ښوونځی
xowanjai/ʂowənˈdzai/masculine
In Pashto, school is ښوونځی (xowanjai). Wiktionary also lists مدرسه (madrasa) and مکتب (maktáb).
Meaning: an institution dedicated to teaching and learning (noun)
Ways to say it
| Pashto | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ښوونځی | xowanjai | /ʂowənˈdzai/ (Southern) /çowanˈd͡zai/ |
masculine |
| مدرسه | madrasa | feminine | |
| مکتب | maktáb | masculine |
Which one should you use?
ښوونځی is the general term used for any school. In contrast, مدرسه is used specifically to refer to a religious school or an Islamic institution. مکتب refers to a traditional primary school or a smaller-scale setting where basic religious texts are often taught.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun ښوونځی becomes ښوونځي in its plural form to mean schools.
How do you pronounce it?
xowanjai
Did you know?
- In some Pashto-speaking regions, مکتب specifically evokes the image of a traditional village teacher who teaches children to read the Quran using a wooden tablet.
- The word ښوونځی is built from the verb ښوول, which means 'to show' or 'to teach', combined with a suffix meaning 'place'.
- The term مکتب is shared with several other languages like Persian and Urdu, reflecting a shared history of early education in Central and South Asia.
Examples in context
- هلته یو لوی ښوونځی شته.halta yo loy khowanzay shta.There is a large school there.
- زه نن ښوونځی ته ځم.za nan khowanzay ta zam.I am going to school today.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Maryam are talking about their morning routine.
- احمد Ahmedمریم، آیا ته ښوونځی ته ځې؟Maryam, āyā ta shūwnzay ta zē?Maryam, are you going to school?
- مریم Maryamهو، زه اوس ځم.Ho, za os zam.Yes, I am going now.
- احمد Ahmedزه هم ښوونځی ته ځم.Za ham shūwnzay ta zam.I am going to school too.
- مریم Maryamنو راځه چې یوځای لاړ شو.No rāza chī yawzāy lāṛ sho.Then come, let's go together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school” translations and entries ښوونځی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ښوونځی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
