Participial and Gerund Forms in Urdu

Overview

Urdu verbs can function as adjectives (participles) and nouns (gerunds/verbal nouns), adding flexibility to sentence construction. At the CEFR B1 level, these forms allow learners to create more complex descriptions and use verbs in nominal positions.

Past participles describe states resulting from actions (ٹوٹا ہوا = broken), while the infinitive serves as the gerund/verbal noun (پڑھنا اچھا ہے = reading is good). The oblique infinitive + postposition creates purpose and temporal clauses (کھانے کے بعد = after eating).

How It Works

Past Participle as Adjective

Verb stem + ا/ی/ے + ہوا/ہوئی/ہوئے:

Form	Example	Meaning
M.sg	ٹوٹا ہوا	broken
F	ٹوٹی ہوئی	broken (f)
M.pl	ٹوٹے ہوئے	broken (pl)

Infinitive as Verbal Noun

The infinitive (ending in -نا) functions as a noun:

• پڑھنا اچھی عادت ہے (Reading is a good habit)
• سچ بولنا ضروری ہے (Telling the truth is necessary)

Oblique Infinitive

The infinitive in oblique case (-نے) + postposition:

Pattern	Example	Meaning
-نے + کے بعد	کھانے کے بعد	after eating
-نے + کے لیے	سیکھنے کے لیے	in order to learn
-نے + سے	آنے سے	by coming / from coming
-نے + میں	کرنے میں	in doing

Examples in Context

Urdu	Transliteration	English	Note
ٹوٹی ہوئی کھڑکی	ṭūṭī huī khiṛkī	broken window	Past participle adjective
پڑھنا اچھی عادت ہے۔	paṛhnā acchī ādat hai	Reading is a good habit.	Infinitive as noun
کھانا کھانے کے بعد چلیں۔	khānā khāne ke ba'd chaleṅ	Let's go after eating.	Oblique infinitive
بچے سوئے ہوئے ہیں۔	bachche soe hue haiṅ	The children are asleep.	Participle as state
لکھنا سیکھنے کے لیے	likhnā sīkhne ke liye	in order to learn writing	Purpose clause
بند کمرا	band kamrā	closed room	Short participle
آتے ہوئے میں نے دیکھا۔	āte hue maiṅ ne dekhā	While coming, I saw.	Present participle
یہ سننے میں اچھا لگتا ہے۔	yeh sunne meṅ acchā lagtā hai	This sounds good (is nice in hearing).	Oblique infinitive

Common Mistakes

Using Wrong Participle Form

• Wrong: ٹوٹا ہوا کھڑکی (masculine with feminine noun)
• Right: ٹوٹی ہوئی کھڑکی
• Why: Participles agree in gender with the noun they modify.

Forgetting Oblique Form of Infinitive

• Wrong: کھانا کے بعد
• Right: کھانے کے بعد
• Why: Before postpositions, the infinitive takes oblique form: -نا → -نے.

Usage Notes

Participial adjectives are extremely common in Urdu: بند (closed), کھلا (open), ٹوٹا (broken), بنا (made), لکھا (written). Many have become so established that they function as standalone adjectives.

Practice Tips

• Practice converting verbs to adjectives: ٹوٹنا → ٹوٹا ہوا, بند کرنا → بند.
• Use infinitives as sentence subjects: سیکھنا اچھا ہے, سچ بولنا ضروری ہے.
• Build temporal phrases with oblique infinitives: آنے سے پہلے, جانے کے بعد.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Habitual Tense — Understanding verb forms
• Next steps: Infinitive-Based Constructions — Advanced infinitive uses