Learn Punjabi - reconnect with your Punjabi roots.
Built for diaspora Punjabis - people with heritage who want to genuinely learn the language and culture. Not just phrases, but the full picture: Gurmukhi script, vocabulary, real-life phrases, numbers, family terms, and culture.
Built for diaspora learners across the UK, Canada & the US
Browse Punjabi lessons
How to learn Punjabi - a simple path
You don't need a classroom or a tutor. Follow these four steps in order and you'll go from recognising letters to holding a real conversation. Prefer it all in one place? Take the guided course.
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1
Read the script
Start with the 35 Gurmukhi letters and vowel marks. Most learners can sound out simple words within two weeks.
Learn the alphabet → -
2
Build vocabulary
Learn 75+ everyday words across eight categories - greetings, food, family, emotions, time and more.
Start vocabulary → -
3
Speak in phrases
Put words together with real phrases you'll actually hear at home, at the gurdwara, and on the phone.
Practise phrases → -
4
Live the culture
Language lives inside festivals, food, faith and music. Explore 24 guides, then test yourself with quizzes.
Explore culture →
Explore Punjabi culture
The language is inseparable from its festivals, faith, music and history. These deep-dive guides are a great place to start.
Why learn Punjabi?
Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) is the native language of more than 125 million people across India, Pakistan, and the global diaspora. It is the official language of the Indian state of Punjab, widely spoken in Pakistani Punjab, and the third most-spoken language in Canada and the United Kingdom. For Sikhs, Punjabi is also the language of Gurbani - the sacred poetry of the Guru Granth Sahib - making it both a cultural and spiritual inheritance.
For diaspora Punjabis, learning the language is a way to talk to grandparents in their own words, understand the music and films you grew up around, and pass on a heritage that took generations to build. Gurmukhi is easier to read than most learners expect - most students can sound out basic words within two weeks of practice.
What's inside Learn Punjabi
- Gurmukhi Alphabet: all 35 consonants, vowel marks (matra), and special marks with pronunciation guides.
- Vocabulary: 75+ everyday words across 8 categories - greetings, food, emotions, body, time, and more.
- Phrasebook: real phrases you'll actually hear - greetings, shopping, family talk, and conversational openers.
- Numbers, days & months: count from 1 to 100, name the days of the week, and learn the Punjabi months.
- Family Terms: Punjabi has a precise word for every relative - chacha vs. mama, dadi vs. nani - learn them all.
- Punjabi Culture: 24 deep-dive guides to festivals (Vaisakhi, Lohri, Diwali, Gurpurab), music (bhangra, gidda, kirtan, sufi), Sikh history, and traditions.
- Quiz: flashcard quizzes with spaced repetition that focus on the words you find hardest.
Explore Punjabi culture
Festivals: Vaisakhi · Lohri · Diwali · Gurpurab · Hola Mohalla · Teeyan
Music & dance: Bhangra · Gidda · Kirtan · Sufi Music
History & faith: Punjab · The Partition (1947) · Maharaja Ranjit Singh · Jallianwala Bagh · Guru Nanak · Guru Granth Sahib · Gurdwara · The Five Ks · Langar · The Ten Gurus
Traditions: Phulkari · Punjabi Weddings · The Turban (Dastaar) · Food
Frequently asked questions
What is Gurmukhi?
Gurmukhi is the script used to write Punjabi. It has 35 consonants and was standardised by Guru Angad Dev Ji in the 16th century. Each consonant carries an inherent short 'a' sound that vowel marks (matra) modify.
How long does it take to learn Punjabi?
Most beginners can read basic Gurmukhi within 2–3 weeks of daily practice. Conversational fluency typically takes 6–12 months. Diaspora learners with passive listening exposure usually progress faster.
Where is Punjabi spoken?
Punjabi is spoken by over 125 million people worldwide - primarily in Punjab (India), Punjab (Pakistan), and large diaspora communities across the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, and East Africa.
Should I learn Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi first?
Most diaspora learners - especially those connected to Sikh heritage or Indian Punjab - start with Gurmukhi. Shahmukhi (a Perso-Arabic script) is used in Pakistani Punjab. Learn Punjabi focuses on Gurmukhi.
Ready to begin?
Start with the Gurmukhi alphabet today - your quiz progress saves right on this device.