Punjabi Pronouns For Beginners – An Easy Guide To 7 Types

Learning Punjabi pronouns might give you a hard time if you don’t come from a linguistic background where the language marks a distinct difference between a formal ‘you’ and an informal ‘you’.

Want me to explain further? Let me help you with a real anecdote from my early teens. I was visiting a Punjabi friend of mine at her home along with a Tamil-speaking friend who was new to Delhi and was trying his best to learn Punjabi and Hindi at the same time. We were greeted at the door by her stern looking Sikh grandfather. We both greeted him with a hurried Sat sri akaal (Hello in Punjabi).

However, to my utter horror and embarrassment, my Tamil friend tried to test his Punjabi skills at the precise moment by asking, “Tu kivem hai?” instead of “tusi kivem ho?” What’s the difference, you ask? Well, in the Punjabi language, elders are always addressed with tusi (formal ‘you’) and never a tu (informal ‘you’).

Needless to say, my poor friend got a good grammar lesson on Punjabi pronouns that afternoon!

Concept Of Punjabi Pronouns And Sentences 

Pronouns are words that we use besides nouns to make a sentence more symmetrical. Pronouns are usually applicable where the noun is used more frequently. One of its examples is, “Josh is a boy. He likes to play table tennis.” In this sentence, “He” is a word that acts as a pronoun. Namespaces in computing are used to identify various types of objects. The same way pronouns and all their types work. 

Moreover, pronouns create a better way of expressing yourself and making you sound like a native of that language. Punjabi pronouns are easier to learn if you know the concept and differences of how to use them correctly. We all know the importance of subjects, adjectives, verbs, nouns, and adverbs in Punjabi grammar and sentences. Punjabi pronouns also play a vital role in complex Punjabi sentence structure and paragraphs. 

How Do You Say Pronoun In Punjabi?

In Punjabi, the term for “pronoun” is parnaanva (ਪੜਨਾਂਵ). They replace nouns or naanva (ਨਾਂਵ) to indicate the subject or object of a sentence. A parnaanva (ਪੜਨਾਂਵ) helps to simplify and clarify sentences by specifying who or what is involved without repeating specific nouns.

Let’s discuss different types of Punjabi pronouns and their usage in other sentences. 

7 Types Of Punjabi Pronouns With Examples

There are different types of pronouns depending upon their usage concerning the sentence. Let’s go through all the pronouns we possibly can.

1. Possessive Pronouns

A pronoun that indicates a possession is called a possessive pronoun. Read the below table carefully to understand more about this pronoun.

2. Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are words that we use instead of the name of the person or animal. These are different for both genders and singular and plural nouns. In English, these types of pronouns are divided into first-person, second-person, and third-person pronouns, and the same goes for Punjabi pronouns.
Following is a brief introduction to these pronouns and their translation/pronunciation in Punjabi.

First-Person Pronouns

The First-Person pronoun belongs to the person narrating the story, e.g., I and We. You can translate these words as main or ਮੈਂ , and asi or ਅਸੀਂ.

Second Person Pronouns

These pronouns refer to the person to which the story is being told. The second person pronoun is used in sentences such as “You.” In Punjabi, this word is written as ਤੁਸੀਂ and pronounced as tusi. However, please note that this is a formal variation of the word ‘you’ in the Punjabi language. For informal situations and conversations, you can use tu (ਤੂੰ).

Third Person Pronouns

You can use this type of pronoun when you tell a story about another person. That person refers to a third person. “He, she, it, and they” is a set of all possible available third-person pronouns. We use “He” and “She” for both genders, “He” for the singular male gender, and “She” for the feminine gender.

Other additional terms like “It” and “They” are used for animals or things and plural nouns. By translating these pronouns into Punjabi, we can write ਉਹ. This single Punjabi word is used for all four third-person pronouns and is pronounced as Uha.

Cases Of Personal Pronouns

Three cases indicate the relation of personal pronouns to the word that is used. Let’s take an example. “Baisakhi occurs in April, John. You know nothing about Punjab”. “John” follows a vocative case in this sentence, while “You” forms a nominative case. In an oblique case, the pronoun can follow any role besides the subject.

3. Reflexive Pronouns

The pronoun that refers back to the subject of a clause or sentence is called a reflexive pronoun. As a reflexive pronoun, we use “myself, herself, himself, themselves, and itself” in a sentence. In Punjabi pronunciation, you can say these words as Apane aap nu.

4. Indefinite Pronouns

A pronoun without a specific familiar reference is called an indefinite pronoun. An example of these pronouns is “something, anything, anyone, everyone.” These pronouns in Punjabi can be written as ਕੁਝ, ਕੁਝ ਵੀ, ਕੋਈ ਵੀ, ਹਰ ਕੋਈ and pronounced as Kujha, kujha vi, koi vi, har koi, respectively.

5. Demonstrative Pronoun

Demonstrative pronouns refer to the words that we use to point out something. “These, that, this, and those” are some demonstrative pronouns. “These” and “this” are pronounced as Iha while “that” and “those” are pronounced as uha in Punjabi.

6. Interrogative Pronouns

A word that we possibly use to ask specific questions is called interrogative pronoun. These types of terms include “which, what, who, whom, and whoever” that are pronounced as Jo, ki, kauna, kisanu, and jo vi. In the following table, you will be able to understand these words and their usage easily.

7. Relative Pronouns

A pronoun that heads an adjective clause is called a relative pronoun. To understand this pronoun, we can use different examples. “This is the house that John bought.” In this sentence, “that” is a relative pronoun pronounced as Uha in Punjabi.

