جانا
jānā
The English phrase 'go' is translated to Urdu as جانا (jānā).
The verb جانا means to move through space, especially from one place to another. You can use the word jaldi (quickly or fast) alongside it to emphasize the action of 'go'. Note that جانا is the antonym of آنا (to come). Be careful not to confuse جانا with its related form گو, which refers to a board game.
Meaning: to move through space (especially from one place to another) (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive جانا changes depending on the tense, gender and person. To express the masculine singular past tense, use گیا (gayā). For commands, the informal imperative is جاؤ (jāo), while the polite imperative is جائیے (jāiye).
How do you pronounce it?
jānā
Did you know?
- If you are talking about a person 'going' in the sense of dying, Urdu uses the phrase جانا as a euphemism, much like the English 'to pass away'.
- In Urdu, the verb جانا can be used figuratively to mean 'to be destroyed' or 'to be lost', such as when saying one's reputation is 'going'.
- While جانا is a verb for movement, it can also function as an auxiliary verb in Urdu to indicate that an action is being completed or is about to finish.
Examples in context
- میں نے بھی جانا ہے۔I'd like to go, too.This sentence shows how to express a desire to go.Tatoeba #1505851 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1504458 by CK
- میں نے سیٹل جانا ہے۔I want to go to Seattle.Tatoeba #1459167 by nabeel_tahir, translation #53908 by CN
- میں بھی ہوائی جانا چاہتا ہوں۔I'd like to go to Hawaii as well.Tatoeba #1652160 by nabeel_tahir, translation #361587 by blay_paul
- سیدھے جاؤ (Seedhe jaao)Go straight.
- جلدی چل (Jaldi chal)Walk fast.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Ali are deciding where to go for lunch.
- سارہ Saraعلی، کیا آپ بازار جانا چاہتے ہیں؟Ali, kya aap bazaar jaana chahte hain?Ali, do you want to go to the market?
- علی Aliہاں، مجھے بھی جانا ہے۔Haan, mujhe bhi jaana hai.Yes, I have to go too.
- سارہ Saraہم ابھی جانا شروع کریں۔Hum abhi jaana shuru karein.Let's start going now.
- علی Aliٹھیک ہے، سارہ، چلیں جانا شروع کرتے ہیں۔Thik hai, Sarah, chalein jaana shuru karte hain.Okay, Sarah, let's start going.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go” translations and entries جانا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
