How to Learn the Pashto Language: A Beginner’s Guide

Pashto is the native language of the Pashtun people and plays a central role in the culture of Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan. It’s a rich, expressive language with a deep oral tradition—and a great choice for language learners seeking something off the beaten path. Are you ready to learn the Pashto language?

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Here are some key facts about Pashto:

• Spoken by over 40 million people
• One of the two official languages of Afghanistan
• Widely spoken in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
• Belongs to the Eastern Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian language family
• Written in a modified Perso-Arabic script, from right to left
• Features aspirated and retroflex sounds not found in English

Ready to learn more? Below is a guide for beginners covering everything from the alphabet and basic grammar to useful vocabulary, pronunciation tips, and learning methods!

1. Learn the Pashto Alphabet and Pronunciation

Pashto is written in a variant of the Arabic script, but with extra letters to accommodate sounds that don’t exist in Arabic or Persian. Learning to read and pronounce these letters correctly is essential. Pashto includes many sounds that are either aspirated—pronounced with a strong burst of air—or retroflex—made by curling the tongue back toward the roof of the mouth. These sounds don’t exist in many other languages, so they require focused practice.

Alphabet Overview

Pashto contains 44 letters, including the Arabic base alphabet  and additional characters unique to Pashto, such as:

• ځ (dz) – sounds like j in jam but stronger
• ږ (gh) – a voiced retroflex fricative, somewhat like the French r
• څ (ts) – a sharp ts sound
• ښ (shh) – a heavy sh with retroflex articulation
• ڼ (ṇ) – retroflex n
  

Each letter can take on different forms depending on its position in the word (beginning, middle, end, or isolated), much like in Arabic or Persian.

Pronunciation Tips

Getting Pashto pronunciation right takes time, but it’s one of the most important steps to sounding natural and understanding others clearly. Some of the biggest challenges for learners are aspirated consonants, retroflex sounds, and vowel length.

Pashto has many aspirated consonants, which are pronounced with a strong burst of air. For example:

• پھ (ph) as in pʰal (fruit)
• تھ (th) as in tʰal (he went)
• کھ (kh) as in kʰabare (talk)

These need to be clearly distinguished from their unaspirated counterparts—پ (p), ت (t), and ک (k)—since confusing them can change the meaning of a word entirely.

Pashto also includes retroflex consonants, which are pronounced by curling the tongue back toward the roof of the mouth. Two common examples are:

• ټ (ṭ) – a retroflex ‘t’
• ډ (ḍ) – a retroflex ‘d’

These are very different from the regular ت (t) and د (d) sounds, and you’ll hear them often in everyday speech.

Vowel length and stress are just as important. Pashto makes a clear distinction between long and short vowels, and switching between them unintentionally may confuse your listener. For example, kal (year) and kaal (skin) are completely different words, despite looking similar to beginners.

To improve your pronunciation:

• Listen to native speakers regularly, especially through slow, clear audio.
• Repeat short words and phrases out loud, mimicking the exact intonation and stress.
• Record yourself and compare your pronunciation to native audio.
• Practice writing and reading simultaneously to build sound-letter recognition.

Some great tools to get you started include PashtoTutor, LOOP Languages, and apps like Write It! Pashto for script practice and Memrise or Anki for pronunciation flashcards. Many YouTube channels offer guided Pashto lessons with native pronunciation too.

The more exposure you get, the more natural Pashto pronunciation will start to feel. Focus on sound patterns one at a time, and don’t be afraid to repeat the same phrase until it feels automatic.

2. Build Core Pashto Vocabulary

To start understanding and using Pashto in daily life, you’ll need a solid foundation of everyday vocabulary. Focus on words and phrases you’re likely to use regularly. Here are some essential categories to get you started:

Greetings and Basic Phrases

Pashto	English
سلام	Hello
څنګه یې؟	How are you?
مننه	Thank you
مهرباني	Please
بښنه غواړم	Excuse me / Sorry
هو	Yes
نه	No

Family Words

Pashto	English
مور	Mother
پلار	Father
خور	Sister
ورور	Brother
نيا	Grandmother
نيايي	Grandfather

Basic Verbs and Adjectives

Pashto	English
خوړل	To eat
تلل	To go
وییل	To say/speak
ښکلی	Beautiful
لوی	Big
کوچنی	Small

Numbers 0–10

Pashto	English
صفر	0
یو	1
دوه	2
درې	3
څلور	4
پنځه	5
شپږ	6
اووه	7
اته	8
نه	9
لس	10

Days of the Week

Pashto	English
يکشنبه	Sunday
دوشنبه	Monday
سه‌شنبه	Tuesday
چهارشنبه	Wednesday
پنجشنبه	Thursday
جمعه	Friday
شنبه	Saturday

To build retention, use flashcards, label household items, and repeat words aloud during your daily routine. Repetition in context helps make these words part of your long-term memory.

