نَدی
nadīfeminine
The English word 'river' can be translated into Urdu as نَدی (nadī), دَرْیا or نَہْر.
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نَدی | nadī | feminine |
| دَرْیا | daryā | masculine |
| نَہْر | nahr | feminine |
All these terms refer to a large stream which drains a landmass.
Which one should you use?
While نَہْر can mean a river in certain contexts, it most commonly refers to a canal or a man-made waterway.
How does it change in a sentence?
The choice of word affects the grammar of your sentence. دَرْیا is a masculine noun and requires masculine adjectives and verbs. The plural form of دَرْیا is دَرْیاؤں. نَدی is a feminine noun and requires feminine adjectives and verbs. The plural form of نَدی is نَدیوں.
How do you pronounce it?
nadī
Did you know?
- The word دَرْیا is a loanword from Persian, while نَدی is derived from Sanskrit, reflecting the diverse linguistic layers of Urdu.
- In Urdu poetry and music, the word دَرْیا is often used as a metaphor for immense generosity or a heart overflowing with emotion, rather than a body of water.
- In Urdu, a 'river' can be described as having a 'voice', using personification through specific verbs that imply a living entity.
Examples in context
- اُس ندی کا پانی بہت خوبصورت تھا۔The water of that river was very beautiful.
- چلو، نہر کینارے گھومنے چلتے ہیں۔Let's go for a walk by the riverbank.
- یہ نَدی بہت صاف ہے۔yeh nadi bahut saaf hai.This river is very clean.
- نَدی کا پانی ٹھنڈا ہے۔nadi ka pani thanda hai.The river water is cold.
- وہ نَدی کے قریب رہتی ہے۔woh nadi ke qareeb rehti hai.She lives near the river.
Example conversation
Sara and Omar are looking at a map of the region.
- سارہ Saraعمر، کیا یہاں کوئی نَدی ہے؟Omar, kya yahan koi nadi hai?Omar, is there a river here?
- عمر Omarہاں، یہ نَدی شہر سے گزرتی ہے۔Haan, yeh nadi shehar se guzarti hai.Yes, this river passes through the city.
- سارہ Saraکیا ہم وہاں جا سکتے ہیں؟Kya hum wahan ja sakte hain?Can we go there?
- عمر Omarہاں، ہم کل چلیں گے۔Haan, hum kal chalein ge.Yes, we will go tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
