# Punjabi grammar

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language native to the region of Punjab of Pakistan and India and spoken by the Punjabi people. This page discusses the grammar of Modern Standard Punjabi as defined by the relevant sources below (see #Further reading).

## Word order

Punjabi has a canonical word order of subject–object–verb. It has postpositions rather than prepositions.

## Transliteration

In matters of script, Punjabi uses Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi. On this grammar page Punjabi is written in "standard orientalist" transcription as outlined in Masica (1991:xv) (with one change; representing ai /ɛː/ and au /ɔː/ with ē and ō respectively). Being "primarily a system of transliteration from the Indian scripts, [and] based in turn upon Sanskrit" (cf. IAST), these are its salient features: subscript dots for retroflex consonants; macrons for etymologically, contrastively long vowels; h denoting aspirated plosives. Tildes denote nasalized vowels, while grave and acute accents denote low and high tones respectively.
Vowels and consonants are outlined in the tables below. The vowels table shows the character used in the article (ex. ī) followed by its IPA value in forward slashes (ex. /iː/). See Punjabi phonology for further clarification.
Vowels :
| | Front | Front | Near-front | Near-front | Central | Central | Near-back | Near-back | Back | Back |
| | IPA | script | IPA | script | IPA | script | IPA | script | IPA | script |
| Close | iː | ਈ اِی | | | | | | | uː | ਊ اُو |
| Near-close | | | ɪ | ਇ اِ | | | ʊ | ਉ اُ | | |
| Close-mid | eː | ਏ اے | | | | | | | oː | ਓ او |
| Mid | | | | | ə | ਅ اَ | | | | |
| Open-mid | ɛː | ਐ اَے | | | | | | | ɔː | ਔ اَو |
| Open | | | | | aː | ਆ آ | | | | |
Consonants :
| | | Labial | Labial | Dental/ Alveolar | Dental/ Alveolar | Retroflex | Retroflex | Post-alv./ Palatal | Post-alv./ Palatal | Velar | Velar | Glottal | Glottal |
| | | IPA | script | IPA | script | IPA | script | IPA | script | IPA | script | IPA | script |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | ਮ م | n | ਨ ن | ɳ | ਣ ݨ | ɲ | ਞ ن٘ج | ŋ | ਙ ن٘گ | | |
| Plosive/ Affricate | tenuis | p | ਪ پ | t | ਤ ت | ʈ | ਟ ٹ | t͡ʃ | ਚ چ | k | ਕ ک | | |
| Plosive/ Affricate | aspirated | pʰ | ਫ پھ | tʰ | ਥ تھ | ʈʰ | ਠ ٹھ | t͡ʃʰ | ਛ چھ | kʰ | ਖ کھ | | |
| Plosive/ Affricate | voiced | b | ਬ ب | d | ਦ د | ɖ | ਡ ڈ | d͡ʒ | ਜ ج | ɡ | ਗ گ | | |
| Fricative | voiceless | (f) | (ਫ਼ ف) | s | ਸ س | | | ʃ | ਸ਼ ش | (x) | (ਖ਼ خ) | | |
| Fricative | voiced | | | (z) | (ਜ਼ ز) | | | | | (ɣ) | (ਗ਼ غ) | ɦ | ਹ ہ |
| Rhotic | Rhotic | | | ɾ~r | ਰ ر | ɽ | ੜ ڑ | | | | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | ʋ | ਵ و | l | ਲ ل | ɭ | ਲ਼ لؕ | j | ਯ ی | | | | |

