پاگل
pāgal/pɑː.ɡəl/
The English phrase 'mad' can be translated into Urdu as پاگل (pāgal).
The word پاگل primarily means 'insane' or 'crazy'. While it can be used colloquially to mean someone is acting foolishly, its primary meaning is 'insane' or 'crazy' rather than 'angry'.
Meaning: angry (adj)
Which one should you use?
پاگل corresponds to the sense of being 'insane' or 'crazy', whereas for the sense of being 'angry', you should use غصہ.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pɑː.ɡəl/ (pāgal). It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the Urdu word پاگل (pāgal) to mean 'angry', whereas it actually means 'insane' or 'crazy'. If you want to say someone is mad in the sense of being angry, use غصہ instead.
Did you know?
- In Urdu poetry and Sufi traditions, being پاگل can be a positive trait, describing a divine madness or a soul so consumed by love for God that they ignore worldly norms.
- While پاگل means 'insane', the word غصہ for 'angry' is actually a noun meaning 'anger'. To say someone is angry, Urdu speakers typically say they are 'doing' or 'having' غصہ.
- The word پاگل descends from the ancient Sauraseni Prakrit word *𑀧𑀕𑁆𑀕𑀮 (*paggala).
Examples in context
- تم پاگل تھے جو اکیلے کرنے چلے گئے تھے۔You are mad to try to do it all alone.This sentence shows the use of پاگل to describe someone acting foolishly.Tatoeba #4367353 by nabeel_tahir, translation #18000 by CK
- تم نے مجھے ناراض ہونا سکھا دیا.You taught me how to be mad.
Example conversation
Aisha and Hamza are arguing about a mistake.
- عائشہ Ayeshaتم مجھ سے پاگل کیوں ہو؟Tum mujh se pagal kyun ho?Why are you mad at me?
- حمزہ Hamzaکیونکہ تم نے میری بات نہیں سنی۔Kyunke tum ne meri baat nahi suni.Because you didn't listen to me.
- عائشہ Ayeshaمیں معذرت چاہتی ہوں، حمزہ۔Main mazrat chahti hoon, Hamza.I apologize, Hamza.
- حمزہ Hamzaٹھیک ہے، اب میں پاگل نہیں ہوں۔Theek hai, ab main pagal nahi hoon.Okay, I am not mad now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry پاگل, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries پاگل, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
