The city and its places in Urdu
80 words in Urdu on the topic “the city and its places”: شہر — city, گلی — alley, چوک — square, سڑک — road.
80 words on the topic
- شہرshehercityThe same shehar the Persians say — and kin of the shah: a city is the place where the shah rules
- گلیgalialleyThe narrow lane of the old city: a gali against the wide sarrak. Lahore’s lanes are named after bazaars and saints
- چوکchoksquareA crossroads, a square where roads meet. Chowk Ghanta Ghar with its clock tower is the heart of old Lahore
- سڑکsadakroadThe retroflex r in the middle. The big road is sarrak, the narrow lane is gali: the city here splits into two worlds
- بھیڑbhercrowdWith a breath: bh-er. Bher is the crowd — and also the sheep: on the bazaar square one implies the other, and the locals laugh at it themselves
- ٹریفک لائٹtrefik laittraffic lightThe same traffic light in two pieces. The burning light is named by the same light as the one on the button
- سائیکلsaiklbicycleThe same cycle; "ride the cycle". Here it is the transport of milkmen and boys
- بس اسٹاپbas stopbus stopBus and stop you know; the halt here is named exactly so. One cries "bus stop!" — and the driver brakes
- مہینہ پاسmahina pasmonthly passLiterally "the month pass": the month and the same pass. Students live on it the whole term
- راستہrastarouteBoth the way and the route; you have already lost it once. The bus route is "the bus’s way"
- زیبرا کراسنگzebra krosingcrosswalkThe same zebra crossing: the stripes really are a zebra’s. Cross only there — the drivers wait exactly there
- ٹریفک جامtrefik dzhamtraffic jamThe same traffic jam: the jam is preserves and a jam of cars alike. Karachi never manages without one
- پارکنگparkingparkingThe same parking; "parking is free" — the sign searched for first with the eyes
- پیٹرول پمپpetrol pamppetrol stationLiterally "the petrol pump": petrol here is petrol. The attendant fills and checks the water — the tip is not required but alive
- پارکparkparkThe same park; on Sundays families come with food and mats — the park here is a dining room under the sky
- لائبریریlaibrerilibraryThe same library; books are lent for home, as anywhere. The silence in it is the world’s shared silence
- عجائب گھرadzhaib gharmuseumLiterally "the house of wonders": the house you know. The museum here truly is a house of wonders
- تھیٹرtiatrtheaterThe same theater; in the local theater both a play and a concert run — one stage for all
- سنیماsinemacinemaThe same cinema; the ticket here is the ticket, and it is taken early: the evening show is gone by lunch
- گرجا گھرgirdzha gharchurchAgain the house: the church here is "the house of prayer". Every faith has its building, and the names say it honestly
- اسٹیڈیمstediamstadiumThe same stadium; the cricket stadium gathers more people than everything else in the city together
- چوراہاchaurahacrossroadsThe four-way crossing: the city’s beating heart and its chief jam
- فٹ پاتھfut pathpavementThe international footpath: where the pedestrian rules, in theory
- شاہراہshahrahavenueThe avenue: the grand road named after poets and saints
- کوچہkuchalaneThe lane: narrower than an alley, older than the map
- دریا کنارےdarya kinereembankmentLiterally "the river’s side": the embankment of the evening walk
- پلpulbridgeThe bridge: of roads, of stories and of friendships alike
- سرنگsurangtunnelThe tunnel: bored through the mountain so the road stays level
- لائٹlaitstreet lightThe light again: the street’s lamps, lit by the electricity’s mercy
- بینچbenchbenchThe bench: the park’s and the bus stop’s shared furniture
- کوڑے دانkure danlitter binLiterally "the rubbish’s vessel": the bin of the streets
- بس ڈرائیورbas draiwerbus driverThe driver again, now of the bus; he collects the fares and the gossip alike
- آخری اسٹیشنakhri steshanlast stopLiterally "the last station": where everyone must get off
- روٹ نمبرrut nambarroute numberLiterally "the route’s number": the number the bus wears on its brow
- رش کا وقتrash ka waqtrush hourLiterally "the time of the rush": the hour the bus becomes a pressed crowd
- بسوں کا شیڈولbason ka shidulbus timetableLiterally "the buses’ schedule": posted on the wall, honored in spirit
- کرایہ دیناkiraya denato pay the fareLiterally "to give the fare": paid to the conductor, mid-jolt
- جگہ لے لیناdzhaga le lenato take a seatLiterally "to take a place for oneself": the taking that wins you the window
- ٹیکسی بلواناtaksi bulwanato call a taxiLiterally "to have a taxi called": done now by the app, once by the shout
- اگلے اسٹیشن پر اترناagle steshan per utarnato get off at the next stopLiterally "at the next station to descend": said to the conductor and the friend alike
- علاقہilaqadistrictThe district: the area with its own markets and its own honor
- شہر کا مرکزsheher ka markazcity centreLiterally "the city’s centre": the centre you met at the main street
- مضافاتmuzafatoutskirtsThe outskirts: where the rent drops and the fields begin
- سائٹsaitconstruction siteThe international site: the building site of the rising colony
- سڑک کی مرمتsadak ki murammatroad repairLiterally "the road’s mending": the pit the monsoon opens and the city closes
- سائن بورڈsain bordsignpostThe sign-board you met at the shop: the road’s own nameplate
- پبلک ٹائلٹpablik tailtpublic toiletTwo international words: found at the bazaar and the bus stand
- صافsaafcleanThe clean you met at the cleaning: said of streets, water and hearts alike
- گنداgandadirtyThe dirty of the dog and the sofa: the street after rain
- ہجومhudzhumcrowdedThe crowd as a state: the bazaar at its midday height
- گاؤںgaonvillageThe village: you met it at the cheaper rent; the word of the summer visits
- دار الحکومتdarul hukumatcapitalLiterally "the house of government": Islamabad, the capital
- پبلک ٹرانسپورٹpablik transportpublic transportTwo international words: cheap, and everywhere
