Words are the building blocks of any language, and in Urdu, they are crafted with remarkable creativity. Just as a goldsmith fashions intricate jewelry from raw gold, Urdu speakers weave beautiful words using linguistic elements like prefixes and suffixes. 

Let’s discover the various ways in which Urdu words are formed, using smaller units and combining words.

Creating words with prefixes and suffixes

Urdu words aren’t just arbitrary sounds; they are crafted using smaller building blocks called morphemes. These include prefixes (added before a word) and suffixes (added after a word) to modify meanings and create new words.

For example, take the English word unnatural. It starts with nature, adds al to become natural, and finally, the prefix un turns it into unnatural. Urdu follows a similar pattern;

Roz (day)        → Rozana    (daily)
Maah (month) → Mahaana  (monthly)
Saal (year)      → Salana     (yearly)

We use these words effortlessly:
"Main rozana Urdu ghazlein parhta hoon." (I read Urdu ghazals daily.)

Can you think of other words that use -aana? Here are a few to get you started:

Shayar  → Shayrana  (poetic)
Qaatil   → Qaatilana (murderous)

Prefixes that transform meanings

Urdu is full of powerful prefixes that shape the meaning of words. These are added before a root word, and create numerous new words in the Urdu vocabulary. Let’s see some examples:

Ham

This prefix is similar to the English co-, as in co-worker or co-passenger.

Hamsafar (travel companion)

Hamsheera (sister; literally, "one who shared the same milk")

Hamsaya (neighbor; "one who shares the same shade")

Hamshakal (lookalike)

One of the most unique words is Hamzulf, meaning two men married to two sisters. 

Khush

The word khush means "happy" but, as a prefix, it enhances positive meanings:

Khush-mizaj  (good-natured)

Khush-kalam (eloquent)

Khush-bu      (fragrance)

Bad

The prefix ‘bad’ refers to something negative, or bad. It is used to describe negative situations or qualities:

Bad-qismat (unlucky)

Bad-kirdar   (ill-mannered)

Bad-bu        (bad smell)

Be

The prefix be- is used to denote that something has been removed, or is missing:

Be-sabab (without reason)

Be-his      (insensitive, without feelings)

Be-hijab   (without a veil, boldly)

Words from Sanskrit and Prakrit

A common misconception is that Urdu has only Persian and Arabic influences. However, the reality is that a large portion of its everyday vocabulary, around 60%, comes from Indo-Aryan sources, particularly Sanskrit and Prakrit.

Words like roti, paani, nadi, soch, samajh, bhasha, and kanta are part of this layer of vocabulary. These are not loanwords in the usual sense, they’ve been inherited and used naturally over centuries.
What’s especially interesting is how Urdu combines this vocabulary with Persian suffixes to create hybrid forms:

Samajh + dar → Samajhdar (one who has understanding)

Phal + dar → Phaldar (fruit-bearing)

Kanta + dar → Kantedar (thorny)

So while the suffix -dar is of Persian origin, it’s now freely used with roots from Sanskrit via Prakrit, showing how Urdu evolved through centuries of linguistic contact.

The Persian influence: the beauty of izafat

Urdu's poetic elegance owes much to izafat, a Persian grammatical feature used to link words. For example, you may say colour of henna, but in Urdu, using an izaafat, you can call it rang-e-hina. Here, the izaafat is working to connect two words.

The izaafat can be used to create an adjective. For instance, in English, we say an evening of sorrow, while in Urdu, it's sham-e-gham.

The name of the famous Urdu festival, Jashn-e-Rekhta, follows the same rule:

Jashn (celebration)

Rekhta (an old name for Urdu)

Jashn-e-Rekhta Celebration of Urdu

Here’s a verse by Kaleem Aajiz that beautifully demonstrates izafat:

imtihaan-e-shawq mein saabit-qadam hota nahi
ishq jab tak waqif-e-aadaab-e-gham hota nahi

In this couplet, we see multiple izafat constructions:

Imtihaan-e-shawq (test of passion)

Waqif-e-aadaab-e-gham (aware of the etiquette of sorrow)

Ghalib also used izafat masterfully:

dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai
O innocent heart, what has happened to you?

Urdu's ever-evolving wordplay

Languages are alive, constantly growing and adapting. New words emerge as speakers play with existing patterns. Imagine if someone coined ham-shahar (city-mate), following the same pattern as hamsafar and hamsheera. If a famous Urdu writer used it, the word might just catch on!

This creative process of morphology allows Urdu to continuously evolve while preserving its poetic depth. So, the next time you hear a new word, take a moment to break it down. You might just discover another hidden gem in this incredible language!