مشکل
muśkil/mʊʃ.kɪl/
The English word 'difficult' is translated into Urdu as مشکل (muśkil). Wiktionary also lists دشوار (duśvār) and کٹھن (kaṭhin).
Meaning: hard, not easy (adj)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| مشکل | muśkil | /mʊʃ.kɪl/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| دشوار | duśvār | |
| کٹھن | kaṭhin |
All three forms are adjectives used to describe something that is hard or not easy.
Which one should you use?
مشکل (muśkil) is the most common and versatile way to say 'difficult' in everyday Urdu. دشوار (duśvār) serves as a more formal synonym, while کٹھن (kaṭhin) is often used in literature or formal speech specifically to describe a difficult task, journey or path.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'it is difficult', add the verb ہے (hai) after the adjective, forming مشکل ہے (muśkil hai). To say 'it is not difficult', place نہیں (nahīñ) before the verb, forming مشکل نہیں ہے (muśkil nahīñ hai).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is muśkil.
Did you know?
- The word مشکل (muśkil) actually shares its roots with the Arabic word for 'problem' or 'knot', as it describes something that is tangled or hard to resolve.
- Urdu is a linguistic crossroads where you can use مشکل, which has Arabic origins, and کٹھن, which has Sanskrit origins, to express the exact same concept in a single sentence.
- In poetic Urdu, the term مشکل is often used in the context of 'مشکل کشائی', which refers to the act of removing obstacles or solving a crisis.
Examples in context
- مگر بہت بہت مشکل ہے۔But that's very, very difficult.This sentence shows how to emphasize that something is very, very difficult using مشکل.Tatoeba #1447380 by nabeel_tahir, translation #53644 by AlanF_US
- اس کے نظریہ کو سمجھنا مشکل ہے۔It's difficult to understand his theory.This sentence uses مشکل to describe the difficulty of understanding a theory.Tatoeba #1450563 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1396340 by CK
- مجھے ایک دن میں اتنا سارا کام کرنا مشکل لگ رہا ہے۔I find it difficult to do all this work in a day.This sentence uses مشکل to express the difficulty of completing a workload in a single day.Tatoeba #1527007 by nabeel_tahir, translation #27437 by Luornu
- مسئلہ حل کرنا مشکل ہی تھا۔Solving the problem was difficult.
- یہ سوال کٹھن ہے۔This question is difficult.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ali and Sara are talking about their homework.
- علی Aliسارہ، کیا یہ سوال بہت مشکل ہے؟Sara, kya yeh sawal bohat mushkil hai?Sara, is this question very difficult?
- سارہ Saraہاں علی، یہ واقعی مشکل ہے۔Haan Ali, yeh waqai mushkil hai.Yes Ali, it really is difficult.
- علی Aliہمیں کسی سے مدد لینی چاہیے۔Hamein kisi se madad leni chahiye.We should get help from someone.
- سارہ Saraٹھیک ہے، ہم استاد سے پوچھتے ہیں۔Theek hai, hum ustad se poochte hain.Alright, let's ask the teacher.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “difficult” translations and entries مشکل, کٹھن, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries مشکل, کٹھن, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
