Matras for उ and ऊ: ु and ू

Hindi is a phonetic language. This means you say what you see. Most vowels have two forms. There is the full letter form. Then there is the matra form. You use the full letter at the start of words. You use the matra when the sound follows a consonant. The matra ु is the short version. It sounds like the 'u' in 'put'. The matra ू is the long version. It sounds like the 'oo' in 'boot'. These marks always sit below the consonant. They are like little shoes for your letters. Except for one rebel letter, they always stay at the bottom. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! Just remember the direction of the curl.

1. 1Adding these matras follows a simple three-step process.
2. 2Write your base consonant first, like क or म.
3. 3Look at the vertical stem of the letter.
4. 4Attach the matra directly to the bottom of that stem.
5. 5For the short ु, draw a small hook curling to the left. For the long ू, draw a small hook curling to the right. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Left means 'go fast' (short sound). Right means 'stay a while' (long sound). There is one special case you must know. The letter र (ra) does not like things underneath it. It is a bit of a diva. When you add u or uu to र, the mark goes on its side. It looks like रु or रू. We will look at this more in the mistakes section.

Use these matras whenever a consonant needs a 'u' sound. You will use them in daily life constantly. Imagine you are ordering food. You might ask for गुलाब जामुन (Gulab Jamun). Both words use the short ु. Or maybe you are asking for directions to a पुल (bridge). That is another short u. If you are talking about the सूरज (sun), use the long ू. It is all about the duration of the sound. If the sound is short and clipped, use ु. If you can hold the sound for a second, use ू. It is like the difference between a tap and a slide. You will hear this rhythm in every conversation.

Do not use a matra at the beginning of a word. If the word starts with the 'u' sound, use the full letter. For example, use उल्लू (owl) or ऊपर (above). The matra needs a consonant to hold onto. It cannot float in the air alone. Also, do not use two vowel matras on one consonant. Hindi letters are minimalist. They only like one vowel at a time. If you see a consonant with an a sound, the u matra replaces it. It is a one-in, one-out policy. This keeps the script looking clean and organized.

Mixing up the direction is the most common trip-up. Remember: Left is short, Right is long. Another big mistake involves the letter र. Beginners often try to put the hook under र. This is wrong! It makes the letter look like a mess. Always put it in the middle: रु or रू. Also, watch out for the sound length. Saying कुल (total) when you mean कूल (cool) can be funny. One is a math term, the other is English slang! It is like a grammar traffic light; go at the wrong time and things get messy. Take your time to look at the curl direction.

Compare these to the इ and ई matras. Those marks go on the sides of letters. The u matras are strictly bottom-dwellers. They are also different from the ो (o) sound. The o sound uses a vertical line and a flag. The u sounds are just small hooks. Think of ु and ू as the ground floor of the script. They are subtle. If you miss them, the word changes completely. पुल is a bridge, but पल is a moment. That tiny hook makes a huge difference! It is the smallest change with the biggest impact.