10 best urdu idioms with example and use in english

 

Here are some commonly used Urdu idioms along with their meanings and examples in English:

1. آسمان سے گرا، کھجور میں اٹکا
   Meaning: Out of the frying pan and into the fire (escaping one problem only to fall into another). Example: "He thought switching jobs would make things easier, but now he feels like he fell from the sky and got stuck in a date tree."

2. اونٹ کے منہ میں زیرہ
   Meaning: A drop in the ocean (something insufficient for the need). Example: "That small donation was like a cumin seed in a camel’s mouth for the big project."

3. نالے پر دباؤ ڈالنا
   Meaning: To twist someone’s arm (to pressure someone into doing something). Example: "She didn’t want to go to the party, but her friends kept twisting her arm."

4. ہوا میں تیر چلانا
   Meaning: Shooting in the dark (acting without information or understanding). Example: "Without studying the data, making decisions now would just be shooting arrows in the air."

5. اونٹ کے منہ میں گھی
   Meaning: Insufficient support (a small amount that hardly makes a difference). Example: "For such a big project, this funding is like butter in a camel’s mouth."

6. رائی کا پہاڑ بنانا
   Meaning: Making a mountain out of a molehill (exaggerating a small issue). Example: "It's just a minor mistake; don’t make a mountain out of a mustard seed."

7. بندر کیا جانے ادرک کا مزہ
   Meaning: Casting pearls before swine (giving something valuable to someone who can’t appreciate it). Example: "Explaining art to him is pointless; it’s like a monkey not understanding the taste of ginger."

8. گاجر مولی کی طرح کاٹنا
   Meaning: To cut down mercilessly (treating people as disposable). Example: "In the competition, he’s known for cutting down his opponents like carrots and radishes."

9. چراغ تلے اندھیرا
   Meaning: Darkness beneath the lamp (overlooking what is right under one’s nose). Example: "They searched everywhere for the document but forgot to check the desk drawer – true darkness beneath the lamp!"

10. کھودا پہاڑ نکلا چوہا
    Meaning: Much ado about nothing (a lot of effort for a small result). Example: "After hours of hype about the new movie, it was such a disappointment – digging a mountain to find a mouse!"