Maharashtra SSC Urdu (First Language) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Markazī khayāl

The central idea or main point of a passage or lesson. In comprehension answers, state it in one sentence and support it with two details from the text.

Tashbīh

A simile in Urdu poetry that compares two things using words such as 'jaise' or 'ki tarah'. Identify both compared elements when explaining a line.

Isti'ārah

A metaphor in Urdu poetry where one thing is described as another without a comparison word. It differs from tashbīh because the comparison is implied, not stated.

Tashrīh

Explanation of poetic lines. A complete tashrīh gives the literal meaning, identifies the poetic device, and states the underlying idea of the couplet.

Ghazal

A poetic form made of independent couplets (ash'ār) with a common radīf and qāfiyah. Each couplet carries its own theme, so meanings are not carried across couplets.

Nazm

A poem with a single continuous theme, unlike a ghazal. Questions on nazm usually ask for the central idea, the poet's message, and the tone of the poem.

Māzī

The past tense in Urdu grammar. It is often formed with the auxiliary 'thā/thī/the', as in 'woh gayā thā' meaning 'he had gone'.

Hāl

The present tense in Urdu grammar. It uses auxiliaries such as 'hai/hain' and 'rahā hai' for the continuous present, as in 'woh paṛh rahā hai'.

Mustaqbil

The future tense in Urdu grammar. It is usually marked by the suffixes 'gā/gī/ge', as in 'main kal jā'ūṅgā' meaning 'I will go tomorrow'.

Ism-e-ālam

A proper noun in Urdu grammar, naming a specific person, place, or thing, such as 'Lahore' or 'Fatimah'. It is capitalised in Urdu script only by convention, not by case.

Ism-e-jins

A collective or common noun in Urdu grammar that names a whole class, such as 'kitāb' for books in general. It contrasts with ism-e-ālam, which names one specific entity.

Muzakkar

The masculine grammatical gender in Urdu. Gender is a property of the noun, not of the real-world object, so inanimate nouns can be masculine or feminine.

Mu'annas

The feminine grammatical gender in Urdu. For example, 'kitāb' is feminine, so adjectives and verbs agreeing with it take feminine forms such as 'achchhī'.

Wāhid

The singular number in Urdu grammar. Plural forms are often broken plurals rather than suffix additions, so singular–plural pairs must be learned individually.

Jam'a

The plural number in Urdu grammar. Many plurals are broken plurals, such as 'kitāb' becoming 'kutub', so a single pluralisation rule does not apply to all nouns.

Fe'l

A verb in Urdu grammar. Verbs carry tense, person, number, and gender agreement, so the verb form must match the subject in all these features.

Harf

A particle or function word in Urdu grammar, such as 'kā', 'kī', 'se', 'mein', and 'par'. These words link nouns and show relationships rather than naming things.

Sif'at

An adjective in Urdu grammar. It modifies a noun and must agree with it in gender and number, as in 'achchhī kitāb' versus 'achchhā larke'.

Muhāvarah

An Urdu idiom whose meaning is figurative, not literal. For example, 'āṅkh kā tārā' means a very dear person, not the star of an eye.

Zarb-ul-misāl

An Urdu proverb that expresses a general truth or moral. Questions ask which situation the proverb fits, so match its moral rather than its literal image.

Mutazād

An antonym in Urdu vocabulary. The correct option must have the same part of speech as the given word, so a noun antonym cannot replace a verb antonym.

Mutrādif

A synonym in Urdu vocabulary. When choosing a synonym, check that the word matches the original in part of speech and in the specific sense used in context.

Jazar

The root of an Urdu word, used in word-formation items. Identifying the root helps select the correct derived form and reject forms built on a different root.

Darkhwāst

A formal application in Urdu. It contains a subject line, the reason for the request, the specific request, and a polite closing with the sender's name and date.

I'tilā'

A notice in Urdu writing. It is written in the third person, has a heading, date, issuing authority, a short body, and a signature with designation.

Janāb-e-Ālī

The formal Urdu salutation used in letters to officials. It opens the body of a formal letter after the receiver's designation and address have been written.

Aapkā mukhlis

The formal Urdu closing used at the end of a letter, meaning 'your sincere'. It is followed by the sender's signature and is used in formal correspondence.

Mazmūn

An essay or composition in Urdu. A standard SSC mazmūn has an introduction (ta'āruf), a body with two or three points, and a conclusion (natījah).

Ta'āruf

The introduction paragraph of an Urdu essay. It states the topic and the writer's central claim, and should not exceed about one-fifth of the total essay length.

Natījah

The conclusion paragraph of an Urdu essay. It restates the central idea in new words and offers a forward-looking suggestion without introducing a new argument.

Sabaq

The lesson or moral of a prose text. In answers, state it as a general principle and support it with one incident from the prescribed lesson.

Khulāsah

A summary of a prose lesson. A good khulāsah is about one-third of the original length and keeps the sequence of events intact without adding opinion.