Afghanistan Languages

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Afghanistan

Languages

Description

With upwards of 40 distinct languages, Afghanistan is a linguistically diverse nation.
The Dari or Dari Persian and Pashto have official status in Afghanistan and are two of the leading languages in the country.

• Dari or Dari Persian
  
  • is spoken by 78% as a native language or 2nd language
  • is the most widely understood language as a shared language between multiple ethnic groups in the country
    
  • has served as a historical Lingua Franca between different linguistic groups in the region
    
  • is an Irainian Language
    
• Pashto
  
  • is spoken by 35%
  • is not multi-ethnic and is not as commonly spoken by non-Pashtuns
  • is an Iranian language

Other regional languages are spoken by minority groups across the country. They are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them. These include:

• Uzbek is spoken by 10%
• Turkmen is spoken by 2%
• Balochi is spoken by 1%
• Pashayi is spoken by 1%
• Nuristani is spoken by 1%

English is most spoken as a foreign language.

Word List(s)

Dari or Dari Persian

• Farsi (Persian) Genealogical Word List
• Useful phrases in Dari (Omniglot)

Pashto

• Pashto Vocabulary (Wikipedia)
• Useful phrases in Pashto (Omniglot)

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Dari or Dari Persian

• Dari Phonology (Wikipedia)
• Dari Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)
• Dari pronunciation dictionary (Forvo)

Pashto

• Pashto phonology (Wikipedia)
• Pashto Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)
• Pashto pronunciation dictionary (Forvo)

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Dari or Dari Persian

• English to Dari Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Dari dictionary (Lexilogos)
• Learn Dari (ilanguages)
• Bulkin, Carleton. Dari practical dictionary : Dari-English English-Dari. New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc., 2012. Available at: WorldCat.

Pashto

• English to Pashto Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Pashto dictionary (Lexilogos)
• Learn Pashto (ilanguages)
• Khattak, Niazi. The Pashto dictionary : a concise English-Pashto dictionary. n.p.: n.p., 2021. Available at: WorldCat.
• Pimsleur (Firm). Conversational Pashto. New York: Pimsleur, 2010. Available at: WorldCat.

Additional Resources

• Afghanistan Languages (afghan-web)
• Afghanistan (Britannica)
• Yarzi, Shawali. English, Pashto & Dari dictionary. London: Sabawoon Language Services, 2009. Available at: WorldCat.