(SOME STUDY MATERIALS)
Normal Urdu/Hindi grammar is relatively easy and straightforward. But Ghalib's verses make life difficult for everybody. Even if you're a modern native speaker, there will probably be aspects of Ghalib's grammar that you'll need to study. (Modern English speakers need to do a bit of work when they read Shakespeare, too.)
If you'd like more systematic help, check out the Urdu/Hindi resource page-- especially the Naim grammar materials made available there.
COMMON GRAMMAR PATTERNS (some examples for practice)
AANAA == {97,3}; {142,1}
AAP as polite 3rd person pronoun == {4,7}; {210,5}
AAP as oneself == {17,3}; {92,7}
AGAR colloquially omitted from if/then == {36,1}; {111,5}; {122,1}
'ALWAYS' CONSTRUCTION == {46,6}; {151,1};
{151,6}; {151,9};
{215,1}
APNAA and its ambiguities == {15,12}
AUR PHRASES== {3,1}; {62};
{66}; {86,4}
BAAT, colloquially omitted == {59,2}
BHII == {112}; {132};
{158,5}; {173,4};
{175,3}; {189,3}
CHAAHIYE and its complexities == {81,11x}; {189}
COMPOUND VERBS == {5}, {19,5};
{20,2}; {25};
{27,6}; {36,6};
{46,2}; {46,4};
{48}; {90,5};
{137,1}
CONTINUATIVES == {20,1}
CONTRAFACTUAL == {20}, {31},
{32}; {61,4};
{62,6}; {62,9};
{66,7}; {99,5}
DEKHNAA (look at, see)== {106,1}; {106,4};
{120,5}; {125,5}*; {153,1}
DIRECT DISCOURSE == {140,2}*
DISTRIBUTIVE FORMS== {10,11}; {15,12};
{16,1}
EXCLAMATIONS == {2,1}; {7,7};
{17,8}
FUTURE == {25}
FUTURE IMPERATIVE =={141,7}; {176,5} (subj.); {196,4}
FUTURE SUBJUNCTIVE == {14,4}; {46};
{88}; {89};
{99,1}; {124,1};
{163,1}
HII == {115,1}
IMPERATIVE == {56}, {79}
INFINITIVE == {1,2}; {17},
{48}
INFINITIVE as neutral imperative == {111,16};
{147,3}
INTERROGATIVE == {85}
INTRANSITIVE VERSUS TRANSITIVE) == {26,8};
{52,1}; {72,3};
{170,3}; {191,1}; {191,8}
IS versus US == {173,2}
IZAAFAT == {16,1}*; {49},
{53}, {80};
{96,3} and {97,8}, doubled final consonant; {173,8}, equational
JAANNAA for 'consider' == {16,5}; {101,5};
{110,5}; {140,2};
{159,6}
JAB KIH == {53,8}; or JO KIH, {39,4}
JAB TAK with NAH == {38,4}; {214,1}
JO for JAB == {12,2}
KAA vs. KE PAAS == {140,4}
KAHIIN as 'lest' indicator == {106,3}; {121,7};
{151,7}; {191,3}
KAR CONSTRUCTION == {60}; KE instead:
{29,4}, {29,6x},
{53,9}; {49,7};
{56,5}; {72,4};
KAR CONSTRUCTION as adverbial == {53,9}
KAR DELETION == {58,7}
KAASH == {31,3}; {132,4};
{162,3}; {191,3};
{202,5}; {208,12}
KE of possession as not agreeing == {57,2}
KHONAA as both trans. and intrans. == {153,6}
KIH == see the examples on the SETS page
KO in place of KE LIYE == {140,1}; {174,10}
KO, grammar problems: {35,6}
LAGNAA and LAGAANAA == {105,1}
LAGNAA with OBLIQUE INFINITIVE == {4,5}
MAANNAA as either trans. or intrans. == {125,8}
MILNAA == {97,1}
NAH...NAH == {3,3}; {20,9};
{119,8} (second one omitted)
NAH spelled as NE for meter == {98,4}; {169,2}; {169,11}
NE vs. non-NE FORMS == {153,9}
NEGATION complexities == {87,3}
NOUN COMPOUNDS == {129,6x}
OBLIQUE PLURAL AS INCLUSIVE == {219,1}
OMISSION OF SUBJECT == {97,3}
OMISSION OF INITIAL AGAR/JAB == {57,3}; {59,8};
{62,1}; {62,4};
{62,5}; {62,10}; {125,3}
PA;RNAA == {80,2}
PAST PARTICIPLE or PERFECT TENSE? == {115,2}*
PAST PARTICIPLE, ADJECTIVAL == {4,5}; {7,2};
{87,7}; {97,9}; {126,11}; {131,4}, with hu))e omitted; {137,2}, jale hu))o;N ; {142,1}, with hu))ii omitted; [{160,3}, with hu))ii omitted]
PAST PARTICIPLE, ADVERBIAL == {16,3}; {19,4};
{59,1}*, with ba;Gair ; {70,3}, with hii ;
{77,5}, {80,2}, with hu))e omitted; {115,2}, with hu))e omitted; {151,4};
{151,7}, with ba;Gair ; {233}
PAST PARTICIPAL, NOMINATIVE == {174,5}
