دعا کرنا
du'ā karnā
To pray in Urdu is دعا کرنا (du'ā karnā).
The phrase دعا کرنا is used to describe the act of talking to God or making a supplication. A very common alternative is دعا مانگنا (du'ā māngnā), which literally means 'to ask for prayer' and is frequently used to express requesting a blessing from God.
Meaning: to talk to God (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase دعا کرنا is composed of the noun دعا (du'ā), meaning prayer or supplication and the verb کرنا (karnā), meaning to do.
Which one should you use?
While دعا کرنا refers to the general act of making a supplication or asking God for something, the phrase نماز پڑھنا (namāz parhnā) specifically refers to performing the formal, ritualized Islamic prayer.
How do you pronounce it?
du'ā karnā
Did you know?
- In Urdu, the phrase دعا مانگنا (du'ā māngnā) implies 'asking' or 'begging' for a prayer, highlighting a cultural view of the believer as a humble petitioner before God.
- The verb used in دعا کرنا, which is کرنا (karnā), shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root as the English verb 'to do'.
- In Urdu culture, when someone says میری دعا ہے (merī du'ā hai), they are not just praying but are offering a blessing or a wish for another person's well-being.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Fatima are discussing a friend's health.
- احمد Ahmedفاطمہ، کیا آپ نے اس کی صحت کے لیے دعا کرنا شروع کیا؟Fatima, kya aap ne us ki sehat ke liye dua karna shuru kiya?Fatima, did you start praying for his health?
- فاطمہ Fatimaہاں احمد، میں ہر رات دعا کرتی ہوں۔Haan Ahmed, main har raat dua karti hoon.Yes Ahmed, I pray every night.
- احمد Ahmedمجھے یقین ہے کہ وہ جلد ٹھیک ہو جائے گا۔Mujhe yaqeen hai ke woh jald theek ho jaye ga.I am sure he will get well soon.
- فاطمہ Fatimaجی، ہمیں مل کر دعا کرنا چاہیے۔Ji, humein mil kar dua karna chahiye.Yes, we should pray together.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries دعا, کرنا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