Practical Tips For Beginners: Practice Punjabi Pronouns

1. Start learning personal pronouns first – Focus on basic pronouns like “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” and “they.”
   • I am eating – Main khaa raha haan (ਮੈਂ ਖਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ) if you are a male, and Main khaa rahi haan (ਮੈਂ ਖਾ ਰਹੀ ਹਾਂ) if you are a female.
   • She is sleeping – Oh so rahi hai (ਉਹ ਸੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ)
2. Learn formal vs informal pronouns – Punjabi has different pronouns for formal and informal situations.
   • You (formal) – Tusi (ਤੁਸੀਂ)
   • You (informal) – Tu (ਤੂੰ)
   • How are you (formal)? – Tusi kivein ho? (ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੋ?)
   • How are you (informal)? – Tu kivein hai? (ਤੂੰ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੈ?)
3. Practice possessive pronouns – Learn how to say “my,” “your,” “his,” and “her.”
   • This is my house – Eh mera ghar hai (ਇਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਘਰ ਹੈ)
   • That is his car – Oh usdi car hai (ਉਹ ਉਸਦੀ ਕਾਰ ਹੈ)
4. Use pronouns with Punjabi verbs – Combine pronouns with verbs to create meaningful sentences.
   • We are studying – Asi paṛh rahe haan. (ਅਸੀਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ)
   • He is running – Oh bhaag raha hai (ਉਹ ਭੱਜ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ)
5. Learn reflexive pronouns – Learn pronouns like “myself,” “yourself,” and “themselves.”
   • I did it myself – Main apne aap kita (ਮੈਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਕੀਤਾ)
   • They are helping themselves – Oh apane aap di madad kar rahe han (ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਦੀ ਮਦਦ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ)
6. Switch between subject and object pronouns – Practice switching between subject (I, he) and object (me, him) pronouns.
   • He is calling me – Oh mainu bula raha hai (ਉਹ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਬੁਲਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ)
   • I am calling him – Main usanu bula riha haan (ਮੈਂ ਉਸਨੂੰ ਬੁਲਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ)
7. Use demonstrative pronouns – Learn how to use “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.”
   • This is a book – Eh ik kitaab hai (ਇਹ ਇੱਕ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਹੈ)
   • Those are apples – Oh seb ne (ਉਹ ਸੇਬ ਨੇ)
8. Create Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises – Write sentences and leave out the pronoun to test yourself.
   • ____ is eating an apple – (____ seb khaa raha hai) (___ ਸੇਬ ਖਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ)
9. Practice with questions – Play Sherlock Holmes and ask yourself and others simple questions using pronouns.
   • Who is that? – Oh kaun hai? (ਉਹ ਕੌਣ ਹੈ?)
   • Where are they going? – Oh kithe ja rahe ne? (ਉਹ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਨੇ?)
10. Use language learning apps – Apps like Ling make learning Punjabi pronouns easier through interactive exercises and listening practice. Ling helps reinforce correct usage by providing sentence-building activities and native pronunciation, making it easier to retain what you’ve learned.

Frequently Asked Questions About Punjabi Pronouns

Does Punjabi Haves Gendered Words?

Yes, Punjabi does have gendered words. Nouns in Punjabi can be masculine or feminine, and this gender is reflected in other parts of speech like adjectives and pronouns that agree with the gender of the noun. For example, munda (ਮੁੰਡਾ) is masculine (boy) and kudi (ਕੁੜੀ) is feminine (girl).

What Is The Pronoun Of Boy?

In Punjabi, the pronoun for “boy” (ਮੁੰਡਾ – munda) is uh (ਉਹ) when referring to him. For example, uh parhda hai (ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਹੈ) which means “he is studying.” The same pronoun is used for a girl: uh parhdi hai (ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਹੈ). The only difference is that the verb ending agrees with the gender of the noun and changes accordingly.

What Is The Grammar Structure Of Punjabi?

Punjabi grammar follows the subject-object-verb (SOV) sentence structure in basic sentences, where the subject is followed by the object and then the verb. Punjabi nouns have gender (masculine or feminine), and verbs change depending on the subject’s gender, number and tense.

That’s A Wrap On Punjabi Pronouns

This guide on Punjabi pronouns covers the seven types of Punjabi pronouns: possessive (like mera – my), personal (first, second, and third person), reflexive (myself), indefinite (someone), demonstrative (this, that), interrogative (who, what), and relative (which). You learned how to use them correctly in different cases and how they change based on gender and context.

The article also explores how pronouns shape sentence structure and includes practical tips to help you practice and remember them. With regular practice, you’ll find it easier to form sentences and have natural conversations in Punjabi.

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language widely spoken by Punjabi people around the world, mainly in Pakistan and India. Punjabi is written in India using the Gurmukhi script while in Pakistan, it is written in the Shahmukhi script. Thus, the Punjabi language is one of the few languages to be written in two distinct and mutually incomprehensible scripts. 

Explore More Punjabi Grammar In A Fun Manner!

After learning about Punjabi pronouns, you will be able to use these in your conversation. But other additional terms like verbs, nouns, adjectives, and clauses are also necessary to learn. To better understand the Punjabi language, you can use Ling. With the help of this gamified app’s mini-quizzes, practice questions, and game-based system, you can learn Punjabi conveniently.

So, why wait when you can start your Punjabi language learning journey this very instant? Just go to your Play Store or App Store and download the Ling app today!

For additional instance, you can read our blogs on Greetings in Punjabi and Basic Punjabi Words and Phrases for free as well!