## Morphology
### Nouns

Punjabi distinguishes two genders, two numbers typically with an additional dual form for a small set of nouns, and six cases of direct, oblique, vocative, ablative, locative, and instrumental. The latter three cases are essentially now vestigial: the ablative occurs only in the singular, in free variation with oblique case plus ablative postposition, and the locative and instrumental are confined to a small set of common nouns. Numeral adjectives do also have locative plural forms, and toponymic proper nouns often have a locative singular form. Nouns may be further divided into extended and unextended declensional subtypes, with the former characteristically consisting of masculines ending in unaccented -ā and feminines in -ī.
The below tables displays the suffix paradigms, as outlined in Shackle (2003:600–601). Regarding the masculine, "the [extended] case-morphemes, very similar to those of the unextended declension, are added to the obl. base -e-, which is shortened to -i- (phonetically [e̯]) before back vowels and is lost before front vowels." The division between feminine unextendeds and extendeds ending in -ī looks to be now merely an etymological consideration, as there is neither a distinct oblique base nor any morphophonemic considerations.
Masculine :
| | | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| unEx. | Sing. | | | +ā +ਆ +آ | +ȭ +ਓਂ +ؤں | +ē +ਏ +ئے |
| unEx. | Pl. | | +ā̃ +ਆਂ +آں | +ō +ਓ +ؤ | | +ī̃ +ਈਂ +ئِیں |
| Ex. | Sing. | -ā -ਆ -آ | -ē -ਏ -ئے | -iā -ਇਆ -یا | -iȭ -ਇਓਂ -یوں | -ē -ਏ -ئے |
| Ex. | Pl. | -ē -ਏ -ئے | -iā̃ -ਇਆਂ -یاں | -iō -ਇਓ -یو | | -ī̃ -ਈਂ -ئِیں |
Feminine :
| | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| Sing. | | | -/+ē -/+ਏ -/+ئے | +ȭ +ਓਂ +ؤں | +ē +ਏ +ئے |
| Pl. | +ā̃ +ਆਂ +آں | +ā̃ +ਆਂ +آں | +ō +ਓ +ؤ | | +ī̃ +ਈਂ +ئِیں |
The next table of noun declensions shows the above suffix paradigms in action. Words, from Shackle (2003:600–601): ghṑṛā "stallion", sakhī "girlfriend", ghàr "house", gall "thing, matter (being talked about)".
Extended :
| | | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| Masc. | Sing. | ghṑṛā ਘੋੜਾ گھوڑا | ghṑṛe ਘੋੜੇ گھوڑے | ghṑṛiā ਘੋੜਿਆ گھوڑیا | ghṑṛiȭ ਘੋੜਿਓਂ گھوڑیوں | (ghṑṛe) (ਘੋੜੇ) (گھوڑے) |
| Masc. | Pl. | ghṑṛe ਘੋੜੇ گھوڑے | ghṑṛiā̃ ਘੋੜਿਆਂ گھوڑیاں | ghṑṛiō ਘੋੜਿਓ گھوڑیو | | |
| Fem. | Sing. | sakhī ਸਖੀ سَکھی | sakhī ਸਖੀ سَکھی | sakhīē ਸਖੀਏ سَکِھیے | | |
| Fem. | Pl. | sakhīā̃ ਸਖੀਆਂ سَکِھیاں | sakhīā̃ ਸਖੀਆਂ سَکِھیاں | sakhīō ਸਖੀਓ سَکِھیو | | |
Unextended :
| | | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| Masc. | Sing. | ghàr ਘਰ گَھر | ghàr ਘਰ گَھر | ghàrā ਘਰਾ گَھرا | ghàrȭ ਘਰੋਂ گَھروں | ghàrē ਘਰੇ گَھرے |
| Masc. | Pl. | ghàr ਘਰ گَھر | ghàrā̃ ਘਰਾਂ گَھراں | ghàrō ਘਰੋ گَھرو | | ghàrī̃ ਘਰੀਂ گَھرِیں |
| Fem. | Sing. | gall ਗੱਲ گَلّ | gall ਗੱਲ گَلّ | (gallē) (ਗੱਲੇ) (گَلّے) | gallȭ ਗੱਲੋਂ گَلّوں | gallē ਗੱਲੇ گَلّے |
| Fem. | Pl. | gallā̃ ਗੱਲਾਂ گَلّاں | gallā̃ ਗੱਲਾਂ گَلّاں | gallō ਗੱਲੋ گَلّو | | gallī̃ ਗੱਲੀਂ گَلِّیں |

