Language/Panjabi/Grammar/Past-Tense

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Panjabi → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Past Tense

Welcome to our lesson on the Past Tense in Panjabi! Understanding how to express past events is crucial for communicating effectively in any language. Whether you're recalling a memorable trip, sharing stories about your family, or simply talking about what you did yesterday, the ability to use the past tense correctly will enhance your conversational skills and allow you to connect more deeply with Panjabi culture.

In this lesson, we will break down the concept of the past tense in Panjabi into manageable sections. We will cover:

• The structure of past tense verbs

• How to form sentences using the past tense

• Examples of common verbs in the past tense

• Exercises to practice what you’ve learned

By the end of this lesson, you should feel comfortable using the past tense to describe events and experiences in Panjabi. So, let's dive in!

Understanding the Past Tense

The past tense in Panjabi is used to describe actions that have already occurred. It allows you to narrate events, express feelings about past experiences, and share stories from your life. In Panjabi, verbs change their forms to indicate that they are referring to a past action.

The basic structure of a past tense sentence in Panjabi follows the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, similar to present tense sentences. For example:

• I (subject) ate (verb) an apple (object).

• In Panjabi: ਮੈਂ (main) ਸੇਬ (seb) ਖਾਇਆ (khāiā).

Past Tense Forms

Panjabi verbs change based on gender and number. It's important to note that the past tense forms for masculine and feminine subjects differ. Here’s a brief overview:

• Masculine Singular: Verbs typically end with -ਆ (ā).

• Feminine Singular: Verbs typically end with -ਈ (ī).

• Masculine Plural: Verbs typically end with -ਏ (e).

• Feminine Plural: Verbs typically end with -ਈਆਂ (īāṁ).

Let’s take a look at some common verbs and their past tense forms:

Panjabi	Pronunciation	English
ਖਾਣਾ (ਖਾਇਆ)	khāṇā (khāiā)	to eat (ate)
ਪੀਂਣਾ (ਪੀਿਆ)	pīṇā (pīā)	to drink (drank)
ਜਾਣਾ (ਗਿਆ)	jāṇā (giā)	to go (went)
ਕਰਨਾ (ਕੀਤਾ)	karnā (kītā)	to do (did)
ਦੇਖਣਾ (ਦੇਖਿਆ)	dēkhaṇā (dēkhiā)	to see (saw)

Forming Past Tense Sentences

Now that we have a basic understanding of the past tense forms, let’s see how to form complete sentences. The structure remains consistent:

1. Identify the subject (who is doing the action).

2. Determine the object (what is being acted upon).

3. Use the correct past tense form of the verb based on the subject's gender and number.

Here are examples of sentences in the past tense:

Panjabi	Pronunciation	English
ਮੈਂ ਸੇਬ ਖਾਇਆ।	maiṁ seb khāiā.	I ate an apple.
ਉਹਨੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਤਾ।	uhnē pāṇī pītā.	He drank water.
ਉਹਨੇ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਪੜ੍ਹੀ।	uhnē kitāb paṛhī.	She read a book.
ਅਸੀਂ ਛੱਤ ਤੇ ਗਏ।	asīṁ chhat tē giē.	We went to the roof.
ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਫਿਲਮ ਦੇਖੀ।	uhnāṁ nē film dēkhī.	They watched a movie.

Common Verbs in Past Tense

Here are some more common verbs in their past tense forms for your reference:

Panjabi	Pronunciation	English
ਸਿਖਣਾ (ਸਿਖਿਆ)	sikhṇā (sikhiā)	to learn (learned)
ਬੋਲਣਾ (ਬੋਲਾ)	bōlaṇā (bōlā)	to speak (spoke)
ਲਿਖਣਾ (ਲਿਖਿਆ)	likhṇā (likhiā)	to write (wrote)
ਖੇਡਣਾ (ਖੇਡਿਆ)	khēḍṇā (khēḍiā)	to play (played)
ਸੁਣਨਾ (ਸੁਣਿਆ)	suṇnā (suṇiā)	to listen (listened)

Examples of Past Tense Sentences

Let’s explore more examples to illustrate how to use different verbs in the past tense:

Panjabi	Pronunciation	English
ਮੈਂ ਮੀਠੇ ਸੰਤਰੇ ਖਾਏ।	maiṁ mīṭhē santarē khāe.	I ate sweet oranges.
ਉਹ ਪੂਰਾ ਦਿਨ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਦਾ ਸੀ।	uh pūrā din kam karda sī.	He worked all day.
ਮੈਂ ਰਾਤ ਨੂੰ ਚੰਦਰਾ ਦੇਖਿਆ।	maiṁ rāt nūṁ chandā dēkhiā.	I saw the moon at night.
ਉਸਨੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਲਈ ਖਾਸ ਖਾਣਾ ਬਣਾਇਆ।	usnē mērē la'ī khās khānā baṇāiā.	He made special food for me.
ਅਸੀਂ ਪਲੇਟਾਂ ਧੋਈਆਂ।	asīṁ palēṭāṁ dhōiāṁ.	We washed the plates.