PERFECT (INTRANSITIVE) == {3,4}; {5};
{6}; {14},
{34}, {35},
{41}, {164,9}
(discussed in connection with participle)
PERFECT (TRANSITIVE) == {4}; {18,5};
{19,7}; {29}
PERFECT used for subjunctive == {35,9}*
PERFECT-- skewed correlation with English == {38,1}*
PHIR-- {4,5}
POLITE IMPERATIVE used for subjunctive == {10,2}; {68,9x};
{91,2}; {116,5}; {127,3}; {130,1}; {153,4}; {157,5};
{178,9}; {220,1}
POSSESSIVE as both 'of' and 'belonging to'== {41,6}*
POSTPOSITIONS == {57}, {59},
{61}, {64},
{72}, {78};
{87,7}
POSTPOSITIONS-- GHOSTPOSITIONS == {160,3}
(adverb of time)
PRESENT HABITUAL == {61,6}, with hai omitted; {86}
PRESENT HABITUAL TO EXPRESS FIRM RESOLVE == {119,10}
PRESENT PARTICIPLE, ADVERBIAL == {53,9}
PRESENT PARTICIPLE, ADVERBIAL, DOUBLED == {48,7};
{52,1}; {72,3};
{97,4}
PRESUMPTIVE == {10,11}; {111,1}
RELATIVE PRONOUNS, JAB-TAB == {173,3}
RELATIVE PRONOUNS, JITNAA-UTNAA == {98,5}
RELATIVE PRONOUNS, JO-VUH == {6,3}; {10,1}
RESTRUCTIVE vs. UNRESTRICTIVE clauses == {229,6}
SAA/SE/SII == {14,5}; {22,1};
{86,4}
SAKNAA == {3,6}; {7,6};
{20,3}; {89}
SAMAJHNAA as 'to believe' == {90,3}
SE == {58,7}; {103,2x}; {190,1}
SINGULAR VERB after plural subjects == {64,3}
SUBJECT OMITTED == {138,6}
SUBJUNCTIVE (two senses) == {191,7}
SUNNAA as both 'hear' and 'listen to' =={51,7x};
{199,3}
VOCATIVE == {84,2x}
YAA / YAA as 'now' and 'then' == {139,6};
{176,7}; {177,7}
YUUN == {30,1}
IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
IDIOMS == Also, see the many complex examples linked on the SETS page.
a;hvaal as singular == {57,4}
baat colloquially omitted == {59,2}
bai;Thnaa in liye bai;Thaa == {132,6}
balaa == {58,1}
banaa))e nah bane etc. == {191,8}
bas == {210,1}
bhalaa == {21,11}
bhuule se == {151,8}
bhii == Sometimes it doesn't mean either 'too' or 'even'-- {158,5};
or as in Mir {967,1}: ;hairat se ham to chup hai;N kuchh tum
bhii bolo pyaare .
chhuu;Taa == kisii se chhuu;Taa
= something was reluctantly, under duress, left by X. == {85,6}
dekhaa jaanaa as 'endure' == {153,1}
dekhiye as 'let's see' == {98,4}
farmaanaa for karnaa == {19,1};
{19,2}; {25,6}
goyaa == {5,1}
haa;N as 'indeed' == {36,4};
{66,5}
ho kar as 'by way of' == {49,5}
hotii aa))ii hai == {86,1}
hii sahii == {9,4}; {91,4};
{148}
jaatii hai ko))ii == {7,5}
jo in non-relative uses == {20,9}
jo kih == {39,4}
kahaa;N yih, kahaa;N vuh == {27,2};
{85,7}; {219,9}
kahe ba;Gair etc. == {3,6};
{59}
kahii;N as 'somehow' == {193,3}
kar bai;Thnaa == {90,5}
kisii ko kuchh kahnaa == {86,3}
ko))ii == special emphatic negative use, {7,5};
{119,9}, {148,7}
ko))ii == idiomatic non-oblique uses: {66,1}
kuchh idioms == {89,2}
lo for 'just look at this!' == {99,5}
ma((luum == {4,3}*
ma((nii as singular == {57,4}
passive for absolute impossibility == {153,1};
{205,4}
rahaa for rahe (futr. subj.) ==
{102,1}
sahii and its special uses with nah
and hii == {9,4}
to == {193,1}
vuh to mean aisaa == {14,6};
{20,6}; {22,2};
{23,1}; {31,2};
{49,4}; {68,9x};
{84,6x}; {84,7x}; {84,8x}; {101,3}; {107,6}; {123,8}; {153,4}; {214,7}; {230,4}; {234,3}
vuhii to mean aisaa hii == {6,11x};
{36,4}
yih to mean aisaa == {10,1}; {11,2};
{40,5x}; {58,2}; {84,5x}; {153,4}; {210,7}
;xaak idioms == {114,1}
yak- as a Persianized idiom former == {11,1}
;zaraa == {177,2};
{193,5}; {207,3}
ARCHAISMS
aave;Nge for aa))enge, etc. == An archaic form of the future and subjunctive. == {9,9x}; {19}; {59,3}; {61,5}; {68,3}; {73,1}; {84,5x}; {85,6}; {86,9}; {90,3}; {117,3}; {120,7}; {143,6}; {145,5x}; {147,1}; {173}; {192,4}; {195}; {196,5}: {201,2}; {204,10}; {205,8}; {207,3}; {224,1}; {225,1}
