Lesson Five

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Dialogue five: Ladies’ talk

L: wáadu shiwe ye? Are you married?	وادٔ شوې یې؟
H: aw, shpug kaala kegee che waadu shiwe yim. Yes, it is six years since I have been married.	او، شپږ کاله کېږی چې وادهٔ شوې یم.
L: bachee de khu dee? Are your children well?	بچی دې ښهٔ دی؟
H: aw, khu dee. Yes, they are well.	او ښهٔ دی.
L: staa tso maashoomáan dee? How many children do you have?	ستا څو ماشُومان دی؟
H: masha'allah zmaa tsalór maashoomáan dee. I have four children, thank God.	ماشاءالله، زما څلور ماشُومان دی.
H: yawa loor aw dre zaamún dee. One daughter and three sonse.	یوه لُور او درې زامن دی.
L: shUkur day! Be grateful!	شکر دے.
L: staa khaawúnd tsu kaar kawee? What job does your husband do?	ستا خاوند څهٔ کار کوی؟
H: haghá dUkaandáar day. He is a shopkeeper.	هغه دُوکاندار دے.

NOTE:

The greetings used in previous lessons are left out in this and future dialogues – be sure to use them though.

Men’s talk

L: taa waadú kúRay day? Are you married?	تا وادهٔ کړے دے؟
H: aw, waadu me kúRay day. Yes, I'm married.	او، وادهٔ مې کړے دے.
L: staa tso maashoomáan dee? How many children do you have?	ستا څو ماشُومان دی؟
H: zmaa yo zooy aw dwa jeenaakúy dee. I have one son and two daughters.	زما يو زوئ او دوه جينکۍ دى.
H: aw staa? And you?	او ستا؟
L: na, waadú me nu day kúRay. No, I haven't married.	نه، وادۀ مې نۀ دے کړے.
L: taaso tsu kaar kawey? What work do you do?	تاسو څهٔ کار کوئ؟
H: zu dookaandáar yim. I'm a shopkeeper.	زهٔ دُوکاندار یم.
L: kaar tsínga rawáan day? How is business going?	کار څنګه روان دے؟
H: khu day. It's good.	ښه دے.

NOTE:

When discussing marriage status (i.e., whether someone is married or not), men talk about “getting married” with a transitive verb وادهٔ کول - waadu kawul, while females talk about becoming married with an intransitive verb واده کېدل - waadu kedul.

Some professions

naanbaa`ee	bread maker	نانبائی
naa`ee	barber	نائی
mazdóor	labourer	مزدُور
zameedáar	farmer	زمیدار
tsokeedáar	watchman	څوکیدار
benk waalaa	banker	بېنک والا
qasáab	butcher	قصاب
khaansaamá	cook	خانسامه
darzée	tailor	درزی
Daakée	postman	ډاکی

fojée	soldier	فوجی
sipaa`ee	policeman	سبائی
molaanáa	religious scholar	مولانا
tableeghée	preacher	تبلیغی
loháar	blacksmith	لوهار
zargúr	goldsmith	زرګر
chamyáar	cobbler	چمیار
gilkáar	mason	ګِلکار
tarkáaN	carpenter	ترکاڼ
shpoon	shepherd	شپون

In some cases, the addition of the word توب - tob to the profession describes the activity undertaken. See the examples below:

darzee	tailor	درزی
maalée	gardener	مالی
mUláa	mullah	مُلا
fojée	soldier	فوجی
shpoon	shepherd	شپون

darzeetób	tailoring	درزی توب
maaleetób	gardening	مالی توب
mUlaatób	work of a mullah	مُلا توب
fojeetób	soldiering	فوجی توب
shpoontób	shepherding	شپُون توب

Pronunciaton Drill

Contrasting ډ - D and د - d

DoDuy shta?	Is food available?	ډوډۍ شته؟
du dú tsu noom day?	What is his name?	د دۀ څۀ نُوم دے؟
Duk ráawRa.	Bring it full.	ډک راوړه.
daa khu day.	This is good.	دا ښهٔ دے.
zRu me DaDa sho.	My heart became bold.	زړۀ مې ډاډه شو.
zRu me bud sho.	I became upset.	زړۀ مې بد شو.

Contrasting و - oo and u

tu mazdóor ye?	Are you a labourer?	تۀ مزدُور يې؟
táaso zargúr yey?	Are you [polite] a goldsmith?	تاسو زرګر يئ؟
pu pUl poora dwa moTure zaayegee.	There is room for two cars on the bridge.	په پُل پُوره دوه موټرې ځائېږى.
pu haftá ke poora oowú wruze dee.	There are seven days in a week.	په هفته کښې پُوره اووۀ ورځې دى.

