3 Essential Punjabi Nouns: Simplified Just For You!

Punjabi Nouns_punjabi book

Unlike their English counterparts, Punjabi nouns can be pretty complicated to learn as they have genders, cases, and plural forms. So, it’s no surprise that they might initially seem a bit daunting. But once you get the hang of them, it’ll be easy to understand how to use them in sentences. Let’s get to know more about it in today’s post!

And even if you think that Punjabi grammar is no easy thing to master, a basic understanding of concepts like noun usage can dramatically improve your chances of expressing yourself better. In this article, we’ll cover some of Punjabi’s most frequently used nouns. We’ll also explain how these words are used and give examples to help you understand them better. Let’s get started!

All About Punjabi Nouns

Let us look at the features and then types of nouns used in the Punjabi language.

What Are The Gender Based Punjabi Nouns?

Genders are important in Punjabi nouns because they determine the verb form and the pronoun used with them. In Punjabi, there are two genders: masculine and feminine. The gender of a noun affects the form of the verb and pronoun used with it. Additionally, the gender of a noun can sometimes indicate the natural gender of the person or thing named by the noun.

Let’s look at some examples.

Masculine Nouns

Most masculine nouns finish with the –aa (ਆ) sound, and some are exceptions.

  • Rope – Rassa (ਰੱਸਾ)
  • Cooking pot – Patila (ਪਤੀਲਾ)
  • Mountain – Pahad (ਪਹਾੜ)
  • Tumbler – Galaas (ਗਲਾਸ)

Feminine Nouns

Almost all feminine nouns finish with the –i (ਈ) sound.

  • String – rassi (ਰੱਸੀ)
  • Small cooking pot – Patili (ਪਤੀਲੀ)
  • Hill – Pahadi (ਪਹਾੜੀ)
  • Small tumbler – Galaasi (ਗਲਾਸੀ)
Punjabi Nouns_nouns word spinner

What Are The Number Based Punjabi Nouns?

These are the singular and plural nouns. For one, it is the singular form, and for more than one, it is the plural form. A prefix of –aa (ਆ) is mainly found when we write Punjabi for the singular nouns and changed to –ae (ਏ) for the plural.

Here are some examples for the Masculine Punjabi Nouns used in Punjabi grammar:

English SingularPunjabiPronunciationEnglish PluralPunjabiPronunciation
BoyਮੁੰਡਾMundaBoysਮੁੰਡੇMunde
RoomਕੋਠਾKothaRoomsਕੋਠੇKothe
HorseਘੋੜਾGhoraHorsesਘੋੜੇGhore

In the case that the nouns are already feminine, what do we do? We change the prefix to –aan (ਆਂ) to talk about their plural form.

English SingularPunjabiPronunciationEnglish PluralPunjabiPronunciation
GirlਕੁੜੀKudiGirlsਕੁੜੀਆਂKudiaan
WindowਖਿੜਕੀKhidkiWindowsਖਿੜਕੀਆਂKhidkiaan
LadyਬੀਬੀBibiLadiesਬੀਬੀਆਂBibiaan

As exceptions are in every language, you will find them in Punjabi, too! Some words remain unchanged and are the same in both their singular and plural forms. Some examples are given below:

  • Man/men – Aadmi (ਆਦਮੀ)
  • House/houses – Ghar (ਘਰ)
  • City/cities – Shahir (ਸ਼ਹਿਰ)

What Are The Noun Cases In Punjabi?

The noun cases in Punjabi are divided into two types: the direct and the oblique form. The number and case in Punjabi nouns go together. This is why they are under the “transformation” grammatical categories. Nouns can be singular direct and singular oblique, and they can also be plural direct and plural oblique.

In regards to masculine and feminine words, all previous rules apply. Once we cite examples of some daily-use Punjabi words, it will get clearer. For nouns discussed before, let’s see how they change forms from direct to the oblique case.

