Pronouns and Respect: Choosing the Right 'You'

The pronoun table

ਉਹ uh covers he/she/they — Punjabi pronouns don't distinguish gender. Number and distance do the work instead.

ਇਹ and ਉਹ do double duty: 'this/that' for things and 'he/she' for people, with the same near/far logic. For a group or for respectful singular reference, treat it as plural — the verb shows it: ਉਹ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ 'they are going' or 'he/she is going (respectful).'

tūṁ vs. tusīṁ — the respect ladder

The everyday choice is between ਤੂੰ tūṁ and ਤੁਸੀਂ tusīṁ:

• ਤੂੰ — intimate, informal: close friends, children, younger siblings. Using it with a stranger can sound blunt or rude.
• ਤੁਸੀਂ — polite, plural-safe: strangers, elders, colleagues, shopkeepers, teachers. Also plural 'you all.' This is your default.

Each takes its own verb ending — tūṁ with -eṁ/-aĩ (ਜਾਏਂ jāeṁ 'you go'), tusīṁ with -o/-de ho (ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹੋ jānde ho 'you go'). You'll learn these in the verbs article — for now, pair tusīṁ with its forms and you'll never sound rude.

ਜੀ jī — the respect word

ਜੀ jī is a tiny word with big politeness value. Append it to names, answers, and requests — it costs nothing and softens everything:

Pointing at things and people

Punjabi doesn't have a separate 'it' — ih and uh cover it, along with he/she/they. The noun's gender is what shows up in the adjectives and verbs around it.

Beginner-safe defaults

If you memorize only one table from this article, make it this one — the polite phrasing that works with everyone:

Mini practice