Feminine pronouns

There are two feminine singular pronouns. For people in sight, دا - daa is used. For people who are 'over there' (i.e. far away or out of sight) هغه - haghá is used.

The equative becomes ده - da with 3rd person singular objects. For example, 'she is' becomes دا ده - daa da or هغه ده - haghá da depending on where the person is, in relation to you.

Feminine singular nouns

Pronoun	Feminine noun	Verb
zu	DakTúra	yim.	I am a doctor. زهٔ ډاکټره یم.
tu	Ustáaza	ye?	Are you a teacher? تۀ اُستاذه يې؟
daa	afghaaná	da?	Is she an Afghan? دا افغانه ده؟
haghá	pukhtaná	da.	She is a Pukhutn. هغه پښتنه ده.

NOTE: The addition of ه - a to a noun indicates that it is feminine. You may also hear an extra ه - a added at the end of verbs to make a rhyme:

zu DaakTúra yima

I (f.) am a doctor.

زهٔ ډاکټره یمه.

Feminine singular adjectives

Pronoun	Feminine adjective	Verb
zu	stúRe	yim.	I am tired. زۀ ستړې يم.
tu	jóRa	ye?	Are you well? تۀ جوړه يې؟
daa	narúy	da.	She is thin. دا نرۍ ده.
daa	drana	da.	daa drana da. دا درنه ده.
haghá	khkÚle	da.	She is beautiful. هغه ښکُلې ده.
haghá	gháTa	da.	She is big. هغه غټه ده.

NOTE:

Adjectives are declined in one of the following ways: (Adjectives ending in ے - ay are declined differently depending if the accent is on the end of the word or not.)

	Big	Tired	Thin
m.s.	ghaT غټ	stúRay ستړی	naráy نرے
f.s.	gháTa غټه	stúRe ستړې	narúy نرۍ

Recognising feminine nouns and adjectives

The all-purpose ه - a

taa sara speen churg shta?	Do you have a white cock?	تا سره سپين چرګ شته؟
taa sara speena chúrga shta?	Do you have a white hen?	تا سره سپينه چرګه شته؟
zmaa nars pukhtóon day.	My nurse (male) is a Pukhtun.	زما نرس پښتُون دے.
zmaa narsa pukhtaná da	My nurse (female) is a Pukhtun.	زما نرسه پښتنه ده.
day khatarnáak ghul day.	He is a dangerous thief.	دے خطرناک غل دے.
daa khatarnáaka ghla da.	She is a dangerous thief.	دا خطرناکه غله ده.

Some nouns are always feminine

daa Dera mazbóota wúna da.	This is a very strong tree.	دا ډېره مضبُوطه ونه ده.
daa Dera kharaaba maNa da.	This is a very rotten apple.	دا ډېره خرابه مڼه ده.
hagha jeenúy khkÚle da.	That girl is beautiful.	هغه جینۍ ښکُلې ده.

Nouns ending with ۍ - uy

daa almaarúy ghaTa da.	This wardrobe is big.	دا المارۍ غټه ده.
daa kUrsúy oochúta da.	This chair is tall.	دا کُرسۍ اُوچته ده.
hágha warkóTe spuy da.	That is a small bitch.	هغه ورکوټې سپۍ ده.
daa DoDúy mazedáara da.	This food is delicious.	دا ډوډۍ مزېداره ده.
dágha kiRkúy plúna da.	This window is wide.	دغه کړکۍ پلنه ده.

Nouns ending in ې - e

zu núway Ustáaz yim.	I am a new (male) teacher.	زۀ نوے اُستاذ يم.
zu núwe Ustáaza yim.	I am a new (female) teacher.	زۀ نوې اُستاذه يم.
staa malgúray ookhyáar day.	Your (male) friend is wise.	ستا ملګرے هوښيار دے.
staa malgúre ookhyáara da.	Your (female) friend is wise.	ستا ملګرې هوښياره ده.

NOTE:

A masculine noun ending in ے - ay is made feminine by changing the ending to ې - e, or to ۍ - uy if the accent is on the last syllable.

Endings in و - o and ا - aa are feminine

zmaa yawa khkÚle peesho shta.	I have one beautiful cat.	زما يوه ښُکلې پيشو شته.
zmaa niyaa hálta da.	My grandmother is there.	زما نيا هلته ده.
hágha ghwaa gháTa da.	That cow is big.	هغه غوا غټه ده.
zmaa babó dălta da.	My aunty is here.	زما ببو دلته ده.
Dera khandáa khu nu da.	Much laughter is not good.	ډېره خندا ښۀ نۀ ده.
Dera jzaRáa khu nu da.	Much crying is not good.	ډېره ژړا ښۀ نۀ ده.

