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, 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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