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Using Role-play to Practice Urdu
Role-play is a powerful way to turn all the words and grammar you have learned into real communication. In this chapter, you will see short, simple scenes that you can act out with a partner or even by yourself. All scenes use only A1–A2 level language, so you can start practicing right away.
Each role-play below has:
- A short situation
- The roles (A and B)
- A sample dialogue in Roman Urdu
- An English translation
You can first read, then repeat, then change parts of the dialogues with your own details.
Rule: In role-plays, do not worry about being perfect. Focus on:
- Using basic phrases correctly
- Being understood
- Answering quickly and naturally
Role-play 1: Meeting Someone for the First Time
Situation: Two people meet for the first time at a language class.
Roles
- Person A: New student
- Person B: Another student in the same class
Sample dialogue (Roman Urdu)
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Assalāmu alaikum. Mera naam Ali hai. Aapka naam kya hai? |
| B | Walaikum assalām. Mera naam Sara hai. Aap se mil kar khushi hui. |
| A | Mujhe bhi. Aap kahan se hain? |
| B | Main Pakistan se hoon. Aap kahan ke hain? |
| A | Main India se hoon. Aap kya karti hain? |
| B | Main student hoon. Aap kya karte hain? |
| A | Main bhi student hoon. Aap Urdu seekh rahi hain? |
| B | Haan, main Urdu seekh rahi hoon. Aur aap? |
| A | Haan, main bhi Urdu seekh raha hoon. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | Peace be upon you. My name is Ali. What is your name? |
| B | And peace be upon you. My name is Sara. Nice to meet you. |
| A | Me too. Where are you from? |
| B | I am from Pakistan. Where are you from? |
| A | I am from India. What do you do? |
| B | I am a student. What do you do? |
| A | I am also a student. Are you learning Urdu? |
| B | Yes, I am learning Urdu. And you? |
| A | Yes, I am also learning Urdu. |
Variations to try
Change:
- Names: Ali, Sara → John, Ayesha, Omar etc.
- Countries: Pakistan, India, America, England
- Profession: teacher, doctor, engineer, student
Example sentence patterns you can replace:
| English pattern | Urdu pattern (Roman) |
|---|
| My name is X. | Mera naam X hai. |
| I am from X. | Main X se hoon. |
| I am a X. | Main X hoon. |
Role-play 2: At a Café
Situation: Two friends meet at a café and order something.
Roles
- Person A: Friend 1
- Person B: Friend 2
- Optional Person C: Waiter / Waitress
Sample dialogue (with waiter)
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Assalāmu alaikum. Kya aapko coffee pasand hai? |
| B | Walaikum assalām. Haan, mujhe coffee pasand hai. Aapko kya pasand hai? |
| A | Mujhe chai pasand hai. Chalo order karte hain. |
| C | Ji, kya lenge aap? |
| A | Mere liye ek chai, please. |
| B | Mere liye ek coffee. |
| C | Aur kuch? |
| A | Nahin, shukriya. Kitne paise hue? |
| C | Do sau rupay. |
| B | Theek hai, yeh lijiye. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | Peace be upon you. Do you like coffee? |
| B | And peace be upon you. Yes, I like coffee. What do you like? |
| A | I like tea. Let us order. |
| C | Yes, what will you take? |
| A | For me, one tea, please. |
| B | For me, one coffee. |
| C | Anything else? |
| A | No, thank you. How much is it? |
| C | Two hundred rupees. |
| B | Okay, here you go. |
Food & drink words you can swap
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| tea | chai |
| coffee | coffee |
| water | paani |
| juice | juice |
| sandwich | sandwich |
| bread | roti / bread |
| rice | chawal |
Try your own:
- Mere liye ek juice, please.
- Mujhe pani chahiye.
- Mujhe sandwich pasand hai.
Role-play 3: Asking for Directions
Situation: A visitor is lost and asks a local person for help.
Roles
- Person A: Visitor
- Person B: Local person
Sample dialogue
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Maaf kijiye, station kahan hai? |
| B | Station wahan hai. Seedha jaiye, phir daein mur jaiye. |
| A | Yahan se door hai? |
| B | Nahin, zyada door nahin. Paanch minute paidal. |
| A | Bohat shukriya. |
| B | Koi baat nahin. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | Excuse me, where is the station? |
| B | The station is there. Go straight, then turn right. |
| A | Is it far from here? |
| B | No, not very far. Five minutes on foot. |
| A | Thank you very much. |
| B | Not at all. |
Useful direction phrases
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| Go straight. | Seedha jaiye. |
| Turn right. | Daein mur jaiye. |
| Turn left. | Baein mur jaiye. |
| Stop here. | Yahin ruk jaiye. |
| It is near. | Yeh paas hai. |
| It is far. | Yeh door hai. |
Practice changing the place:
- station → hotel, bazaar, park, bank
Example:
- Maaf kijiye, hotel kahan hai?
Role-play 4: Shopping at a Market
Situation: You are buying fruit at a local market.