### Adjectives

Adjectives may be divided into declinable and indeclinable categories. Declinable adjectives have endings that change by the gender, number, case of the noun that they qualify. Declinable adjective have endings that are similar but much simpler than nouns' endings:
| | | | Sing. | Pl. |
| Declin. | Masc. | Dir. | -ā -ਆ -آ | -ē -ਏ -ئے |
| Declin. | Masc. | Obl. | -ē -ਏ -ئے | -ē, -iā̃ -ਏ, -ਇਆਂ -ئے، -یاں |
| Declin. | Fem. | Fem. | -ī -ਈ -ئی | -īā̃ -ਈਆਂ -ئِیاں |
| Indeclin. | Indeclin. | Indeclin. | | |
Indeclinable adjectives are invariable and can end in either consonants or vowels (including ā and ī ). The direct masculine singular (-ā) is the citation form. Most adjectives ending in consonants are indeclinable.
| | | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| Masc. | Sing. | caṅgā ghṑṛā ਚੰਗਾ ਘੋੜਾ چَنگا گھوڑا | caṅgē ghṑṛē ਚੰਗੇ ਘੋੜੇ چَنگے گھوڑے | caṅgē ghṑṛiā ਚੰਗੇ ਘੋੜਿਆ چَنگے گھوڑیا | caṅgē ghṑṛiȭ ਚੰਗੇ ਘੋੜਿਓਂ چَنگے گھوڑیوں | (caṅge ghṑṛē) (ਚੰਗੇ ਘੋੜੇ) (چَنگے گھوڑے) |
| Masc. | Pl. | caṅgē ghṑṛē ਚੰਗੇ ਘੋੜੇ چَنگے گھوڑے | caṅgiā̃ ghṑṛiā̃ ਚੰਗਿਆਂ ਘੋੜਿਆਂ چَنگیاں گھوڑیاں | caṅgi'ō ghṑṛiō ਚੰਗਿਆਂ ਘੋੜਿਓ چَنگیو گھوڑیو | | |
| Fem. | Sing. | caṅgī sakhī ਚੰਗੀ ਸਖੀ چَنگی سَکھی | caṅgī sakhī ਚੰਗੀ ਸਖੀ چَنگی سَکھی | caṅgī sakhīē ਚੰਗੀ ਸਖੀਏ چَنگی سَکِھیے | | |
| Fem. | Pl. | caṅgīā̃ sakhīā̃ ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਸਖੀਆਂ چَنگِیاں سَکِھیاں | caṅgīā̃ sakhīā̃ ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਸਖੀਆਂ چَنگِیاں سَکِھیاں | caṅgīā̃ sakhīō ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਸਖੀਓ چَنگِیاں سَکِھیو | | |
| | | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| Masc. | Sing. | caṅgā ghàr ਚੰਗਾ ਘਰ چَنگا گَھر | caṅgē ghàr ਚੰਗੇ ਘਰ چَنگے گَھر | caṅgē ghàrā ਚੰਗੇ ਘਰਾ چَنگے گَھرا | caṅgē ghàrȭ ਚੰਗੇ ਘਰੋਂ چَنگے گَھروں | caṅgē ghàrē ਚੰਗੇ ਘਰੇ چَنگے گَھرے |
| Masc. | Pl. | caṅge ghàr ਚੰਗੇ ਘਰ چَنگے گَھر | caṅgiā̃ ghàrā̃ ਚੰਗਿਆਂ ਘਰਾਂ چَنگیاں گَھراں | caṅgiā̃ ghàrō ਚੰਗਿਆਂ ਘਰੋ چَنگیاں گَھرو | | caṅgiā̃ ghàrī̃ ਚੰਗਿਆਂ ਘਰੀਂ چَنگیاں گَھرِیں |
| Fem. | Sing. | caṅgī gall ਚੰਗੀ ਗੱਲ چَنگی گَلّ | caṅgī gall ਚੰਗੀ ਗੱਲ چَنگی گَلّ | (caṅgī gallē) (ਚੰਗੀ ਗੱਲੇ) (چَنگی گَلّے) | caṅgī gallȭ ਚੰਗੀ ਗੱਲੋਂ چَنگی گَلّوں | caṅgī gallē ਚੰਗੀ ਗੱਲੇ چَنگی گَلّے |
| Fem. | Pl. | caṅgīā̃ gallā̃ ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਗੱਲਾਂ چَنگِیاں گَلّاں | caṅgīā̃ gallā̃ ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਗੱਲਾਂ چَنگِیاں گَلّاں | caṅgīā̃ gallō ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਗੱਲੋ چَنگِیاں گَلّو | | caṅgīā̃ gallī̃ ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਗੱਲੀਂ چَنگِیاں گَلِّیں |
| | | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| Masc. | Sing. | xarāb ghṑṛā ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜਾ خَراب گھوڑا | xarāb ghṑṛē ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜੇ خَراب گھوڑے | xarāb ghṑṛiā ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜਿਆ خَراب گھوڑیا | xarāb ghṑṛiȭ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜਿਓਂ خَراب گھوڑیوں | (xarāb ghṑṛē) (ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜੇ) (خَراب گھوڑے) |
