50 Essential Punjabi Verbs With Conjugation: Karna, Jaana, Khaana and How to Use Them

Fifty verbs do most of the work in spoken Punjabi, and they all follow the same handful of patterns. Every dictionary form ends in -na (ਣਾ/ਨਾ): karna (to do), jaana (to go), khaana (to eat), bolna (to speak). Drop the -na to get the stem — kar, jaa, khaa, bol — and add one ending for the present, one for "right now", one for the past and one for the future. The endings also change for male and female speakers, which is why your mum says kardi and your dad says karda. Here are the patterns once, then the 50 verbs with examples.

How Punjabi Verbs Work: Four Patterns

Using bolna (ਬੋਲਣਾ, to speak), stem bol:

	Present (I speak)	Continuous (I am speaking)	Past (I spoke)	Future (I will speak)
main (I), male	bolda haan ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹਾਂ	bol riha haan ਬੋਲ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ	bolia ਬੋਲਿਆ	bolaanga ਬੋਲਾਂਗਾ
main (I), female	boldi haan ਬੋਲਦੀ ਹਾਂ	bol rahi haan ਬੋਲ ਰਹੀ ਹਾਂ	boli ਬੋਲੀ	bolaangi ਬੋਲਾਂਗੀ
tusi (you, respectful)	bolde ho ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹੋ	bol rahe ho ਬੋਲ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ	bole ਬੋਲੇ	bologe ਬੋਲੋਗੇ
tu (you, informal)	bolda hain ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹੈਂ	bol riha hain ਬੋਲ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈਂ	bolia ਬੋਲਿਆ	bolenga ਬੋਲੇਂਗਾ
oh / eh (he)	bolda hai ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹੈ	bol riha hai ਬੋਲ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ	bolia ਬੋਲਿਆ	bolega ਬੋਲੇਗਾ
oh / eh (she)	boldi hai ਬੋਲਦੀ ਹੈ	bol rahi hai ਬੋਲ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ	boli ਬੋਲੀ	bolegi ਬੋਲੇਗੀ
asi (we)	bolde haan ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹਾਂ	bol rahe haan ਬੋਲ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ	bole ਬੋਲੇ	bolaange ਬੋਲਾਂਗੇ
oh (they)	bolde han ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹਨ	bol rahe han ਬੋਲ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ	bole ਬੋਲੇ	bolange ਬੋਲਣਗੇ

Groups of women use the feminine plural -diyan (ਬੋਲਦੀਆਂ) and rahiyan (ਰਹੀਆਂ). Commands are simpler still: bol! (ਬੋਲ, to a child or close friend), bolo (ਬੋਲੋ, polite), boliyo (ਬੋਲਿਓ, gentle "do speak, later"). Add -na for the softest request: bolna ji.

The Past-Tense Twist

Two things trip learners up in the past. First, with "doing" verbs the past tense agrees with the thing done, not the doer: Main chah peeti (ਮੈਂ ਚਾਹ ਪੀਤੀ, I drank tea — chah is feminine) but Main paani peeta (ਮੈਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਤਾ — paani is masculine), whoever is speaking. With "he/she/they" the doer takes ne: Usne roti khaadhi (ਉਸਨੇ ਰੋਟੀ ਖਾਧੀ, he/she ate). Second, the most common verbs have irregular past forms:

Verb	Regular would be	Actual past (m / f)	Gurmukhi
karna (do)	karia	kita / kiti	ਕੀਤਾ / ਕੀਤੀ
jaana (go)	jaaia	gaya / gayi	ਗਿਆ / ਗਈ
dena (give)	deia	ditta / ditti	ਦਿੱਤਾ / ਦਿੱਤੀ
laina (take)	laiia	lia / layi	ਲਿਆ / ਲਈ
khaana (eat)	khaaia	khaadha / khaadhi	ਖਾਧਾ / ਖਾਧੀ
peena (drink)	peeia	peeta / peeti	ਪੀਤਾ / ਪੀਤੀ
kehna (say)	kehia	kiha / kahi	ਕਿਹਾ / ਕਹੀ
hona (be, happen)	hoia	hoya / hoyi	ਹੋਇਆ / ਹੋਈ
sauna (sleep)	sauia	sutta / sutti	ਸੁੱਤਾ / ਸੁੱਤੀ
baithna (sit)	baithia	baitha / baithi	ਬੈਠਾ / ਬੈਠੀ