Roles
- Person A: Customer
- Person B: Shopkeeper
Sample dialogue
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Assalāmu alaikum. Seb kitne ke hain? |
| B | Walaikum assalām. Seb do sau rupay kilo hain. |
| A | Aam ka kya rate hai? |
| B | Aam teen sau rupay kilo hain. |
| A | Theek hai, mujhe ek kilo seb aur aadha kilo aam chahiye. |
| B | Ji, aur kuch? |
| A | Nahin, bus. Total kitna hua? |
| B | Paanch sau pachaas rupay. |
| A | Yeh lijiye. Shukriya. |
| B | Shukriya, phir aaiyega. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | Peace be upon you. How much are the apples? |
| B | And peace be upon you. Apples are 200 rupees per kilo. |
| A | What is the price of mangoes? |
| B | Mangoes are 300 rupees per kilo. |
| A | Okay, I want one kilo apples and half kilo mangoes. |
| B | Yes, anything else? |
| A | No, that is all. How much is the total? |
| B | 550 rupees. |
| A | Here you go. Thank you. |
| B | Thank you, please come again. |
Fruit & quantity words
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| apple | seb |
| mango | aam |
| banana | kela |
| orange | malta / santra |
| one kilo | ek kilo |
| half kilo | aadha kilo |
| one piece | ek dana / ek piece |
Try:
- Mujhe do kilo kela chahiye.
- Malta kitne ke hain?
Role-play 5: At the Doctor’s Office
Situation: A patient visits a doctor for a simple problem.
Roles
- Person A: Patient
- Person B: Doctor
Sample dialogue
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| B | Assalāmu alaikum. Kya masla hai? |
| A | Walaikum assalām. Mujhe bukhar hai. |
| B | Kab se? |
| A | Kal raat se. |
| B | Kya aapko dard bhi hai? |
| A | Haan, sir mein dard hai. |
| B | Theek hai, yeh dawa lijiye. Din mein do dafa lijiye. |
| A | Theek hai, bohat shukriya doctor sahab. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| B | Peace be upon you. What is the problem? |
| A | And peace be upon you. I have fever. |
| B | Since when? |
| A | Since last night. |
| B | Do you have pain also? |
| A | Yes, I have pain in the head. |
| B | Okay, take this medicine. Take it two times a day. |
| A | Okay, thank you very much doctor. |
Useful health words
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| fever | bukhar |
| pain | dard |
| head | sir |
| stomach | pet |
| medicine | dawa |
| cough | khansi |
| cold | zukam |
Make your own:
- Mujhe pet mein dard hai.
- Mujhe khansi hai.
Role-play 6: Talking About Daily Routine
Situation: Two classmates talk about their day.
Roles
- Person A: Classmate 1
- Person B: Classmate 2
Sample dialogue
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Aap roz kitne baje uthte hain? |
| B | Main aam tor par saat baje uthta hoon. Aur aap? |
| A | Main chay baje uthti hoon. Us ke baad chai peeti hoon. |
| B | Main nashta karta hoon, phir kaam par jata hoon. |
| A | Aap kitne baje Urdu padhte hain? |
| B | Main raat ko Urdu padhata / padhati hoon. Aap din mein padhte hain ya raat ko? |
| A | Main dopahar ko padhte hoon. |
(Adjust the verb forms for masculine / feminine as needed.)
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | What time do you wake up every day? |
| B | I usually wake up at seven o’clock. And you? |
| A | I wake up at six o’clock. After that I drink tea. |
| B | I eat breakfast, then I go to work. |
| A | At what time do you study Urdu? |
| B | I study Urdu at night. Do you study in the day or at night? |
| A | I study in the afternoon. |
Routine verbs you can swap
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| to wake up | uthna |
| to eat breakfast | nashta karna |
| to go to work | kaam par jana |
| to study | parhna |
| to sleep | sona |
| to watch TV | TV dekhna |
Example:
- Main raat ko TV dekhta hoon.
- Main das baje sota hoon.
Role-play 7: Making Simple Plans
Situation: Two friends plan to meet at the weekend.
Roles
- Person A: Friend 1
- Person B: Friend 2
Sample dialogue
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Aapka weekend ka kya plan hai? |
| B | Kuch khaas nahin. Aapka kya plan hai? |
| A | Kya aap kal movie dekhna chahte hain? |
| B | Haan, zaroor. Kitne baje? |
| A | Shaam ko chay baje. Theek hai? |
| B | Haan, theek hai. Kahan milte hain? |
| A | Mall ke samne milte hain. |
| B | Theek hai, phir milte hain. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | What is your plan for the weekend? |
| B | Nothing special. What is your plan? |
| A | Do you want to watch a movie tomorrow? |
| B | Yes, sure. At what time? |
| A | At 6 in the evening. Is that okay? |
| B | Yes, that is fine. Where do we meet? |
| A | Let us meet in front of the mall. |
| B | Okay, see you then. |
Useful planning phrases
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| Do you want to X? | Kya aap X chahte hain? |
| Let us X. | Chaliye X karte hain. |
| What time? | Kitne baje? |
| Where? | Kahan? |
| See you tomorrow. | Kal milte hain. |
| See you later. | Baad mein milte hain. |
Try your own plan:
- Chaliye kal park chalte hain.
