2.3 Personal Pronouns with Verb ਹੋਣਾ (To Be)

Personal Pronouns

There are three types of pronouns in Punjabi: 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person.

  • 1st person: ਮੈਂ (I) and ਅਸੀਂ (we) are used for both masculine and feminine.
  • 2nd person: In English, there is only one second person pronoun: you. In Punjabi, two are used—ਤੂੰ and ਤੁਸੀਂ (you)—depending upon the degree of closeness and the formality of situations.
    • ਤੂੰ is used for informal conversations, with intimate relations, with small children, God, and with someone who lower in economic or social status. It is also used to express anger and insult.
    • ਤੁਸੀਂ is plural, honorific, and formal as well. It is used for making respectful statements.
  • 3rd person: In Punjabi, ਇਹ (he, she, it, this) and ਉਹ (he, she, it, that) third person pronoun is used for both masculine and feminine.
    • ਇਹ is used for people or things that are close to the speaker.
    • ਉਹ is used for people or things that are far from the speaker.
Three Types of Personal Pronouns Summary
English (Singular) Punjabi (Singular) English (Plural) Punjabi (Plural)
1st Person I ਮੈਂ we ਅਸੀਂ
2nd Person you ਤੂੰ you ਤੁਸੀਂ (honorific and plural)
3rd Person (Near) he, she, it, this ਇਹ they, these ਇਹ
3rd Person (Far) he, she, it, that ਉਹ they, those ਉਹ

Instructor’s Video

Instructor’s Video on Personal Pronouns © Rinku, 2024, CC BY-NC 4.0

Personal Pronouns Video Transcript

Hello friends!

In this video, you are going to learn about personal pronouns and the verb ਹੋਣਾ (to be). So in Punjabi, there are three types of pronouns like English which are: 1st person, 2nd person, and 3rd person.

[1st Person]

So, 1st person is ਮੈਂ (I) for singular and ਅਸੀਂ (we) for plural for both masculine and feminine.

[2nd Person]

2nd person is ਤੂੰ (you) for singular and ਤੁਸੀਂ (you) is used for plural and honorific.

[3rd Person]

3rd person ਇਹ and ਉਹ, ਇਹ/ਉਹ, both are used for singular and ਇਹ means “this/he/she/it” and ਉਹ means “that/he/she/it.” 3rd person plural we have the same pronoun ਇਹ and ਉਹ. So ਇਹ/ਉਹ are used for both singular and plural.

So ਤੂੰ is used for small children or informal conversation, intimate relations, and it is also used with the God. ਤੁਸੀਂ is used for making respectful statements.

ਇਹ is used when the person or thing is close to the speaker and ਉਹ is used when the person or thing is far from the speaker.

[The Verb ਹੋਣਾ (To Be)]

So now the verb ਹੋਣਾ (to be). The verb ਹੋਣਾ in English in present is: “is/are/am.” In Punjabi, we have 5 different forms for the verb ਹੋਣਾ (to be) in present. That is ਹਾਂ, ਹੈਂ, ਹੋ, ਹੈ, and ਹਨ.

So:

  • ਹਾਂ is paired with ਮੈਂ and ਅਸੀਂ.
  • ਹੈਂ is paired with ਤੂੰ.
  • ਹੋ is paired with ਤੁਸੀਂ.
  • ਹੈ is paired with ਇਹ and ਉਹ singular.
  • ਹਨ is paired with ਇਹ and ਉਹ plural.
[Sentence Structure]

So, the sentence structure is subject, object, and verb. So this ਹਾਂ, ਹੈ, ਹੋ, ਹਨ are called auxiliary verbs. So ਮੈਂ ਹਾਂ, this is the fixed one, it’s paired with this.

So:

  • ਮੈਂ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਹਾਂ (I am a boy.)
  • ਮੈਂ ਕੁੜੀ ਹਾਂ (I am a girl.)
  • ਮੈਂ ਅਧਿਆਪਕ ਹਾਂ (I am a teacher.)

And with ਅਸੀਂ it is again ਹਾਂ:

  • ਅਸੀਂ ਮੁੰਡੇ ਹਾਂ (We are boys.)

So, ਹਾਂ is always with ਮੈਂ, or ਹਾਂ is always with ਅਸੀਂ.

  • ।ਤੂੰ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਹੈਂ (You are a boy.)

