Table of Contents
Understanding Quantities and Measures in Everyday Urdu
In everyday shopping situations you often need to say how much or how many you want. In Urdu this involves special words for quantities, common units of weight, volume, and containers, plus some very frequent patterns with numbers.
This chapter focuses on the basic and practical expressions you will use in markets, shops, and daily life to talk about amounts.
Basic Quantity Words
These words work with many different nouns. They are very useful when you do not need to be exact.
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) | Example phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| a little / some | thōṛā / thōṛī | تھوڑا / تھوڑی | thōṛā dūdh, thōṛī shakkar |
| a few / some | kuch | کچھ | kuch seb |
| many / a lot of | bahut / zyada | بہت / زیادہ | bahut log, zyada paisay |
| enough | kāfī | کافی | kāfī pānī |
| less | kam | کم | kam mirch |
| more | aur / zyada | اور / زیادہ | aur dēṅ, zyada dēṅ |
| all / whole | sāra / sāri | سارا / ساری | sāra din, sāri cheeni |
Gender note:
- Use thōṛā, bahut, sāra with masculine nouns.
- Use thōṛī, sāri with feminine nouns.
Examples:
- تھوڑا دودھ
Roman: thōṛā dūdh
Meaning: a little milk - تھوڑی چینی
Roman: thōṛī chīnī
Meaning: a little sugar - کچھ سیب
Roman: kuch seb
Meaning: some apples - بہت لوگ
Roman: bahut log
Meaning: many people - کم مرچ ڈالیں
Roman: kam mirch ḍālēṅ
Meaning: Put less chili. - کافی پانی ہے
Roman: kāfī pānī hai
Meaning: There is enough water. - اور دیں
Roman: aur dēṅ
Meaning: Give more. - زیادہ مت دو
Roman: zyada mat dō
Meaning: Do not give too much.
Common Units of Weight
In South Asian markets you will often hear traditional metric units with Urdu pronunciation. The most important for a beginner is kilogram.
| Unit (English) | Urdu name (Roman) | Urdu (Script) | Approximate use |
|---|---|---|---|
| gram | grām | گرام | small packages, spices |
| kilogram | kilo / kilogram | کلو / کلوگرام | fruits, vegetables, rice, sugar |
| half kilogram | ādhā kilo | آدھا کلو | common quantity |
| quarter kilo | pauā kilo | پوا کلو | small quantity |
You usually put the number before the unit, then the item.
Pattern:
$$\text{number} + \text{unit} + \text{item}$$
Examples with kilo:
- ایک کلو سیب
Roman: aik kilo seb
Meaning: one kilo of apples - دو کلو آلو
Roman: dō kilo ālū
Meaning: two kilos of potatoes - آدھا کلو چاول
Roman: ādhā kilo chāwal
Meaning: half a kilo of rice - مجھے ایک کلو چینی چاہیے
Roman: mujhe aik kilo chīnī chāhiye
Meaning: I need one kilo of sugar. - دو کلو دے دیں
Roman: dō kilo dē dēṅ
Meaning: Give two kilos.
Often the word “kilo” is enough, speakers drop “gram”.
Common Units of Volume
For liquids like milk, oil, water, and juice you usually use liter.
| Unit (English) | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| liter | līṭar | لیٹر | milk, oil, juice, water |
| half liter | ādhā līṭar | آدھا لیٹر | small quantity |
Same pattern as weight:
- ایک لیٹر دودھ
Roman: aik līṭar dūdh
Meaning: one liter of milk - دو لیٹر پانی
Roman: dō līṭar pānī
Meaning: two liters of water - آدھا لیٹر تیل
Roman: ādhā līṭar tēl
Meaning: half a liter of oil - مجھے ایک لیٹر دودھ چاہیے
Roman: mujhe aik līṭar dūdh chāhiye
Meaning: I need one liter of milk.
Containers and Packaging
In many real situations people talk in terms of packets, bottles, boxes, not grams or liters. These container words are very frequent.
