WACE Punjabi Background Language ATAR flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Punjabi tone system

Punjabi is tonal: high, mid and low tones. Tone is carried by consonant letters such as h, gh, jh, dh and bh, and distinguishes otherwise similar words.

Register: ਤੁਸੀਂ vs ਤੂੰ

ਤੁਸੀਂ is the respectful 'you' used for elders, strangers and superiors, taking plural verb forms; ਤੂੰ is familiar and used only with close friends, children or juniors.

Oral response structure

A strong spoken answer states a position, gives a reason, supplies an example, and closes with a conclusion. This four-part shape matches discussion and interview tasks.

Listening for purpose

When summarising a spoken Punjabi text, identify the speaker, the purpose, the main claim and one supporting detail; these are the usual comprehension targets.

Gurmukhi script direction

Gurmukhi is written left to right. It is an abugida, so every consonant carries an inherent short 'a' vowel unless a vowel sign changes it.

Vowel signs (lagā mātrā)

The Gurmukhi vowel signs are ਾ ā, ਿ i, ੀ ī, ੁ u, ੂ ū, ੇ e, ੈ ai, ੋ o, ੌ au. A consonant with no sign reads with short 'a'.

Addak and consonant doubling

The addak (ੱ) placed before a consonant doubles it, as in ਪੱਕਾ 'firm, ripe'. Doubling changes both pronunciation and meaning, so it must be written.

Tippi versus bindi

Tippi (ਂ) marks nasalisation after short vowels; bindi (ੰ) marks it after long vowels. The choice changes spelling and sometimes meaning, as in ਹੰਸ 'swan'.

Literal versus inferential reading

Literal answers are stated directly in the text. Inferential answers require combining clues with background knowledge; check the sentence before and after the keyword.

Formal letter conventions

A formal Punjabi letter opens with a respectful salutation such as ਆਦਰਯੋਗ ਜੀ, states its purpose in the first paragraph, and closes with a formal sign-off and signature.

Punjabi SOV order

Punjabi sentences normally order subject, object, verb: ਮੈਂ ਰੋਟੀ ਖਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ 'I eat bread'. The verb comes last, unlike English word order.

Postpositions follow nouns

Punjabi uses postpositions placed after the noun: ਘਰ ਵਿੱਚ 'in the house', ਸਕੂਲ ਤੋਂ 'from school', ਕਿਤਾਬ ਦਾ 'of the book'.

Verb agreement in gender

Past and perfective verbs agree with the subject in gender and number: ਮੁੰਡਾ ਆਇਆ (masculine singular), ਕੁੜੀ ਆਈ (feminine singular), ਬੱਚੇ ਆਏ (masculine plural).

Cohesive connectives

Connectives link ideas in writing: ਇਸ ਲਈ 'therefore', ਪਰ 'but', ਉਦਾਹਰਨ ਲਈ 'for example', ਅੰਤ ਵਿੱਚ 'finally'. They signal logical relationships to the reader.

Article text type

A Punjabi ਲੇਖ needs a title, an opening thesis, body paragraphs each with one point, and a conclusion. Register is formal and third person is common.

Kinship: ਚਾਚਾ and ਤਾਇਆ

ਚਾਚਾ is the father's younger brother; ਤਾਇਆ is the father's elder brother. Punjabi distinguishes relative age where English uses one word, 'uncle'.

Vaisakhi festival

ਵਿਸਾਖੀ marks the spring harvest and the founding of the Khalsa in 1699. It is celebrated in mid-April with processions, music and community meals.

Lohri festival

ਲੋਹੜੀ is a mid-January Punjabi festival celebrated with bonfires, songs and sweets, traditionally marking the end of winter and the birth of a child.

Langar community kitchen

ਲੰਗਰ is the free community meal served at a gurdwara. It expresses equality, since all sit together regardless of caste, gender or status.

Respect markers ਜੀ and -ਸਾਹਿਬ

Adding ਜੀ after a name or title, or -ਸਾਹਿਬ as a suffix, signals respect: ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ, ਪਿਤਾ ਜੀ, ਸਾਹਿਬ. Omitting them can sound abrupt or rude.

Diaspora language maintenance

Punjabi families abroad sustain the language through gurdwaras, community schools, music and family use, while English dominance in schools pressures younger speakers.

Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi

Gurmukhi is the script used in Indian Punjab and is left to right. Shahmukhi is the Perso-Arabic script used in Pakistani Punjab and is right to left.

Nashā as social issue

ਨਸ਼ਾ means drug or substance addiction, a widely debated issue in Punjabi media. It appears in opinion pieces, reports and interviews about youth and families.

Fact versus opinion

ਤੱਥ is a verifiable fact; ਰਾਏ is a personal opinion. Exam tasks often ask you to classify statements, so look for evaluative words and unverifiable claims.

Noun gender in Punjabi

Every Punjabi noun has grammatical gender, which controls adjective and verb endings: ਚੰਗਾ ਮੁੰਡਾ 'good boy' versus ਚੰਗੀ ਕੁੜੀ 'good girl'. Gender must be learned with each noun.

Masculine plural ending

Masculine nouns ending in -ਾ form the plural with -ੇ: ਮੁੰਡਾ → ਮੁੰਡੇ, ਕਮਰਾ → ਕਮਰੇ. Adjectives agree, so the verb also changes to plural.

Feminine plural ending

Feminine nouns ending in -ੀ form the plural with -ੀਆਂ: ਕੁੜੀ → ਕੁੜੀਆਂ, ਕਿਤਾਬ → ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ. Many feminine nouns instead add -ਾਂ.

Ergative ਨੇ marker

In perfective transitive sentences the subject takes ਨੇ: ਮੈਂ ਰੋਟੀ ਖਾਧੀ 'I ate bread'. The verb agrees with the object, not the subject.

Present habitual tense

The habitual present uses the participle -ਦਾ/-ਦੀ/-ਦੇ plus an auxiliary: ਮੈਂ ਪੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਹਾਂ 'I study', ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਹੈ 'she studies'.

Continuous tense with ਰਿਹਾ

The continuous present adds ਰਿਹਾ/ਰਹੀ/ਰਹੇ to the verb stem plus an auxiliary: ਉਹ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ 'he is studying'. Gender and number follow the subject.

Genitive ਦਾ/ਦੀ/ਦੇ

The genitive postposition agrees with the possessed noun: ਕਿਤਾਬ ਦਾ ਪੰਨਾ 'the book's page' (masculine), ਕਿਤਾਬ ਦੀ ਕੀਮਤ 'the book's price' (feminine).

Causative verb formation

Adding -ਵਾ to a verb root makes a causative: ਕਰ 'do' → ਕਰਵਾਉਣਾ 'cause to do'; ਪੜ੍ਹ 'read' → ਪੜ੍ਹਾਉਣਾ 'teach, cause to read'.