روٹی
roṭī/ɾoː.ʈiː/feminine
The English word bread is translated into Urdu as روٹی (roṭī). Wiktionary also lists نان (nān).
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| روٹی | roṭī | /ɾoː.ʈiː/ (Standard, Urdu) | feminine |
| نان | nān | /nɑːn/ (Standard, Urdu) | feminine |
The term روٹی refers to baked dough made from cereals.
Which one should you use?
روٹی is the most common general term for bread and often refers to a standard flatbread or a staple food item. In contrast, نان specifically refers to leavened or naan-style breads, which are typically cooked in a tandoor.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Punjab Region, the word روٹی is used for bread.
How does it change in a sentence?
روٹی is a feminine noun. When used in oblique cases, such as when following a preposition, the plural form is روٹیوں.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ɾoː.ʈiː/ (roṭī).
Did you know?
- In Urdu, if you ask someone if they have eaten روٹی, you are not just asking about bread, but are actually asking if they have had a full meal.
- The word نان is not native to the Indus Valley but was borrowed into Urdu from Classical Persian.
- In Urdu and Hindi, the word روٹی is often used as a metonym for 'livelihood' or 'sustenance'. A person might talk about earning their روٹی rather than just eating it.
Examples in context
- آدمی روٹی کھا رہا ہے۔The man is eating bread.This sentence shows a man consuming روٹی.Tatoeba #13388312 by Roomba_Unit, translation #853262 by piksea
- فرانسیسی ڈبر روٹی بہت مزیدار یے۔French bread is delicious.This sentence describes the taste of French روٹی.Tatoeba #2608339 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1829479 by Spamster
- میں ہمیشہ ناشتے میں روٹی کھاوٴنگی۔I always eat bread for breakfast.This sentence is useful for expressing a habit of eating روٹی for breakfast.Tatoeba #12486675 by Roomba_Unit, translation #12484089 by Lumi
- کیا آپ بریڈ مجھے دے دیں گے؟Can you please pass me the bread?
- چلو رات کے کھانے میں کچھ نان کھاتے ہیں۔Let's have some naan with our dinner tonight.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Fatima and Hamza are having a meal together.
- فاطمہ Fatimaکیا آپ کو روٹی چاہیے؟Kya aap ko roti chahiye?Do you want some bread?
- حمزہ Hamzaجی ہاں، مجھے ایک روٹی دیں۔Ji haan, mujhe ek roti dein.Yes, please give me one piece of bread.
- فاطمہ Fatimaیہ لیں، گرم روٹی تیار ہے۔Yeh lein, garam roti tayyar hai.Here you go, the hot bread is ready.
- حمزہ Hamzaشکریہ، یہ بہت اچھی لگ رہی ہے۔Shukriya, yeh bohat achi lag rahi hai.Thank you, it looks very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries روٹی, نان, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries روٹی, نان, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