| Masc. | Pl. | xarāb ghṑṛē ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜੇ خَراب گھوڑے | xarāb ghṑṛiā̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜਿਆਂ خَراب گھوڑیاں | xarāb ghṑṛiō ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋੜਿਓ خَراب گھوڑیو | | |
| Fem. | Sing. | xarāb sakhī ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਸਖੀ خَراب سَکھی | xarāb sakhī ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਸਖੀ خَراب سَکھی | xarāb sakhīē ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਸਖੀਏ خَراب سَکِھیے | | |
| Fem. | Pl. | xarāb sakhīā̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਸਖੀਆਂ خَراب سَکِھیاں | xarāb sakhīā̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਸਖੀਆਂ خَراب سَکِھیاں | xarāb sakhīō ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਸਖੀਓ خَراب سَکِھیو | | |
| | | Dir. | Obl. | Voc. | Abl. | Loc./ Instr. |
| Masc. | Sing. | xarāb ghàr ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰ خَراب گَھر | xarāb ghàr ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰ خَراب گَھر | xarāb ghàrā ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰਾ خَراب گَھرا | xarāb ghàrȭ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰੋਂ خَراب گَھروں | xarāb ghàrē ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰੇ خَراب گَھرے |
| Masc. | Pl. | xarāb ghàr ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰ خَراب گَھر | xarāb ghàrā̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰਾਂ خَراب گَھراں | xarāb ghàrō ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰੋ خَراب گَھرو | | xarāb ghàrī̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਘਰੀਂ خَراب گَھرِیں |
| Fem. | Sing. | xarāb gall ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲ خَراب گَلّ | xarāb gall ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲ خَراب گَلّ | (xarāb gallē) (ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲੇ) (خَراب گَلّے) | xarāb gallȭ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲੋਂ خَراب گَلّوں | xarāb gallē ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲੇ خَراب گَلّے |
| Fem. | Pl. | xarāb gallā̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲਾਂ خَراب گَلّاں | xarāb gallā̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲਾਂ خَراب گَلّاں | xarāb gallō ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲੋ خَراب گَلّو | | xarāb gallī̃ ਖ਼ਰਾਬ ਗੱਲੀਂ خَراب گَلِّیں |
All adjectives can be used attributively, predicatively, or substantively. Those used substantively are declined as nouns rather than adjectives. Finally, additional inflections are often marked in colloquial speech: feminine singular vocative nī sóṇīē kuṛīē! "hey pretty girl!".

