In this article, you can learn how to pronounce and speak the Pashto language. Most people all over the world speak the Pashto language. Basically, the people who live in Afghanistan, and Pakistan speak Pashto. Pashto language learning can be challenging for inherent English speakers, as grammar and its structure are different for them. You can be successful at learning Pashto with rehearsal, even if you are an innate English speaker.
Understanding Pashto pronunciation and structure
For understanding pronunciation and structure you have to practice it in accompanying ways:
- Practice pronouncing the Pashto alphabet
- Pay attention to the stress in words
- Put the object before the verb
- Change verbs and nouns to suit the context of the sentence
- Read the Pashto script from right to left
Practice pronouncing the Pashto alphabet
Like other languages, numerous letters in Pashto are pronounced by utilizing various parts of your mouth and tongue. For instance, Pashto has retroflex consonants, which you pronounce by twisting your tongue. You will be able to sound out words you see (even if you don’t know what they mean), when you have learned to pronounce the letters of the alphabet.
Pay attention to the stress in words
In Pashto, stress can fall on any syllable of the word and frequently is used to differentiate meanings among words that would be the same. For instance, the word aspa (with stress on the first syllable) means “mare,” while the word aspa (stress on the last syllable) means “spotted fever.”
Put the object before the verb
In Pashto sentences the word order is subject-object-verb. For instance; the Pashto word for “dai” in English means “is”. If you wanted to say “this is a book,” you have to say “Dā Ketāb dai.” Look at the word order – dai comes last.
Change verbs and nouns to suit the context of the sentence
In Pashto, there are no articles. That is why nouns are changed to reveal gender, number, as well as case. Furthermore, verbs are changed to show tense, voice, aspect, as well as mood. For example; in Pashto, the feature (perfect, meaning it is a whole action, or imperfect, meaning it is a continuous action) is as essential as tense.
Read the Pashto script from right to left
The Pashto language read right to left like other languages (such as; Arabic and many other Indo-Iranian languages) rather than left to right as English and other European languages. 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.