The 50 Verbs

Being and doing

Verb	Gurmukhi	Meaning	Example
hona	ਹੋਣਾ	to be, to happen	Ki hoya? — What happened?
karna	ਕਰਨਾ	to do (and to make nouns into verbs)	Main kamm karda haan — I work

Movement

Verb	Gurmukhi	Meaning	Example
jaana	ਜਾਣਾ	to go	Main ghar jaa riha haan — I'm going home
aauna	ਆਉਣਾ	to come	Kadon aaoge? — When will you come?
turna	ਤੁਰਨਾ	to walk, to set off	Chalo, turiye — Come on, let's walk
daudna	ਦੌੜਨਾ	to run	Munda daud riha hai — The boy is running
pahunchna	ਪਹੁੰਚਣਾ	to arrive, to reach	Asi pahunch gaye — We've arrived
nikalna	ਨਿਕਲਣਾ	to leave, to set out	Main hun nikalda haan — I'm leaving now
mudna	ਮੁੜਨਾ	to turn; to return	Sajje mudo — Turn right
rukna	ਰੁਕਣਾ	to stop, to wait	Ruko! — Stop! / Wait!

Daily life

Verb	Gurmukhi	Meaning	Example
khaana	ਖਾਣਾ	to eat	Roti khaa lo — Eat (your meal)
peena	ਪੀਣਾ	to drink	Chah peeoge? — Will you have tea?
sauna	ਸੌਣਾ	to sleep	Main sauna chaahunda haan — I want to sleep
uthna	ਉੱਠਣਾ	to get up, to wake	Jaldi utho — Get up early
baithna	ਬੈਠਣਾ	to sit	Baitho ji — Please sit
pauna	ਪਾਉਣਾ	to put on, to wear; to put	Sweater paa lo — Put on a sweater
pakauna	ਪਕਾਉਣਾ	to cook	Mummy roti pakaundi hai — Mum cooks
dhona	ਧੋਣਾ	to wash	Haath dho lo — Wash your hands
kharidna	ਖ਼ਰੀਦਣਾ	to buy	Main sabzi kharidni hai — I need to buy vegetables
banauna	ਬਣਾਉਣਾ	to make	Chah banao — Make tea
kamm karna	ਕੰਮ ਕਰਨਾ	to work	Tusi kithe kamm karde ho? — Where do you work?
pasand karna	ਪਸੰਦ ਕਰਨਾ	to like	Mainu eh pasand hai — I like this

Speaking and communicating

Verb	Gurmukhi	Meaning	Example
bolna	ਬੋਲਣਾ	to speak	Hauli bolo — Speak slowly
kehna	ਕਹਿਣਾ	to say	Tusi ki kiha? — What did you say?
dassna	ਦੱਸਣਾ	to tell	Mainu dasso — Tell me
puchhna	ਪੁੱਛਣਾ	to ask	Ik gall puchhaan? — May I ask something?
sunna	ਸੁਣਨਾ	to hear, to listen	Suno ji — Listen
padhna	ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ	to read, to study	Main Punjabi padh sakda haan — I can read Punjabi
likhna	ਲਿਖਣਾ	to write	Apna naam likho — Write your name
gall karna	ਗੱਲ ਕਰਨਾ	to talk	Mere naal gall karo — Talk to me
hasna	ਹੱਸਣਾ	to laugh	Oh bahut hasdi hai — She laughs a lot
rona	ਰੋਣਾ	to cry	Ro na — Don't cry

