شَہَر
śaharmasculine
The English word "city" is translated into Urdu as شَہَر (śahar). Wiktionary also lists نَگَر (nagar).
Meaning: large settlement (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شَہَر | śahar | masculine |
| نَگَر | nagar | masculine |
The term refers to a large settlement.
Which one should you use?
شَہَر is the common word for city. In contrast, نَگَر is a more formal or literary term often used in names of settlements. Additionally, the term بستی is used in colloquial language to refer to a small neighborhood or town.
How does it change in a sentence?
شَہَر is a masculine noun. The plural form of 'śahar' is شَہروں (cities) when used with postpositions.
How do you pronounce it?
śahar
Did you know?
- The root of نَگَر is related to the Sanskrit word 'nagar', which is why many ancient cities in India and Pakistan still have names ending in 'nagar'.
- The word شَہَر is a loanword from Persian that was adopted into Urdu, reflecting the deep historical influence of Persian administration in South Asia.
- In some contexts, شَہَر is used as a metaphor for the 'world' or 'society' at large, rather than a specific geographical location.
Examples in context
- یہ ایک بہت بڑا شَہَر ہے۔yeh ek bohat bara shahar hai.This is a very large city.
- شَہَر میں بہت ٹریفک ہے۔shahar mein bohat traffic hai.There is a lot of traffic in the city.
- کیا آپ نے یہ شَہَر دیکھا ہے؟kya aap ne yeh shahar dekha hai?Have you seen this city?
Example conversation
Hamza and Aisha are talking about a trip to a new place.
- عائشہ Ayeshaکیا یہ شَہَر بہت پرانا ہے؟kya yeh shahar bohat purana hai?Is this city very old?
- حمزہ Hamzaہاں، یہ بہت قدیم شَہَر ہے۔haan, yeh bohat qadeem shahar hai.Yes, this is a very ancient city.
- عائشہ Ayeshaحمزہ، کیا ہمیں یہاں رکنا چاہیے؟Hamza, kya hamein yahan rukna chahiye?Hamza, should we stay here?
- حمزہ Hamzaجی، یہ شَہَر بہت خوبصورت ہے۔jee, yeh shahar bohat khubsurat hai.Yes, this city is very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “city” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
