If you are a beginner-level language learner, then Punjabi adjectives are super important to master in your journey towards acing the Punjabi language. Why? Well, have you ever wanted to give details about something and kept searching in your mind for the right words but couldn’t find one? About 99% of the time, you are looking for an adjective, which refers to words that modify, define, describe, and detail a noun.
In this blog post, we introduce you to some Punjabi adjectives to help make your search much more straightforward. Wondering what are the types of adjectives in the Punjabi language? We will look at a special list to help you master precisely that!
Table Of Contents
How Do You Say Adjective In Punjabi?
Adjectives in Punjabi are called Visheshan (ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ) and the term is pronounced as vi-shey-shuhn.
What Are Punjabi Adjectives?
Punjabi adjectives are words used to describe a noun or a pronoun in Punjabi. These are used in everyday conversations. Let’s look at an example:
Tom and Bob eat at the (adjective) old (noun) restaurant. Here we can see the adjective before the noun.
The (noun) flower is (adjective) beautiful. The noun comes first, and the adjective comes later in the sentence.
In this sentence, we see how the adjective helps paint a clear picture of the nouns. You can give great details about what you are talking about with the help of adjectives. In terms of Punjabi sentence structure, the Punjabi language follows a sentence’s SOV or Subject Object Verb structure.
Here’s one example: He will run in a race.
Punjabi: ਉਹ (subject) ਦੌੜ (object) ਵਿੱਚ (preposition) ਦੌੜੇਗਾ (verb)।
Transliteration: Uha (subject) daur (object) vich (preposition) dauregaa (verb).
Did you see the Punjabi sentence structure? It is like this “He race will run in,” which can sound quite funny in English but makes perfect sense in Punjabi.
Now let’s place adjectives in sentences:
Example: I live near the old red (adjectives) house (noun).
Punjabi: ਮੈਂ ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਲਾਲ (adjectives) ਘਰ (noun) ਦੇ ਕੋਲ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ।
Transliteration: Main puraane laal (adjectives) ghar (noun) de kol rahinda haan.
The adjectives in Punjabi also fall in front of Punjabi nouns, and it makes it much more accessible to start forming sentences or phrases with details.
3 Basic Grammar Rules For Using Punjabi Adjectives
1. Punjabi Adjectives Agree With Gender And Number
Punjabi adjectives change their form based on the gender and number of the noun they describe. For example:
- A big boy → Vadda munda (ਵੱਡਾ ਮੁੰਡਾ) [Masculine, Singular]
- A big girl → Vaddi kudi (ਵੱਡੀ ਕੁੜੀ) [Feminine, Singular]
- Big boys → Vadde munde (ਵੱਡੇ ਮੁੰਡੇ) [Masculine, Plural]
- Big girls → Vaddiyan kudiyan (ਵੱਡੀਆਂ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ) [Feminine, Plural]
2. Adjectives In Punjabi Usually Come Before Nouns
In most Punjabi sentences, adjectives appear before the noun they modify. For example:
- A beautiful flower → Sundar phul (ਸੁੰਦਰ ਫੁੱਲ)
- A long road → Lambi sadak (ਲੰਬੀ ਸੜਕ)
3. Some Punjabi Adjectives Do Not Change Form
Certain adjectives in Punjabi remain the same regardless of gender or number. These are mostly borrowed words or adjectives describing colors and qualities that don’t have gender variations. For example:
- An intelligent boy → Samajhdaar munda (ਸਮਝਦਾਰ ਮੁੰਡਾ)
- An intelligent girl → Samajhdaar kudi (ਸਮਝਦਾਰ ਕੁੜੀ)
- The intelligent students → Samajhdaar vidyarthi (ਸਮਝਦਾਰ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ)
In the above sentences, the adjective samajhdaar (intelligent) does not change form based on gender and number. Please note that these fundamental rules help beginners use Punjabi adjectives correctly in everyday speech and writing.
Types Of Adjectives In Punjabi
The Punjabi language has seven types of adjectives.
1. Qualitative Adjectives – Guna Vaachak Visheshan (ਗੁਣ-ਵਾਚਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ)
These adjectives describe the qualities or characteristics of a noun, such as color, size, shape, or appearance. Therefore, these are also called descriptive adjectives. For example: lamba (ਲੰਬਾ – tall), neela (ਨੀਲਾ – blue), gol (ਗੋਲ -round).
2. Quantitative Adjectives – Parimaan Vaachak Visheshan (ਪਰਿਮਾਣ-ਵਾਚਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ)
These adjectives indicate the quantity or amount of a noun. They answer questions like “how much” or “how many.” They describe an indefinite amount of something but do not specify an exact number. For example: kujh (ਕੁੱਝ – some), bahut saare (ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ – many).
