Waqt · Time & Days

Today, tomorrow, and the word that means both

Time words let you make plans — and Urdu's are famously efficient: one word covers both yesterday AND tomorrow, and context does the rest. Combine these with Level 7 verbs: 'maiṉ kal ā rahā hūṉ' — I'm coming tomorrow.

Practice this lesson free — with audio, quizzes & games →

The phrases

آجāj — today

کلkal — yesterday AND tomorrowOne word, both directions — the verb tense tells you which. See the fun fact.

پرسوںparsoṉ — two days away (either direction)Same trick as kal, one day further out.

صبحsubah — morning'Subah bakhair' — good morning.

دوپہرdopahar — afternoonLiterally 'two watches' — old-school timekeeping.

شامshām — evening

راتrāt — night'Shab bakhair' — good night (shab is the poetic word for rāt).

ابھیabhī — right now'Abhī abhī' doubled = just this second.

بعد میںbaad meṉ — laterThe polite way to dodge anything.

ہفتہhafta — week (also Saturday)From Persian haft, seven — a week of seven days.

جمعہjumma — FridayThe week's big day — 'Jumma Mubarak!' greetings fly every Friday.

Good to know

✨ Kal means yesterday OR tomorrow — the verb disambiguates: “kal maiṉ gayā” (yesterday I went) vs “kal maiṉ jāūṉgā” (tomorrow I'll go). Urdu treats time as distance from today, not direction. Parsoṉ does the same at two days.

✨ Dopahar (afternoon) literally means 'two pahars' — a pahar is an ancient three-hour watch of the day. The old eight-watch clock still hides inside everyday words.

✨ Many Urdu day-names count in Persian: do-shamba, se-shamba… but Friday is jumma (from Arabic 'gathering') — the day everyone meets.

← Kaam · Essential Verbs · Rang aur Pasand · Colors & Likes →

Urdu Ustaadh is a free Urdu-learning resource — native audio, daily games, the Nastaliq script, and Pakistani culture. A project of Muneeb Ata Enterprises. Start learning free →