Urdu Alphabet Lore

Jeem | Gulzar Font

This is the story of four brothers: Jeem, Chay, Hay, and Khay.

ج، چ، ح، خ

Their mother made roti's for all her children.

Jeem (ج) ate his, so it has a Nuqta in its tummy.

Chay (چ) asked for two rotis, and also ate the roti she made for Hay (ح), so he has three Nuqta’s in his tumny, and Hay (ح) has none.

Khay (خ) saw this and got frightened, so he tied his roti on his head, which is why it has a Nuqta on its head.

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Notes:

Nuqta (dot): a diacritic mark in the Urdu alphabet.

Roti: a type of flatbread which is a staple in Pakistani cuisine.

This story from Urdu alphabet lore is widely used by teachers working in pre-school. It helps children differentiate between the letters, which look the same, and remember the number and positioning of Nuqta's, which might otherwise be very confusing for a three or a four-year-old.