3. Understand Pashto Grammar Basics

Pashto grammar follows its own internal logic, and while it might seem unfamiliar at first, learning it step-by-step will help you speak and understand the language with confidence. Here are the most important grammar concepts to focus on as a beginner.

Word Order: Subject – Object – Verb

Like many other Indo-Iranian languages, Pashto follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) structure. This means that the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence.

Example:

• زه کتاب لولم.
  Za kitab loolum.
   (I book read) → I am reading a book.

Questions and negative sentences also follow this order:

• تاسې چای څښئ؟
  Tāse chāy tsʿakhe?
   (You tea drink?) → Do you drink tea?

Gender and Noun Agreement

Pashto nouns are either masculine or feminine, and this affects the form of adjectives and verbs in a sentence.

Examples:

• ښکلی هلک – Beautiful boy (masculine adjective)
• ښکلې نجلۍ – Beautiful girl (feminine adjective)

In the present tense, the verb ending changes to match the gender of the subject:

• زه خوشحاله یم. (Za khushhāla yam.) – I am happy (female speaker)
• زه خوشحال یم. (Za khushhāl yam.) – I am happy (male speaker)

Personal Pronouns

Here are the basic pronouns in Pashto:

English	Pashto
I	زه (za)
You (sing.)	ته (ta)
He/She	هغه (haghā)
We	موږ (mozh)
You (plural)	تاسې (tāse)
They	هغوی (haghoy)

These pronouns are used both with verbs and in everyday phrases. You’ll see them often when learning how to conjugate verbs.

Present Tense Verb Conjugation

Pashto verbs are conjugated based on tense, subject, and gender. Let’s look at the verb “to go” – تلل (talal) in the present tense.

Subject	Masculine	Feminine
زه	ځم (dzam)	ځم (dzam)
ته	ځې (dze)	ځې (dze)
هغه	ځي (dzi)	ځي (dzi)
موږ	ځو (dzo)	ځو (dzo)
تاسې	ځئ (dze)	ځئ (dze)
هغوی	ځي (dzi)	ځي (dzi)

Note: In the present tense, verbs often don’t change for gender in first and second person but do in the past tense, which you’ll encounter later.

Asking Questions

Questions are usually formed by raising intonation and/or using question words, like:

Pashto	English
څه؟	What?
څوک؟	Who?
کله؟	When?
چیرته؟	Where?
ولې؟	Why?
څنګه؟	How?

Example:

• ته له کومه یې؟ – Ta la kuma ye? → Where are you from?

Making Negative Sentences

Negation in Pashto typically involves the word “نه” (na) placed before the verb.

Examples:

• زه پوهېږم. – I understand.
• زه نه پوهېږم. – I don’t understand.

Negation works similarly for other verbs:

• زه ځم. – I am going.
• زه نه ځم. – I am not going.

4. Learn Pashto with a Personal Teacher

One of the most effective ways to learn Pashto—especially given its unique script, pronunciation, and grammar—is through one-to-one Pashto lessons with a native-speaking teacher. At Language Trainers, our Pashto courses are designed around your needs, interests, and goals, making each class practical, engaging, and easy to follow.

What sets us apart from other language companies is our tailor-made approach. Before your first lesson, you’ll complete a short assessment so we can understand your current level and learning preferences. Based on that, we create a customized lesson plan that focuses on what matters most to you—whether that’s basic conversation skills, travel vocabulary, reading and writing practice, or more advanced grammar.

When it comes to Pashto language learning, you decide where and how you want to learn. Pashto lessons can take place at your home, at your office, or in a public space like a café or library. Beyond in-person Pashto classes in New York and other main areas, we also offer online courses for added flexibility.

→Sign Up Now: Free Trial Pashto Lesson With a Native Teacher!←

All our teachers are native Pashto speakers with experience teaching adults and children. In addition to language instruction, they bring in stories, traditions, and regional expressions, helping you learn the culture behind the language. Whether you’re learning Pashto for travel, heritage, or work, our personal, culturally focused courses give you the tools to succeed with confidence.

Pashto Language Learning: FAQ

1.   Where is Pashto spoken?

Pashto is spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan, primarily in Afghanistan as one of its two official languages and in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. It is the native language of the Pashtun people.

2.   How to learn Pashto?

To learn Pashto, start by studying the alphabet and pronunciation, then build basic vocabulary and grammar. Use audio resources, speak regularly, and take lessons with a native Pashto teacher for personalized guidance and cultural context.

3.   What is the Pashto language alphabet?

The Pashto alphabet is based on the Perso-Arabic script and written from right to left. It includes 44 letters, with several unique characters representing sounds not found in Arabic or Persian, such as ځ, ښ, and ڼ.

4.   Where can I take a Pashto language course?

You can take a Pashto language course with Language Trainers, offering personalized one-to-one lessons online or in person. Courses are taught by native teachers and tailored to your level, goals, and interests.