Many letters in Pashto are pronounced using different parts of your mouth and tongue, much like other Indo-Iranian languages. However, Pashto also has many sounds in common with Indo-Aryan languages (such as Sanskrit). For example, Pashto has retroflex consonants, which you pronounce by curling your tongue so that the back tip of your tongue touches the roof of your mouth. A video lesson on pronouncing the Pashto alphabet is available at https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=y5QZE9ew6eg. Indiana University also has a printable PDF of Pashto alphabet pronunciation available at https://iaunrc. indiana. edu/documents/languages/Pashto_Alphabet. pdf.
For example, the word áspa (with stress on the first syllable) means “mare,” while the word aspá (stress on the last syllable) means “spotted fever. " You wouldn’t want to get these confused if you were bartering with a local for a horse to ride through the countryside.
For example, the Pashto word for “dai” is the Pashto word for “is. " If you wanted to say “this is a book,” you would say “Dā Ketāb dai. " Look at the word order – dai comes last. You’re literally saying “This book is. " Other Indo-Aryan and Indo-Iranian languages use this order, as well as some Asian languages. If you are familiar with any of those, this particular aspect of Pashto probably won’t be a problem for you.
In Pashto, the aspect (perfect, meaning it is a complete action, or imperfect, meaning it is a progressive or continuous action) is as important as tense.
When you start practicing script and writing the alphabet, get in the habit of starting on the right side of your page and moving left, rather than the other way around. If you’re writing, it can also help to invest in notebooks that are bound on the right side rather than the left.
When talking about science, technology, politics, and the military, you will also encounter many words that are borrowed from English, including words such as atum (atom), siyāns (science), and bam (bomb). [8] X Research source Pashto even has words borrowed from Greek, owing to the Greek occupation in the 3rd century BC of present-day Afghanistan. The task of memorizing every word is simply too daunting and sometimes counterproductive for both beginners and advanced learners. Try to tackle 20-50 words per lesson, day, or week. Work on the most essential and general words first, then move on to the more specific ones.
“Khe chare” (KHE chaa-reh) is a more informal way of saying “hello,” similar to “hi” or “hey” in English. If someone says “as-salaamu’ alaykum” to you, the proper response is “walaykum salaam” (wa-LEH-kum sa-laam), which essentially means “and also with you. "
You can also say “k’he yem, manena,” which means “fine, thank you. "
You can also say “k’he yem, manena,” which means “fine, thank you. "
Once the person has introduced themselves, you can say “khushala shum pa li do di,” which means “pleased to meet you. "
If they ask if you speak Pashto (“Aya ta pa pakhto khabarey kawalai shey?”), you might reply “lag lag,” which means “Yes, a little. " If your pronunciation of the initial greetings was strong, the person might start speaking to you in rapid-fire Pashto. You can interject “za na poheegum,” which means “I don’t understand,” and then slow them down by saying “karaar karaar khabaree kawa” (please speak more slowly).
“Mehrabai wakrey” (meh-ra-baa-NEE wu-kei) is “please” in Pashto. You can also say “lotfan. " For “thank you,” you can say either “manana” or “tashakor. " If someone says one of these words to you, reply “har kala rasha,” which essentially means “any time. " For “excuse me” or “I’m sorry,” say “bakhena ghwaarum”(ba-KHE-na ghwaa-rrem).
While these resources are primarily geared towards military personnel stationed in regions where Pashto is spoken, there are also introductory materials that are appropriate for any beginner. You will also find resources that can familiarize you with the culture and traditions in areas where Pashto is spoken. Understanding the culture may help you understand the language better.
There are 10 modules that include audio and text, as well as some exercises.
To watch or subscribe to the channel, go to https://www. youtube. com/user/VOAAFGHANISTAN. You can also scroll related channels to find other YouTube channels in Pashto you can watch for free.
While the textbook is somewhat dated, it can help you get a grasp on the basics of Pashto script, which hasn’t changed since the textbook was last revised in 1993. The textbook also includes dialogues and readings, vocabulary, and grammar lessons. You can download the audio files that are meant to accompany the textbook for free at http://web. archive. org/web/20061212195024/languagelab. bh. indiana. edu/pashto. html.
There is also a Pashtun forum on Reddit at https://www. reddit. com/r/Pashtun/. Many of these posts are in English and relate to news and information about areas where Pashto is spoken, but there are also posts and conversations in Pashto. Native speaking people and more advanced and experienced learners are always willing to help on different language forums. You can also benefit from other people’s questions and responses.
