Martial Arts

1. کیا میں ایک دن کے لیے کلاس میں شامل ہو سکتا ہوں؟

   Kya main ek din ke liye class mein shaamil ho sakta hoon?

   Can I join the class for just one day?

   Usage

   The basic way to ask about a drop-in session. Boxing gyms and dojos in Lahore and Karachi commonly take single-day visitors, and traditional akharas are not membership clubs at all — the coach's permission is what matters

   Grammar Note

   Sentence-initial "kya" makes it a yes/no question. The verb agrees with the speaker's gender: "sakta" for men, "sakti" for women

2. کیا میں پہلے پریکٹس دیکھ سکتا ہوں؟

   Kya main pehle practice dekh sakta hoon?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Use this to check the atmosphere and the coach before paying. Pakistani gyms are relaxed about spectators and will usually let you watch for free. Never step onto an akhara's earthen pit with your shoes on

   Grammar Note

   "Verb stem + sakna" expresses ability. Gym and sports vocabulary borrows heavily from English — "practice", "class" and "gloves" are all used as is

3. یہاں اکھاڑہ کہاں ہے؟

   Yahaan akhaara kahaan hai?

   Where is the akhara around here?

   Usage

   An akhara is the earthen-pit gym of kushti, the Pakistani-Indian wrestling also called pehlwani. Lahore's old city still has famous hereditary akharas where you can watch pehlwans swinging the heavy "mugdar" clubs at dawn

   Grammar Note

   Urdu question words stay in place rather than moving to the front as in English, and the verb "hai" always comes last

4. میں بالکل نیا ہوں۔

   Main bilkul naya hoon.

   I am a complete beginner.

   Usage

   Say this up front and the coach will keep you on basics. Pakistani gyms post no skill levels and rely on you speaking up; stay quiet and you may be paired with experienced students

   Grammar Note

   Adjectives agree with gender: "naya" for men, "nayi" for women. "Bilkul" is an Arabic-derived intensifier meaning "entirely"

5. براہِ کرم آہستہ شروع کریں۔

   Baraah-e-karam aahista shuru karein.

   Please start slowly and go easy.

   Usage

   The shortest way to ask for lower intensity. Kushti akharas sometimes throw newcomers straight into a real bout, so do not hesitate to say it. Free grappling normally waits until you can fall safely

   Grammar Note

   The ending "-ein" is the respectful imperative used with strangers and elders. "Baraah-e-karam" is a Persian-derived polite formula suitable in both speech and writing

6. میرے گھٹنے میں درد ہے۔

   Mere ghutne mein dard hai.

   My knee is hurting.

   Usage

   Say this before training starts — there is no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "ghutna" (knee) for "kandha" (shoulder), "kamar" (lower back) or "takhna" (ankle)

   Grammar Note

   A noun before the postposition "mein" takes the oblique form, so "ghutna" becomes "ghutne". Pain is expressed as existing "in" the body part

7. ماہانہ فیس کتنی ہے؟

   Maahaana fees kitni hai?

   How much is the monthly fee?

   Usage

   If you are staying a week or more a monthly rate is usually cheaper. Some traditional akharas charge no tuition at all and run on donations — then offer a contribution rather than insisting on paying a fee

   Grammar Note

   The question word "kitna / kitni" agrees with the noun. "Fees" is feminine, hence "kitni". "Maahaana" is an adjective derived from Persian "maah" (month)

8. ایک دن کی فیس کتنی ہے؟

   Ek din ki fees kitni hai?

   How much is the fee for a single day?

   Usage

   As a traveller this is the practical question to lead with. City gyms in Lahore and Karachi typically charge 300-1,000 rupees a session; hotel fitness centres cost more. Cash is the norm

   Grammar Note

   The possessive "ka / ki / ke" agrees with the following noun; "fees" is feminine so it takes "ki". The same frame gives "hafte ki fees" (weekly fee)

9. کیا خواتین کے لیے الگ کلاس ہے؟

   Kya khawaateen ke liye alag class hai?

   Is there a separate class for women?

   Usage

   Separate classes for men and women are the norm in Pakistan, and many places avoid having women taught by a male coach. Cities have women-only gyms and self-defence classes with female instructors, so it is worth asking in advance

   Grammar Note

   "Khawaateen" is the Arabic broken plural of "khaatoon" (lady); Urdu takes over such Arabic and Persian plural forms wholesale

10. کلاس کا وقت کیا ہے؟

    Class ka waqt kya hai?

    What time is the class?

