Punjabi Language Words: 100 Basic Words, Meanings and Sounds
Over 100 Punjabi language words, sorted by topic, each with the Gurmukhi spelling, a plain romanization and the English meaning. Greetings, family, numbers, days, food, verbs, adjectives, question words and the short phrases that hold a conversation together.
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Punjabi in two minutes
Punjabi is spoken by well over 100 million people, mostly in Pakistan's Punjab province and India's Punjab state, with large communities in the UK, Canada and the US. In India it is written in the Gurmukhi script, which is what you see below. In Pakistan the same spoken language is written in Shahmukhi, a Perso-Arabic script. The words in this guide are the everyday words shared across both sides, with the Indian Gurmukhi spelling.
Two features make Punjabi unusual among its neighbours. It is a tonal language (the letters ਘ, ਝ, ਢ, ਧ, ਭ and the letter ਹ inside a word are pronounced as a change in pitch rather than as separate sounds), and it doubles consonants a lot, marked in writing by a small sign called the addhak (ੱ). Both are covered in the sounds section, so read the tables first and then come back to it.
Greetings and politeness
| Gurmukhi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ | Sat Sri Akal | hello (the standard Sikh greeting, used at any time of day) |
| ਨਮਸਤੇ | namaste | hello (neutral, common among Hindu Punjabis) |
| ਕੀ ਹਾਲ ਹੈ? | ki haal hai? | how are you? (literally "what is the condition?") |
| ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੋ? | tusin kiven ho? | how are you? (polite) |
| ਮੈਂ ਠੀਕ ਹਾਂ | main theek haan | I am fine |
| ਧੰਨਵਾਦ | dhannvaad | thank you |
| ਸ਼ੁਕਰੀਆ | shukriya | thanks (a little more casual; the usual word in Pakistan) |
| ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ | kirpa karke | please |
| ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰਨਾ | maaf karna | sorry / excuse me |
| ਕੋਈ ਗੱਲ ਨਹੀਂ | koi gall nahin | no problem, it's nothing |
| ਜੀ | ji | respect particle: "yes", or added after a name or answer |
| ਹਾਂ ਜੀ | haan ji | yes (polite) |
| ਨਹੀਂ | nahin | no |
| ਠੀਕ ਹੈ | theek hai | okay, fine |
| ਫਿਰ ਮਿਲਾਂਗੇ | phir milaange | see you again (the everyday goodbye) |
| ਰੱਬ ਰਾਖਾ | Rabb raakha | goodbye (literally "God protect you") |
| ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਨਾਂ ਕੀ ਹੈ? | tuhaada naan ki hai? | what is your name? (polite) |
| ਮੇਰਾ ਨਾਂ ... ਹੈ | mera naan ... hai | my name is ... |
ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ is safe with anyone in Indian Punjab and in the diaspora. Muslim Punjabis, who are the majority of all Punjabi speakers, usually greet with "assalamu alaikum" and answer "walaikum assalam". If you are unsure, ਕੀ ਹਾਲ ਹੈ works with everyone.
Pronouns and question words
| Gurmukhi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਮੈਂ | main | I |
| ਤੂੰ | tun | you (informal, close friends and younger people) |
| ਤੁਸੀਂ | tusin | you (polite, elders, strangers; also plural) |
| ਅਸੀਂ | asin | we |
| ਉਹ | oh | he, she, they, that |
| ਇਹ | eh | this, he, she (nearby) |
| ਮੇਰਾ | mera | my (ਮੇਰੀ meri with feminine nouns) |
| ਤੁਹਾਡਾ | tuhaada | your (polite) |
| ਤੇਰਾ | tera | your (informal) |
| ਕੀ | ki | what |
| ਕਿੱਥੇ | kitthe | where |
| ਕਦੋਂ | kadon | when |
| ਕਿਉਂ | kion | why |
| ਕੌਣ | kaun | who |
| ਕਿਵੇਂ | kiven | how |
| ਕਿੰਨਾ | kinna | how much, how many |
Family and people
Punjabi, like Hindi, has a separate word for almost every relative, and the father's side and mother's side use different words. These are the ones you will hear most.