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) | Typical content |
|---|---|---|---|
| packet | pækit / pæk | پیکٹ | biscuits, chips, tea, spices |
| bottle | bōtl | بوتل | water, oil, drinks |
| box | dabba | ڈبہ | tea, sweets, storage |
| bag (small) | thailī | تھیلی | vegetables, small items |
| sack / big bag | borī | بوری | large quantity, e.g. rice |
| tin / can | ḍabbā (tin) | ڈبہ (ٹن) | canned food, oil |
These often combine with numbers or with “ek” (one) and “kuch” (some).
Pattern:
$$\text{number or quantity word} + \text{container} + \text{item}$$
Examples:
- ایک پیکٹ بسکٹ
Roman: aik pækit biskit
Meaning: one packet of biscuits - دو بوتل پانی
Roman: dō bōtl pānī
Meaning: two bottles of water - ایک ڈبہ چائے
Roman: aik dabba chāy
Meaning: one box of tea - ایک تھیلی آلو
Roman: aik thailī ālū
Meaning: one bag of potatoes - کچھ پیکٹ نمک
Roman: kuch pækit namak
Meaning: some packets of salt - دو بوری چاول
Roman: dō borī chāwal
Meaning: two sacks of rice
You can also use just the container word if the item is obvious from context:
- ایک بوتل دے دیں
Roman: aik bōtl dē dēṅ
Meaning: Give one bottle. - دو پیکٹ اور
Roman: dō pækit aur
Meaning: Two more packets.
Using “piece” and “slice”
For items that come in pieces, like bread slices or cake slices, Urdu often uses “pīs” (from “piece”) or other specific words.
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| piece | pīs | پیس | chicken, cake, pizza |
| slice | slic | سلائس | bread, cake, cheese |
Examples:
- ایک پیس چکن
Roman: aik pīs chikan
Meaning: one piece of chicken - دو پیس کیک
Roman: dō pīs kēk
Meaning: two pieces of cake - تین سلائس ڈبل روٹی
Roman: tīn slic ḍabal roṭī
Meaning: three slices of bread - مجھے دو پیس چاہیے
Roman: mujhe dō pīs chāhiye
Meaning: I want two pieces.
Measuring Loose Items (fruits, eggs, etc.)
Some items are usually counted by number, not by weight.
Common examples:
| Item (English) | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) |
|---|---|---|
| egg | anda | انڈا |
| banana | kela | کیلا |
| orange | sangtara | سنگترہ |
| bread roll | bun | بن |
Pattern:
$$\text{number} + \text{item (singular)}$$
Examples:
- چار انڈے
Roman: chār aṇḍē
Meaning: four eggs - چھ کیلے
Roman: chay kēlē
Meaning: six bananas - دو سنگترے
Roman: dō sangtarē
Meaning: two oranges - تین بن
Roman: tīn bun
Meaning: three bread rolls
More natural “shopping” examples:
- مجھے چھ انڈے دیں
Roman: mujhe chay aṇḍē dēṅ
Meaning: Give me six eggs. - دو کیلے اور
Roman: dō kēlē aur
Meaning: Two more bananas.
“Some” and “a little” in Shopping Talk
When you do not want to be exact, quantity words are very useful.
Common patterns:
- kuch + plural noun / mass noun
- thōṛā / thōṛī + mass noun
Examples:
- کچھ سیب
Roman: kuch seb
Meaning: some apples - کچھ ٹماٹر
Roman: kuch ṭamāṭar
Meaning: some tomatoes - تھوڑا دودھ
Roman: thōṛā dūdh
Meaning: a little milk - تھوڑی چینی
Roman: thōṛī chīnī
Meaning: a little sugar
In requests:
- مجھے کچھ سیب چاہیے
Roman: mujhe kuch seb chāhiye
Meaning: I want some apples. - تھوڑا نمک دیں
Roman: thōṛā namak dēṅ
Meaning: Give a little salt. - تھوڑی شکر اور
Roman: thōṛī shakkar aur
Meaning: A little more sugar.
Asking “How much?” and “How many?”
These useful questions connect quantities with money and numbers, but here we focus on the quantity side.
For amounts of items, especially in a shop, you often hear:
| English question | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) |
|---|---|---|
| How much? (weight / volume) | kitnā? | کتنا؟ |
| How many? (countable items) | kitnē? | کتنے؟ |
| How much sugar? | kitnī chīnī? | کتنی چینی؟ |
Very common patterns:
- کتنا دیں؟
Roman: kitnā dēṅ?