- نرسریnursirikindergartenThe nursery: at four the child goes there
- بچوں کا پارکbachon ka parkplaygroundLiterally "the children’s park": swings and shouts
- فوارہfawarafountainThe fountain: children play by it on the square
- قبرستانqabristancemeterythe first sound is the deep g: ghab-ri-staan, as in ghalam
- فائر بریگیڈ کی گاڑیfaier brigad ki garifire engineLiterally "the fire brigade’s carriage": red, loud, always late
- محلہmuhallaquarter (neighborhood)The mohalla: houses face each other across courtyards, and everyone knows everyone. Ilaqa — the bigger district — you know
- باغچہbaghchasmall parkA little garden: a scrap of green between houses. The bagh is a big garden, the park a bigger one — this one is under your window
- مینارminartowerA tower: tall, round, visible from the other end of the city. The most famous one stands in Lahore
- نواحی علاقہnawahi ilaqasuburbLiterally "adjoining ilaqa": nawahi — neighboring, adjacent. Muzafat — the outskirts — you know; the suburb is housing already outside the city
- بستیbastisettlementA settlement: smaller houses, narrower streets, but all one’s own people. From basna — to settle: the place where people settled to live
- راہگیrahgipasser-byThe one who walks the road: a passer-by. Asking a passer-by for the way here is normal, and help comes willingly
- پیدل چلنے والاpedal chalne walapedestrianLiterally "walking on foot": paidal chalna you can already do, and -wala turns it into a person. At the crossing the pedestrian is the main one
- بورڈbordsignAn international word: the shop’s board, visible from the other end of the street. The road one is sign board, which you know; the shop one is simply board
- ڈسٹ بینdast binbinBoth words international: the dust bin by the house and on the street. A wrapper is carried all the way to the bin — missing it is bad manners
- گلی کی لائٹgali ki laitstreet lampLiterally "the light of the alley": light — the lamp — you know, gali — the street. Chess players and storytellers gather under it in the evening
- چمنchamanlawnYou know ghaas — grass; the mown grass of a park is chaman. The word lives in people’s names too
- پھولوں کی کیاریphulon ki kyariflower bedKyaari — the vegetable patch — you know; a bed of flowers is phoolon ki kyaari, "flowers’ patch"
- دہلیزdehlizporch stepThe threshold and the little step before the door. In the evening people sit on it and wait for guests
- سیڑھی کا قدمsidhi ka qadamstep (of stairs)Seedhi — the staircase — and qadam — the step: a stair-step here is "the staircase’s step". You know qadam ba qadam — step by step
- گھر کا نمبرghar ka namberhouse numberLiterally "of house the number": whose number the little ka shows — a tail between the words, not an ending
- گلی کا نامgali ka namstreet nameA name here is naam — the same word as a personal name: gali ka naam — the street’s name. There is no separate word for "title"
- کھمباkhambapoleWith a breath: khamba. The street pole — from wires to lamp; bicycles and goats are tied to it alike
- پرانا شہرpurana sheherold townLiterally "old city": the same purana as in purana zamana — old times. Narrow streets and old shops are all there
- رہائشی مکانrehaishi makanresidential buildingFrom rehaish — lodging, which you know from the registration papers: rehayishi makan — a house people live in
- خاموشیkhamoshisilenceFrom the khamosh — quiet — you know: silence is "quietness". It is requested politely, without shouting
- عمارتimaratbuildingAny structure — from a school to a bank; the residential ghar you have met. The same word lives in the names of Lahore’s old buildings
- ہالhalhallAn international word written in the local script: the hall for weddings and gatherings. The hall of a flat is said differently — "the sitting room" — and hall is not used for it
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
The CSV contains spelling, reading guides, translations and links to word pages. Use the browser menu to save the printable sheet as a PDF.
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- شہر بڑا ہےsheher bara haiThe city is big
- گلی تنگ ہےgali ting haiThe alley is narrow
- چوک پر بازار ہےchok per bazar haiThere is a bazaar on the square
- سڑک لمبی ہےsadak lambi haiThe road is long
- بازار میں بھیڑ ہےbazar main bher haiThere is a crowd at the bazaar
- ٹریفک لائٹ پر رکوtrefik lait per rukoStop at the traffic light
What is worth knowing about these words
شہر (sheher) — city. The same shehar the Persians say — and kin of the shah: a city is the place where the shah rules.
گلی (gali) — alley. The narrow lane of the old city: a gali against the wide sarrak. Lahore’s lanes are named after bazaars and saints.
چوک (chok) — square. A crossroads, a square where roads meet. Chowk Ghanta Ghar with its clock tower is the heart of old Lahore.
سڑک (sadak) — road. The retroflex r in the middle. The big road is sarrak, the narrow lane is gali: the city here splits into two worlds.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “city” in Urdu?
The same shehar the Persians say — and kin of the shah: a city is the place where the shah rules
- How do you say “bus stop” in Urdu?
Bus and stop you know; the halt here is named exactly so. One cries "bus stop!" — and the driver brakes
- How do you say “park” in Urdu?
The same park; on Sundays families come with food and mats — the park here is a dining room under the sky
- How do you say “crossroads” in Urdu?
The four-way crossing: the city’s beating heart and its chief jam
- How do you say “street light” in Urdu?
The light again: the street’s lamps, lit by the electricity’s mercy
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “city” in Urdu?
«شہر», read “sheher”. The same shehar the Persians say — and kin of the shah: a city is the place where the shah rules. It is one of 80 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 80 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.