Relative Clauses (جو...وہ) in Urdu

Overview

Urdu uses a correlative relative clause system where the relative pronoun جو jo (who/which/that) in the subordinate clause is paired with وہ voh in the main clause. This is fundamentally different from English, where the relative pronoun alone connects the clauses. At the CEFR B2 level, mastering this correlative pattern is crucial for complex sentence construction.

The relative clause can precede or follow the main clause, giving Urdu speakers considerable flexibility in sentence organization. The correlative system extends beyond جو...وہ to include pairs like جہاں...وہاں (where...there), جب...تب (when...then), and جیسا...ویسا (as...so).

How It Works

Core Correlative Pairs

Relative	Main Clause	Meaning
جو jo	وہ voh	who/which...that
جہاں jahāṅ	وہاں vahāṅ	where...there
جب jab	تب tab	when...then
جیسا jaisā	ویسا vaisā	as/like...so
جتنا jitnā	اتنا utnā	as much...that much
جدھر jidhar	ادھر idhar	whichever direction...that direction

Relative Clause Positions

Relative clause first (most common): جو لڑکا آیا وہ میرا دوست ہے۔ (The boy who came is my friend.)

Relative clause after (also possible): وہ لڑکا میرا دوست ہے جو آیا تھا۔ (That boy is my friend who had come.)

جو Oblique Forms

Case	Form
Direct	جو
Oblique singular	جس jis
Oblique plural	جن jin

Examples in Context

Urdu	Transliteration	English	Note
جو لڑکا آیا وہ میرا دوست ہے۔	jo laṛkā āyā voh merā dost hai	The boy who came is my friend.	Basic relative clause
جو کتاب میں نے پڑھی وہ اچھی تھی۔	jo kitāb maiṅ ne paṛhī voh acchī thī	The book that I read was good.	Object relative
جہاں آپ رہتے ہیں وہاں اچھا ہے۔	jahāṅ āp rahte haiṅ vahāṅ acchā hai	Where you live is nice.	Place correlative
جب وہ آئے تب ہم جائیں گے۔	jab voh āe tab ham jāeṅ ge	When he comes, we will go.	Time correlative
جس کو چاہو بلا لو۔	jis ko chāho bulā lo	Call whomever you want.	Oblique of جو
جن لوگوں نے دیکھا وہ حیران رہ گئے۔	jin logoṅ ne dekhā voh hairān rah gae	Those who saw were amazed.	Plural oblique
جو بھی آئے اسے اندر بھیجو۔	jo bhī āe use andar bhejo	Whoever comes, send them in.	Generalized relative
جیسا بوؤ گے ویسا کاٹو گے۔	jaisā boo ge vaisā kāṭo ge	As you sow, so shall you reap.	Manner correlative

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the Correlative وہ

• Wrong: جو لڑکا آیا میرا دوست ہے۔
• Right: جو لڑکا آیا وہ میرا دوست ہے۔
• Why: The correlative pronoun وہ in the main clause is required to complete the pair.

Using Direct جو Where Oblique جس Is Needed

• Wrong: جو لڑکے کو میں نے دیکھا
• Right: جس لڑکے کو میں نے دیکھا
• Why: Before postpositions, جو changes to جس (singular) or جن (plural).

Applying English Relative Clause Structure

• Wrong: لڑکا جو آیا میرا دوست ہے۔ (English-style positioning)
• Right: جو لڑکا آیا وہ میرا دوست ہے۔ (Urdu correlative style)
• Why: Urdu prefers the relative clause to precede the main clause with the correlative pair.

Usage Notes

The correlative system is one of the defining syntactic features of South Asian languages. While it may initially seem complex, it provides great clarity and flexibility once mastered. The system is shared with Hindi and other Indo-Aryan languages.

In informal speech, the correlative وہ is sometimes omitted, but including it is always correct and recommended.

Practice Tips

• Practice the full correlative pairs by constructing sentences with each: جو...وہ, جہاں...وہاں, جب...تب.
• Start with simple relative clauses and gradually add complexity.
• Translate English relative clauses into Urdu correlative structures to internalize the pattern difference.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Conjunctions — Foundation for clause combining
• Next steps: Correlative Structures — Extended correlative pairs