If I ask “ do you know the meaning of gul گُل , you might smile and say that anyone with even a little interest in Urdu knows that gul means flower. Many even call classical Urdu poetry “gul-o-bulbul ki shāyri” — poetry of flowers and nightingales ...continue reading

Friendship has always been one of the gentlest emotions expressed in Urdu. Our language does not merely offer words for friends — it gives us shades of affection, companionship, and intimacy. From dost to yaar and ham-dam, each word carries a world o ...continue reading

The Journey of a Word through Air, Desire, and Imaginatio ...continue reading

If I ask you, “What does bajāna mean?” — you might laugh and say, “Who doesn’t know that? It means to play — like bajāna sitar, bajāna tabla! ...continue reading

In Urdu, the word tamaasha (تماشہ) has a sparkle—it can mean a show, a spectacle, or even a scene that draws eyes and laughter ...continue reading

At first glance, the word harf (حرف) in Urdu seems simple. It means a single letter of the alphabet. Its plural, hurūf (حروف), comes up in phrases like hurūf-e-tahajjī (حروفِ تہجی) — the alphabet we all learned as children. In grammar, a harf (حرف) c ...continue reading

The Story of a Skyward Idio ...continue reading

Where language, love, and soul meet in Urdu’s words for the hear ...continue reading

The monsoon told through Sanskrit, Persian, and Urd ...continue reading

You must have heard the two common Urdu words for eyeglasses — chashma (chashmā) and ainak (‘ainak). And perhaps you also know that chashm (چشم) comes from Persian and means “eye,” while ‘ain (عین) comes from Arabic and also means “eye.” Interestingl ...continue reading