### Postpositions

The aforementioned inflectional case system goes only so far on its own but rather serves as that upon which is built a system of particles known as postpositions, which parallel English's prepositions. It is their use with a noun or verb that requires the noun or verb to take the oblique case, and they are the locus of grammatical function or "case-marking" then lies:
| | Transliteration | Gurmukhi | Shahmukhi | NotesMay use dē |
| Used alone | dā | ਦਾ | دا | genitive marker; declines like an adjective. Example: "X dā/dī/etc. Y" means "X's Y", with dā/dī/etc. agreeing with Y. |
| Used alone | nū̃ | ਨੂੰ | نُوں | marks the indirect object (dative marker), or, if definite, the direct object (accusative marker). |
| Used alone | nē | ਨੇ | نے | ergative case marker; applicable to subjects of transitive perfective verbs. |
| Used alone | tō̃ | ਤੋਂ | توں | ablative marker, "from" |
| Used alone | vall | ਵੱਲ | وَلّ | orientative marker; "towards" |
| Used alone | takk, tāī̃ | ਤੱਕ, ਤਾਈਂ | تَکّ، تائِیں | terminative marker, "until, up to" |
| Used alone | vikhē | ਵਿਖੇ | وِکھے | locative marker, "at (a specific location)", e.g. Hōshiārpur vikhē, "at Hoshiarpur" (a city). Often colloquially replaced with 'tē |
| May use a secondary preposition | vicc | ਵਿੱਚ | وِچّ | inessive marker, "in." Often contracted to 'c |
| May use a secondary preposition | nāḷ | ਨਾਲ਼ | نالؕ | comitative marker, "with" |
| May use a secondary preposition | uttē | ਉੱਤੇ | اُتّے | superessive marker, "on" or "at." Often contracted to 'tē |
| May use a secondary preposition | kōḷ | ਕੋਲ਼ | کولؕ | possessive marker; "with" (as in possession) e.g. kuṛī (dē) kōḷ, "in the girl's possession." |
| May use a secondary preposition | bārē | ਬਾਰੇ | بارے | "about" |
| May use a secondary preposition | laī | ਲਈ | لَئی | benefactive marker; "for" |
| May use a secondary preposition | vargā | ਵਰਗਾ | وَرگا | comparative marker; "like" (in resemblance) |
| May use a secondary preposition | vāngū, vāng | ਵਾਂਗੂ, ਵਾਂਗ | وانگُو، وانگ | comparative marker; "like" (in manner) |
| May use a secondary preposition | tarh̤ā̃ (tárā̃) | ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ | طَرْحاں | comparative marker; "like" (non-specific) |
| May use a secondary preposition | duāḷē | ਦੁਆਲ਼ੇ | دوالؕے | "around, surrounding" ex. manjē (de) duāḷē, "around the bed." |
| May use a secondary preposition | binnā̃, bājhō̃ | ਬਿੰਨਾਂ, ਬਾਝੋਂ | بِنّاں، باجھوں | abessive marker; "without" |
| May use a secondary preposition | nēṛē | ਨੇੜੇ | نیڑے | "near" |
| May use a secondary preposition | lāgē | ਲਾਗੇ | لاگے | apudessive marker; "adjacent/next to" |
| May use a secondary preposition | vickār, gabbē | ਵਿਚਕਾਰ, ਗੱਬੇ | وِچکار، گَبّے | intrative marker, "between, middle of" |
| May use a secondary preposition | mājh (mā́j) | ਮਾਝ | ماجھ | "in the midst of" |
| May use a secondary preposition | andar | ਅੰਦਰ | اَن٘در | "inside" |
| May use a secondary preposition | bāhar (bā́r) | ਬਾਹਰ | باہر | "outside" |
Other postpositions are adverbs, following their obliqued targets either directly or with the inflected genitive linker dē; e.g. kàr (dē) vicc "in the house", kṑṛe (dē) nāḷ "with the stallion". Many such adverbs (the ones locative in nature) also possess corresponding ablative forms by forming a contraction with the ablative postposition tȭ; for example:
* vicc "in" → viccȭ "from in, among", for instance, jantē (dē) viccȭ or jantē 'cȭ, "from among the people" and
* nāḷ "with"→ nāḷȭ "compared to", for instance, kṑṛē (dē) nāḷȭ, "compared to the stallion."

