موتی
motī/moː.t̪iː/masculine
In Urdu, pearl is translated as موتی (motī). Wiktionary also lists مَروارِید (marvārīd) and گَوہَر (gauhar).
Meaning: rounded shelly concretion produced by certain mollusks (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| موتی | motī | /moː.t̪iː/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
| مَروارِید | marvārīd | masculine | |
| گَوہَر | gauhar | masculine |
The term refers to the rounded shelly concretion produced by certain mollusks.
Which one should you use?
موتی is the most common, everyday term used in standard conversation. In contrast, مَروارِید is a more formal or literary term, while گَوہَر is a highly poetic and sophisticated term frequently used in high-register literature and Urdu Ghazals.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of موتی in the oblique case (used with postpositions) is موتیوں.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of موتی is motī (/moː.t̪iː/).
Did you know?
- While موتی is the standard word, گَوہَر can also refer to the essence or the inner nature of a person, similar to the English phrase 'the kernel of truth'.
- Urdu literature often uses pearls, especially مَروارِید, to symbolize tears of grief or longing in romantic poetry.
- The word گَوہَر is a loanword from Persian, reflecting the deep influence of Persian court culture on the most sophisticated registers of Urdu.
Examples in context
- اسے سفید موتی بہت پسند ہیں۔useh safaid moti bohat pasand hain.She likes white pearls very much.
Example conversation
Sarah and Ahmed are looking at jewelry in a shop.
- سارہ Saraاحمد، دیکھو یہ موتی کتنا خوبصورت ہے!Ahmed, dekho yeh moti kitna khubsurat hai!Ahmed, look how beautiful this pearl is!
- احمد Ahmedہاں سارہ، یہ بہت قیمتی معلوم ہوتا ہے۔han Sarah, yeh bohat qeemti maloom hota hai.Yes Sarah, it looks very expensive.
- سارہ Saraکیا اس کا رنگ اصلی ہے؟kya is ka rang asli hai?Is its color real?
- احمد Ahmedجی، یہ ایک اصلی موتی ہے۔ji, yeh ek asli moti hai.Yes, it is a real pearl.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pearl” translations and entries موتی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