So subject, object, verb; verb agrees with the subject of the sentence. Like “this”:

  • ਇਹ, ਕੁੜੀ ਹੈ (This is a girl.)
  • ਇਹ, ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਹਨ (These are girls.)

So ਨਹੀਂ is used to make negative sentences. ਨਹੀਂ means “no,” “not.”

  • ਮੈਂ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਾਂ (I am not a boy.)
  • ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ (You are not girls.)

Now, yes and no questions. For yes and no questions, we add ਕੀ in the beginning of the sentence. So this is the sentence structure: subject, object, verb. For yes and no question ਕੀ is added over here.

  • ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਹੋ? (Are you girls?)
  • ਕੀ ਇਹ ਕੁੜੀ ਹੈ? (Is she a girl?)

I hope you got it. See you in the next video. Sat Sri Akal. Dhanwaad.

Personal Pronouns with the Verb ਹੋਣਾ “Hona” (To Be) in Present Tense

The present tense ਹੋਣਾ to be (“is,” “are,” and “am” in English) have five different forms in Punjabi (e.g., ਹਾਂ, ਹੈਂ, ਹੋ, ਹੈ, and ਹਨ). ਹਾਂ is used with the first person pronoun ਮੈਂ, ਹੈਂ is used with ਤੂੰ, ਹੋ is used with ਤੁਸੀਂ, ਹੈ is reserved for 3rd person ਇਹ/ਉਹ (singular), and ਹਨ is used with 3rd person ਇਹ/ਉਹ (plural) pronouns.

Personal Pronouns with ਹੋਣਾ in Present Standard (Formal) Form
Pronouns Object Present ਹੋਣਾ (to be)
Singular ਮੈਂ (I) ਹਾਂ (am)
ਤੂੰ (you) ਹੈਂ (are)
ਇਹ/ਉਹ (3rd person singular) ਹੈ (is)
Plural ਅਸੀਂ (we) ਹਾਂ (are)
ਤੁਸੀਂ (you) ਹੋ (are)
ਇਹ/ਉਹ (3rd person plural) ਹਨ (are)
Personal Pronouns with ਹੋਣਾ in Present Dialect (Informal) Form
Pronouns Object Present ਹੋਣਾ (to be)
Singular ਮੈਂ (I) ਆਂ (am)
ਤੂੰ (you) ਏਂ (are)
ਇਹ/ਉਹ (3rd person singular) ਏ (is)
Plural ਅਸੀਂ (we) ਆਂ (are)
ਤੁਸੀਂ (you) ਓ (are)
ਇਹ/ਉਹ (3rd person plural) ਨੇ (are)

Sentence Structure with Verb ਹੋਣਾ “Hona” (To Be) in Present Tense

In Punjabi, word order in a sentence is: Subject>Object>Verb (SOV) and the verb agrees with the subject of the sentence. Refer to the following chart.

Structure 1: Present Positive Sentence with ਹੋਣਾ

English Present Positive Singular Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
Subject Verb Object
English This is an apple
Punjabi Present Positive Singular Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
Subject Object Verb
English This an apple is
Punjabi ਇਹ ਇੱਕ ਸੇਬ ਹੈ
English Present Positive Plural Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
Subject Verb Object
English These are five apples
Punjabi Present Positive Plural Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
Subject Object Verb
English These five apples are
Punjabi ਇਹ ਪੰਜ ਸੇਬ ਹਨ

Reading Practice

Reading Practice of Present Tense Positive Singular and Plural Sentences with ਹੋਣਾ
No. Punjabi English
1. ਮੈਂ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਹਾਂ। I am a boy.
2. ਮੈਂ ਕੁੜੀ ਹਾਂ। I am a girl.
3. ਅਸੀਂ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਹਾਂ। We are students.
4. ਅਸੀਂ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਹਾਂ। We are Americans.
5. ਤੂੰ ਅਮੀਰ ਹੈਂ। You are rich.
6. ਤੂੰ ਗਰੀਬ ਹੈਂ। You are poor.
7. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਅਧਿਆਪਕ ਹੋ। You are a teacher.
8. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਡਾਕਟਰ ਹੋ। You are a doctor.
9. ਇਹ ਸੇਬ ਹੈ। This is an apple.
10. ਇਹ ਕੇਲਾ ਹੈ। This is a banana.
11. ਇਹ ਟਮਾਟਰ ਹਨ। These are tomatoes.
12. ਇਹ ਅੰਗੂਰ ਹਨ। These are grapes.