### Pronouns
#### Personal

Punjabi has personal pronouns for the first and second persons, while for the third person demonstratives are used, which can be categorized deictically as near and remote. Pronouns do not distinguish gender.
The language has a T-V distinction in tū̃ and tusī̃. This latter "polite" form is also grammatically plural.
| | 1st pn. | 1st pn. | 2nd pn. | 2nd pn. |
| | Sing. | Pl. | Sing. | Pl. |
| Direct | mẽ ਮੈਂ مَیں | asī̃ ਅਸੀਂ اَسِی | tū̃ ਤੂੰ تُوں | tusī̃ ਤੁਸੀਂ تُسی |
| Ergative (Oblique) | mẽ ਮੈਂ مَیں | asā̃ ਅਸਾਂ اَساں | tẽ ਤੈਂ تَیں | tusā̃ ਤੁਸਾਂ تُساں |
| Dative | mennū̃ ਮੈਨੂੰ مَینُوں | sānnū̃ ਸਾਨੂੰ سانُوں | tennū̃ ਤੈਨੂੰ تَینُوں | tuā̀nnū̃ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ تُہانُوں |
| Ablative | metthȭ ਮੈਥੋਂ مَیتھوں | sātthȭ ਸਾਥੋਂ ساتھوں | tetthȭ ਤੈਥੋਂ تَیتھوں | tuā̀tthȭ ਤੁਹਾਥੋਂ تُہاتھوں |
| Genitive | mērā, mērē, mērī, mērīā̃ ਮੇਰਾ, ਮੇਰੇ, ਮੇਰੀ, ਮੇਰੀਆਂ میرا، میرے، میری، میرِیاں | sāḍḍā, sāḍḍē, sāḍḍī, sāḍḍīā̃ ਸਾਡਾ, ਸਾਡੇ, ਸਾਡੀ, ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ساڈا، ساڈے، ساڈی، ساڈِیاں | tērā, tērē, tērī, tērīā̃ ਤੇਰਾ, ਤੇਰੇ, ਤੇਰੀ, ਤੇਰੀਆਂ تیرا، تیرے، تیری، تیرِیاں | tuā̀ḍḍā, tuā̀ḍḍē, tuā̀ḍḍī, tuā̀ḍḍīā̃ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ, ਤੁਹਾਡੇ, ਤੁਹਾਡੀ, ਤੁਹਾਡੀਆਂ تُہاڈا، تُہاڈے، تُہاڈی، تُہاڈِیاں |
| | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Relative | Relative | Interrogative | Interrogative |
| | Near | Near | Remote | Remote | | Relative | Relative | Interrogative | Interrogative |
| | Sing. | Pl. | Sing. | Pl. | Sing. | Pl. | Sing. | Pl. |
| Direct | ḗ ਇਹ ایہہ | ḗ ਇਹ ایہہ | ṓ ਉਹ اوہ | ṓ ਉਹ اوہ | jō, jin ਜੋ, ਜਿਨ جو، جن | jō, jin ਜੋ, ਜਿਨ جو، جن | koṇ, kin ਕੌਣ, ਕਿਨ کوݨ، کن | koṇ, kin ਕੌਣ, ਕਿਨ کوݨ، کن |
| Oblique | is, ēs ਇਸ, ਏਸ ایس | ḗnnā̃ ਇਹਨਾਂ ایہناں | us, ōs ਉਸ, ਓਸ اوس | ṓnnā̃ ਉਹਨਾਂ اوہناں | jī, jis ਜੀ, ਜਿਸ جی، جس | jḗnnā̃ ਜਿਹਨਾਂ جہناں | kī, kis ਕੀ, ਕਿਸ کی، کس | kḗnnā̃ ਕਿਹਨਾਂ کہناں |
The dative & ablative personal pronouns are analyzed as the oblique forms merging with suffixes, e.g. tusā̃ + nū̃ > tuhānū̃.
Unlike other pronouns, genitive pronouns essentially function in a manner similar to regular adjectives, declining in agreement with their direct objects. Moreover, koṇ and jō are colloquially replaced by kḗṛā "which?" jḗṛā "which". Indefinites include kōī (obl. kisē) "some(one)" and kújj "some(thing)". The reflexive pronoun is āp, with a genitive of āpṇā. The pronominal obl. -nā̃ also occurs in ik, iknā̃ "some", hōr, hōrnā̃ "others", sáb, sábnā̃ "all".

#### Derivates

Based on table in Shackle (2003:604). Indefinites are extended forms of the interrogative set; e.g. kite "somewhere", kade "sometimes". The multiple versions under certain categories are dialectal variations.
| | | Interrogative | Relative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative |
| | | Interrogative | Relative | Near | Remote |
| Date | Date | kiddaṇ | jiddaṇ | | oddaṇ |
| Time | Regular | kad | jad | huṇ | tad |
| Time | Emphatic | kade | jade | huṇe | tade |
| Time | Emphatic | kádī | jádī | húṇī | tádī |
| Time | Ablative | kadõ | jadõ | eddõ | oddõ |
| Time | Ablative | kadõ | jadõ | eddõ | tadõ |
| Place | Regular | kitthe | jitthe | etthe | otthe |
| Place | Ablative | kitthõ | jitthõ | etthõ | otthõ |
| Direction | Regular | kíddar | jíddar | éddar | óddar |
| Direction | Ablative | kíddrõ | jíddrõ | éddrõ | óddrõ |
| Manner | Manner | kiddā̃ | jiddā̃ | eddā̃ | oddā̃ |
| Manner | Manner | kiñj | jiñj | eñj | oñj |
| Manner | Manner | kivẽ | jivẽ | evẽ | ovẽ |
| Reason | Reason | kyõ | jyõ | eõ | oõ |
| Quality | Quality | kío jíā | (jío) jíā | éo jíā | óo jíā |
| Quantity | Quantity | kinnā | jinnā | ennā | onnā |
| Magnitude | Magnitude | kiḍḍā | jiḍḍā | eḍḍā | oḍḍā |
The demonstrative prefixes e and o vary from [ɪ~e~ɛ] and [ʊ~o~ɔ] respectively (resulting in varied spellings).