Meaning: How much should I give? (weight, volume, or amount) - کتنے دیں؟
Roman: kitnē dēṅ?
Meaning: How many should I give? (pieces, items) - کتنا آٹا؟
Roman: kitnā āṭā?
Meaning: How much flour? - کتنے انڈے؟
Roman: kitnē aṇḍē?
Meaning: How many eggs?
Polite full sentences:
- آپ کو کتنا چاہیے؟
Roman: āp ko kitnā chāhiye?
Meaning: How much do you need? - آپ کو کتنے چاہئیں؟
Roman: āp ko kitnē chāhiēṅ?
Meaning: How many do you want?
Customer answers:
- آدھا کلو آٹا
Roman: ādhā kilo āṭā
Meaning: Half a kilo of flour. - چھ انڈے
Roman: chay aṇḍē
Meaning: six eggs. - تھوڑا نمک بس
Roman: thōṛā namak bas
Meaning: Just a little salt.
“More,” “Less,” and “Enough”
While negotiating or adjusting quantities, you often talk about more, less, or enough.
Key words:
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) |
|---|---|---|
| more | aur / zyada | اور / زیادہ |
| less | kam | کم |
| enough | kāfī | کافی |
Examples in context:
- تھوڑا اور دیں
Roman: thōṛā aur dēṅ
Meaning: Give a little more. - اور نہیں، بس
Roman: aur nahīṅ, bas
Meaning: No more, that is enough. - کم مرچ ڈالیں
Roman: kam mirch ḍālēṅ
Meaning: Put less chili. - زیادہ نہیں
Roman: zyada nahīṅ
Meaning: Not too much. - کافی ہے، شکریہ
Roman: kāfī hai, shukriya
Meaning: That is enough, thank you.
Mini Dialogue: At the Vegetable Shop
Short example using quantities and measures:
Customer: مجھے آدھا کلو ٹماٹر اور ایک کلو آلو چاہیے۔
Roman: mujhe ādhā kilo ṭamāṭar aur aik kilo ālū chāhiye.
Meaning: I want half a kilo of tomatoes and one kilo of potatoes.
Vendor: اور کچھ؟
Roman: aur kuch?
Meaning: Anything else?
Customer: ہاں، چھ کیلے اور تھوڑا دھنیا۔
Roman: hāṅ, chay kēlē aur thōṛā dhaniya.
Meaning: Yes, six bananas and a little coriander.
Vendor: اتنا دھنیا کافی ہے؟
Roman: itnā dhaniya kāfī hai?
Meaning: Is this much coriander enough?
Customer: ہاں، کافی ہے۔
Roman: hāṅ, kāfī hai.
Meaning: Yes, it is enough.
New Vocabulary from this Chapter
| English | Urdu (Roman) | Urdu (Script) |
|---|---|---|
| a little / some | thōṛā / thōṛī | تھوڑا / تھوڑی |
| a few / some | kuch | کچھ |
| many / a lot of | bahut / zyada | بہت / زیادہ |
| enough | kāfī | کافی |
| less | kam | کم |
| all / whole (m/f) | sāra / sāri | سارا / ساری |
| gram | grām | گرام |
| kilogram | kilo | کلو |
| half | ādhā | آدھا |
| quarter (informal kilo) | pauā | پوا |
| liter | līṭar | لیٹر |
| packet | pækit | پیکٹ |
| bottle | bōtl | بوتل |
| box | dabba | ڈبہ |
| small bag | thailī | تھیلی |
| sack / big bag | borī | بوری |
| piece | pīs | پیس |
| slice | slic | سلائس |
| egg | anda / aṇḍa | انڈا |
| banana | kela | کیلا |
| orange | sangtara | سنگترہ |
| bread roll | bun | بن |
| flour | āṭā | آٹا |
| sugar | chīnī / shakkar | چینی / شکر |
| salt | namak | نمک |
| milk | dūdh | دودھ |
| oil | tēl | تیل |
| coriander | dhaniya | دھنیا |
| how much (amount) | kitnā | کتنا |
| how many | kitnē | کتنے |
| more | aur / zyada | اور / زیادہ |
| is this enough? | kāfī hai? | کافی ہے؟ |