| Gurmukhi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਮਾਂ | maan | mother (ਮੰਮੀ mummy is common too) |
| ਪਿਓ / ਪਿਤਾ | pio / pita | father (ਪਿਓ everyday, ਪਿਤਾ formal; ਪਾਪਾ papa is common) |
| ਭਰਾ | bhra | brother (ਭਾਈ bhai also, and as a friendly address) |
| ਭੈਣ | bhain | sister |
| ਪੁੱਤਰ | puttar | son (also used affectionately for any child) |
| ਧੀ | dhee | daughter |
| ਦਾਦਾ / ਦਾਦੀ | daada / daadi | father's father / father's mother |
| ਨਾਨਾ / ਨਾਨੀ | naana / naani | mother's father / mother's mother |
| ਚਾਚਾ | chaacha | father's younger brother |
| ਮਾਮਾ | maama | mother's brother |
| ਪਤੀ / ਪਤਨੀ | pati / patni | husband / wife |
| ਬੱਚਾ | bachcha | child |
| ਮੁੰਡਾ | munda | boy |
| ਕੁੜੀ | kudi | girl |
| ਬੰਦਾ | banda | man, person |
| ਦੋਸਤ | dost | friend |
| ਯਾਰ | yaar | mate, buddy (very informal, said constantly) |
| ਪਰਿਵਾਰ | parivaar | family |
Numbers 1 to 10
| Number | Gurmukhi | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ਇੱਕ | ikk |
| 2 | ਦੋ | do |
| 3 | ਤਿੰਨ | tinn |
| 4 | ਚਾਰ | chaar |
| 5 | ਪੰਜ | panj |
| 6 | ਛੇ | chhe |
| 7 | ਸੱਤ | satt |
| 8 | ਅੱਠ | atth |
| 9 | ਨੌਂ | naun |
| 10 | ਦਸ | das |
Note the doubled consonants in ਇੱਕ, ਤਿੰਨ, ਸੱਤ and ਅੱਠ. Hold them slightly longer than you would in English: "sat-t", not "sat". The word for five, ਪੰਜ (panj), is where the name Punjab comes from: "panj aab", the land of five rivers.
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Days and time
| Gurmukhi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਸੋਮਵਾਰ | somvaar | Monday |
| ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ | mangalvaar | Tuesday |
| ਬੁੱਧਵਾਰ | buddhvaar | Wednesday |
| ਵੀਰਵਾਰ | veervaar | Thursday |
| ਸ਼ੁੱਕਰਵਾਰ | shukkarvaar | Friday |
| ਸ਼ਨੀਵਾਰ | shanivaar | Saturday (also ਸ਼ਨਿੱਚਰਵਾਰ shanicharvaar) |
| ਐਤਵਾਰ | aitvaar | Sunday |
| ਅੱਜ | ajj | today |
| ਕੱਲ੍ਹ | kall | tomorrow and yesterday (the verb tense tells you which) |
| ਪਰਸੋਂ | parson | the day after tomorrow, or the day before yesterday |
| ਹੁਣ | hun | now |
| ਦਿਨ / ਰਾਤ | din / raat | day / night |
| ਸਵੇਰ / ਸ਼ਾਮ | saver / shaam | morning / evening |
Everyday nouns
| Gurmukhi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਪਾਣੀ | paani | water |
| ਰੋਟੀ | roti | flatbread, and by extension a meal |
| ਖਾਣਾ | khaana | food (also the verb "to eat") |
| ਚਾਹ | chaah | tea |
| ਦੁੱਧ | duddh | milk |
| ਘਰ | ghar | house, home |
| ਪਿੰਡ | pind | village (a word Punjabis use with real affection) |
| ਸ਼ਹਿਰ | shahir | city |
| ਪੈਸੇ | paise | money |
| ਕੰਮ | kamm | work |
| ਗੱਡੀ | gaddi | car, vehicle, train |
| ਸੜਕ | sarak | road |
| ਕਿਤਾਬ | kitaab | book |
| ਸਕੂਲ | school | school |
| ਦਿਲ | dil | heart |
| ਰੱਬ | Rabb | God |
| ਗੱਲ | gall | a thing said, a matter (ਗੱਲ ਕਰਨਾ gall karna, to talk) |
Verbs
Punjabi verbs are listed in the infinitive, which ends in -ਣਾ or -ਨਾ (-na). The stem is what is left when you take that off, and it is the stem you build tenses on.