#### Pronominal suffixes

Some varieties of the Majhi dialect of Punjabi (documented thus far in Lahore, and the Gujrat district) have pronominal suffixes that are appended to verbs, and which replace dropped pronominal arguments.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
| 2 | -ī | -jē |
| 3 | -s(ū) | -ne |

### Verbs
#### Overview

The Punjabi verbal system is can be described largely in terms of aspect and mood. Most Punjabi verbs do not inflect for tense—the only verb which does is the copular verb ਹੈ / ہے. Some linguists have described aspectual forms of Punjabi verbs as being inflections for tense; however, this assessment is flawed as these verb forms can be used the same way in sentences which refer to any time with respect to the situation of the speaker or writer.
The copular verb has two tense forms which can be described as "remote" and "non-remote," as they indicate a metaphorical distance or closeness to the situation. "Past" and "present" can be understood as default assumptions for the times which the remote and non-remote tenses refer to respectively, however, these temporal references are not required of these tenses. Rather, time can largely be understood to exist extralinguistically in Punjabi. The remote forms of the copula, ਸੀ / سی, do not resemble the non-remote forms ਹੈ / ہے phonetically. The copula does not behave like a full lexical verb in Punjabi and does not form part of serial verb constructions; rather than taking on the meaning of the existential verb 'to be' or 'to become' ਹੋਣਾ / ہونٌا, it means 'being' without any aspectual component. The copula is also not obligatory in a Punjabi clause. A full lexical verb in Punjabi on the other hand, does exhibit grammatical aspect. Due the close meaning of ਹੋਣਾ / ہونٌا and the copula, they are sometimes described as forms of the same lexeme; however, because they are directly derived from two distinct Sanskrit words and do not function alike grammatically, they are better described as two different but complementary words.
Finite verbal agreement is with the nominative subject, except in the transitive perfective, where it can be with the direct object, with the erstwhile subject taking the ergative construction -ne (see postpositions above). The perfective aspect thus displays split ergativity.
Tabled below on the left are the paradigms for the major Gender and Number termination (GN), along the line of that introduced in the adjectives section. To the right are the paradigms for the Person and Number termination (PN), used by the subjunctive (which has 1st pl. -īe) and future (which has 1st pl. -ā̃).
| (GN) | Sing. | Pl. |
| Masc. | -ā | -ē |
| Fem. | -ī | -īā̃ |
| (PN) | 1st. | 2nd. | 3rd. |
| Sing. | -ā̃ | -ē~ | -ē |
| Pl. | -ā̃/īē | -ō | -aṇ |

#### Copula

The Punjabi copula functions as a class of its own and does not share the properties of full lexical verbs in the language, nor does it take on the role of an auxiliary verb. Unlike these other word classes, the copula does not form a part of verb phrases, and where it is present alongside a full verb construction it generally makes a semantic distinction related to the notion of existence, rather than predicating for the act of being. For this reason, it can be said that the Punjabi copula is not wholly verbal in function.
| Number | Singular | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural | Plural |
| Person | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Pronoun | mẽ | tū̃ | ḗ/ṓ | asī̃ | tusī̃ | ḗ/ṓ |
| Present-tense copula | hā̃ | hẽ | he | hā̃ | hō | han |
| Past-tense copula | sā̃ | sẽ | sī | sā̃ | sō | san |
| Subjunctive copula | hōvā̃ | hōvẽ | hōvē | hōvā̃ | hōvō | hōṇ |
* Two infrequent inflected forms of the present-tense copula he are haō (plural second person), distinguishing the standard hō for T-V distinction usage, and heṇ (plural third person). In addition, two past tense copulas, hesī and hesaṇ are used respectively with singular and plural forms of third persons. These forms, like the uninflected forms he and sī, can be used with both the genders.
* In the spoken language, the past tense copula sī can remain completely uninflected, and remain applicable for all three persons and both numbers. Some less frequently used forms of sī are saō, sāō, and sau, used as 2nd-person plural copulas, distinguishing the standard sō for T-V distinction usage.
Some non-standard major dialects such as Doabi decline the past-tense and present-tense copulas more along number and gender than for number and person:
    GenderMasculineFeminine NumberSingularPluralSingularPlural Present-tense copula hegāhegē hegīhegīā̃ Past-tense copula sīgāsīgē sīgīsīgīā̃

