Punjabi verbs
ਹੈ, ਜਾਣਾ, ਕਰਨਾ — the verbs that carry every Punjabi sentence.
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Being grounds all: ਹਾਂ/ਹੈ (am/is/are) — ਮੈਂ ਹਾਂ (I am), ਅਸੀਂ ਹਾਂ (we are), ਤੁਸੀਂ ਹੋ (you are), ਉਹ ਹਨ (they are). ਹੈ anchors identity, place, state — ਮੈਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਹਾਂ (I'm here), ਮੈਂ ਠੀਕ ਹਾਂ (I'm fine). Be first.
Going and coming move life: ਜਾਣਾ (to go), ਆਉਣਾ (to come) — ਮੈਂ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ (I go), ਮੈਂ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ (I come). Direction verbs plus ਕਿੱਥੇ (where) navigate Punjab — ਮੈਂ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ (I'm going to Amritsar).
Doing and eating fill days: ਕਰਨਾ (to do), ਖਾਣਾ (to eat), ਪੀਣਾ (to drink) — ਮੈਂ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ (I work), ਮੈਂ ਖਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ (I eat). Daily verbs, daily use; conjugate them in your sleep.
Speaking and knowing crown all: ਬੋਲਣਾ (to speak), ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ (to read), ਲਿਖਣਾ (to write) — ਮੈਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹਾਂ (I speak Punjabi). Say it now, imperfectly; say it daily until the mirror agrees.
Words and phrases for this topic
| English | Punjabi | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| To be | ਹੋਣਾ | honaa |
| I am | ਮੈਂ ਹਾਂ | main haan |
| To go | ਜਾਣਾ | jaanaa |
| To come | ਆਉਣਾ | aaunaa |
| To do | ਕਰਨਾ | karnaa |
| To eat | ਖਾਣਾ | khaanaa |
| To drink | ਪੀਣਾ | peenaa |
| To speak | ਬੋਲਣਾ | bolanaa |
| To read | ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ | parhnaa |
| To write | ਲਿਖਣਾ | likhanaa |
| I go (m speaker) | ਮੈਂ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ | main jaandaa haan |
| I go (f speaker) | ਮੈਂ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹਾਂ | main jaandi haan |
| Stop / wait | ਰੁਕੋ | ruko |
Language, culture, and common traps
Practice: recall, then use
Use this quick recall drill for Punjabi verbs. Hide the script and romanisation columns; say the Punjabi form for each cue before revealing its row, then check spelling and sound. The phrase-table speaker buttons provide a model when a matching browser voice is available.
- To be
- To drink
- Stop / wait
Transfer practice. Choose one verb from the examples and build two short sentences around it. Change one detail at a time—who is acting, when it happens, or whether the sentence is a question—then compare the result with the page. Do not invent an ending from English; learn the pattern from attested examples. Start from ਹੋਣਾ (honaa) and decide whether it fits the situation before using it elsewhere.
Context check. For Punjabi verbs, “Stop / wait” belongs to a particular setting. A common mistake is to treat an English gloss as universal; read the language-specific note above and ask a fluent speaker when local usage differs.
Check your recall: answer key
- ਹੋਣਾ honaa — To be
- ਪੀਣਾ peenaa — To drink
- ਰੁਕੋ ruko — Stop / wait
Questions learners ask
ਮੈਂ ਹਾਂ (I am), ਤੂੰ ਹੈਂ, ਉਹ ਹੈ, ਅਸੀਂ ਹਾਂ, ਤੁਸੀਂ ਹੋ, ਉਹ ਹਨ. Being first, everything else after.
Present uses root + ਦਾ/ਦੀ/ਦੇ + ਹੈ: ਮੈਂ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ (I do, m), ਮੈਂ ਕਰਦੀ ਹਾਂ (f). Gender shows on every present verb.
ਜਾਣਾ (to go), ਆਉਣਾ (to come), ਕਰਨਾ (to do), ਖਾਣਾ (to eat), ਬੋਲਣਾ (to speak). Five verbs, half of daily speech.