ਸਧਾਰਨ ਭੂਤ ਕਾਲ سدھارن بھوت کال Past indefinite tense

We liked to learn about the present tense, didn't we? Well now, it's the turn of past tense and the simplest of 'em all is past indefinite or simple past. Here are few examples:

I danced there.
ਮੈਂ ਉੱਥੇ ਨੱਚਦਾ ਸੀ।
میں اتھے نچدا سی۔

He read the book.
ਉਹ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਪੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਸੀ।
اوہ کتاب پڑھدا سی۔

They spoke.
ਉਹ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਸਨ।
اوہ بولدے سن۔

The conjugation is done by removing the ending -ਨਾ/ਣਾ and adding a suitable verb ending plus including the past form of the verb "to be" (ਹੋਣਾ/ہونا) as discussed in the previous post.

The endings for the plural masculine pronouns is -ਦੇ and for plural feminine it's -ਦੀਆਂ while for masculine singulars, it's -ਦਾ and for feminine singulars, it's -ਦੀ। One call recall that these were the same in the present indefinite conjugations.

ਲਿਖਣਾ/لکھنا (to write)

'ਹੋਣਾ' ਦਾ ਅਤੀਤੀ ਰੂਪ ہونا' دا اتیتی روپ' Past form of 'to be'

In the previous post we learned how to conjugate the verb "to be" in present tense and thus went on to learning various types of present tense formations. Now is the time to look at how to conjugate "to be" in past tense. It is done as follows:

• I was - ਮੈਂ ਸੀ/ਸਾਂ*             *میں سی/ساں
• You were - ਤੂੰ ਸੀ/ਸੈਂ*       *توں سی/سیں
• He/she/it was - ਉਹ ਸੀ      اوہ سی
• We were - ਅਸੀਂ ਸੀ/ਸਾਂ*   *اسیں سی/ساں
• You were - ਤੁਸੀਂ ਸੀ           تسیں سی
• They were - ਉਹ ਸਨ         اوہ سن

*ਸਾਂ(ساں) and ਸੈਂ(سیں) are used much more infrequently in contemporary official Punjabi though they are still prevalent in certain pockets of Punjabi hinterland and can be found extensively in Punjabi literature. When not sure, ਸੀ is always a safe choice. In the coming lessons about conjugations in various past tenses, only ਸੀ would be used for the sake of convenience.

ਰੰਗ رنگ Colours

Let's learn about words for colours in Punjabi. As nouns, these colours are described by their masculine singular forms (since the word for colour 'ਰੰਗ' is masculine itself!) while as adjectives, they have four different forms depending upon the number and gender of the modified nouns.

This is green colour. 

ਇਹ ਹਰਾ ਰੰਗ ਹੈ।

ایہہ ہرا رنگ ہے۔

The sky is blue.

ਅਸਮਾਨ ਨੀਲਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।

اسمان نیلا ہندا ہے۔

Give me the yellow kites.

ਮੈਨੂੰ ਪੀਲ਼ੀਆਂ ਗੁੱਡੀਆਂ ਦਿਓ।

مینوں پیلیاں گڈیاں دیو۔

And some more...

For describing the lightness of a colour, one can use either 'ਫਿੱਕਾ' or 'ਹਲਕਾ'. The same goes with colourless as there are many words to describe the lack of colour. Given here are just two of them!

'ਨਾਂਹ' ਕਿਵੇਂ ਆਖੀਏ? نانہہ' کویں آکھیئے؟' How to say 'no'?

So let's learn how to negate sentences! How to say no!

'No' as a noun is "ਨਾਂਹ" in Punjabi. So the verb 'to negate'/ 'to say no to' is ਨਾਂਹ ਆਖਣੀ or the more common ਨਾਂਹ ਕਰਨੀ (literally 'to do no'!!!).

The adverbs used for negation are ਨਹੀਂ and ਨਾ.

For simple sentences and questions, just place the ਨਹੀਂ right before the verb which has to be negated. Let's look at some examples.

This flower is beautiful.         ਇਹ ਫੁੱਲ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਹੈ।                ایہہ پھلّ سوہنا ہے۔

This flower is not beautiful.  ਇਹ ਫੁੱਲ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ।         ایہہ پھلّ سوہنا نہیں ہے۔

Do you speak Punjabi?        ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹੋ?       کی تسیں پنجابی بولدے ہو؟

Don't you speak Punjabi?   ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਬੋਲਦੇ? *  کی تسیں پنجابی نہیں بولدے؟

I am dancing.                       ਮੈਂ ਨੱਚ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ।                     میں نچّ رہا ہاں۔

I am not dancing.                ਮੈਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਨੱਚ ਰਿਹਾ। *                 میں نہیں نچّ رہا۔

For imperative sentences the negative adverb used is ਨਾ.

