گَلی
galīfeminine
The English word street is translated into Urdu as گَلی (galī). Wiktionary also lists سَڑَک (saṛak) and راسْتَہ (rāsta).
Meaning: paved part of road in a village or a town (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| گَلی | galī | feminine |
| سَڑَک | saṛak | feminine |
| راسْتَہ | rāsta | masculine |
The term refers to a paved part of road in a village or a town.
Which one should you use?
There are different words for street depending on the type of road you mean. گَلی specifically refers to a narrow street or lane, often found in residential areas or old city quarters. سَڑَک refers to a wider, more major road or thoroughfare, such as a main street or highway. راسْتَہ is a more general term meaning 'path' or 'way', which can refer to any route, whether paved or unpaved.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the feminine noun گَلی with postpositions, the plural form is گَلیوں. For the feminine noun سَڑَک, the plural form is سَڑکیں.
How do you pronounce it?
galī
Did you know?
- Urdu speakers use the phrase راسْتَہ دیکھنا, which literally means 'to look at the path', to say they are eagerly awaiting someone's arrival.
- The word گَلی is often used in Urdu poetry to symbolize a lover's neighborhood, where 'wandering the گَلی' represents a state of longing or pining.
- In old cities like Lahore or Delhi, the گَلی system is designed as a social maze that naturally cools the air and provides privacy from the main سَڑَک.
Examples in context
- نہیں، وہ گلی میں رہتا ہے۔No, he lives on the street.
Example conversation
Ayesha and Omar are looking for a specific house.
- عائشہ Ayeshaکیا یہ وہی گَلی ہے؟Kya yeh wahi gali hai?Is this the same street?
- عمر Omarہاں، گھر یہیں کہیں ہے۔Haan, ghar yahin kahin hai.Yes, the house is somewhere here.
- عائشہ Ayeshaمجھے گھر کا نمبر نہیں معلوم۔Mujhe ghar ka number nahi maloom.I don't know the house number.
- عمر Omarمیں آپ کی مدد کرتا ہوں۔Main aap ki madad karta hoon.I will help you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “street” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
