Saturday, October 16, 2010
Learning Pashto Online With Complete Basic Information, Pashto To English Translation, Learning Pashto Online with Easy leassons
Pashto (پښتو), also called Pakhto, Pashtu, Pakhtu, Paxto, Paxtu, Pushto, Pushtu, Pukhtu, or Puxtu, is the first official language of Afghanistan spoken by the majority ethnic population of the country, the Pashtuns or Pashtoons, in Pashtunkhwa (North West Frontier) Province of Pakistan and by the Pashtun Diaspora around the world (an estimate says that 40 hundred thousands Pashtuns live only in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city). This ancient language belongs to the Eastern-Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian language family. There is a particular focus on learning this literature-rich language of the Afghans due to the ongoing war on terror and the increasing interest of the world to learn about the language, the Pashtuns, their culture and customs.
Learning Pashto is as learning any language of the world: the learners have to have an interest in the language and its culture, willingness to learn and access to resources they need. As the Pashto language has never enjoyed patronage of any emperor or any powerful and independent state throughout history, but had been a target of the regional powers until late, and has managed to survive through continuous attempts against its existence, there are not as much learning resources available for it as for the other languages of the world. Yet enough books of grammar, about the usage of the language, and dictionaries from Pashto to other languages and vice versa have been written and printed and are available today that can help those who are keen to achieve their goals.
Fortunately, for Pashto learners around the world who do not have access to the printed material, there are online resources which can be proved helpful and useful in improving their reading, writing and speaking skills of Pasho. There are websites which have free libraries where you may find books about Pashto grammar, usage, general information, proverbs, idioms, etymology, etc. On other websites you can listen to music, news programs, and political discussions and so on. Regular visits to these websites and practicing your reading and writing will improve your skills in no time.
Useful websites
www.qamosona.com. Qamoos (قاموس) or seend (سيند) means dictionary in Pashto. This website has several free dictionaries from/to Pashto. You can download them or use tehm online.
www.mylanguageexchange.com. On this website you can find or become a language partner. If you are English speaking and want to find someone who speaks Pashto for language and help exchange, just sign up and do a search. You will find Pashto speaking people who want to meet English speaking people to improve their English. There are other similar websites, such as www.sharedtalk.com, which you can find by googling ‘language partner.’
Reading Pashto
To identify Pashto alphabets and their sounds, this wikipedia article may help you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashto_language). And this is more useful (http://www.omniglot.com/writing/pashto.htm). Here are complete lessons with pronunciations and pictures. (http://www.afghanan.net/pashto/pashto/learn/phon.htm). After identifying the alphabets, you can visit these websites to read Pashto articles and discussions: www.tolafghan.com, www.benawa.com, www.taand.com, and www.romaal.com. Pajhwok Afghan News (www.pajhwok.com) publishes the same news stories in both English and Pashto and in Dari as well. But you have to subscribe to access.www.tolafghan.com has a library (کتابتون) where you access free books. And there is a forum (د بحث فورمونه) where you can discuss things with other members, primarily Pashtuns. The same you can do at www.khyberwatch.com forum.
Listening to Pashto
Listening to Pashto programs can improve your understanding and speaking skills of the language. www.bbcpashto.com, www.voadeewa.com, and www.azadiradio.org can help you in this. You can listen to Pashto music on www.mastana.net and watch videos onwww.youtube.com. Several more websites also have similar content which you can find by searching on google. (Do not search for sex or pornographic material in Pashto as you will find nothing).
The use of Pashto ya (د پښتو ياگانو استعمال)
There are five yas (ياگانې) used in Pashto: ى، ي، ې، ئ، ۍ Following are some examples for the proper usage of each:
ى is called small ya and is used primarily in singular words. It is silent if it comes after alif (ا), for example, خداى (God), ځاى (place). Examples of its usage in singular words:
سړى (man); منګى (pottery water-pot); ملګرى (colleague)
زما ورور زما ملګرى هم دى
My brother is also my colleague.
Hint: In the Pashto script that is used in Pakistan, ے is used instead of ى. So they write the above words like this: سړے, منګے, ملګرے.
ي called big ya and is used primarily in plural words. Examples:
سړي (men); منګي (pottery water-pots); ملګري (colleagues)
انجلۍ دوه منګي په سر کړي دي
The girl is carrying two water-pots.
When it is not used at the end of the word, it is not necessary to be used only in plural words. Examples:
مينه (love); حسينه (beautiful); مشين (machine)
ې called soft ya and is used primarily in words with deep sound. Examples:
سندرې (songs); پاڼې (pages); پستې (soft); وړې (small)
When it is not used at the end of the word, it is not necessary to be used only in plural words. Examples:
مېنه (house; fort); پېغله (a maid);
ئ is another Pashto ya used only in words of command. Examples:
لاړ شئ (go), مه ځئ (do not go), کار بس کړئ (stop working)
که غواړئ چې بريالي شئ نو زيار وکاږئ.
If you want to succeed, work hard.
ۍ is the fifth and last ya used primarily in feminine words. Examples:
انجلۍ (a girl), سپوږمۍ (the moon), کورنۍ (a family).
ما د ښاپېرۍ کيسه ولوسته.
I read the fairy tale.
Remember that this ya is used only at the end of the words.
Pashto vocabulary
Here is some general and technical Pashto vocabulary you may find helpful.
Ghag (غږ): voice; sound
Atann (اتڼ): dance
Shaer (شاعر): poet
Kitab (کتاب): book
Tolga (ټولگه): collection
Loomray (لومړى): first
Chaap (چاپ): printDaaley (ډالۍ): present; gift
Moar (مور): mother
Plar (پلار): father
Wror (ورور): brother
Khor (خور): sister
Aokhai (اوښى): brother-in-law
Kheena (ښينه): sister-in-law
Khusar (خسر): father-in-law
Khwakhey (خواښې): mother-in-law
Trah (تره): uncle (father’s brother)
Mama (ماما): uncle (mother’s brother)
Da trah zoye (د تره ځوى): cousin (male)
Da trah loor (د تره لور): cousin (female)
Wraz (ورځ): day
Shpah (شپه): night
Miasht (مياشت): month
Kall (کال): year
Halak (هلک): boy
Kor (کور): home; house
Zhond (ژوند): life
Khog, khozh (خوږ): sweet, dear
Zrah (زړه): heart
Lass (لاس): hand
Pakha (پښه): foot
Khidmat (خدمت): service
Dard (درد): pain
Leekwal (ليکوال): writer
Hewad (هېواد): country
Musiqi (موسيقي): music
Ghareeb (غريب): poor
Khukalai (ښکلى): smart
Khukale (ښکلې): beautiful, attractive
Jannat (جنت): paradise
Shpelai (شپېلۍ): flute
Shoondey (شونډې): lips
Rooh (روح): soul
Ghar (غر): hill
Zmaka (ځمکه): earth, land
Pattai (پټى): field
Jagrah (جګړه): war
Shkharah (شخړه): conflict
Deewa (ډيوه): candle
Zhaba (ژبه): tongue
Muska (موسکا): smile
Khanda (خندا): laugher
Mazi or ter wakh (ماضي يا تېر وخت): past
Ratloonkai (راتلونکى): future
Khoowanzai or Shoowanzai (ښوونځى): school
Wolaswali (ولسوالي): district
Welayat or ayalat (ولايت يا ايالت): province; state
Zaroorat or arrtiya ( ضرورت يا اړتيا): need
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I often heard from many people that wriitng is a most difficult thing to do because they do not know yet about grammar. So i would suggest them to have professional proofreading services which is quite easy and simple.
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