دُشْمَن
duśmanmasculine
The English phrase "enemy" is translated into Urdu as دُشْمَن (duśman). If unsure, use دُشْمَن. Wiktionary also lists عَدُو ('adū).
Meaning: someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| دُشْمَن | duśman | masculine |
| عَدُو | 'adū | masculine |
Both terms refer to someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of or intends injury to someone else.
Which one should you use?
دُشْمَن is the most common and standard way to say "enemy" in everyday Urdu. In contrast, عَدُو is a more formal or literary term, often found in poetry or classical texts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of دُشْمَن is دُشْمَنوں (duśmanoṃ) when used with postpositions, such as when saying "enemies to" or "enemies of".
How do you pronounce it?
duśman
Did you know?
- Urdu speakers often use the phrase دُشْمَنِ جاں (dushman-e-jan) in romantic poetry to describe a lover whose beauty or indifference is 'lethal' to the heart.
- In Urdu poetry, the term عَدُو is often used to personify abstract concepts like 'time' or 'fate' as a literal enemy of the lover.
- The word دُشْمَن (dushman) is a cognate with the Persian word for enemy, reflecting the deep historical tie between Persian and Urdu vocabulary.
Examples in context
- وہ میرا عدو ہے۔He is my enemy.
- دُشْمَن بہت طاقتور ہے۔dushman bohat taqatwar hai.The enemy is very powerful.
- ہمیں اپنے دُشْمَن سے بچنا چاہیے۔humein apne dushman se bachna chahiye.We should protect ourselves from our enemy.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Aisha are discussing a historical story.
- عائشہ Ayeshaاحمد، کیا وہ ہمارا دُشْمَن ہے؟Ahmed, kya woh hamara dushman hai?Ahmed, is he our enemy?
- احمد Ahmedہاں، عائشہ، وہ ہمارا دُشْمَن ہے۔Haan, Aisha, woh hamara dushman hai.Yes, Aisha, he is our enemy.
- عائشہ Ayeshaتو ہمیں بہت محتاط رہنا ہوگا۔Toh humein bohat muhtat rehna hoga.Then we must be very careful.
- احمد Ahmedبالکل، ہمیں تیار رہنا چاہیے۔Bilkul, humein tayyar rehna chahiye.Exactly, we should be prepared.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “enemy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
