50+ Basic Punjabi Words And Phrases: Useful Guide

Besides India and Pakistan, Punjabi is spoken among a vital overseas diaspora, particularly in the United Kingdom, the U.S.A, and Canada. Learn the necessary and basic Punjabi words and phrases with their meaning in English and pronunciation.

A famous saying is that you can find two rich things anywhere in Pakistan or India: potatoes and Punjabi! Well, I don’t know what potatoes are, but if it’s Punjabi, I must agree! So from east, west, and north to south, you can meet this very warm and kind person anywhere in this country.

The Punjabi language is classified as one of the members of the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European language family. The word Punjabi is derived from Panj-āb, which means “Five Rivers” in Persian and refers to the five main tributaries of the eastern Indus River. Furthermore, the name of the region was presented by the Turkish-Persian conquerors in South Asia. Therefore, it translates the Sanskrit name Panchanada in the area, which means “land of five rivers.”

What Are The Basic Punjabi Words And Phrases?

Basic Punjabi Words Every Learner Should Know

In a sentence, we always use pronouns to differentiate which speaker is the subject and who is the one talking. Just like English, Punjabi has grammar rules for their pronouns. Check out basic Punjabi words for pronouns in this list:

English	Pronunciation	Punjabi
I	Main	ਆਈ
He	Oh	ਉਹ
She	Oh	ਉਹ
It	Eh	ਇਹ
You	Tu, Tui	ਤੁਸੀਂ
This	Ah	ਇਹ
That	Oh	ਕਿ

Basic Punjabi Words And Phrases Used In Daily Conversation

Meeting Punjabis themselves are already an amazing experience. But, you can’t survive talking to Punjab locals without knowing basic Punjabi words and phrases. Especially, if you are visiting Pakistan or India anytime soon. Why not memorize some of these words we’ve listed below and start your language-learning journey today? If you already have a friend that speaks Punjabi, it’s best to create mock scenarios with real conversations for you to memorize Punjabi fast.

English	Pronunciation	Punjabi
Hello	Sata srī akāla	ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ
How are you?	Tussi kiwen ho? / ki gal hai?	ਤੁਸੀ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੋ?
I am fine	Main theek haan	ਮੈਂ ਠੀਕ ਹਾਂ
Pleased to meet you	Tu-adey nal mil kar bahut khusi hoi	ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਖੁਸ਼ੀ ਹੋਈ
Thank You	Shukriā	ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ
What is your name?	Tuhada naan ki hai?	ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਹੈ?
My name is	Mera naan haga …	ਮੇਰਾ ਨਾਮ ਹੈ
Where are you from?	Tusi kithe dey ho?	ਤੁਸੀ ਕਿੱਥੋ ਹੋ?
What Happened	Ki hoya	ਕੀ ਹੋਇਆ
Good morning	Śubha savēra	ਸ਼ੁਭ ਸਵੇਰ
Good evening	sata srī akāla	ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ
Good night	śubha rāta	ਸ਼ੁਭ ਰਾਤ

How do you use these words in a sentence? We’ve come up with the best guide for basic Punjabi sentence structure so you’ll know how to use tenses and know the grammatical concept for each Punjabi conversation.

Punjabi General Words

English	Pronunciation	Punjabi
Home	Kar	ਘਰ
Come	Ithy ah	ਆਉਣਾ
Go	Jaa	ਜਾਣਾ
Sit	Bah	ਬੈਠੋ
Laugh	Hus	ਹਾਸਾ
Happy	Khush	ਖੁਸ਼
Inside	Andar	ਅੰਦਰ
Far	Door	ਦੂਰ
Near	Paas	ਨੇੜੇ
Water	Panni	ਪਾਣੀ
Sleep	Sutte	ਸੌਣਾ
Eat	Khana	ਖਾਉ
Drink	Pinna	ਪੀ
Sorry	Mauf karna	ਮੁਆਫ ਕਰਨਾ
Welcome	Savāgata hai	ਸਵਾਗਤ ਹੈ
Yes	Aaho	ਹਾਂ
No	Nahi	ਨਹੀਂ
Right	Sajjey	ਸਹੀ
Left	Khabbey	ਖੱਬੇ
Shopping	Khareedna	ਖਰੀਦਦਾਰੀ
Thank you	Shukriya	ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ
Understand	Samajhō	ਸਮਝੋ

Numbers To Learn In Punjabi

English	Pronunciation	Punjabi
Zero	Sifar	ਜ਼ੀਰੋ
One	Ik	ਇੱਕ
Two	Do	ਦੋ
Three	Tin	ਤਿੰਨ
Four	Chaar	ਚਾਰ
Five	Panj	ਪੰਜ
Six	Chey	ਛੇ
Seven	Sat	ਸੱਤ
Eight	Aath	ਅੱਠ
Nine	know	ਨੌ
Ten	Das	ਦਸ

Punjabi Words And Phrases When Shopping

English	Pronunciation	Punjabi
How much is this?	Iha kinā hai?	ਇਹ ਕਿੰਨਾ ਹੈ?
I can’t buy it	Maiṁ isanū nahīṁ kharīda sakadā	ਮੈਂ ਇਸਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਖਰੀਦ ਸਕਦਾ
What items do you have?	Tuhāḍē kōla kihaṛī’āṁ cīzāṁ hana?	ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਕੋਲ ਕਿਹੜੀਆਂ ਚੀਜ਼ਾਂ ਹਨ?
How does it work?	Iha kivēṁ caladā hai?	ਇਹ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਚਲਦਾ ਹੈ?
Can you give a discount?	Kī tusīṁ kō’ī chōṭa dē sakadē hō?	ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੋਈ ਛੋਟ ਦੇ ਸਕਦੇ ਹੋ?
I will buy it	Maiṁ isanū kharīda lavāṅgā	ਮੈਂ ਇਸਨੂੰ ਖਰੀਦ ਲਵਾਂਗਾ
I will pay in cash	Maiṁ nakada bhugatāna karāṅgā	ਮੈਂ ਨਕਦ ਭੁਗਤਾਨ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ
I will pay by credit	Maiṁ kraiḍiṭa kāraḍa du’ārā bhugatāna karāṅgā	ਮੈਂ ਕ੍ਰੈਡਿਟ ਕਾਰਡ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਭੁਗਤਾਨ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ
I will not buy it	Maiṁ isanū nahīṁ kharīdāṅgā	ਮੈਂ ਇਸਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਖਰੀਦਾਂਗਾ

