… میں
… mẽ
The English preposition 'in' is expressed in Urdu using several forms, most commonly … میں (… mẽ). Wiktionary also lists اندر (andar) and بھیتر (bhītar).
Meaning: contained by (prep)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| … میں | … mẽ | |
| اندر | andar | /ən.d̪əɾ/ (Standard, Urdu) /ɪn.d̪ʊɾ/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| بھیتر | bhītar |
Use … میں to indicate being inside a container or space, and use اندر to express the adverbial sense of 'inside' or moving 'into' a place.
Which one should you use?
اندر (andar) is typically used as an adverb meaning 'inside' to indicate direction or location. In contrast, … میں is used as a postposition to indicate being contained within a specific noun.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بھیتر (bhītar) is a more formal or literary way to say 'inside' or 'within' compared to the common اندر (andar).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Punjab region of Pakistan, some people use vich instead of … میں to mean 'in'.
How does it change in a sentence?
While English uses 'in' before a noun, the Urdu postposition میں must follow the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
… mẽ
Did you know?
- The word میں (mein) is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'midst', as both trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root for 'middle'.
Examples in context
- مجھے اندر آنے دو۔Let me in.The first sentence is useful for requesting to be let اندر.Tatoeba #2123971 by nabeel_tahir, translation #277466 by CK
- اس کے اندر دیکھو۔Take a look in there.The second sentence is useful for directing someone to look اندر a specific place.Tatoeba #4367321 by nabeel_tahir, translation #3408795 by CK
- ٹام اور مئیری نے اپنے اپنے کمروں پر تالا لگا کر اپنے آپ کو اندر بند کر دیا۔Tom and Mary locked themselves in their rooms.The third sentence is useful for describing the action of locking oneself اندر a room.Tatoeba #12902496 by Roomba_Unit, translation #6512985 by CT
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in” translations and entries اندر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries اندر, میں, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