3. Numerical Adjectives – Sankhiaa Vaachak Visheshan (ਸੰਖਿਆ-ਵਾਚਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ)
These adjectives indicate an exact number or order of something. There are two types of numeral adjectives:
- Cardinal – Mool Sankhiaa (ਮੂਲ ਸੰਖਿਆ)
- One girl – Ikk kuri (ਇੱਕ ਕੁੜੀ)
- Five books – Panj kitaabaan (ਪੰਜ ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ)
- Ordinal – Karam Sankhiaa (ਕ੍ਰਮ ਸੰਖਿਆ)
- First student – Pahila vidiaarathi (ਪਹਿਲਾ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ)
- Third class- Teeji kalaas (ਤੀਜੀ ਕਲਾਸ)
4. Demonstrative Adjectives – Nishache Vaachak Visheshan (ਨਿਸ਼ਚੇ-ਵਾਚਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ)
These adjectives point out or specify which noun is being referred to. They include words like this, that, these, those. For example: iha kitaab (ਇਹ ਕਿਤਾਬ – this book), uha jutti (ਉਹ ਜੁੱਤੀ – those shoes).
5. Interrogative Adjectives – Puchagicha Visheshan (ਪੁੱਛਗਿੱਛ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ)
These adjectives are used to ask questions about nouns. Common examples include which, what, whose. For example: kihari kitaab (ਕਿਹੜੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ – which book), kine vaje (ਕਿੰਨੇ ਵਜੇ – what time).
6. Possessive Adjectives – Sambandh Vaachak Visheshan (ਸੰਬੰਧ-ਵਾਚਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ)
These adjectives show the ownership or possession of a noun and provide an answer to the question “Whose?” They include words like my, your, his, her, our, their. For example: meri kalam (ਮੇਰੀ ਕਲਮ – my pen) where meri means “mine” and kalam means “pen.” Similarly, in usda ghar (ਉਸਦਾ ਘਰ – his house), usda means “his” and ghar means “house.”
7. Proper Adjectives – Vishesh Naam Vaachak Visheshan (ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਨਾਂ-ਵਾਚਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ)
These adjectives are derived from proper nouns (names of specific people, places, or things) and are used to describe characteristics associated with those nouns. For example, amareeki (ਅਮਰੀਕੀ – American – derived from America), shekaspeara (ਸ਼ੇਕਸਪੀਅਰ – Shakespearean – derived from Shakespeare).
A List Of Punjabi Adjectives
It’s time to try some Punjabi adjectives and then some phrases or sentences as examples. Spending about 10 – 15 minutes practicing these will be worth your time. Research tells us that with just 3 hours, you can learn up to 1000 Punjabi words – good enough to carry out a simple conversation, right? Here are the words that can help you out!
| English | Punjabi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Colors | ਰੰਗ | Rang |
| Red | ਲਾਲ | Laal |
| Yellow | ਪੀਲਾ | Peela |
| Green | ਹਰਾ | Haraa |
| Blue | ਨੀਲਾ | Neela |
| Shape | ਆਕਾਰ | Aakaar |
| Big | ਵੱਡਾ | Vaddaa |
| Small | ਛੋਟਾ | Chhota |
| Long | ਲੰਬੇ | Labe |
| Short | ਛੋਟਾ | Chhota |
| Tastes | ਸੁਆਦ | Suad |
| Spicy | ਮਸਾਲੇਦਾਰ | Masaledaar |
| Sweet | ਮਿੱਠਾ | Mitthaa |
| Sour | ਖੱਟਾ | Khattaa |
| Bitter | ਕੌੜਾ | Kaura |
| Noisy | ਰੌਲਾ | Raula |
| Expensive | ਮਹਿੰਗਾ | Mahiga |
| Cheap | ਸਸਤੇ | Sasate |
| Slow | ਹੌਲੀ | Hauli |
| Fast | ਤੇਜ਼ | Tez |
| Old | ਪੁਰਾਣਾ | Purana |
| New | ਨਵਾਂ | Navaa |
| Young | ਨੌਜਵਾਨ | Naujavaan |
| Rough | ਰੁੱਖੀ | Rukhi |
| Smooth | ਨਿਰਵਿਘਨ | Niravighan |
Punjabi Adjectives In Sentences
Some examples of adjectives that can be used as everyday Punjabi words and phrases used in sentences are below.
