Learning Basic Urdu - Made Easy - Lesson 1 ( 'Alif')

We start learning Urdu with the first sound that is produced and forms the first letter of most of the languages

'A' which in Urdu is 'alif'

This is 'alif' and the sound it generates is 'A' as in 'a cup'

For correct pronunciation of the word you are requested to just open your mouth with your tongue neither touching the upper or the lower base , and the sound is generated from the upper part of the neck just where the tongue base is.

Now when we want to emphasis on the letter and want the sound to be 'Aa', then it has a 'maD'

(here 'D' is pronounced as in 'thou' in Roman English meaning 'you')

This 'ma-d' is used with other alphabets too and at several places where emphasis is to be put.

For correct pronunciation of the word you are to open your mouth a little more and do the same as you did with 'alif' and put a bit of more power in the sound so generated.

Lesson 1

This Lesson which we are planning to share with you all is for those who are fluent in Hindi, and are trying to learn Urdu after having put some years with Hindi either as their mother language, or as a subject in school.

It would not be out of point to mention here that Urdu has 36 alphabets of which 22 have come from Hebrew, 6 from Arabic, 4 from Persian, and 4 from Sanskrit/Hindi, making a collection

Starting with the lesson we can say that in this new system, Urdu teaching has been done with a difference, and we start with the alphabets of urdu not as अलीफ , बे, पे ते but as per the sound they are referred to e.g. alif for 'अ'

The lesson has been further modified
Letter's which require precaution in usage are taught first and the alphabets for learning first are

as written in Hindi

as Urdu is written from right to left

The three letters of Hindi are written in Urdu.

Actually there are 6 (six) letter from this list of which three have been said till now

So we should learn these letters first.

These letter are important to learn first because these letter have a special place in Urdu.

These letters will not join with each other nor join with any other letter on their left


.

Urdu Made Easy

'Urdu' is said to be the most sweet language, and for the people of Delhi it is the second official language, and it is widely said that

Apne mehboob ki khaatir tha Khuda ko manzoor Warna quran bhi utarta ba zabaan-e-urdu
- 'Akbar Allahabadi'

Shahed-o-shakkar se shirin urdu zabaan hamaari Huyi hai jiske bole meethi zabaan hamaari
- 'Hali'

Urdu hai jiska naam hamein jaante hain 'Daagh' Saare jahan mein dhoom hamaari zabaan ki hai
- 'Daag'

When one reads this and several such lines one wants to learn the language

There are several places for one to learn it.

I had a chance to learn it from Dr Tahir-ul-Hasan, who has a very different style of teaching the Language.

He is a teacher with 'Urdu Academy, Delhi" and is presently taking classes at Laxmi Nagar Center.

and his favourite lines are

"Is Baasti se Pyaar ki Khusboo Aati hai, Shaayad iske Bashindoo ko Urdu Aati Hai"

The amount of patience he has is worth appreciating, and his willingness to listen and explain the concept as many times is tremendous.

Through this Blog would like to share my experience with you all