Persian and Urdu: 107 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Persian | Urdu |
|---|---|---|---|
| وfa /vɑːv/ur /ʋə/ | and | #5 | #158 |
| دوستfa [d̪uːst̪ʰ]ur /d̪oːst̪/ | friend | #49 | #161 |
| دوfa [d̪o]ur /d̪oː/ | two | #69 | #51 |
| وقتfa [væxt̪ʰ]ur /ʋəqt̪/ | time | #71 | #63 |
| سالfa [sɒːl̥]ur /sɑːl/ | year | #91 | #129 |
| خداfa [xo.d̪ɒ́ː]ur /xʊ.d̪ɑː/ | God | #115 | #111 |
| وجودfa [vo.d͡ʒúːd̪̥]ur /ʋə.d͡ʒuːd̪/ | existence | #125 | #652 |
| شبfa [ʃæb̥]ur /ʃəb/ | night | #127 | #1,168 |
| اگرfa [ǽ.ɡʲæɹ]ur /ə.ɡəɾ/ | if | #129 | #66 |
| خوشfa [xoʃ]ur /xʊʃ/ | happy | #145 | #154 |
| یاfa [jɒː]ur /jɑː/ | or | #154 | #68 |
| خبرfa [xæ.bǽɹ]ur /xə.bəɾ/ | news | #170 | #370 |
| طرفfa [t̪ʰæ.ɹǽf]ur /t̪ə.ɾəf/ | side | #178 | #82 |
| حالتfa [hɒː.lǽt̪ʰ]ur /ɦɑː.lət̪/ | state, condition | #190 | #864 |
| آبfa [ʔɒːb̥]ur /ɑːb/ | water | #194 | #1,588 |
| خونfa [xuːn]ur /xuːn/ | blood | #195 | #273 |
| مشکلfa [moʃ.kʰʲél̥]ur /mʊʃ.kɪl/ | difficult | #214 | #339 |
| انتخابfa [ʔen̪.t̪ʰe.xɒ́ːb̥]ur /ɪn.t̪ɪ.xɑːb/ | election | #221 | #783 |
| جنگfa [d͡ʒæɲɡʲ̥]ur /d͡ʒəŋɡ/ | war | #249 | #126 |
| چیزfa [t͡ʃʰiːz]ur /t͡ʃiːz/ | thing | #277 | #146 |
| خارجfa [xɒː.ɹéd͡ʒ̥]ur /xɑː.ɾɪd͡ʒ/ | outside | #317 | #516 |
| حسابfa [he.sɒ́ːb̥]ur /ɦɪ.sɑːb/ | account | #354 | #1,721 |
| انسانfa [ʔen.sɒ́ːn]ur /ɪn.sɑːn/ | human | #364 | #202 |
| لعنتیfa [læʔ.næ.t̪ʰiː]ur /lənət̪iː/ | cursed, accursed | #388 | #1,874 |
| یعنیfa [jæʔ.niː]ur /jɑː.niː/ | means | #412 | #797 |
| پروازfa [pʰæɹ.vɒːz]ur /pəɾ.ʋɑːz/ | flight | #422 | #349 |
| نامfa [nɒːm]ur /nɑːm/ | name | #426 | #98 |
| قانونfa [qɒː.núːn]ur /qɑː.nuːn/ | law | #428 | #560 |
| انتظارfa [ʔen̪.t̪ʰe.zɒ́ːɹ]ur /ɪn.t̪ɪ.zɑːɾ/ | wait, waiting | #456 | #115 |
| ثابتfa [sɒː.bét̪ʰ]ur /sɑː.bɪt̪/ | constant | #499 | #271 |
| دنیاfa [d̪oɲ.jɒː]ur /d̪ʊn.jɑː/ | world | #534 | #117 |
| بحثfa [bæɦs]ur /bə.ɦəs/ | discussion | #550 | #1,129 |
| یادfa [jɒːd̪̥]ur /jɑːd̪/ | memory | #559 | #135 |
| مقدارfa [meʁ.d̪ɒ́ːɹ]ur /mɪq.d̪ɑːɾ/ | amount, quantity | #568 | #1,297 |
| ممکنfa [mom.kʰʲén]ur /mʊm.kɪn/ | possible | #569 | #414 |
| پاکfa [pʰɒːkʰʲ]ur /pɑːk/ | clean, pure | #573 | #1,505 |
| مرکزfa [mæɹ.kʰʲǽz]ur /məɾ.kəz/ | centre, center | #578 | #718 |