| English | Punjabi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| The new temple looks beautiful. | ਨਵਾਂ ਮੰਦਰ ਬਹੁਤ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ। | Navaa madara bahut sohanaa lagadaa hai. |
| I enjoyed the spicy food. | ਮੈਨੂੰ ਮਸਾਲੇਦਾਰ ਭੋਜਨ ਬਹੁਤ ਪਸੰਦ ਆਇਆ | Mainu masaaledaar bhojan bahut pasand aaiaa. |
| We made it to the party despite slow traffic. | ਧੀਮੀ ਆਵਾਜਾਈ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਅਸੀਂ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੋਏ। | Dheemi aavaajai de bawajood asi party vich shaamal hoye. |
| The expensive bracelet was stolen last week. | ਮਹਿੰਗਾ ਬਰੇਸਲੇਟ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਹਫ਼ਤੇ ਚੋਰੀ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ। | Mahiga bracelet pichhale hafte chori ho giaa si. |
| His long beard is turning grey. | ਉਸਦੀ ਲੰਬੀ ਦਾੜ੍ਹੀ ਸਲੇਟੀ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। | Usadi labi daarhi saleti ho rahi hai. |
Tips For Beginners: Learn Punjabi Adjectives
- Start learning the basic descriptive adjectives first. You can start with commonly used adjectives like “big,” “small,” “beautiful,” and “fast.”
- This house is big → Eh ghar vadda hai. (ਇਹ ਘਰ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ।)
- The boy is smart → Munda hoshiar hai. (ਮੁੰਡਾ ਹੋਸ਼ਿਆਰ ਹੈ।)
- Spend time understanding the adjective agreement based on Punjabi gender rules. Punjabi adjectives change based on the gender and number of the noun.
- A big boy → Vadda munda. (ਵੱਡਾ ਮੁੰਡਾ।)
- A big girl → Vaddi kudi. (ਵੱਡੀ ਕੁੜੀ।)
- Pair adjectives with opposites as learning adjectives in pairs makes them easier to remember.
- This house is big → Eh ghar vadda hai. (ਇਹ ਘਰ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ।)
- That house is small → Oh ghar chhota hai. (ਉਹ ਘਰ ਛੋਟਾ ਹੈ।)
- Use Punjabi adjectives in daily conversations to describe objects around you to reinforce learning.
- The weather is cold today → Ajj mausam thanda hai. (ਅੱਜ ਮੌਸਮ ਠੰਡਾ ਹੈ।)
- This food is delicious → Eh khana swadist hai. (ਇਹ ਖਾਣਾ ਸੁਆਦਿਸ਼ਟ ਹੈ।)
- Use language learning apps to stay consistent with your daily practice. Apps like Ling make learning Punjabi adjectives fun and interactive. With sentence-building exercises, audio pronunciation, and quizzes, Ling helps reinforce adjective usage in real-life contexts. Regular practice on Ling will help you learn adjectives faster and use them confidently.
Frequently Asked Questions About Punjabi Adjectives
1. What Are 10 Descriptive Adjectives?
Here are 10 descriptive adjectives in Punjabi grammar:
- Beautiful – Sundar (ਸੁੰਦਰ)
- Good – Changa (ਚੰਗਾ)
- Sweet (food) – Mittha (ਮਿੱਠਾ)
- Fragrant – Khushboodaar (ਖੁਸ਼ਬੂਦਾਰ)
- Famous – Mashoor (ਮਸ਼ਹੂਰ)
- Happy – Khush (ਖੁਸ਼)
- Special – Khaas (ਖ਼ਾਸ)
- Bad – Kharaab (ਖ਼ਰਾਬ)
- Broad – Vishaal (ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ)
- Intelligent – Samajhdaar (ਸਮਝਦਾਰ)
2. Is Beautiful A Descriptive Adjective?
Yes, beautiful is a descriptive adjective. In Punjabi, the words used for “beautiful” are sundar (ਸੁੰਦਰ), khoobsurat (ਖੂਬਸੂਰਤ) and so on.
What Is The Proper Adjective For Punjab?
The proper adjective for Punjabi is Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ). It is pronounced as puhn-ja-bee.
Let’s Summarize Punjabi Adjectives
In this article, we learned that Punjabi adjectives or visheshan (ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ) make sentences more descriptive and expressive. This guide explained basic grammar rules to use adjectives in Punjabi, including how adjectives change based on gender and number, usually come before nouns, and how some remain unchanged.
You learned about seven types of adjectives in the Punjabi language, such as qualitative, quantitative, numerical, demonstrative, interrogative, possessive, and proper adjectives, with real examples to help you understand their use. So, practice the beginner-friendly tips regularly to boost your confidence in using Punjabi adjectives correctly. With regular practice, you’ll describe things fluently and naturally in Punjabi conversations.
Explore More Punjabi Via Gamified Learning!
Given that Punjabi might be hard to learn for some people, learning it in a fun and playful manner will keep you motivated. The best place to start learning Punjabi? Try the Ling app.
It is one of the best Punjabi learning apps out there to help you master the language in the most cost-efficient way. Unlike Duolingo which is a free app, Ling does come with a paid subscription but the thing is – there is no Punjabi on Duolingo!
Consider this article a mini-Punjabi lesson, but as we all know it, the Punjabi language is much more than just phrases, words, pronunciation, and examples. Learning Punjabi requires a deeper dive into the language, culture, and Punjab. And if you want to know just that, then there’s nothing more that I can recommend downloading the Ling app!
