Geo Language Services

Pashto

Pashto is one of the official languages of Afghanistan and Pakistan, spoken by millions across South Asia. It is a language rich in history and cultural significance, with a unique script and poetic tradition.

  • Classification

    Indo-European > Iranian

  • Speakers

    32.9 million

  • Script

    Naskh

  • Text direction

    Right-to-left

  • Official language

    Afghanistan

  • Also spoken

    Pakistan

Pashto

Pashto is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan. It is estimated that about half of the population speak Pashto as their first language. The lyrics of the national anthem of Afghanistan are in Pashto. It was made a national language of Afghanistan in 1936 by royal decree.

Pashto uses an alphabet that is a variety of the Arabic right-to-left alphabet and is written with Arabic Naskh script instead of the Persian Nastaleeq script (which is used by Dari – the second official language of Afghanistan).

The Iranian language group, including Pashto, is a member of the Indo-European language group along with other branches such as Celtic, Germanic, Balto-Slavic and Indo-Aryan.

The first grammar book of Pashto verbs was written in India in the early 19th century, and given the brilliant title of “Riāz al-Muhabat” (Training in Affection); such a misleading title perhaps speaks to some deeper truths about humanity across time periods and cultures – namely, that we all hate grammar so much that the most successful way to write a book about grammar is to make people think it’s something else.

At Geo Language Services, we ensure that our Pashto translations are both linguistically accurate and culturally appropriate, delivering your message in a way that resonates with Pashto-speaking audiences.

Services offered for this language

Translation / Transcreation / Subtitling / Localization / Adaptation / Copywriting / Authoring / Proofreading / Revision / Editing / Translation quality assurance / Terminology / Linguistic validation / Glossary creation / Dubbing / Voice-overs / Transcription / Typesetting / Simultaneous interpreting / Consecutive interpreting / Conference interpreting / Telephone interpreting / Public service interpreting / Interpreting equipment hire / Foreign language consulting

Interesting fact

Pashto is the medium of expression for Pashtun poetry, music, and storytelling. It has a rich oral tradition, with Pashto poets and musicians passing down their art through generations.

How can we help you?

Let us know about your needs, and we’ll guide you through every step of the way.