The sweet names Punjabis call each other — jaan, sohneya, soniye, mahi, chann, meri jind — plus what parents call their kids and what friends call each other. With Gurmukhi, pronunciation, and the -eya/-iye rule so you address the right person.
The most common Punjabi terms of endearment are jaan (ਜਾਨ, "my life"), sohneya / soniye (ਸੋਹਣਿਆ / ਸੋਹਣੀਏ, "beautiful one", to a man / to a woman), mahi (ਮਾਹੀ, beloved), chann (ਚੰਨ, "moon") and meri jind (ਮੇਰੀ ਜਿੰਦ, "my life"). Punjabi is extravagant with affection — the same words fill its folk tales and its bhangra tracks — and it has separate sweet names for partners, children, friends and elders. Here they all are, with the one grammar rule that stops you calling a woman "sohneya".
For Partners and Lovers
| Word | Gurmukhi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaan | ਜਾਨ | life, darling | the all-purpose favourite — meri jaan, "my life" |
| Jaana | ਜਾਨਾ | darling (when calling someone) | vocative form of jaan |
| Sohneya | ਸੋਹਣਿਆ | handsome / beautiful one | to a man |
| Soniye | ਸੋਹਣੀਏ | beautiful one | to a woman; the "soniye" of a thousand songs |
| Mahi / Mahiya | ਮਾਹੀ / ਮਾਹੀਆ | beloved | from folk poetry; used for men especially |
| Chann | ਚੰਨ | moon | mera chann, chann mahi — "my moon" |
| Jind / Jindri | ਜਿੰਦ / ਜਿੰਦੜੀ | life, soul | meri jind; jindri is the tender diminutive |
| Sajna / Sajni | ਸੱਜਣਾ / ਸੱਜਣੀ | beloved (m / f) | literary and lyrical |
| Heeriye | ਹੀਰੀਏ | my Heer | after Heer of the Heer-Ranjha legend; to a woman |
| Ranjha | ਰਾਂਝਾ | my Ranjha | the legend's hero; to a man |
| Dil / Dildar | ਦਿਲ / ਦਿਲਦਾਰ | heart / sweetheart | mera dil, dildara |
| Pyaar | ਪਿਆਰ | love | mera pyaar, "my love" |
To actually say the three words, a man says Main tainu pyaar karda haan and a woman Main tainu pyaar kardi haan — all the forms are in our guide to saying "I love you" in Punjabi.
The -eya / -iye Rule
When you call someone by a sweet name, Punjabi changes the ending — the vocative. For masculine words the ending becomes -eya (sohna → sohneya!, mahi → mahiya!, chann → channa!); for feminine words it becomes -iye (sohni → soniye!, Heer → heeriye!, jind → jindiye!). That's why the songs say "soniye" to a girl and "sohneya" to a boy — get the ending right and you've addressed the right person.
What Parents Call Their Children
| Word | Gurmukhi | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Putt / Puttar | ਪੁੱਤ / ਪੁੱਤਰ | son — used lovingly for daughters too |
| Beta / Beti | ਬੇਟਾ / ਬੇਟੀ | son / daughter |
| Laadla / Laadli | ਲਾਡਲਾ / ਲਾਡਲੀ | the pampered one, darling child |
| Kaka / Kaki | ਕਾਕਾ / ਕਾਕੀ | little boy / little girl |
| Sona / Soni | ਸੋਨਾ / ਸੋਨੀ | gold — "sweetie" |
| Mera sher | ਮੇਰਾ ਸ਼ੇਰ | my lion (to a son) |
| Sherni | ਸ਼ੇਰਨੀ | lioness (to a daughter) |
| Rani | ਰਾਣੀ | queen (to a daughter) |
Grandparents pile these on top of each other — "mera sona putt", "meri laadli rani" — and the words follow children into adulthood. If you're trying to keep Punjabi alive at home, these are the first words worth using; see our guide to teaching kids Punjabi abroad.
Between Friends
| Word | Gurmukhi | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yaar | ਯਾਰ | mate, buddy — the most-used word in Punjabi conversation |
| Mitra | ਮਿੱਤਰ | friend (warmer, older-fashioned) |
| Paaji | ਪਾਜੀ | "older brother" — respectful and friendly to any man slightly older |
| Bhaji / Veerji | ਭਾ ਜੀ / ਵੀਰ ਜੀ | brother — used for cousins, friends and strangers alike |
| Bhainji | ਭੈਣ ਜੀ | sister — the female equivalent |
Yaar is so common it's barely affectionate anymore — it's punctuation. The family words (bhaji, bhainji, paaji) are the interesting ones: Punjabis turn strangers into relatives by default. Our family words guide has the full set.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does jaan mean in Punjabi?
Jaan (ਜਾਨ) literally means "life" and is the most common term of endearment — meri jaan, "my life", said to a partner or a child.
What does sohneya mean?
Sohneya (ਸੋਹਣਿਆ) means "beautiful / handsome one" when addressing a man; the form for a woman is soniye (ਸੋਹਣੀਏ). Both come from sohna, beautiful.
What does mahi mean in Punjabi songs?
Mahi or mahiya (ਮਾਹੀ / ਮਾਹੀਆ) means "beloved", originally from Punjabi folk poetry, and usually refers to a male lover — which is why so many songs sung by women call out to "mahiya".
What do Punjabi parents call their children?
Putt (son, used for all children), beta / beti, laadla / laadli (darling), kaka / kaki (little one), sona (gold), mera sher (my lion) and rani (queen).
Learn the Punjabi of Love and Family with Alfaazo
These are the words that make a language feel like home. 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.
Keep reading
Weather in Punjabi: It's Cold, It's Raining, Snow, Heat and Every Season (With Gurmukhi)
Weather in Punjabi is mausam. It's cold is thand hai, it's hot is garmi hai, it's raining is meenh pai riha hai, it's snowing is baraf pai rahi hai. All the weather words and seasons with Gurmukhi and pronunciation, plus the small-talk lines Punjabi families actually use, in Brampton, Birmingham and Ludhiana alike.
Telling Time in Punjabi: What Time Is It, O'Clock, Half Past, and Words for Today, Tomorrow and Now
What time is it in Punjabi is Kinne vajje han? Three o'clock is tinn vajje, half past three is saadhe tinn, quarter past is sava, quarter to is paune, and 1:30 and 2:30 have their own words, dedh and dhaai. The complete guide to clock time, parts of the day, and time words like ajj, kall, hun and baad vich, with Gurmukhi.
Shopping in Punjabi: How Much Is This, Bargaining Phrases, Market Words and Numbers for Prices
How much is this in Punjabi is Eh kinne da hai? Too expensive is bahut mehnga hai, make it a little less is thoda ghatt karo, final price is aakhri keemat. Sixty market and shopping words with Gurmukhi, the bargaining script that works in Ludhiana and at the Punjabi grocery in Brampton, and how to say half a kilo, a dozen and 250 grams.