| Gurmukhi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਹੋਣਾ | hona | to be |
| ਕਰਨਾ | karna | to do |
| ਜਾਣਾ | jaana | to go |
| ਆਉਣਾ | aauna | to come |
| ਖਾਣਾ | khaana | to eat |
| ਪੀਣਾ | peena | to drink |
| ਬੋਲਣਾ | bolna | to speak |
| ਸੁਣਨਾ | sunna | to listen, to hear |
| ਵੇਖਣਾ | vekhna | to see, to look (Hindi uses dekhna; this is a Punjabi giveaway) |
| ਸਮਝਣਾ | samajhna | to understand |
| ਦੇਣਾ | dena | to give |
| ਲੈਣਾ | laina | to take |
| ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ | parhna | to read, to study |
| ਬੈਠਣਾ | baithna | to sit |
| ਸੌਣਾ | sauna | to sleep |
| ਚਾਹੁਣਾ | chaahuna | to want |
Adjectives
Adjectives ending in -ਾ (-a) change to -ੀ (-i) with feminine nouns and to -ੇ (-e) with masculine plurals: ਚੰਗਾ ਮੁੰਡਾ (a good boy), ਚੰਗੀ ਕੁੜੀ (a good girl), ਚੰਗੇ ਲੋਕ (good people).
| Gurmukhi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ਚੰਗਾ | changa | good (also "okay then" on its own) |
| ਮਾੜਾ | maara | bad |
| ਵੱਡਾ | vadda | big, elder |
| ਛੋਟਾ | chhota | small, younger |
| ਸੋਹਣਾ | sohna | beautiful, handsome |
| ਗਰਮ | garam | hot |
| ਠੰਢਾ | thandha | cold |
| ਨਵਾਂ | navaan | new |
| ਪੁਰਾਣਾ | puraana | old (things) |
| ਬਹੁਤ | bahut | very, a lot |
| ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ | thorha | a little |
| ਸੱਚ | sach | true, truth (ਸੱਚੀ? sachi? "really?") |
Short phrases that do a lot of work
- ਮੈਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਉਂਦੀ। (mainu Punjabi nahin aundi.) I don't know Punjabi. (Literally "Punjabi does not come to me.")
- ਮੈਨੂੰ ਥੋੜ੍ਹੀ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ। (mainu thorhi Punjabi aundi hai.) I know a little Punjabi.
- ਹੌਲੀ ਬੋਲੋ। (hauli bolo.) Speak slowly.
- ਮੈਂ ਸਮਝ ਗਿਆ / ਗਈ। (main samajh gaya / gayi.) I understood. (gaya if you are male, gayi if female.)
- ਮੈਨੂੰ ਸਮਝ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਈ। (mainu samajh nahin aayi.) I didn't understand.
- ਇਹ ਕਿੰਨੇ ਦਾ ਹੈ? (eh kinne da hai?) How much is this?
- ਚੱਲੋ। (challo.) Let's go. / Come on.
- ਚੰਗਾ ਫਿਰ। (changa phir.) Okay then. (A very common way to end a conversation.)
- ਮੈਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ। (main tainu pyaar karda haan.) I love you. (karda for a male speaker, ਕਰਦੀ kardi for a female speaker.)
- ਬੱਲੇ ਬੱਲੇ! (balle balle!) An exclamation of joy, the sound of every wedding.
- ਓਏ! (oye!) Hey! (Only for friends. Rude to elders.)
Sounds that trip up English speakers
- Tones. Gurmukhi has letters (ਘ ਝ ਢ ਧ ਭ) that were once "breathy" consonants. In modern Punjabi they are pronounced as the plain consonant plus a tone: at the start of a word the pitch starts low and rises (ਘਰ ghar, "house", sounds like "kàr" with a dip), and at the end of a word the pitch falls from high. The letter ਹ (h) in the middle or end of a word usually turns into a high tone too, which is why ਸ਼ਹਿਰ (city) sounds like "shéhr". You will be understood without the tones, but you will sound like you are reading Hindi.
- Doubled consonants (addhak ੱ). ਸੱਤ (seven), ਅੱਜ (today), ਕੰਮ (work), ਗੱਲ (talk) all have a held consonant. English does this across words ("bookcase" has a long k); Punjabi does it inside them.
- Retroflex sounds. ਟ, ਡ, ਣ and the flap ੜ (the "r" in ਕੁੜੀ kudi, girl) are made with the tongue curled back against the roof of the mouth. English t and d are close but not identical.
- Nasal vowels. The tippi (ੰ) and bindi (ਂ) nasalise the vowel: ਮੈਂ (main, I), ਨੌਂ (naun, nine), ਹਾਂ (haan, yes).
