Urdu
اردو
Urdu and Hindi are so similar in spoken form that speakers can often understand each other perfectly — but they use completely different scripts!
Lin says:
Assalam-o-Alaikum! I'm Lin! Urdu is one of the most poetic languages on Earth — its poetry tradition called 'shayari' is a beloved art form. Urdu and Hindi are almost identical in everyday speech but are written in completely different scripts! The beautiful Nastaliq script flows like calligraphy. Bahut khoobsurat! (Very beautiful!)
Quick Facts
Speakers
~170 million
Language Family
Indo-European
Writing
Nastaliq script (right to left)
Official in
Pakistan
Discover Urdu
Urdu and Hindi are so similar in spoken form that speakers can often understand each other perfectly — but they use completely different scripts!
Writing System
Nastaliq script (right to left)
Native Speakers
~170 million
Did You Know?
Urdu and Hindi are almost the same in spoken everyday conversation — but they are written in completely different scripts (Urdu: right-to-left Nastaliq; Hindi: left-to-right Devanagari).
Urdu is the official language of Pakistan, even though only about 8% of Pakistanis speak it as a first language — it was chosen for national unity.
The English words "jungle", "pyjamas", "thug", and "loot" all entered English through Urdu/Hindi during the British colonial period in India.
What Makes Urdu Special?
Poetic Heritage
Urdu has one of the richest poetic traditions in the world — the ghazal form, full of metaphors about love and longing, has been practiced for centuries.
Beautiful Script
The Nastaliq style of Arabic script used for Urdu is considered one of the most aesthetically beautiful writing systems in the world — used like calligraphy art.
Language of Qawwali
Qawwali — the devotional Sufi music made famous by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — is largely sung in Urdu and Persian. Pure musical magic.
Keep Exploring the World!
Languages are windows into the world's cultures. Discover more languages and the countries where they are spoken.