Thinking and feeling

Verb	Gurmukhi	Meaning	Example
sochna	ਸੋਚਣਾ	to think	Main soch riha haan — I'm thinking
samajhna	ਸਮਝਣਾ	to understand	Main samajh gaya — I understood
jaanana	ਜਾਣਨਾ	to know	Main nahi jaanda — I don't know
sikhna	ਸਿੱਖਣਾ	to learn	Main Punjabi sikh riha haan — I'm learning Punjabi
yaad rakhna	ਯਾਦ ਰੱਖਣਾ	to remember	Yaad rakhna — Remember
bhullna	ਭੁੱਲਣਾ	to forget	Main bhull gayi — I forgot (f)
chaahuna	ਚਾਹੁਣਾ	to want	Ki chaahunde ho? — What do you want?
pyaar karna	ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਨਾ	to love	Main tainu pyaar karda haan — I love you
darna	ਡਰਨਾ	to fear	Dar na — Don't be afraid

Interacting

Verb	Gurmukhi	Meaning	Example
dena	ਦੇਣਾ	to give	Paani deo ji — Please give me water
laina	ਲੈਣਾ	to take	Eh lai lo — Take this
milna	ਮਿਲਣਾ	to meet; to be found	Phir milaange — We'll meet again
madad karna	ਮਦਦ ਕਰਨਾ	to help	Meri madad karo — Help me
udeekna	ਉਡੀਕਣਾ	to wait for	Main tuhanu udeek riha haan — I'm waiting for you
labbhna	ਲੱਭਣਾ	to find, to look for	Chaabi labbh — Find the key
dekhna	ਦੇਖਣਾ	to see, to watch	Film dekhiye? — Shall we watch a film?
khedna	ਖੇਡਣਾ	to play	Bachche khed rahe han — The kids are playing
gauna	ਗਾਉਣਾ	to sing	Gaana gao — Sing a song
nachna	ਨੱਚਣਾ	to dance	Chalo nachiye — Let's dance

Three Patterns That Aren't Verbs but Act Like Them

• Mainu … chaahida hai (ਮੈਨੂੰ … ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ) — "I need …": Mainu paani chaahida hai. The thing needed is the grammatical subject.
• Mainu … pata hai (ਮੈਨੂੰ … ਪਤਾ ਹੈ) — "I know (a fact)": Mainu pata hai. Compare jaanana, which is knowing a person or thing.
• Mainu … aunda hai (ਮੈਨੂੰ … ਆਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ) — "I know how to / I can": Mainu Punjabi aundi hai (I can speak Punjabi; aundi because Punjabi is feminine).

These mainu constructions run through the whole language — feelings use them too; see emotions and feelings in Punjabi. For the words these verbs sit beside, start with the 100 most common Punjabi words, and for the pronouns they agree with, Punjabi pronouns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you conjugate verbs in Punjabi?

Take the stem (drop -na) and add -da/-di/-de plus haan/hai/han/ho for the present, riha/rahi/rahe for "right now", -ia/-i/-e for the past and -aanga/-aangi/-oge/-ega for the future. The ending matches the speaker's gender and number.

What is the most important verb in Punjabi?

Karna (ਕਰਨਾ, to do). It combines with nouns to make dozens of verbs: kamm karna (work), phone karna (call), madad karna (help), pyaar karna (love). Its past tense is irregular: kita.

Why do Punjabi verbs change for men and women?

Punjabi verbs agree with the gender of their subject (and in the past, often with the object). A man says main karda haan, a woman main kardi haan; the same applies to riha/rahi and -aanga/-aangi.

What does "chalo" mean?

Chalo (ਚਲੋ) is the polite command of chalna, to move or go: "let's go", "come on", or "okay then". Chaliye is the "let's" form: chaliye, khaana khaiye — come, let's eat.

Hear These Verbs in Real Sentences

Conjugation tables teach the pattern; native audio teaches the rhythm. Alfaazo teaches everyday Punjabi with native audio, the Gurmukhi script and bite-sized lessons you can finish in five minutes a day. Free on iOS and Android.