Structure 2: Present Negative Sentence with ਹੋਣਾ

The negative ਨਹੀਂ is used to describe negative sentences. The ਨਹੀਂ comes directly before the verb.

English Present Negative Singular Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
Subject Verb Negative Object
English This is not a banana
Punjabi Present Negative Singular Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
Subject Object Negative Verb
English This a banana not is
Punjabi ਇਹ ਕੇਲਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ

Structure 3: Present Positive Yes/No Question with ਹੋਣਾ

In English, we move the auxiliary verb “is” to the beginning of a sentence to form a yes/no question. Whereas, in Punjabi, the word “kee” ਕੀ is used at the beginning of a sentence to form a yes/no question.

Please note that here, the word “kee” ਕੀ does not mean “what.”

English Present Positive Yes/No Question Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
Aux Verb Subject Object
English Is this a book
Punjabi Present Positive Yes/No Question Sentence Structure with ਹੋਣਾ
ਕੀ Subject Object Verb
English This a book is
Punjabi ਕੀ ਇਹ ਇੱਕ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਹੈ

Structure 4: Present Negative Yes/No Question with ਹੋਣਾ

English Present Negative Yes/No Question Sentence Structure with Verb ਹੋਣਾ
Aux Verb Negative Subject Negative Object
English[1] Is not this not a book
Punjabi Present Negative Yes/No Question Sentence Structure with Verb ਹੋਣਾ
ਕੀ Subject Object Negative Aux verb
English This a book not is
Punjabi ਕੀ ਇਹ ਇੱਕ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ

Reading Practice

Reading Practice of Present Tense Positive and Negative Declarative Sentences and Yes/No Questions with ਹੋਣਾ
No. Positive Negative Yes/No Questions
1. ਮੈਂ ਇੱਕ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਹਾਂ।

I am a student.

 ਮੈਂ ਇੱਕ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਾਂ।

I am not a student.

 ਕੀ ਮੈਂ ਇੱਕ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਹਾਂ?

Am I a student?
2. ਅਸੀਂ ਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰ ਹਾਂ।

We are intelligent.

 ਅਸੀਂ ਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਾਂ।

We are not intelligent.

 ਕੀ ਅਸੀਂ ਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰ ਹਾਂ?

Are we intelligent?
3. ਤੂੰ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਹੈਂ।

You are an American.

 ਤੂੰ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈਂ।

You are not an American.

 ਕੀ ਤੂੰ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਹੈਂ?

Are you an American?
4. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਅਧਿਆਪਕ ਹੋ।

You are a teacher.

 ਤੁਸੀਂ ਅਧਿਆਪਕ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ।

You are not a teacher.

 ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਅਧਿਆਪਕ ਹੋ?

Are you a teacher?
5. ਇਹ/ਉਹ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਹੈ।

He is a boy.

 ਇਹ/ਉਹ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ।

He is not a boy.

 ਕੀ ਇਹ/ਉਹ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਹੈ?

Is he a boy?
6. ਇਹ/ਉਹ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਹਨ।

They are girls.

 ਇਹ/ਉਹ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਨ।

They are not girls.

 ਕੀ ਇਹ/ਉਹ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਹਨ?

Are they girls?

Test Yourself

Activity 1: Writing

Now, as you know how to change a simple Punjabi sentence into a negative sentence, a yes/no question, and negative yes/no question, please fill in the following table.

Positive Negative Yes/No Question Negative Yes/No Question
ਮੈਂ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਹਾਂ।
ਅਸੀਂ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਾਂ।
ਕੀ ਤੂੰ ਅਮੀਰ ਹੈਂ?
ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ?
ਇਹ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਹੈ।
ਉਹ ਟਮਾਟਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ।
ਕੀ ਇਹ ਬੱਚੇ ਹਨ?
ਕੀ ਉਹ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਨ?

Activity 2: Identify the Correct Verb Forms

Activity 3: Fill in the Verb Forms

Activity 4: Translation

ਧੰਨਵਾਦ!

  1. "Isn’t this a book?"/"Is this not a book?" ↵
definition

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