| رنگfa [ɹæŋɡʲ̥]ur /ɾəŋɡ/ | colour | #617 | #435 |
| گوشتfa [ɡ̥uːʃt̪ʰ]ur /ɡoːʃt̪/ | meat | #637 | #1,093 |
| جوانfa [d͡ʒæ.vɒ́ːn]ur /d͡ʒə.ʋɑːn/ | young | #648 | #1,058 |
| صدfa [sæd̪̥]ur /səd̪/ | hundred | #649 | #1,071 |
| دلfa [d̪el̥]ur /d̪ɪl/ | heart | #668 | #303 |
| خدمتfa [xed̪.mǽt̪ʰ]ur /xɪd̪.mət̪/ | service | #670 | #437 |
| کاشfa [kʰɒːʃ]ur /kɑːʃ/ | I wish, if only | #702 | #664 |
| مقدسfa [mo.ʁæd̪.d̪æs]ur /mʊqəd̪d̪əs/ | holy, sacred | #714 | #531 |
| خاموشfa [xɒː.múːʃ]ur /xɑː.moːʃ/ | quiet | #740 | #598 |
| شکرfa [ʃækʰʲ.kʰʲǽɹ]ur /ʃə.kəɾ/ | sugar | #741 | #921 |
| سنfa /sen/ur /sɪn/ | age | #743 | #279 |
| شخصfa [ʃæxs]ur /ʃəxs/ | person, individual | #749 | #185 |
| درختfa [d̪æ.ɹǽxt̪ʰ]ur /d̪ə.ɾəxt̪/ | tree | #750 | #759 |
| عادتfa [ʔɒː.d̪æt̪ʰ]ur /ɑː.d̪ət̪/ | custom | #762 | #1,140 |
| افسرfa [ʔæf.sǽɹ]ur /əf.səɾ/ | officer | #770 | #795 |
| گردنfa [ɡʲæɹ.d̪ǽn]ur /ɡəɾ.d̪ən/ | neck | #774 | #919 |
| مبارکfa [mo.bɒː.ɹækʰʲ]ur /mʊ.bɑː.ɾɪk/ | blessed | #827 | #501 |
| چاقوfa [t͡ʃʰɒː.ʁuː]ur /t͡ʃɑː.quː/ | knife | #840 | #1,059 |
| خاصfa [xɒːs]ur /xɑːs/ | special | #852 | #287 |
| زبانfa [zæ.bɒ́ːn]ur /zə.bɑːn/ | tongue | #861 | #312 |
| پلfa [pʰol̥]ur /pʊl/ | bridge | #891 | #743 |
| زخمfa [zæxm]ur /zəxm/ | wound | #897 | #938 |
| کشتیfa [kʰʲæʃ.t̪ʰíː]ur /kəʃ.t̪iː/ | boat, ship | #902 | #737 |
| خطرناکfa [xæ.t̪ʰæɹ.nɒ́ːkʰʲ]ur /xət̪əɾnɑːk/ | dangerous | #923 | #624 |
| حملfa /hæml/ur /ɦəml/ | transport, carriage, bearing | #927 | #1,661 |
| مخصوصfa [mæx.suːs]ur /məxsuːs/ | private, characteristic | #933 | #1,655 |
| سبزfa [sæbz]ur /səbz/ | green | #943 | #635 |
| اطلاعfa [ʔet̪ʰ.t̪ʰe.lɒ́ːʔ]ur /ɪt̪.t̪ɪ.lɑː(ʔ)/ | notice | #961 | #1,277 |
| اخبارfa [ʔæx.bɒ́ːɹ]ur /əx.bɑːɾ/ | news | #969 | #1,090 |
| رخfa [ɹox]ur /ɾʊx/ | face, cheek | #992 | #1,953 |
| معروفfa [mæʔ.ɹúːf]ur /məʕ.ɾuːf/ | famous, renowned | #1,008 | #1,431 |
| عجیبfa [ʔæ.d͡ʒiːb̥]ur /ə.d͡ʒiːb/ | strange | #1,071 | #345 |
| نرمfa [næɹm]ur /nəɾm/ | soft | #1,079 | #770 |
| طوفانfa [t̪ʰuː.fɒ́ːn]ur /t̪uː.fɑːn/ | storm, tempest | #1,104 | #679 |
| خشکfa [xoʃkʰʲ]ur /xʊʃk/ | dry | #1,112 | #1,218 |
| تنfa [t̪ʰæn]ur /t̪ən/ | body | #1,114 | #1,564 |
| گشتfa [ɡʲeʃt̪ʰ]ur /ɡəʃt̪/ | patrol, watch | #1,202 | #1,700 |
