Language/Panjabi/Grammar/Present-Tense
As a Panjabi language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I'm excited to teach you about verbs and tenses in Panjabi. In this lesson, we will be focusing on the present tense. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form simple sentences in Panjabi using the present tense.
What is the Present Tense?
The present tense refers to actions or events that are currently happening or are habitual. In Panjabi, the present tense is used to describe what is happening right now or to describe habitual actions.
For example, "I am eating breakfast" is a sentence in the present tense because it describes what the speaker is currently doing. Similarly, "I eat breakfast every morning" is also a sentence in the present tense because it describes a habitual action.
How to Form the Present Tense in Panjabi
To form the present tense in Panjabi, we first need to understand the concept of the Panjabi verb stem. The verb stem is the root form of the verb before any tense or aspect markers are added. For example, the verb stem of "to eat" is "kha-".
To form the present tense, we add the appropriate present tense markers to the verb stem. The present tense markers in Panjabi are -da, -di, and -de depending on the gender and number of the subject.
Let's take a look at some examples:
| Panjabi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ਮੈਂ ਖਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ। main khaanda haan. |
/meɪ̃ kʰãːnd̪ãː hãː/ | I am eating. (masculine singular) |
| ਮੈਂ ਖਾਂਦੀ ਹਾਂ। main khaandi haan. |
/meɪ̃ kʰãːnd̪i hãː/ | I am eating. (feminine singular) |
| ਮੈਂ ਖਾਂਦੇ ਹਾਂ। main khaande haan. |
/meɪ̃ kʰãːnd̪eː hãː/ | I am eating. (plural) |
Notice how the present tense marker changes depending on the gender and number of the subject in Panjabi. Keep in mind that this is just a general guideline, and there may be some exceptions to this rule.
Negation in the Present Tense
To make a negative sentence in the present tense, we add the word "ਨਹੀਂ" (nahin) after the subject of the sentence.
For example:
- "ਮੈਂ ਖਾਂਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਾਂ।" (main khaanda nahin haan) - I am not eating.
- "ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ।" (tusi parhde nahin ho) - You are not studying.
Verb Conjugation in the Present Tense
In Panjabi, verbs are not conjugated based on the subject pronoun. Instead, the subject is included in the conjugated verb form. This is called subject-verb agreement.
For example:
- "ਮੈਂ ਪੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਹਾਂ।" (main parhda haan) - I am studying. (masculine singular)
- "ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਹੈ।" (uh parhdi hai) - She is studying. (feminine singular)
- "ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹੋ।" (tusi parhde ho) - You are studying. (plural/masculine informal)
- "ਸਾਡੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਹਨ।" (saade baare parhde han) - They are studying about us. (plural)
Note that "ਹਾਂ" (haan) is added at the end of the verb to make the present tense.
Using the Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous tense is used to talk about actions that are currently happening at the moment. In Panjabi, the present continuous tense is formed by using the verb "ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ" (ho rihha hai) or "ਰਹੀ ਹੈ" (rahhi hai) depending on the gender of the subject, followed by the verb stem with the present continuous marker -ਰਹਿਆ- (-rihaa-).
For example:
- "ਮੈਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ।" (main parh rihha haan) - I am studying. (masculine singular)
- "ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ।" (uh parh rahhi hai) - She is studying. (feminine singular)
- "ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ।" (tusi parh rahe ho) - You are studying. (plural/masculine informal)
- "ਸਾਡੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ।" (saade baare parh rahe han) - They are studying about us. (plural)
Using the Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used to talk about actions that started in the past and continue up to the present moment. In Panjabi, the present perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb "ਹੈ" (hai) or "ਹਨ" (han) along with the past participle of the verb.
For example:
- "ਮੈਂ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ।" (main parh rihha haan) - I have been studying.
- "ਉਹ ਖਿੜਕੀ ਬੰਦ ਰਖੀ ਹੈ।" (uh khirki band rakhi hai) - She has kept the window closed.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you have learned about forming the present tense in Panjabi using the appropriate present tense markers, subject-verb agreement, and the use of the present continuous and present perfect tenses. Keep practicing and using the present tense, and you'll be speaking and understanding Panjabi more easily in no time!