Conversational Punjabi I

Saying Hello in Punjabi

The most common Sikh greeting is Sat Sri Akal (Gurmukhi: sat sri akaal). It literally points to the eternal truth of the Divine and works at any time of day, whether you are arriving or leaving. When someone greets you with it, you simply reply with the same words.

A more formal Sikh salutation, often used at gatherings or to show deep respect, is Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh. You do not need to use the long form in casual settings, but it is good to recognize it.

Everyday Courtesies

• Dhanvaad (dhanvaad) - Thank you
• Meharbani - Kindness / please (used to soften a request, like "meharbani karke" = please, kindly)
• Maaf karna - Excuse me / sorry (literally "forgive")
• Ji - A respectful particle added to names or yes/no for politeness (e.g., "Haan ji" = yes, respectfully)
• Haan - Yes; Nahin - No

Asking How Someone Is

To ask "How are you?" say Tusi kive ho? (formal/polite) or Tu kiven hai? (casual, to a close friend). A natural reply is Main theek haan meaning "I am fine," often followed by tuhada dhanvaad (thank you).

Mini Dialogue

A: Sat Sri Akal!
B: Sat Sri Akal! Tusi kive ho?
A: Main theek haan, dhanvaad. Te tusi?
B: Main vi theek haan.

Tip: Adding ji after someone's name (e.g., "Harpreet ji") shows warmth and respect. Punjabi culture values politeness highly, so courtesies go a long way.

Who Is Doing What

Punjabi sentences usually follow the order Subject - Object - Verb (SOV), unlike English which is Subject-Verb-Object. So "I eat roti" becomes "Main roti khanda haan" (literally: I roti eat).

Personal Pronouns

• Main - I
• Asin - We
• Tu - You (casual, singular)
• Tusi - You (polite or plural)
• Eh - He / she / it / this (near)
• Oh - He / she / it / that (far)

Punjabi does not separate "he" and "she" with different pronouns; eh and oh cover both, and context tells you which is meant.

The Verb "To Be"

The present forms of "to be" (hona) change with the subject:

• Main haan - I am
• Tu hain - You are (casual)
• Tusi ho - You are (polite)
• Eh / Oh hai - He/she/it is
• Asin haan - We are

Simple Sentences

• Main vidyarthi haan. - I am a student.
• Tusi adhyapak ho. - You are a teacher.
• Eh kitab hai. - This is a book.
• Asin dost haan. - We are friends.

Notice the verb always lands at the end. Once you internalize the SOV order, most beginner sentences fall into place naturally.

Counting in Punjabi

Here are the numbers one through ten:

• 1 - ikk
• 2 - do
• 3 - tinn
• 4 - chaar
• 5 - panj
• 6 - chhe
• 7 - satt
• 8 - atth
• 9 - naun
• 10 - das

A few higher landmarks: 20 - vih, 50 - panjaah, 100 - sau. The word panj (five) appears often in Sikh tradition, as in "Panj Pyare" (the Five Beloved Ones).

Days of the Week

• Monday - Somvaar
• Tuesday - Mangalvaar
• Wednesday - Buddhvaar
• Thursday - Veervaar
• Friday - Shukravaar
• Saturday - Shanivaar
• Sunday - Aitvaar

Telling Time

To ask the time, say Ki vajja hai? (What time is it?). The word vaje means "o'clock." For example:

• Ikk vajja hai. - It is one o'clock.
• Tinn vaje han. - It is three o'clock.
• Sawere - in the morning; dupahir - noon/afternoon; shaam - evening; raat - night.

So "three in the afternoon" is dupahir de tinn vaje. Practice counting aloud daily; numbers are the backbone of shopping, time, and prices.

Talking About Family

Family terms are among the first words you will use in conversation:

• Pita ji / Bapu ji - Father
• Mata ji / Bibi ji - Mother
• Bhra - Brother
• Bhain - Sister
• Dada ji - Paternal grandfather; Dadi ji - Paternal grandmother
• Nana ji / Nani ji - Maternal grandfather / grandmother
• Putt / Munda - Son / boy; Dhee / Kudi - Daughter / girl
• Parivaar - Family

Adding ji to elders' titles is standard respect, e.g., "Pita ji."

Common Everyday Nouns

• Ghar - House / home
• Pani - Water
• Roti - Bread / food / a meal
• Kitab - Book
• Gaddi - Car / vehicle
• Kamra - Room
• Darvaza - Door
• Saheb / Dost - Sir / friend

Possession

To show "my," "your," etc., use these:

• Mera / Meri - My (masc. / fem.)
• Tera / Teri - Your (casual)
• Tuhada / Tuhadi - Your (polite)
• Saada / Saadi - Our

Example: Mera parivaar = my family; Meri bhain = my sister (note "meri" because bhain is feminine). Punjabi nouns have gender, and the possessive ending matches it.

