Back
Beginner

The Urdu Script

Perso-Arabic Nastaʿlīq, right to left

Urdu uses the Perso-Arabic script, right to left

Written in the flowing Nastaʿlīq style.

📊 Script features
Feature Note Example
direction right to left سلام
style Nastaʿlīq (flowing, slanted) -
letters Arabic + Persian + Urdu (ٹ ڈ ڑ) ٹماٹر (tomato)
short vowels usually unwritten کتاب (kitāb)
💬 Examples
سلام
salām
hello / peace
📝 Read right to left
شکریہ
shukriya
thank you
📝 Persian/Arabic-derived vocabulary
Urdu adds retroflex letters (ٹ ڈ ڑ)

Indo-Aryan sounds not in Arabic or Persian.

💬 Examples
ٹماٹر
ṭamāṭar
tomato
📝 ٹ = retroflex 't'
لڑکا
laṛkā
boy
📝 ڑ = retroflex flap
Short vowels are usually not written

Like Arabic and Persian.

💬 Examples
کتاب
kitāb
book
📝 The 'i' and 'a' aren't written
قلم
qalam
pen
📝 Vowels inferred from context