Punjabi Travel Phrases: Airport, Flights and Going Home ਸਫ਼ਰ

Check-in, luggage, delays and the long-haul language of visiting family. Especially useful on the flight over, where you'll hear all of it.

What to know before you use these

"Sukh naal" is a blessing, not a description — Safely, in peace. It attaches to arriving, going and staying, and it is what you are expected to say rather than a neutral report.
The landing call is a ritual — "Uttar ke phone kario" is an instruction. Nobody at home relaxes until that call comes, however old the traveller is.
The question every visitor asks — "Tuhaade layi ki lai ke aavaan?" — what should I bring for you — is answered with "kuchh nahin" and then a list. Both halves are the custom.

All 20 phrases

Cover:

The flight is at nine

ਫਲਾਈਟ ਨੌਂ ਵਜੇ ਹੈ

Flight naun vaje hai

Have you packed the luggage?

ਸਮਾਨ ਬੰਨ੍ਹ ਲਿਆ?

Samaan bannh lia?

💡 ਬੰਨ੍ਹਣਾ 'to tie' is the classic verb for packing — from the trunk era

Don't forget your passport

ਪਾਸਪੋਰਟ ਨਾ ਭੁੱਲ ਜਾਈਂ

Passport na bhull jaain

💡 ਜਾਈਂ is the informal ਤੂੰ warning form

We're going to pick them up from the airport

ਅਸੀਂ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਏਅਰਪੋਰਟ ਤੋਂ ਲੈਣ ਜਾਣਾ ਹੈ

Asi ohna nu airport ton lain jaana hai

💡 airport pickups are a full-family outing

The suitcase is too heavy

ਅਟੈਚੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਭਾਰੀ ਹੈ

Attachi bahut bhaari hai

💡 ਅਟੈਚੀ (from 'attaché case') = any suitcase

When does the plane land?

ਜਹਾਜ਼ ਕਦੋਂ ਉੱਤਰੇਗਾ?

Jahaaz kadon uttarega?

💡 ਜਹਾਜ਼ = plane (also ship)

They say

ਫਲਾਈਟ ਲੇਟ ਹੋ ਗਈ ਹੈ

Flight late ho gayi hai — The flight is delayed

We're going to Punjab in December

ਅਸੀਂ ਦਸੰਬਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਜਾਣਾ ਹੈ

Asi dasambar vich Punjab jaana hai

💡 December-January is peak diaspora wedding season in Punjab

They say

ਸੁੱਖੀਂ-ਸਾਂਦੀਂ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਜਾਓ

Sukkhin saandin pahunch jao — May you arrive safe and sound

Call when you land

ਉੱਤਰ ਕੇ ਫ਼ੋਨ ਕਰਿਓ

Uttar ke phone kario

They say

ਅਸੀਂ ਸੁੱਖ ਨਾਲ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਗਏ

Asi sukh naal pahunch gaye — We arrived safely

The diaspora ritual. Nobody relaxes until this call comes, and "sukh naal" — safely, in peace — is the word you are expected to use.

May you arrive safe and sound

ਸੁੱਖੀਂ-ਸਾਂਦੀਂ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਜਾਓ

Sukkhin saandin pahunch jao

💡 the heartfelt send-off blessing

The flight is delayed

ਫਲਾਈਟ ਲੇਟ ਹੋ ਗਈ ਹੈ

Flight late ho gayi hai

I want a window seat

ਮੈਨੂੰ ਬਾਰੀ ਵਾਲੀ ਸੀਟ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ

Mainu baari vaali seat chaahidi hai

💡 ਬਾਰੀ = window

How many hours is the flight?

ਫਲਾਈਟ ਕਿੰਨੇ ਘੰਟੇ ਦੀ ਹੈ?

Flight kinne ghante di hai?

They say

ਅਸੀਂ ਦੁਬਈ ਤੋਂ ਜਹਾਜ਼ ਬਦਲਣਾ ਹੈ

Asi Dubai ton jahaaz badalna hai — We change planes in Dubai

We change planes in Dubai

ਅਸੀਂ ਦੁਬਈ ਤੋਂ ਜਹਾਜ਼ ਬਦਲਣਾ ਹੈ

Asi Dubai ton jahaaz badalna hai

The luggage is overweight

ਸਮਾਨ ਦਾ ਭਾਰ ਵੱਧ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ

Samaan da bhaar vadh gia hai

💡 a familiar scene when packing gifts for the pind

Did your visa come through?

ਵੀਜ਼ਾ ਲੱਗ ਗਿਆ?

Veeza lagg gia?

💡 a visa 'lagna' — gets stamped in the passport

We arrived safely

ਅਸੀਂ ਸੁੱਖ ਨਾਲ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਗਏ

Asi sukh naal pahunch gaye

💡 the first message sent after landing

How many days are you staying?

ਕਿੰਨੇ ਦਿਨ ਰਹੋਗੇ?

Kinne din rahoge?

My sleep schedule is all messed up

ਮੇਰੀ ਨੀਂਦ ਦਾ ਟਾਈਮ ਵਿਗੜ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ

Meri neend da time vigarh gia hai

💡 how people describe jet lag

What should I bring back for you?

ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਲਈ ਕੀ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਆਵਾਂ?

Tuhaade layi ki lai ke aavaan?

💡 asked before every trip to India — suits and jutti top the list

The taxi has arrived

ਟੈਕਸੀ ਆ ਗਈ ਹੈ

Taxi aa gayi hai

Other situations

Smaller topics — meeting someone new, the weather, shopping, work, family — live in the full phrasebook, alongside every phrase on this page. See the phrasebook index for the whole set, or the dialogues for these phrases inside whole conversations.