School Activities

School activities in Urdu

This topic is about the activities you do at school - lessons, sport, music, trips and exams. Every word comes with its Urdu script, a transliteration in brackets to help you say it, and the English meaning. Remember: Urdu is read from right to left.

Words for school activities

Here are six to learn first. Each shows the script, how to say it, and what it means.

What varzish means in Urdu

What does ورزش (varzish) mean?

• PE
• Music
• A lesson
• A library

Match each word to its English meaning

How the script works

Two things about the Urdu script. First, it is written from right to left, in a flowing style called Nastaliq. Second, Urdu uses the Perso-Arabic alphabet - sharing letters with Arabic and Persian - but adds retroflex letters of its own: ٹ, ڈ and ڑ. These are said with the tongue curled back, a sound Arabic and Persian do not have.

More school words

Four more, including a place and two objects you will need for the next check.

Which are activities?

Select the THREE words that are school ACTIVITIES, not objects.

• کھیل (khel)
• موسیقی (mausiqi)
• سیر (sair)
• کتاب (kitab)
• قلم (qalam)

Match the script to how it is said

Where are you?

You go to the کتب خانہ (kutub khana). What is it?

• The library
• The classroom
• The music room
• The exam hall

How do you say it?

A lesson سبق is said _____. PE ورزش is said _____. Music موسیقی is said _____. A trip سیر is said _____.

Putting it together

Now you can talk about a whole school day. At school (اسکول) you sit in a lesson (سبق), you might do PE (ورزش) or music (موسیقی), and there may be an exam (امتحان). There are also school trips (سیر) and the library (کتب خانہ), and at break there is always a game (کھیل) to play.

Urdu puts is at the end

The school words become sentences once you add ہے (hai - is) at the end, where English would not put it: - سبق اسکول میں ہے = "the lesson is at school". میں (mein - in, at) follows اسکول rather than coming before it, and ہے closes the sentence. - مجھے کھیل پسند ہے = "I like sport". Literally "to me sport is pleasing". مجھے (mujhe) is "to me", and ہے closes this one too.

Urdu puts "at" after the noun, not before it

Urdu puts "at" after the noun, not before it. Which of these says "the lesson is at school"?

• سبق اسکول میں ہے (sabaq iskool mein hai)
• سبق میں اسکول ہے (sabaq mein iskool hai)
• سبق اسکول میں (sabaq iskool mein)
• مجھے کھیل پسند ہے (mujhe khel pasand hai)

Order the school day

Put a normal school day into a sensible order. (Each step tags its Urdu word.)

• You arrive at school (اسکول)
• You have your first lesson (سبق)
• You do PE (ورزش)
• You visit the library (کتب خانہ)
• You play a game at break (کھیل)

Pick the word

For each situation, choose the right Urdu word.

• You want to talk about PE and exercise at school.
• Your class is going on a school trip.
• You have a big test coming up next week.

Read the script

Three questions about the Urdu script itself.

• In which direction is Urdu written and read?
• Urdu adds letters like ٹ, ڈ and ڑ that Arabic and Persian lack. How are they pronounced?
• Which word is the Urdu for "school"?