Feminine because of gender

zmaa mor mihribáana da.	My mother is kind.	زما مور مهربانه ده.
staa tror booDúy da.	Your aunt is old.	ستا ترور بُوډۍ ده.
zmaa khor múshra da.	My sister is older.	زما خور مشره ده.
staa loor Dera khaaysta da.	Your daughter is very pretty.	ستا لُور ډېره ښائسته ده.

NOTES:

All these nouns end in a consonant, and strictly speaking should be masculine – but natural gender overrules.
The adjective ښائسته - khaaysta (pretty) can also be used with masculine nouns.

Feminine nouns ending in ی - ee

dostée kha da.	Friendship is good.	دوستی ښه ده.
dUshmanée kha nu da.	Enmity is not good.	دشمنی ښه نهٔ ده.

Numbers eleven to twenty

👆 Write down the numbers as the teacher says them to you.

You may write them in English, or may wish to learn how to write the numbers in Pukhto. Don’t repeat the sentence, just listen and obay the command. Start with 1–10, and then add numbers up to 20.

yowulus óoleeka!	Write eleven!	یوولس ولیکه! ۱۱
dwolus óoleeka!	Write twelve!	دوولس ولیکه! ۱۲

dyáarlus 13	دیارلس ۱۳
tswáarlus 14	څوارلس ۱۳
peenzúlus 15	پینځلس ۱۵
shpáaRus 16	شپاړس ۱۶

oowúlus 17	اووهٔ لس ۱۷
atúlus 18	اتهٔ لس ۱۸
nóolus 19	نُولس ۱۹
shul 20	شل ۲۰

Memorizing moment

شعر - shi'ir (poem)

هغه يار چې بې وفا دے څۀ يار نۀ دے،

او هغه کار چې بې بقا دے څۀ کار نۀ دے.

hágha yaar che be wafáa day tsu yaar nu day,

aw hágha kaar che be baqáa day tsu kaar nu day.

That friend who is unfaithful is no friend at all,

And that work which is temporal is no work at all.

NOTE:

A شعر - shi'ir (poem) is rhyming poetry. The shi’ir selected for memory work are so well known that they act like proverbs in Pukhtun society.

متلونه - matalóona

زهٔ په طمع تهٔ بې غمه.

zu pu túma tu be ghúma.

I am expectant and you don't care.

چې سر حیات وی ټوپۍ ډېرې

che săr hayáat wee Topúy Dere

If the head is living caps are many.

چې څهٔ کرې هغه به رېبې.

che tsu kare haghá ba rebe.

As you sow so shall you reap.

Exercises for Lesson Five

Replace the bold word in the question:

staa tso bachee dee?

ستا څو بچی دی؟

زامن

zaamun

کتابونه

kitaaboona

قلمُونه

qalamóona

مېلمانهْ

melmaanú

ورُوڼه

wróoNa

ملکری

malgúree

Change the following sentences into feminine ones:

tu núway taalibilum ye?

تۀ نوے طالبعلم يې؟

hágha lwuR ookh day.

هغه لوړ اُوښ دے.

day yo droond pukhtóon day.

دے یو درُوند پښتُون دے.

zu Der stuRay yim.

زهٔ ډېر ستړے یم.

daa churg speen nu day?

دا چرګ سپین نهٔ دے؟

dágha shetáan maashóom day.

دغه شېطان ماشُوم دے.

tu Der khu malgúray ye.

تهٔ ډېر ښهٔ ملګرے یې.

tu Der khu Ustáaz ye!

تهٔ ډېر ښهٔ استاذ یې!

Substitute the bold word in this sentence, using the words listed below:

haghá mez day.

هغه مېز دے.

khúza

ښځه

saRáy

سړے

saRáy

سړے

shpoonkáy

شپونکے

aas

اس

DoDúy

ډوډۍ

kiRkúy

کړکۍ

peeshó

پیشو

wúna

ونه

nars

نرس

spay

سپے

almaarúy

المارۍ

ghul

غل

Replace the bold word to make sentences:

zmaa pu kor ke yuwa xudza da.

زما په کور کښې یوه ښځه ده.

saRáy

سړے

melmá

مېلمه

gaawunDée

ګاونډی

maashóom

ماشُوم

churg

چرګ

spáy

سپے