Everyday Action Words

Here are high-frequency verbs in their base (dictionary) form, which ends in -na:

• Khana - to eat
• Peena - to drink
• Jana - to go
• Auna - to come
• Karna - to do / make
• Bolna - to speak
• Vekhna - to see / watch
• Sunna - to listen / hear
• Parhna - to read / study
• Likhna - to write

Building the Present Tense

For habitual present ("I eat," "she works"), take the verb stem and add an ending that agrees with the subject's gender, then add the "to be" word. For a male speaker, "I eat" is Main khanda haan; for a female speaker, Main khandi haan.

Example Sentences

• Main pani peenda haan. - I drink water. (male speaker)
• Oh school jandi hai. - She goes to school.
• Asin Punjabi bolde haan. - We speak Punjabi.
• Tusi kitab parhde ho. - You read a book.

The key habit: the verb ending shifts with gender, and the helper word (haan/hai/ho) shifts with the subject. Practice swapping subjects with one verb until it feels automatic.

How to Ask in Punjabi

The most important question words to memorize are:

• Ki - What
• Kaun - Who
• Kithe - Where
• Kado - When
• Kiven / Kive - How
• Kyun - Why
• Kinna / Kinne - How much / how many

Where the Question Word Goes

Usually the question word sits just before the verb, keeping the SOV-style flow:

• Tuhada naam ki hai? - What is your name?
• Tusi kithe rehnde ho? - Where do you live?
• Eh kaun hai? - Who is this?
• Tusi kado aaoge? - When will you come?
• Eh kinne da hai? - How much is this? (great for shopping)

Yes / No Questions

For a yes/no question, you often keep the statement order and simply raise your tone, or start with ki as a question marker:

• Tusi Punjabi bolde ho? - Do you speak Punjabi?
• Ki tuhanu chah chahidi hai? - Do you want tea?

Answer with Haan ji (yes) or Nahin ji (no). Asking and answering questions is what turns isolated words into real back-and-forth conversation, so drill these question words first.

Phrases for Daily Life

Food and Eating

• Mainu bhukh laggi hai. - I am hungry.
• Mainu pyaas laggi hai. - I am thirsty.
• Mainu chah chahidi hai. - I would like tea.
• Eh bahut swaad hai. - This is very tasty.
• Langar - The free community meal served at a Gurdwara, open to all.

Directions

• Gurdwara kithe hai? - Where is the Gurdwara?
• Sajje - right; Khabbe - left; Sidha - straight ahead
• Nere - near; Dur - far
• Ethe - here; Othe - there
• Example: "Sidha jao, fer sajje murro." - Go straight, then turn right.

Shopping

• Eh kinne da hai? - How much is this?
• Bahut mehnga hai. - It is very expensive.
• Sasta - cheap; Paisa - money
• Mainu eh chahida hai. - I want this.
• Thora ghatt karo. - Lower the price a little. (polite bargaining)

Quick Survival Set

If you remember nothing else, keep these ready: Maaf karna (excuse me), kithe (where), kinne da (how much), dhanvaad (thank you), and meharbani karke (please). These five carry you through markets, streets, and meals.

Putting It All Together

Now we combine greetings, pronouns, verbs, and questions into short, realistic exchanges. Read each aloud and then try swapping in your own words.

Dialogue 1: Meeting Someone

A: Sat Sri Akal! Tuhada naam ki hai?
B: Sat Sri Akal! Mera naam Simran hai. Te tuhada?
A: Mera naam Jaspreet hai. Tusi kithe rehnde ho?
B: Main Amritsar rehndi haan.

Dialogue 2: At a Tea Stall

A: Maaf karna, ki chah hai?
B: Haan ji, chah hai.
A: Ikk chah chahidi hai. Eh kinne di hai?
B: Vih rupaye.
A: Theek hai, dhanvaad.

Dialogue 3: Asking Directions

A: Maaf karna, Gurdwara kithe hai?
B: Sidha jao, fer khabbe murro. Oh nere hai.
A: Bahut dhanvaad ji.
B: Koi gall nahin. (You're welcome / no problem.)

Building Your Own

A reliable conversation skeleton looks like this:

1. Greet: Sat Sri Akal
2. Ask a question: Tusi kive ho? or Eh kinne da hai?
3. Respond with a simple sentence: Main theek haan / Mainu eh chahida hai
4. Close politely: Dhanvaad / Koi gall nahin

The goal of Conversational Punjabi I is confidence, not perfection. Mix and match the patterns from earlier lessons, accept small mistakes as normal, and keep speaking. With these building blocks you can already handle introductions, meals, directions, and shopping, the situations that make up most everyday conversation.