پاگل
pāgal/pɑː.ɡəl/
The most common Urdu word for crazy is پاگل, romanized as pāgal. If unsure, use پاگل. Wiktionary also lists دیوانہ (dīvānā).
Meaning: insane, demented (adj)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| پاگل | pāgal | /pɑː.ɡəl/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| دیوانہ | dīvānā | /d̪iː.ʋɑː.nɑ(ː)/ (Standard, Urdu) |
پاگل is the common, blunt way to say crazy or mad. It is used in casual speech and also as an insult.
Which one should you use?
دیوانہ, romanized as dīvānā, is a more poetic or romantic word, often used for someone who is madly in love.
How does it change in a sentence?
پاگل does not change with the gender or number of the person described. دیوانہ does change: it is دیوانہ for a man and دیوانی for a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /pɑː.ɡəl/ in two syllables, with a long a first and a short, weak vowel in the second syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with پاگل around people you do not know well. It is blunt and can sound like an insult.
Did you know?
- The word دیوانہ is closely related to the concept of a 'dēw' or 'dīv', which refers to a supernatural spirit or demon in Persian mythology.
- While پاگل is often an insult, adding the word پورا meaning 'full' creates the phrase پورا پاگل, which can be used affectionately among very close friends.
- While پاگل is a native Prakrit word, دیوانہ is a Persian loanword that traveled through the region to influence multiple languages like Punjabi and Bengali.
Examples in context
- وہ کہ کر کیا میں پاگل لگتا ہوں؟Does that make me sound like a crazy person?Here پاگل describes how the speaker might sound to others.Tatoeba #10820142 by Roomba_Unit, translation #7587442 by Hybrid
- تُم بَڑے پاگَل ہوYou're so crazyThis casual line uses پاگَل with a word that makes it stronger, like so crazy.
- میرا بیٹا پاگَل ہَےMy son is crazyHere پاگَل describes a son, with no change in form.
- میں سوچتا ہوں کہ یہ خیال بالکل پاگل پن کی ایک مثال ہے۔I think this idea is a perfect example of pure craziness.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Fatima are talking about a strange man in the park.
- احمد Ahmedوہ آدمی پاگل لگ رہا ہے۔woh aadmi pagal lag raha hai.That man looks crazy.
- فاطمہ Fatimaہاں، وہ بہت پاگل ہے۔haan, woh bohat pagal hai.Yes, he is very crazy.
- احمد Ahmedکیا ہم اسے یہاں چھوڑ دیں؟kya hum usay yahan chor dein?Should we leave him here?
- فاطمہ Fatimaنہیں، احمد، ہمیں پولیس کو بلانا چاہیے۔nahi, Ahmed, humein police ko bulana chahiye.No, Ahmed, we should call the police.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crazy” translations and entries پاگل, دیوانہ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries دیوانہ, پاگل, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