Write here.                          ਇੱਥੇ ਲਿਖੋ।                              اتھے لکھو۔

Don't write here.                  ਇੱਥੇ ਨਾ ਲਿਖੋ।                         اتھے نہ لکھو۔

*While writing negative sentences, the "to be" form at the end is usually dropped without the loss of generality. Even in the first sentence just ਇਹ ਫੁੱਲ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਨਹੀਂ (without the ਹੈ) would have sufficed!

ਪੂਰਨ ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਕਾਲ پورن ورتمان کال Present perfect tense

Have we talked about the present perfect? No, we haven't! Let's look at how the actions are done i.e. completed:

I have written.
ਮੈਂ ਲਿਖ ਚੁੱਕਾ ਹਾਂ।
میں لکھ چکا ہاں۔

We have said.
ਅਸੀਂ ਕਹਿ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਾਂ।
اسیں کہہ چکے ہاں۔

Method: Remove the '-ਨਾ/-ਣਾ'ending and add the appropriate perfection indicator and 'to be' verb ending.

ਕਰਨਾ کرنا to do

This is but one method of conjugation in present perfect tense. The other one would be discussed in future posts!

ਇਹ ਸੰਕੇਤਵਾਚਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ/ਪੜਨਾਂਵ ਹਨ ایہہ سنکیتواچک وشیشن/پڑنانو ہن These are demonstrative adjectives/pronouns

Demonstrative adjectives (or pronouns) (this, that, these, those) are words used in place of articles (or nouns) to indicate a specific noun.

Well the good news is that you need not worry about the gender or number agreement for this particular group since the only two Punjabi words one needs to know are ਇਹ/ایہہ (this and these) and ਉਹ/اوہ (that and those)

These are a few examples:
ਇਹ ਕੁਝ ਮਿਸਾਲਾਂ ਹਨ:
:ایہہ کجھ مثالاں ہن

This boy is sad.
ਇਹ ਮੁੰਡਾ ਉਦਾਸ ਹੈ।
ایہہ منڈا اداس ہے۔

That is an elephant.
ਉਹ ਇੱਕ ਹਾਥੀ ਹੈ।
اوہ اک ہاتھی ہے۔

These apples are delicious!
ਇਹ ਸੇਬ ਸੁਆਦੀ ਹਨ!
!ایہہ سیب سوادی ہن

Give me those books.
ਮੈਨੂੰ ਉਹ ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ ਦਿਓ।
مینوں اوہ کتاباں دیو۔

ਚਾਲੂ ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਕਾਲ چالو ورتمان کال Present continuous tense

Now, I am going to tell you about the present continuous tense!! It indicates that the action denoted by the verb is still being carried on i.e. it is going on. Here are a few examples:

Jasmeet is going.
ਜਸਮੀਤ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ।
جسمیت جا رہی ہے۔

All the boys are studying.
ਸਾਰੇ ਮੁੰਡੇ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ।
سارے منڈے پڑھ رہے ہاں۔

It's super easy to conjugate the verbs in this tense. Just remove the ending from the infinitive -ਨਾ/-ਣਾ and add the suitable "continuity indicator" (equivalent to -ing of English) + the suitable conjugated form of the verb "to be".

This continuity indicator is ਰਿਹਾ (m) and ਰਹੀ (f) for singular pronouns and ਰਹੇ (m) and ਰਹੀਆਂ (f) for plural ones.

ਕਰਨਾ کرنا to do

ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ پڑھنا to read/study

I am studying.                                   ਮੈਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਿਹਾ/ਰਹੀ ਹਾਂ।
                                                        میں پڑھ رہا/رہی ہاں۔

You are studying.                               ਤੂੰ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਿਹਾ/ਰਹੀ ਹੈਂ।

                                                        توں پڑھ رہا/رہی ہیں۔

He/She/It is studying.                       ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਿਹਾ/ਰਹੀ ਹੈ।

                                                         اوہ پڑھ رہا/رہی ہے۔

We are studying.                          ਅਸੀਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ/ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਾਂ।

                                                   اسیں پڑھ رہے/رہیاں ہاں۔

You are studying.                       ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ/ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹੋ/ਹੋਂ।

                                               تسیں پڑھ رہے/رہیاں ہو/ہوں۔

They are studying.                       ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ/ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਨ।
                                                       اوہ پڑھ رہے/رہیاں ہن۔

The much common "going to" construction used for expressing intention is conjugated the same way in Punjabi with the verb ਜਾਣਾ (to go). Here are a few examples.

I am going to eat.

ਮੈਂ ਖਾਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ।
میں کھان جا رہا ہاں۔

We are going to speak.

ਅਸੀਂ ਬੋਲਣ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ।
اسیں بولن جا رہے ہاں۔

Take care that it's the "to go" verb which is conjugated while the other verb (to eat, to talk etc.) remains in infinitive form minus the terminal "ਕੰਨਾ/Kanna" (ਾ). So "to eat/ਖਾਣਾ" becomes ਖਾਣ, "to talk/ਬੋਲਣਾ" becomes "ਬੋਲਣ" and so on.