Maharashtra SSC Urdu L2/L3 (MSBSHSE) flashcards

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

Nasar

Urdu term for prose writing, covering essays, short stories, letters, and biographical sketches. In the SSC syllabus it includes textbook lessons such as 'Mirza Ghalib ke Aadaat-o-Atwaar' and 'Nawa-e-Mushtaq'.

Tafseer (explanation)

A written explanation of a prose passage covering three elements: literal meaning, context within the lesson, and the author's intended message. Full marks require all three in the candidate's own Urdu.

Khutoot-e-naami

Informal personal letters in Urdu, written to family or friends. They use a warm tone, a salutation like 'Pyare', and a closing such as 'Aapka'. They differ from formal darkhwast in structure and register.

Naseehat

The moral or message of a prose lesson. In exams, state it in one sentence and support it with one textual example; a moral given without evidence earns only partial credit.

Ghazal

An Urdu poetic form of 5–15 independent couplets (ashaar) sharing a radif and qafiya. Each sher carries its own meaning; the opening sher is the matla and the final sher contains the poet's takhallus.

Radif

The repeated word or phrase that ends the second line of every sher in a ghazal. It follows the qafiya and gives the ghazal its musical refrain, e.g., 'hi rahi' in many classical ghazals.

Qafiya

The rhyming word placed immediately before the radif in a ghazal. All ashaar must share the same qafiya; it differs from the radif, which is the repeated refrain after it.

Matla

The opening sher of a ghazal, in which both lines rhyme with the qafiya and radif. It sets the metre and rhyme pattern that the remaining ashaar must follow.

Maqta

The closing sher of a ghazal, containing the poet's takhallus (pen name). It often addresses the poet in third person, e.g., 'Ghalib' or 'Mir' appearing within the verse.

Tashbeeh

The Urdu poetic device for simile, explicitly comparing two things using words like 'jaise' (like) or 'ki tarah' (similar to). Example: 'chaand jaise chehre' - a face like the moon.

Istiara

Urdu term for metaphor: a comparison in which one thing is stated as another without 'jaise' or 'ki tarah'. Example: 'zindagi ek safar hai' - life is a journey.

Behr

The quantitative metre of an Urdu sher, defined by the pattern of long and short syllables. A couplet that does not conform to its chosen behr is called 'be-bahr' and is considered faulty.

Nazm

An Urdu poem with a single continuous theme, unlike the ghazal's independent couplets. It may or may not use radif and qafiya; Iqbal's 'Shikwa' and Josh's revolutionary poems are famous nazms.

Takhallus

The pen name a Urdu poet adopts and inserts into the maqta (final sher) of a ghazal. Examples include 'Ghalib', 'Mir', and 'Faiz'; it identifies the poet within the verse.

Ism

Urdu grammatical term for noun: a word naming a person, place, thing, or idea. Subtypes include ism-e-khas (proper noun), ism-e-aam (common noun), and ism-e-jins (collective noun).

Zameer

Urdu term for pronoun. Personal pronouns include 'main' (I), 'hum' (we), 'tu' (you, informal), 'aap' (you, formal), 'woh' (he/she/they), and 'yeh' (this/these).

Fael

Urdu term for verb. It must agree with the fa'il (subject) in gender and number: 'larka parhta hai' (boy reads), 'larki parhti hai' (girl reads), 'bachche parhte hain' (children read).

Harf 'ne'

The ergative particle in Urdu, used before the verb in perfective transitive sentences. Example: 'us ne khana khaya' - 'he ate food'. It marks the subject when the verb is transitive and past tense.

SOV order

The default Urdu sentence order: Subject–Object–Verb, unlike English SVO. Example: 'Main kitab parhta hoon' literally 'I book read am' = 'I read a book'.

Sifat

Urdu term for adjective. It typically follows the noun it modifies and agrees in gender and number: 'larki achi' (good girl), 'larke acche' (good boys).

Muhawara

An Urdu idiom: a fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be derived from its individual words. Examples: 'aankh ka tara' (apple of the eye), 'haath malna' (to regret), 'naak katna' (to be disgraced).

Darkhwast

A formal application or request letter in Urdu. It includes sender's address, date, receiver's designation, subject line, salutation 'Janab-e-Aali', body, and closing 'Aapka tabeedar'.

Mazmoon

An Urdu essay. Standard SSC structure: 'Unwan' (title), 'Tamheed' (introduction), 'Tafseel' (body paragraphs), and 'Nateeja' (conclusion), typically 150–250 words.

Mukalma

An Urdu dialogue or conversation in written form. Each speaker's name is followed by a colon, turns alternate, and each turn is kept to one to three sentences with a greeting and closing.

Ishtihar

A public notice in Urdu applied writing. It has a fixed format: heading, date, body with essential details, and issuing authority's name at the bottom; language is brief and factual.

Dawatnama

An Urdu invitation card or letter. It states the occasion, date, time, venue, and host's name in a polite, formal register, often with a closing phrase like 'Aapki tashreef-aavari baais-e-sharafat hogi'.

Tamheed

The introductory paragraph of an Urdu mazmoon. It defines the topic and states the essay's direction in two or three sentences, preparing the reader for the tafseel (body) that follows.

Nateeja

The concluding paragraph of an Urdu mazmoon. It summarises the main points and offers a final observation or recommendation, without introducing new arguments.

Unseen passage strategy

Read the questions first, then scan the passage for keywords. Answers usually lie in one or two adjacent sentences; do not rely on general knowledge for 'Not Given' items.

Vocabulary in context

Determining an unfamiliar Urdu word's meaning from its grammatical role and surrounding words. Identify whether it functions as noun, verb, or adjective before choosing a synonym.

Antonym pairs

Common Urdu opposites tested in comprehension: 'khushi' ↔ 'gham' (joy/sorrow), 'andhera' ↔ 'roshni' (dark/light), 'ameer' ↔ 'ghareeb' (rich/poor), 'sach' ↔ 'jhoot' (truth/lie).

Cause-effect connectors

Urdu words signalling causal relationships in a passage: 'isliye' (therefore), 'kyunke' (because), 'natija' (result). Locating them helps answer cause-and-effect comprehension questions quickly.