Practice Exercises

Now that we've covered the theory, let’s put your knowledge to the test with some exercises!

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following sentences with the correct past tense form of the verb in brackets.

1. ਮੈਂ __________ (ਖਾਣਾ) ਸੇਬ।

2. ਉਹ __________ (ਜਾਣਾ) ਘਰ।

3. ਅਸੀਂ __________ (ਕਰਨ) ਕੰਮ।

4. ਉਸਨੇ __________ (ਬੋਲਣਾ) ਸੱਚ।

5. ਉਹ __________ (ਸੁਣਨਾ) ਗਾਣਾ।

Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences from English to Panjabi.

1. I drank water.

2. They watched the movie.

3. She read a story.

4. We went to the market.

5. He played cricket.

Exercise 3: Correct the Errors

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences.

1. ਮੈਂ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਪੜ੍ਹੀ।

2. ਉਹਨੇ ਖਾਣਾ ਖਾਇਆ।

3. ਅਸੀਂ ਫਿਲਮ ਦੇਖੀ।

4. ਉਹ ਖੇਡਣ ਗਏ।

5. ਮੈਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਤਾ।

Exercise 4: Write Your Own Sentences

Write five sentences in Panjabi about what you did yesterday using the past tense.

Exercise 5: Match the Verbs

Match the verbs in their infinitive form with their past tense forms.

| Infinitive | Past Tense |

|------------|------------|

| ਖਾਣਾ | __________ |

| ਪੀਣਾ | __________ |

| ਜਾਣਾ | __________ |

| ਕਰਨਾ | __________ |

| ਦੇਖਣਾ | __________ |

Solutions to Exercises

Here are the solutions to the exercises provided above:

Exercise 1 Solutions

1. ਮੈਂ ਖਾਇਆ (khāiā) ਸੇਬ।

2. ਉਹ ਗਿਆ (giā) ਘਰ।

3. ਅਸੀਂ ਕੀਤਾ (kītā) ਕੰਮ।

4. ਉਸਨੇ ਬੋਲਾ (bōlā) ਸੱਚ।

5. ਉਹ ਸੁਣਿਆ (suṇiā) ਗਾਣਾ।

Exercise 2 Solutions

1. ਮੈਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਤਾ (pānī pītā).

2. ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਫਿਲਮ ਦੇਖੀ (film dēkhī).

3. ਉਸਨੇ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਪੜ੍ਹੀ (kahānī paṛhī).

4. ਅਸੀਂ ਬਾਜ਼ਾਰ ਗਏ (bājār giē).

5. ਉਸਨੇ ਕ੍ਰਿਕਟ ਖੇਡਿਆ (krikaṭ khēḍiā).

Exercise 3 Solutions

1. ਮੈਂ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਪੜ੍ਹੀ (correct).

2. ਉਹਨੇ ਖਾਣਾ ਖਾਇਆ (correct).

3. ਅਸੀਂ ਫਿਲਮ ਦੇਖੀ (correct).

4. ਉਹ ਖੇਡਣ ਗਏ (should be ਉਹ ਖੇਡਿਆ).

5. ਮੈਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਤਾ (correct).

Exercise 4 Solutions

(Students should write their own sentences based on their experiences.)

Exercise 5 Solutions

| Infinitive | Past Tense |

|------------|------------|

| ਖਾਣਾ | ਖਾਇਆ |

| ਪੀਣਾ | ਪੀਆ |

| ਜਾਣਾ | ਗਿਆ |

| ਕਰਨਾ | ਕੀਤਾ |

| ਦੇਖਣਾ | ਦੇਖਿਆ |

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on the past tense in Panjabi! Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you use the past tense in your conversations, the more natural it will become.

Don't hesitate to revisit this lesson whenever you need a refresher. Keep practicing and soon you will be narrating stories and sharing your experiences in Panjabi with ease!

Table of Contents - Panjabi Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Panjabi Script

• Gurmukhi Alphabet
• Gurmukhi Matra

  ---

Basic Words and Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Time
• Days and Months

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Object-Verb Order
• Nouns and Pronouns
• Adjectives and Adverbs

  ---

Everyday Vocabulary

• Colors and Shapes
• Food and Drinks
• Clothing and Accessories
• Family and Relationships

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Places
• Accommodation and Reservations

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negation

  ---

Panjabi Customs and Traditions

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Food and Cuisine
• Traditional Clothing

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Sports and Exercise
• Arts and Entertainment
• Outdoor Activities

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Panjabi Literature and Media

• Folklore and Legends
• Panjabi Literature
• Panjabi Media

  ---

Health and Emergencies

• Health and Illness
• Emergencies

  ---

Expressing Opinions and Emotions

• Likes and Dislikes
• Emotions and Feelings

Other Lessons

• Gurmukhi Matra
• Future Tense
• Likes and Dislikes
• Pronouns
• Gender
• Emotions and Feelings
• Questions
• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Nouns and Pronouns
• Plural

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