Grammar

How Punjabi sentences work, from word order to why it’s kita and not kiti.

  1. Word order, pronouns and “to be”Punjabi puts the verb last. The order of a sentence, the words for I, you and they, and haan, hai, ho and han.About 4 min
  2. Gender, plurals and agreementEvery noun is masculine or feminine, and adjectives and verbs change to match: changa munda, changi kurhi.About 4 min
  3. Whose is it? da, di, dePossession with da, di and de, and my, your, our: mera, tuhada, saada. They agree with the thing owned.About 4 min
  4. Little words after nouns: nu, ton, vich, naalPunjabi puts its prepositions after the noun, and the noun changes shape before them: kamra, but kamre vich.About 4 min
  5. The present: I do, I am doingSay what you usually do (main karda haan), what you are doing now (main kar riha haan), and that you don’t.About 4 min
  6. The past, and why it’s kita and not kitiPast verbs agree with the person when nothing is done to anything, and with the thing when something is.About 5 min
  7. The future: will, and let’sMake the future with -ga: main javanga, fer milange. Plus the everyday ways to suggest a plan.About 3 min
  8. Asking and telling: kar, karo, karna jiCommands at three levels of politeness, the helper verbs that soften them, and how to say don’t.About 4 min
  9. Questions, and saying noQuestion words (ki, kaun, kithe, kadon, kiven, kyon) and the ways to say no: nahi, na and nahi si.About 4 min
  10. Respect: tusi, ji and the pluralHow Punjabi shows respect: tusi for one person, ji after names, and plural verbs for an elder.About 4 min
  11. Mainu: when things happen to youHunger, liking, knowing and needing happen to you in Punjabi: mainu bhukh lagi hai, mainu chaa pasand hai.About 4 min
  12. Helper verbs: can, already, shouldVerb pairs like ho gaya and dass deo, and the helpers for can, already, having done, and should.About 4 min