    Usage

    Pakistani gyms usually run early morning (around 05:00-07:00) and late evening (after 20:00) sessions to dodge the heat. Most close around Friday midday prayers, and during Ramadan training shifts to after sunset, so always check

    Grammar Note

    "Kya" acts as a yes/no question particle at the start of a sentence but as the pronoun "what" mid-sentence — the position determines its role

11. کیا دستانے کرائے پر ملتے ہیں؟

    Kya dastaane kiraaye par milte hain?

    Are gloves available to rent?

    Usage

    Gyms will often lend beginners gloves, but hand wraps are sold rather than rented for hygiene reasons. A kushti akhara expects you to have a "langot", the traditional loincloth, which you buy rather than borrow

    Grammar Note

    "Milna" means "to be obtainable" and takes the object, not the borrower, as its subject. "Kiraaya" (rent) shifts to the oblique "kiraaye" before the postposition "par"

12. کیا آپ مجھے یہ داؤ سکھا سکتے ہیں؟

    Kya aap mujhe yeh daao sikha sakte hain?

    Could you teach me this move?

    Usage

    "Daao" is the kushti term for a throw or hold. The coach is the "ustaad" and the student the "shaagird"; after being shown a technique, thank him with "shukriya ustaad ji"

    Grammar Note

    "Sikhaana" (to teach) is the causative of "seekhna" (to learn). Always use the respectful "aap" with elders and strangers, with the verb in the corresponding plural "sakte hain"

13. کیا یہاں نہانے کی جگہ ہے؟

    Kya yahaan nahaane ki jagah hai?

    Is there somewhere to wash up here?

    Usage

    Traditional akharas train on earth, so you finish covered in dirt. Facilities are often a well, a hand pump or a bucket wash rather than a Western-style shower. Bring your own towel and a change of clothes

    Grammar Note

    The infinitive shifts to the oblique "nahaane" and links with "ki" to modify the noun, giving "a place for bathing". "Jagah" is feminine, hence "ki"

14. کشتی کا مقابلہ کب ہوتا ہے؟

    Kushti ka muqaabla kab hota hai?

    When do the wrestling bouts take place?

    Usage

    Punjab holds kushti tournaments at village fairs and through the off-season, with barefoot pehlwans grappling in an earthen pit. Lahore and Gujranwala are the traditional heartlands. Dates travel by word of mouth, so ask a local

    Grammar Note

    "Hota hai" is the habitual present, "does / usually takes place". For a single scheduled event use the future "hoga" instead

15. ہاتھ اوپر رکھو، مدِمقابل کی آنکھوں میں دیکھو۔

    Haath oopar rakho, mad-e-muqaabil ki aankhon mein dekho.

    Keep your hands up, look into your opponent's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most frequent cues during grappling. Kushti teaches you to watch the eyes and hips rather than the hands and feet — drop your gaze and you lose the grip battle

    Grammar Note

    The "-o" imperative is used with juniors and is natural from a coach to a student. "Mad-e-muqaabil" is a compound joined by the Persian izafat construction

16. پوری طاقت سے مارو، جھجکو مت۔

    Poori taaqat se maaro, jhijko mat.

    Strike with full power, do not hesitate.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The standard call when the person holding the pads wants your full commitment. A hesitant, half-power strike is more likely to hurt your own wrist, so you are pushed to commit

    Grammar Note

    A prohibition is formed by placing "mat" after the imperative ("jhijko mat" = do not hesitate). The postposition "se" marks the instrument, "with / by means of"

17. پانچ منٹ آرام کرو اور پانی پیو۔

    Paanch minute aaraam karo aur paani piyo.

    Take a five-minute break and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Punjab summers can hit 45 degrees and gyms are rarely air-conditioned, so frequent water breaks are built in. Some akharas hand out lassi or lemon water during the pause

    Grammar Note

    Urdu forms many verbs by pairing a noun with "karna" (to do): "aaraam karna" (to rest), "madad karna" (to help), "shuru karna" (to begin)

18. آج کے لیے بس اتنا ہی۔ شاباش!

    Aaj ke liye bas itna hi. Shaabaash!

    That is enough for today. Well done!

    Usage

    The coach's closing line. Reply with "shukriya ustaad ji". At an akhara, turning and re-levelling the earth and putting the equipment away afterwards is also part of a student's duty

    Grammar Note

    "Shaabaash" comes from Persian "shaad baash" (be joyful) and is a word of praise used across South Asia. The particle "hi" restricts the preceding word to mean "only that much"

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