the hotel.
- The school is behind the mosque.
For this, you add ke paas, ke saamne, ke peechay, ke aagay after the reference place.
Common patterns
Patterns:
- [Place A] + [Place B] ke paas hai.
Place A is near Place B. - [Place A] + [Place B] ke saamne hai.
Place A is in front of Place B. - [Place A] + [Place B] ke peechay hai.
Place A is behind Place B. - [Place A] + [Place B] ke aagay hai.
Place A is ahead of / beyond Place B.
Examples
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| The bank is near the hotel. | bank hotel ke paas hai. | بینک ہوٹل کے پاس ہے۔ |
| The park is in front of the mosque. | park masjid ke saamne hai. | پارک مسجد کے سامنے ہے۔ |
| The school is behind the hospital. | school hospital ke peechay hai. | اسکول ہسپتال کے پیچھے ہے۔ |
| The bus stop is in front of the station. | bus stop station ke saamne hai. | بس اسٹاپ اسٹیشن کے سامنے ہے۔ |
| The restaurant is near the cinema. | restaurant cinema ke paas hai. | ریسٹورنٹ سنیما کے پاس ہے۔ |
| The ATM is inside the bank. | ATM bank ke andar hai. | اے ٹی ایم بینک کے اندر ہے۔ |
| The toilet is behind the restaurant. | toilet restaurant ke peechay hai. | ٹوائلٹ ریسٹورنٹ کے پیچھے ہے۔ |
Practice: Change English to Urdu (Guide)
Try to say these in Urdu using the patterns from this chapter. Then check with the guide answers.
- Where is the park?
- Go straight, then turn left.
- The bank is near the station.
- The school is in front of the mosque.
- I am in the hotel.
- How can I go to the hospital?
- The bus stop is on the right side.
- The toilet is behind the restaurant.
Guide answers (Roman, then Nastaliq):
- park kahan hai؟
پارک کہاں ہے؟ - seedha jaaiye, phir baayen mur jaaiye.
سیدھا جائیے، پھر بائیں مُڑ جائیے۔ - bank station ke paas hai.
بینک اسٹیشن کے پاس ہے۔ - school masjid ke saamne hai.
اسکول مسجد کے سامنے ہے۔ - main hotel mein hoon.
میں ہوٹل میں ہوں۔ - hospital kaise jaa sakta hoon؟ (male) / jaa sakti hoon؟ (female)
ہسپتال کیسے جا سکتا ہوں؟ / ہسپتال کیسے جا سکتی ہوں؟ - bus stop daayen taraf hai.
بس اسٹاپ دائیں طرف ہے۔ - toilet restaurant ke peechay hai.
ٹوائلٹ ریسٹورنٹ کے پیچھے ہے۔
Vocabulary List for This Chapter
Place and location words
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| place | jaga | جگہ |
| way / path | rasta | راستہ |
| road | road / sadak | روڈ / سڑک |
| street | gali | گلی |
| corner | kona | کونا |
| intersection | chowraha | چوراہا |
| map | naqsha | نقشہ |
| in | mein | میں |
| on / at | par | پر |
| under | neechay | نیچے |
| above / over | oopar | اوپر |
| in front of | ke saamne | کے سامنے |
| behind | ke peechay | کے پیچھے |
| near | ke paas | کے پاس |
| far | door | دور |
| outside | baahar | باہر |
| inside | andar | اندر |
| ahead / in front | aagay | آگے |
| left side | baayen taraf | بائیں طرف |
| right side | daayen taraf | دائیں طرف |
Common places
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| bank | bank | بینک |
| market / bazaar | bazaar | بازار |
| shop | dukaan | دکان |
| school | school | اسکول |
| college | college | کالج |
| university | university | یونیورسٹی |
| hospital | hospital | ہسپتال |
| park | park | پارک |
| mosque | masjid | مسجد |
| station | station | اسٹیشن |
| bus stop | bus stop | بس اسٹاپ |
| hotel | hotel | ہوٹل |
| restaurant | restaurant | ریسٹورنٹ |
| cinema | cinema | سنیما |
| toilet | toilet | ٹوائلٹ |
| home / house | ghar | گھر |
| office | office | آفس |
Direction and movement phrases
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| straight | seedha | سیدھا |
| turn | mur-na (mur-naa) | مُڑنا |
| go (polite) | jaaiye | جائیے |
| go straight | seedha jaaiye | سیدھا جائیے |
| turn left | baayen mur jaaiye | بائیں مُڑ جائیے |
| turn right | daayen mur jaaiye | دائیں مُڑ جائیے |
| signal / traffic light | signal | سگنل |
| after | ke baad | کے بعد |
| before | se pehle | سے پہلے |
Useful polite expressions
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Nastaliq) |
|---|---|---|
| Excuse me | maaf kijiye | معاف کیجئے |
| Please tell me | baraae mehrbaani bataaiye | براہِ مہربانی بتائیے |
| Where is … ? | … kahan hai؟ | … کہاں ہے؟ |
| How can I go to … ? (m) | … kaise jaa sakta hoon؟ | … کیسے جا سکتا ہوں؟ |
| How can I go to … ? (f) | … kaise jaa sakti hoon؟ | … کیسے جا سکتی ہوں؟ |
Practice these words and patterns until you can ask and understand simple directions without thinking too much.