  • Boy – Munda (ਮੁੰਡਾ)
  • Boys – Munde (ਮੁੰਡੇ)
  • Man – Aadmi (ਆਦਮੀ)
  • Men – Aadmi (ਆਦਮੀ)
  • Girl – Kudi (ਕੁੜੀ)
  • Girls – Kudiaan (ਕੁੜੀਆਂ)

To oblique case:

  • Boy – Munde (ਮੁੰਡੇ)
  • Boys – Mundiaan (ਮੁੰਡਿਆਂ)
  • Man – Aadmi (ਆਦਮੀ)
  • Men – Aadmiaan (ਆਦਮੀਆਂ)
  • Girl – Kudi (ਕੁੜੀ)
  • Girls – Kudiaan (ਕੁੜੀਆਂ)

The grammatical relations and word order of Punjabi nouns will need practice. The recommendation is to practice naming objects and nouns to increase your vocabulary. While doing so, give attention to the pronunciation, which will help you identify the gender, number, and case.

The most important in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu (as they are similar languages) is to get the gender right. If not, the sentence will become pretty hysterical! As a learner, though, tones and pronunciation will come gradually and naturally with practice! Keep trying!

Punjabi Nouns_people learning together

How Do You Say Noun In Punjabi?

In Punjabi, the word for “noun” is naanva (ਨਾਂਵ). It is pronounced as naa-nva where the second n is the nasal sound.

Frequently Asked Questions About Punjabi Nouns

What Are The Genders Of Punjabi Nouns?

Punjabi nouns are categorized into two on the basis of gender – masculine nouns like pankhaa (ਪੱਖਾ – fan), hatth (ਹੱਥ – hand), and feminine nouns like sadak (ਸੜਕ – road) and baag (ਬਾਗ – garden).

What Do We Call Pronouns In Punjabi?

In Punjabi, pronouns are called parnaanva (ਪੜਨਾਂਵ). They replace nouns or naanva (ਨਾਂਵ) to indicate the subject or object of a sentence.

Is Sikh A Proper Noun?

Yes, Sikh is a proper noun because it is a religion like Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. Therefore, the word Sikh should always be written with a capital first letter S. For example, “A Sikh man is sitting there,” or “I am a Sikh woman.”

Want To Know Punjabi? Check Out Ling!

Do not let the fear of grammar stop you from learning a language. Languages and cultures are beautiful, and the more you spend time understanding them and the people who use them, the more you appreciate our world.

What is the reason, though, that you are looking at Punjabi nouns? Are you traveling to Pakistan or living in India? Are you constantly around this language at work and want to know more? We have an idea for you. Try out the Ling app, the language-learning gamified app.

Ling offers a wide range of Southeast Asian, South Asian and Eastern European languages. A language-learners paradise! It concentrates on reading, writing, listening, and speaking but also has pronunciations and works on your accent. This app has over 10 million downloads, which is highly effective in teaching languages through games.

The app also understands that language learning needs persistence and time, but we live in a busy world. You may be a travel worker, a runner, an adventurer, or working under a deadline. The app helps to give notifications and is conveniently on your phone wherever you go. You can start again from right where you left off. This time around, learning the Punjabi language will be easier.

So, what are you waiting for? Try out the Ling app today.

Leave a Reply

People also read

15+ Unique Punjabi Words To Have Fun With!

15+ Unique Punjabi Words To Have Fun With!

|
30+ Best Ways To Say Congratulations In Punjabi

30+ Best Ways To Say Congratulations In Punjabi

|
5+ Punjabi Phrases For Expressing Grief

5+ Punjabi Phrases For Expressing Grief

|
10 Amazing Punjabi Movies On Netflix To Binge Watch!

10 Amazing Punjabi Movies On Netflix To Binge Watch!

|
50+ Important Punjabi Vocabulary For Family

50+ Important Punjabi Vocabulary For Family

|
25+ Best Ways To Say Beautiful In Punjabi

25+ Best Ways To Say Beautiful In Punjabi

|