Restaurant Words And Phrases In Punjabi

English	Pronunciation	Punjabi
What is on the menu?	Mīnū’tē kī hai?	ਮੀਨੂ ‘ਤੇ ਕੀ ਹੈ?
I am vegetarian	Maiṁ śākāhārī hāṁ	ਮੈਂ ਸ਼ਾਕਾਹਾਰੀ ਹਾਂ
I am hungry	Maiṁ bhukhā hāṁ	ਮੈਂ ਭੁੱਖਾ ਹਾਂ
I want to drink	Maiṁ pīṇā cāhudā hāṁ	ਮੈਂ ਪੀਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ
The food was amazing	Bhōjana śānadāra sī	ਭੋਜਨ ਸ਼ਾਨਦਾਰ ਸੀ
I don’t like spicy food	Mainū masālēdāra bhōjana pasada nahīṁ hai	ਮੈਨੂੰ ਮਸਾਲੇਦਾਰ ਭੋਜਨ ਪਸੰਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ
I want to order another food	Maiṁ ika hōra bhōjana āraḍara karanā cāhudā hāṁ	ਮੈਂ ਇੱਕ ਹੋਰ ਭੋਜਨ ਆਰਡਰ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ
I don’t like the food	Mainū khāṇā pasada nahīṁ hai	ਮੈਨੂੰ ਖਾਣਾ ਪਸੰਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ
I will pay the bill	Maiṁ bila pē karāṅgā	ਮੈਂ ਬਿਲ ਪੇ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ

General Words For Family Members, Friends, And Work

English	Pronunciation	Punjabi
Boy	Muda	ਮੁੰਡਾ
Girl	Kuṛī	ਕੁੜੀ
Mother	Maan	ਮਾਨ
Father	Pi’ō	ਪਿਓ
Son	Putar	ਪੁਤਰ
Daughter	Dhee	ਧੀ
Relative	Riśatēdāra	ਰਿਸ਼ਤੇਦਾਰ
Boss	Bausa	ਬੌਸ
Employee	Karamacārī	ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ
Coworker	Sahikaramī	ਸਹਿਕਰਮੀ
Staff	Saṭāpha	ਸਟਾਫ

Getting to know a Punjab family? Why not use these words and phrases to have a deeper connection with them? Check out our blog to know the rest of the Punjabi words used for family and start practicing daily conversations with them now!

20 Punjabi Words And Phrases To Improve Your Vocabulary

• Patola

Literal meaning: A hot or beautiful Punjabi girl

• Khottey De Puttar

Literal meaning: Son of a donkey (idiot)

• Geydi

Literal meaning: To wander aimlessly, mostly to check out people of the opposite sex.

• Pind

Literal meaning: Hometown

• Balle Balle/ Shaava Shaava

 Literal meaning: Expression of joy (but for a non-Punjabi, it is a racist way to greet any Punjabi).

• Durr fitteh mun

Literal meaning: May your face burn in hell or keep your face away

• Chak dey phattey

Literal meaning: C’mon or keep it up

• Gabroo Jawaan

Literal meaning: A young and well-built Punjabi boy or man

• Kidaan! (Nasal expression)

Literal meaning: Wassup

• Raula

Literal meaning: It means a bad or messed up situation

• Boothi

Literal meaning: Face (mostly this word is used in a sarcastic way)

• Mukk

Literal meaning: Over/finish (means something is finished or come to an end)

• Praah!

Literal meaning: It means brother

• Ghaint

Literal meaning: Awesome, super, or cool

• Rab raakhaan

Literal meaning: God be with you (it’s a Punjabi variant of Khuda Hafiz, which means goodbye)

• Saanu Ki

Literal meaning: An Ultimate Answer After Hours Of Gossip

• Siyapa

Literal meaning: Problem

• Changa

Literal meaning: Good or Ok

• Jhappi!

Literal meaning: A Hug

• Haey O Rabba!

Literal meaning: Dramatic way to call or remember God

What Are The Two Common Types Of Punjabi? 

Punjab, Pakistan

Punjabi (all dialects) is the first language of 70% of Pakistan’s population. Pakistani Punjabi is also called Lahnda/Western Punjabi. There are many types of Punjabi languages in Randa, and sometimes different languages are considered, but they are all named after Randa (Western Punjabi). Punjabi is spoken in every province of Pakistan. In Pakistan’s Punjabi, 97% of people speak Punjabi. There are more than 20 Punjabi dialects in Punjab, Pakistan, and throughout Pakistan. Majhi dialect is the most uncomplicated dialect in Punjabi.

Punjab, India

2.4% of the Indian population speak Punjabi as their first language. Thus, 87% of Punjabi Indians speak Punjabi as their first language. Indian Punjabi is almost the same as Indian Punjabi, and it is easier to compare with Pakistani Punjabi.

Speak Like A Native – Learn The Punjabi Language With Ling

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