عُمْر
'umrfeminine
The English word 'age' is translated into Urdu as عُمْر ('umr). Wiktionary also lists آیُو (āyū).
Meaning: amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عُمْر | 'umr | feminine |
| آیُو | āyū | feminine |
The word refers to the amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing.
Which one should you use?
عُمْر is the standard and most common way to say 'age' in Urdu. In contrast, آیُو is a much more formal, literary or archaic term for 'age' compared to 'umr'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both عُمْر and آیُو are feminine. In Urdu, when asking someone's age, you use the feminine verb forms to agree with 'umr'.
How do you pronounce it?
'umr
Did you know?
- The formal term آیُو comes from Sanskrit and is often found in classical poetry and ancient texts. Its presence alongside the Arabic عُمْر reflects the historical blending of Indo-Aryan and Perso-Arabic influences in the Urdu language.
- In traditional Urdu etiquette, asking an elder's عُمْر directly can be seen as overly blunt. Instead, speakers may use indirect phrasing or refer to the person's 'experience' to be more respectful.
- The word عُمْر is borrowed from Arabic and shares a root with the word for 'life' or 'living'. In Urdu, this allows for poetic wordplay between one's chronological 'age' and the actual experience of 'living' a life.
Examples in context
- میری عمر بیس سال ہے۔I am twenty years old.
- میری عمر پچیس سال ہے۔I am twenty-five years old.
- وہ آٹھ سال کی ہے۔She is eight years old.
- بچوں کی عُمْر کا اندازہ لگائیں۔bachon ki umr ka andaza lagayen.Estimate the age of the children.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Zainab are getting to know each other at a gathering.
- احمد Ahmedزینب، آپ کی عُمْر کیا ہے؟Zainab, aap ki umr kya hai?Zainab, what is your age?
- زینب Zainabمیری عُمْر پچیس سال ہے۔Meri umr pachis saal hai.My age is twenty-five years.
- احمد Ahmedاچھا، میں آپ سے بڑا ہوں۔Acha, mein aap se bara hoon.I see, I am older than you.
- زینب Zainabآپ کی عُمْر کتنی ہے؟Aap ki umr kitni hai?How much is your age?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “age” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
