Language Learning can be daunting. At Zubaan, we want to help you on your journey to communicating well in Urdu. Choosing the right materials or resources make a huge difference when learning a foreign language, especially if you are trying for self-study. The good news is: You are not the first person learning Urdu – and there are some resources that can help you.
On this page you will find some resources with we have developed ourselves and others that we have review and can recommend.
Resources developed by Zubaan
Urdu Grammar Workbook (online)
A way to practice your Urdu grammar online for free. Based on our book "Urdu Grammar Workbook for Beginners"
Learn About the Urdu Language
Learn more about the history of Urdu, the script, and other interesting information about learning Urdu
Short Urdu Lessons from Zubaan
Read or watch these short lessons for free. They are simple and aimed at enhancing your Urdu.
Other free resources
Below is a list a resources which we have reviewed, tested and frequently use in our language classes. If you find something especially helpful, please let us know! We will do our best to update this list regularly.
Vocabulary (beginner/intermediate)
https://www.50languages.com/vocab/
Select your mother tongue and then Urdu on the top of the page;
then select a topic (e.g. beverages, emotions) and get started. Includes
pictures, audio, transliteration in Roman script and Urdu script of
each word. A great resource for increase your vocabulary.
Spelling (beginner/intermediate)
Hangman online game
This is a fun way to practice the spelling of some basic
vocabulary. You can choose a category (e.g. vegetables or cities) and
then practice both your spelling and basic vocabulary.
Listening (intermediate/advance)
Free resources
https://www.server555.com/ (includes classical stories such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
Paid services:
https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=urduhttps://urdustudio.com/
Writing/Reading for Beginners
This is a completely free online course for beginners to learn the Urdu script. You just need to create a free account. Includes all letters, vidoes/animations how to form each letter and how to join them. Each unit includes a short quiz. Highly recommend for complete beginners.
Reading & Listening (intermediate/advance)
BBC Urdu – this is kind of self-explanatory. For those who are not so interested in politics or current affairs, check out the “Science” Section for interesting articles. The website also includes videos, often with Urdu subtitle.
Deutsche Welle (DW) Urdu-is Germany’s international broadcaster and one of
the most successful and relevant international media outlets. They provide journalistic content in 32 languages – including Urdu.
Reading (advance)
This website includes a huge range of books that can be downloaded as a pdf or read online. It is one of the websites that not only offers Urdu literature and poetry, but also computer books (e.g. MS Office 2010 in Urdu), books related to general interest, health topics as well as some famous series (e.g. Inspector Jamshed Series).