کان
kān/kɑːn/
The Urdu word for the possessive pronoun 'mine' is کان (kān).
Note that this same spelling is also used for the noun meaning an excavation from which ore is extracted.
Meaning: that which belongs to me (pron)
Which one should you use?
The word کان can function as the possessive pronoun 'mine' or as a noun referring to a mineral mine. The noun 'mine' (as in a mineral extraction site) can also be expressed by the word معدن.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kān and the IPA is /kɑːn/.
Did you know?
- In many dialects of Punjabi, a closely related form of this word is used to refer to the 'ear'.
- The word کان traveled through the Apabhramsa and Prakrit stages of language evolution before settling into the modern Urdu form.
- Using معدن instead of کان often signals a more formal or academic register, similar to how English uses 'mineral deposit' instead of 'mine'.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry کان, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries کان, CC BY-SA 4.0.