##### Conjugations

Personal Forms of "hoṇā (to be)" :
| mood | tense | singular | singular | singular | singular | singular | singular | plural | plural | plural | plural | plural | plural |
| mood | tense | 1P – mẽ | 1P – mẽ | 2P – tū̃ | 2P – tū̃ | 3P – é, ó | 3P – é, ó | 1P – asī̃ | 1P – asī̃ | 2P – tusī̃ | 2P – tusī̃ | 3P – é, ó | 3P – é, ó |
| mood | tense | m. | f. | m. | f. | m. | f. | m. | f. | m. | f. | m. | f. |
| indicative | present | hā̃ | hā̃ | hẽ | hẽ | he | he | hā̃ | hā̃ | hō | hō | han | han |
| indicative | imperfect | sā̃ | sā̃ | sẽ | sẽ | sī | sī | sā̃ | sā̃ | sō | sō | san | san |
| indicative | perfect | hōiā | hōī | hōiā | hōī | hōiā | hōī | hōē | hōīā̃ | hōē | hōīā̃ | hōē | hōīā̃ |
| indicative | future | hōvā̃gā | hōvā̃gī | hōvē̃gā | hōvē̃gī | hōvēgā | hōvēgī | hōvā̃gē | hōvā̃gīā̃ | hōvōgē | hōvōgīā̃ | hōṇgē | hōṇgīā̃ |
| presumptive | all | hā̃gā | hā̃gī | | | hōgā | hōgī | hā̃gē | hā̃gīā̃ | hōvō̃ge | hōvō̃gīā̃ | hōgē | hōgīā̃ |
| subjunctive | present | hā̃ | hā̃ | hẽ | hẽ | hō | hō | hā̃ | hā̃ | hōvō̃ | hōvō̃ | hō | hō |
| subjunctive | future | hōvā̃ | hōvā̃ | hovē̃ | hovē̃ | hōvē | hōvē | hōvā̃ | hōvā̃ | hōvō | hōvō | hōṇ | hōṇ |
| contrafactual | past | hundā | hundī | hundā | hundī | hundā | hundī | hundē | hundīā̃ | hundē | hundīā̃ | hundē | hundīā̃ |
| imperative | present | — | — | hō | hō | — | — | — | — | hōō | hōō | — | — |
| imperative | future | — | — | hōī̃ | hōī̃ | — | — | — | — | hōiō | hōiō | — | — |

#### Forms

The sample verb is intransitive naccṇā "to dance", and the sample inflection is 3rd. masc. sing. (PN = e, GN = ā) where applicable.
Adjectivals. :
| | Non-aspectual | Aspectual |
| Non-finite | Root *nacc Dir. Infinitive/ Gerund/ Obligatory *-ṇ-ānaccṇā Obl. Infinitive *-(a)ṇnaccaṇ Abl. Infinitive *-ṇ-ȭnaccṇȭ Conjunctive *-kēnacckē Agentive/ Prospective *-(a)ṇ-hār(ā), *-(a)ṇ-vāḷ-GNnaccaṇhār(ā), naccaṇvāḷā | Adjectivals. Perfective *-GN hō-GNnacciā hōiā Imperfective *-d-GN hō-GNnaccdā hōiā Adverbial. Obl. of adjectival. Imperfective *-d-ē, -d-iā̃naccdē, naccdiā̃ |
| Finite | Contingent Future *-PNnaccē Definite Future *-PN-g-GNnaccēgā Imperatives. Sing.Pl. Present naccnaccō Aorist naccī̃nacciō | Aspectuals plotted against copulas. PerfectiveHabitualContinuous *-(i)-GN *-d-GN * ráí-GN Present h-? nacciā he naccdā he nacc ríā he / naccdā piā he Past s-? nacciā sī naccdā sī nacc ríā sī / naccdā piā sī Subjunctive ho-v-PN nacciā hōvē naccdā hōvē Presumptive ho-v-PN-g-GN nacciā hōvēgā naccdā hōvēgā Contrafactual hun-d-GN nacciā hundā naccdā hundā Unspecified nacciā naccdā |