چلنا
calnā/t͡ʃəl.nɑː/
To walk in Urdu is to say چلنا (calnā). Wiktionary also lists ٹہلنا (ṭahalnā) and جانا (jānā).
Meaning: to move on the feet (verb)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| چلنا | calnā | /t͡ʃəl.nɑː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
| ٹہلنا | ṭahalnā | |
| جانا | jānā |
The primary way to express the verb 'to walk' is چلنا, which describes the basic physical act of walking or moving from one place to another. If you want to describe the act of wandering or roaming around in a more colloquial sense, you can use the term Ghumna. If you are referring to a trip or an excursion made by walking, the noun سَیر is used.
Which one should you use?
While چلنا is the neutral term for the basic physical act of walking or moving, you may also use the compound noun چہل قدمی for the specific activity of taking a walk or a stroll.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word calnā is pronounced /tʃəl.nɑː/. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word چلنا shares an ancient root with the English word 'wheel' through the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷel-, which meant 'to move' or 'to turn around'.
- While چلنا means 'to walk', it is also used idiomatically to say that a machine or a plan is 'working' or 'functioning'.
- The word چلنا is also used to describe the 'movement' or 'flow' of a conversation or a story.
Examples in context
- تم نے بعد میں چہل قدمی کے لئیے چلنا ہے؟Do you want to go for a walk later?This sentence is useful for asking about the intention to go for a walk using چلنا.Tatoeba #4190792 by nabeel_tahir, translation #2016829 by CK
- ہم پارک میں چلنا چاہتے ہیں۔Hum park mein chalna chahte hain.We want to walk in the park.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding how to get to a nearby shop.
- عمر Omarکیا ہم وہاں تک چلنا چاہتے ہیں؟Kya hum wahan tak chalna chahte hain?Do we want to walk there?
- زینب Zainabہاں، چلنا بہتر رہے گا۔Haan, chalna behtar rahe ga.Yes, walking would be better.
- عمر Omarٹھیک ہے، پھر چلو۔Theek hai, phir chalo.Okay, let's go then.
- زینب Zainabچلو چلتے ہیں۔Chalo chalte hain.Let's walk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “walk” translations and entries چلنا, جانا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries جانا, چلنا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