dekhaa chaahiye for dekhnaa chaahiye == {1,3}
dekhe se for dekhne se == {174,5}
guzre for guzarne == {49,3}
hote tak == {78}
huujo == {190,6}
liijo == {83,2}
huujiyo == {77,3}
huujiye == {72,5}
samajhyo == {171,2}
jaa))e hai for jaataa
hai, etc. == Note by Prof. Peter Hook (April 2003): 'The jaa))e
hai , jaa))o ho , jaa))uu huu;N , jaa))e;N hai;N pattern is an 'archaic present', an alternate but now obsolescent
form of the present habitual. The pattern is still found
in standard Marwari and Gujarati ( jaa))uu chhuu , jaa))o
chho , jaa))e chhe ). Undoubtedly it must also survive in many rural
dialects spoken in UP, MP, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Whether jaa))e
hai is older than jaataa hai is hard to say. It
might represent a conflation of Eastern jaa))e (still
used in some places in UP in its ancient OIA present habitual sense and in
some frozen phrases and formulae) with the more westerly jaataa
hai , a later (MIA?) innovation.' Note by Christina Oesterheld (December
2004): Helmut Nespital has discussed the emergence of the "old present"
in Urdu poetry in "The linguistic structure of Hindavi, Dakkhini, early
Urdu and and early Khari Boli Hindi" (Berliner Indologische Studien,
Band 11/12, Reinbek: Dr. Inge Wezler Verlag für Orientalistische Fachpublikationen,
1998, pp.195-218). Another source is Stuart McGregor, "The Language of
Indrajit of Orcha: A Study of Early Braj Bhasa Prose" (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1968).' == {13,6}; {17,2};
{17,4}; {27,5};
{42,9x}; {48,9};
{49,6}; {49,7};
{51,2}; {53,8};
{57,9}; {58,8};
{60,5}; {60,8};
{64,2}; {67,3};
{69,1}; {72,6};
{75,3}; {75,7}; {77,5}; {78,2}; {80,8}; {81,2};
{86,4}; {92,2};
{93,3x}; {101,7}; {116,2};
{116,9}; {120,7};
{131,6}; {149,2};
{149,3}; {151,3}*
{152,4}; {153}
(most verses; in {153,5} it's used together with the modern form); {158,4}; {167,4};
{170,3}; {178,10};
{185,1} (though not necessarily); {187,1}
de hai ; {190,1}; {193,2};
{196,6}; {199,1};
{205}; {208,8};
{208,9}; {210,5};
{228,5}; {233,8};
{233,10}; {233,12};
{233,13}; {233,14}
kisuu kii == {186,3}
kam hu))e pah == {16,5}
ke tale for ke niiche == {101,7}
kiije == According to S. R. Faruqi, it's an archaic short form of kiijiye . According to some members of the Urdulist, it's a still-current short form of kiijiye . The linguist Peter Hook derives it from the Sanskrit kriyate '(it) is done', probably like this: kriyate => kiryati => kijjadi => kijjai => kiije . He says, 'The changes include metathesis, analogical leveling, perseverative as well as anticipatory assimilation, voicing of intervocalic stops, compensatory lengthening, monophthongization, and syncope. Together with the changes in form there was a change in function from passive voice and present tense to passive subjunctive (or -- sometimes -- imperative)' (Oct. 2009). Examples include {4,1}; {5,4}; {9,6}; {53,10}*; {119,1}; {119,7}; {123,4}; {125,3}; {132,6}; {140,3}; {148,2}; {177,10}; {182,1}; {192,2}; {201,8}; {202,7}; {209,7}. Ghalib also uses diije in two verses: {68,3}, {209,8}; all parties would maintain their own similar analyses as in the case of kiije . He never uses liije or piije . I'm still investigating this question; stay tuned for updates.
ko == {107,3}, discussion
leve == {73,1}
Persianisms of an extreme kind == nigaare in {109,6x}
polite imperative as pa;Rhye == {26,10}
raah chalto;N ke saamne == [{99,2}]
rakhyo etc. == {14,1}; {92,4}; {171,2}; {177,13}; {186,1}
saa;N for saa (?) == {194,5}