Asking and telling: kar, karo, karna ji

Three levels of asking

Punjabi commands come in levels of politeness, and picking the level is part of the meaning.

To a close friend, a younger sibling or a child, use the bare stem: ਕਰ (kar), ਆ (aa), ਬੈਠ (baith). To anyone else, add -o: ਕਰੋ (karo), ਆਓ (aao), ਬੈਠੋ (baitho). Gentler still, add ਜੀ (ji), or use the -na form, which sounds like a request for later: ਫ਼ੋਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਜੀ, please do call.

• ਇੱਥੇ ਆ

  Ithe aa

  Come here (to a child or a close friend)

• ਇੱਥੇ ਆਓ

  Ithe aao

  Come here (to anyone else)

• ਬੈਠੋ ਜੀ

  Baitho ji

  Please sit

• ਹੌਲੀ ਹੌਲੀ ਬੋਲੋ ਜੀ

  Hauli hauli bolo ji

  Please speak slowly

• ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰਨਾ ਜੀ

  Maaf karna ji

  Excuse me; I am sorry

• ਫ਼ੋਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਜੀ

  Phone karna ji

  Please do call

Softening with a helper verb

A command sounds warmer with a helper verb after it. ਲਵੋ (lavo, take) means “for yourself”: ਖਾ ਲਵੋ, go ahead and eat. ਦਿਓ (deo, give) means “for someone else”: ਦੱਸ ਦਿਓ, tell me. You will hear both at every Punjabi table.

• ਰੋਟੀ ਖਾ ਲਵੋ

  Roti kha lavo

  Come and eat (politely)

• ਹੋਰ ਲਵੋ ਜੀ

  Hor lavo ji

  Have some more

• ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦੱਸ ਦਿਓ

  Mainu dass deo

  Let me know

• ਜੋੜੇ ਇੱਥੇ ਲਾਹ ਦਿਓ ਜੀ

  Jorhe ithe laah deo ji

  Take your shoes off here

• ਸਿਰ ਢੱਕ ਲਵੋ ਜੀ

  Sir dhak lavo ji

  Please cover your head

Don’t: na

For don’t, put ਨਾ (na) before the command, and keep its level: ਨਾ ਕਰ to a friend, ਨਾ ਕਰੋ to anyone else.

• ਫ਼ਿਕਰ ਨਾ ਕਰੋ

  Fikar na karo

  Don’t worry

• ਰੌਲਾ ਨਾ ਪਾਓ

  Raula na pao

  Don’t make noise

• ਇਹ ਨਾ ਖਾ

  Ih na kha

  Don’t eat this (to a child)

Tip: When unsure, go up a level. Nobody minds being asked too politely.