| آوازfa [ʔɒː.vɒːz]ur /ɑː.ʋɑːz/ | voice | #1,208 | #521 |
| لبfa [lǽb̥]ur /ləb/ | lip | #1,222 | #1,406 |
| آسمانfa [ʔɒːs.mɒːn]ur /ɑːs.mɑːn/ | sky | #1,235 | #494 |
| سفیدfa [se.fiːd̪̥]ur /sə.feːd̪/ | white | #1,248 | #417 |
| تاجfa [t̪ʰɒːd͡ʒ̥]ur /t̪ɑːd͡ʒ/ | crown | #1,249 | #1,557 |
| جاسوسfa [d͡ʒɒː.súːs]ur /d͡ʒɑːsuːs/ | spy | #1,355 | #694 |
| حکومتfa [ho.kʰuː.mǽt̪ʰ]ur /ɦʊ.kuː.mət̪/ | government | #1,356 | #302 |
| کورfa [kʰuːɹ]ur /koːɾ/ | blind | #1,438 | #703 |
| عذابfa [ʔæ.zɒːb̥]ur /(ʔ)ə.zɑːb/ | torture | #1,440 | #898 |
| بیانfa [bæ.jɒ́ːn]ur /bə.jɑːn/ | statement | #1,479 | #726 |
| امیدfa [ʔo.míːd̪̥]ur /ʊm.miːd̪/ | hope | #1,516 | #239 |
| دیوارfa [d̪iː.vɒ́ːɹ]ur /d̪iːʋɑːɾ/ | wall | #1,528 | #380 |
| میزfa [miːz]ur /meːz/ | table | #1,529 | #1,082 |
| دیگرfa [d̪iː.ɡʲǽɹ]ur /d̪iːɡəɾ/ | other | #1,543 | #565 |
| شرمfa [ʃæɹm]ur /ʃəɾm/ | shame | #1,546 | #733 |
| غلطfa [qæ.lǽt̪ʰ]ur /ɣə.lət̪/ | wrong | #1,549 | #228 |
| منیfa [mæ.níː]ur /mə.niː/ | semen | #1,558 | #1,413 |
| قانونیfa [qɒː.nuː.níː]ur /qɑː.nuː.niː/ | legal | #1,583 | #533 |
| نمکfa [næ.mǽkʰʲ]ur /nə.mək/ | salt | #1,584 | #1,008 |
| اطاعتfa [ʔe.t̪ʰɒː.ʔǽt̪ʰ]ur [ɪ.t̪ɑː.ʔət̪] | obedience | #1,598 | #1,087 |
| خنجرfa [xæn.d͡ʒǽɹ]ur /xən.d͡ʒəɾ/ | dagger, khanjar | #1,643 | #366 |
| قبرfa [qæbɹ]ur /qəbɾ/ | grave, tomb | #1,649 | #1,195 |
| صفرfa [sæ.fǽɹ]ur /sɪfɾ/ | zero | #1,658 | #894 |
| حمایتfa [he.mɒː.jǽt̪ʰ]ur /ɦɪ.mɑː.jət̪/ | support, backing, aid, advocacy | #1,697 | #1,230 |
| خاندانfa [xɒːn̪.d̪ɒ́ːn]ur /xɑːn.d̪ɑːn/ | family | #1,773 | #231 |
| موسیقیfa [muː.siː.ʁíː]ur /muː.siː.qiː/ | music | #1,792 | #478 |
| بحرانfa [boɦ.ɹɒ́ːn]ur /boːɦ.ɾɑːn/ | crisis | #1,901 | #1,262 |
| شیرfa [ʃiːɹ]ur /ʃeːɾ/ | lion | #1,956 | #1,359 |
| محترمfa [moɦ.t̪ʰæ.ɹǽm]ur /mʊɦ.t̪ə.ɾəm/ | honored; honorable, respectable, esteemed | #1,960 | #418 |
| مسافرfa [mo.sɒː.féɹ]ur /mʊ.sɑː.fɪɾ/ | traveller | #1,978 | #1,315 |
| بندیfa /bændiː/ur /bənd̪iː/ | prisoner | #1,991 | #340 |
| ضررfa [zæ.ɹǽɹ]ur /zə.ɾəɾ/ | detriment, loss, disadvantage, deficiency | #1,995 | #1,882 |
| کیکfa [kʰʲejkʰʲ]ur /keːk/ | cake | #2,000 | #1,045 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide.
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.