صرف
sirf/sɪɾf/
The English word 'only' is translated into Urdu as صرف (sirf).
صرف is used as an adverb to mean 'without others or anything further' or 'exclusively'.
Meaning: without others or anything further, exclusively (adv)
Which one should you use?
صرف is the standard way to express 'only' or 'just' in both formal and informal Urdu. For a more formal or literary alternative meaning 'only' or 'merely', you can use محض. Additionally, بس serves as an informal way to say 'only'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Urdu, صرف typically precedes the noun or number it is modifying, which is similar to its position in English. For example, the phrase صرف ایک is commonly used to mean 'only one'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /sɪɾf/ (sirf).
Did you know?
- While صرف is used for 'only', Urdu also uses the word ہی as a post-positional particle to provide emphasis that translates to 'only' or 'just' in English.
- The informal alternative بس is often used as a gesture to tell a server to stop pouring tea or food into a bowl, effectively meaning 'that is enough'.
- While صرف means 'only', it shares its Arabic root with the word for 'morphology' or 'grammar' in many contexts. In linguistic studies, the term صرف (sarf) refers specifically to the study of word forms.
Examples in context
- پارٹی پہ صرف چھہ لوگ تھے۔There were only six people at the party.This sentence is useful for noting the quantity of people at a party using صرف.Tatoeba #1564749 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1103231 by supplementfacts
- تم نے صرف اس بٹن کو دبانا ہے۔You have only to push this button.This sentence uses صرف to indicate a single specific action.Tatoeba #1507244 by nabeel_tahir, translation #70096 by CM
- اگر صرف ہمارے پاس ایک باغ ہوتا۔If only we had a garden!This sentence uses صرف to express a wish.Tatoeba #1600197 by nabeel_tahir, translation #23576 by adamtrousers
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hamza and Sarah are talking about a restaurant.
- حمزہ Hamzaکیا ہم وہاں کھا سکتے ہیں؟kya hum wahan kha saktay hain?Can we eat there?
- سارہ Saraنہیں۔ وہاں صرف ناشتہ ملتا ہے۔nahin. wahan sirf nashta milta hai.No. Only breakfast is served there.
- حمزہ Hamzaٹھیک ہے، پھر صرف چائے لیتے ہیں۔theek hai, phir sirf chai letay hain.Okay, then let's only have tea.
- سارہ Saraہاں، وہ اچھا خیال ہے۔haan, wo acha khayal hai.Yes, that is a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “only” translations and entries صرف, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries صرف, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