- Kya aap chai peena chahte hain?
Role-play 8: Telephone or Online Call
Situation: Two people talk on the phone or in an online call.
Roles
- Person A: Caller
- Person B: Receiver
Sample dialogue
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Assalāmu alaikum. Kya yeh Ahmed bol rahe hain? |
| B | Ji, main Ahmed hoon. Kaun bol raha hai? |
| A | Main Bilal bol raha hoon. Aap kaise hain? |
| B | Main theek hoon, shukriya. Aap kaise hain? |
| A | Main bhi theek hoon. Aap abhi free hain? |
| B | Ji haan, thoda free hoon. Kya baat hai? |
| A | Main bas Urdu homework ke baare mein puchna chahta hoon. |
| B | Theek hai, poochiye. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | Peace be upon you. Is this Ahmed speaking? |
| B | Yes, I am Ahmed. Who is speaking? |
| A | I am Bilal speaking. How are you? |
| B | I am fine, thank you. How are you? |
| A | I am also fine. Are you free now? |
| B | Yes, I am a little free. What is it? |
| A | I just want to ask about the Urdu homework. |
| B | Okay, ask. |
Phone phrases
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| Who is speaking? | Kaun bol raha hai? |
| Is this X? | Kya yeh X bol rahe hain? |
| I am X speaking. | Main X bol raha hoon / bol rahi hoon. |
| Are you free? | Kya aap free hain? |
| Call me. | Mujhe call kijiye. |
Role-play 9: At the Urdu Class
Situation: Student and teacher talk in class.
Roles
- Person A: Student
- Person B: Teacher
Sample dialogue
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Sir / Madam, mujhe ek sawal hai. |
| B | Ji, poochiye. |
| A | "Kya" ka matlab English mein kya hai? |
| B | "Kya" ka matlab "what" hai. |
| A | Shukriya. Aur "kyun" ka matlab? |
| B | "Kyun" ka matlab "why" hai. |
| A | Samajh gaya / gayi. Bohat shukriya. |
| B | Khushi hui. Aap kaafi achhi Urdu bolte hain. |
Translation
| Turn | English |
|---|
| A | Sir / Madam, I have a question. |
| B | Yes, ask. |
| A | What is the meaning of "kya" in English? |
| B | "Kya" means "what". |
| A | Thank you. And the meaning of "kyun"? |
| B | "Kyun" means "why". |
| A | I understood. Thank you very much. |
| B | I am glad. You speak quite good Urdu. |
Class phrases
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| I have a question. | Mujhe ek sawal hai. |
| I do not understand. | Mujhe samajh nahin aata / aati. |
| Please repeat. | Barae meherbani, dobara kahiye. |
| Slowly, please. | Aista, please. |
| What is the meaning of X? | X ka matlab kya hai? |
Role-play 10: Very Short Real-life Exchanges
These are mini role-plays for quick practice.
a) At the door
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Kya main andar aa sakta hoon? |
| B | Ji haan, aaiye. |
| A | Shukriya. |
b) In the elevator
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Aap kis floor par jayenge? |
| B | Teesre floor par. |
| A | Theek hai, main bhi wahan ja raha hoon. |
c) Asking time
| Turn | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| A | Maaf kijiye, kitne baje hain? |
| B | Paanch baje hain. |
| A | Shukriya. |
How to Practice These Role-plays
Use these ideas to make the most of the dialogues.
With a partner
- Choose a role-play.
- Read the dialogue together.
- Act it out without reading.
- Change:
- names,
- times,
- places,
- food,
- prices.
Example changes for the café scene:
- Mere liye ek chai → Mere liye ek juice
- Do sau rupay → Teen sau rupay
Alone
- Read both roles out loud.
- Record your voice, then listen.
- Write your own version in Roman Urdu, then speak it.
Practice tip: Always speak out loud when you practice role-plays. Silent practice does not train your mouth and ears.
New Vocabulary from this Chapter
| English | Roman Urdu |
|---|
| nice to meet you | aap se mil kar khushi hui |
| visitor | mehman |
| local person | yahan ka rehne wala / wali |
| straight (direction) | seedha |
| right (side) | daein |
| left (side) | baein |
| market | bazaar |
| shopkeeper | dukandaar |
| price / rate | rate |
| piece (for fruit etc.) | dana / piece |
| fever | bukhar |
| pain | dard |
| medicine | dawa |
| usually | aam tor par |
| weekend | weekend |
| plan | plan |
| free (time) | free |
| to call | call karna |
| question | sawal |
| to understand | samajhna |
| slowly | aista |
| floor (of a building) | floor / manzil |
| elevator / lift | lift |
| to enter / come in | andar aana |
| to order (food) | order karna |
| to meet (up) | milna |
Use these role-plays many times, slowly first, then faster. Each time, change a few words so that the conversation becomes your own.