Mistakes learners make
- Using ਤੂੰ (tun) with elders or strangers. It is the intimate "you". Default to ਤੁਸੀਂ (tusin) and switch down only when the other person does.
- Forgetting your own gender in verbs. Past and habitual verbs agree with the speaker: a man says ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ (karda haan), a woman says ਕਰਦੀ ਹਾਂ (kardi haan).
- Reading Punjabi as Hindi. Many words overlap, but Punjabi prefers ਵੇਖਣਾ (vekhna) over dekhna, ਕਿੱਥੇ (kitthe) over kahan, ਕੁੜੀ (kudi) over ladki, ਮੁੰਡਾ (munda) over ladka, and ਪਾਣੀ is "paani" in both but ਦੁੱਧ has that doubled d.
- Writing ਤੀਨ for three. That is the Hindi spelling. Punjabi is ਤਿੰਨ (tinn), with a nasal and a doubled n.
- Dropping ਜੀ. Adding ji after a name (Auntie ji, Singh ji) or an answer (haan ji, nahin ji) costs nothing and signals respect. Native speakers use it constantly.
How to remember them
Punjabi shares roots with English through the Indo-European family, and a surprising number of these words have a cousin you already know: ਨਾਂ (naan) and "name", ਦੋ (do) and "two" (Latin duo), ਤਿੰਨ (tinn) and "three", ਸੱਤ (satt) and "seven", ਨੌਂ (naun) and "nine", ਦਸ (das) and "ten" (Latin decem), ਦਿਲ (dil) and the Persian-derived "dil" in the film title Dil Se, ਮਾਂ (maan) and "mama". Learn the rest in pairs of opposites (ਵੱਡਾ / ਛੋਟਾ, ਗਰਮ / ਠੰਢਾ, ਨਵਾਂ / ਪੁਰਾਣਾ, ਦਿਨ / ਰਾਤ) and in the short phrases above rather than as single words. A word inside a sentence you can say out loud is a word you keep.
Also useful
- Punjabi greetings: every way to say hello, with who uses which.
- Common Punjabi phrases: full sentences for real situations.
- Punjabi numbers 1 to 10: counting, with pronunciation.
- Punjabi slang words: what you will hear but never see in a textbook.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common Punjabi language words?
The words you will hear most are ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ (Sat Sri Akal, hello), ਕੀ ਹਾਲ ਹੈ (ki haal hai, how are you), ਧੰਨਵਾਦ (dhannvaad, thank you), ਹਾਂ ਜੀ (haan ji, yes), ਨਹੀਂ (nahin, no), ਠੀਕ ਹੈ (theek hai, okay), ਚੰਗਾ (changa, good), ਯਾਰ (yaar, mate) and ਚੱਲੋ (challo, let's go). Question words like ਕੀ (what), ਕਿੱਥੇ (where) and ਕਿਉਂ (why) come next.
What script is Punjabi written in?
Two scripts. In India, Punjabi is written in Gurmukhi, the script used throughout this guide. In Pakistan, the same language is written in Shahmukhi, a version of the Perso-Arabic script written right to left. The spoken words are largely the same in both countries.
Is Punjabi similar to Hindi?
They are related and share a lot of vocabulary, especially numbers and family words, so a Hindi speaker understands a fair amount of Punjabi. But Punjabi has tones, doubled consonants and its own core words (ਵੇਖਣਾ vekhna for "to see", ਕੁੜੀ kudi for "girl", ਕਿੱਥੇ kitthe for "where"), so it is a separate language, not a dialect.
How do you say thank you in Punjabi?
ਧੰਨਵਾਦ (dhannvaad) is the standard word. ਸ਼ੁਕਰੀਆ (shukriya) is also common, a little more casual, and is the usual word among Pakistani Punjabis. Adding ਜੀ (ji), as in ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਜੀ, makes it warmer.
What does "ji" mean in Punjabi?
ਜੀ (ji) is a particle of respect. On its own it means "yes" or "pardon?". After a name or title (Auntie ji, Sardar ji) it is like adding "sir" or "ma'am" without sounding stiff. After an answer, ਹਾਂ ਜੀ (haan ji) or ਨਹੀਂ ਜੀ (nahin ji), it makes the reply polite.
How many people speak Punjabi?
Well over 100 million people speak Punjabi as a first language, which makes it one of the ten most spoken languages in the world. Most live in Pakistan's Punjab province, followed by India's Punjab state, with large diaspora communities in the UK, Canada, the US and the Gulf.