Type: Past perfect negative sentence
Origin: Standard Urdu grammar structure, used in daily speech
Expanded Features:
Polarity: Negative
Register: Neutral, everyday usage
Pragmatic Sense: Expresses lack of prior knowledge or awareness before a certain time
Synonyms (Urdu): ہمیں یہ خبر کل تک معلوم نہیں ہوئی تھی, ہم کل تک اس خبر سے بے خبر تھے
Synonyms (English): we had not known this news until yesterday, we were unaware of this news until yesterday
Antonyms (Urdu): ہم نے یہ خبر کل تک سن لی تھی
Antonyms (English): we had heard this news until yesterday
Key Nuances:
Indicates an event not known before a specific time
Adds emphasis to the time expression "کل تک" (until yesterday)
Common in conversational and narrative contexts
Usage Contexts:
Daily conversations about news or events
Storytelling to mark timeline of knowledge
Situations of expressing surprise or delay in receiving information
Example Sentences:
Urdu: ہم نے یہ خبر کل تک نہیں سنی تھی اس لیے حیران رہ گئے۔
English: We had not heard this news until yesterday so we were surprised.
Urdu: ہم نے یہ خبر کل تک نہیں سنی تھی اس وجہ سے میٹنگ میں شریک نہ ہو سکے۔
English: We had not heard this news until yesterday that is why we could not attend the meeting.
Urdu: ہم نے یہ خبر کل تک نہیں سنی تھی اس لیے ہمیں کوئی تیاری کا وقت نہ ملا۔
English: We had not heard this news until yesterday so we had no time to prepare.
Cultural Insight: In Urdu, time expressions like "کل تک" are often used to mark a boundary of awareness, showing when something became known. This reflects how timelines are emphasized in daily storytelling.
Related Terms:
ہم نے یہ خبر سنی تھی (Hum Ne Ye Khabar Suni Thi): we had heard this news
ہم بے خبر تھے (Hum Be Khabar The): we were unaware