Punjabi Phrases for the Gurdwara: Langar, Seva and Etiquette ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਵਿੱਚ

What is said and asked around a visit: the greeting at the door, questions about the service, langar, and the everyday courtesies of the space.

What to know before you use these

The Fateh is a call and response — "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh" is answered with the same words in full, not with a different greeting.
Instructions here are not rude — "Sir dhakk lao", "chaunkri maar ke baitho" arrive as bare commands. They are ordinary care about the space, offered to everyone.
Some words function as proper nouns — Parshaad, deevaan, ardaas, sangraand, langar — Punjabi words, but not ones to translate mid-sentence. Use them as they are.

All 20 phrases

Cover:

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਹਿ

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

💡 formal Sikh greeting — the reply is the same phrase

They say

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਹਿ

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh — Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

The Fateh is answered with the Fateh — the reply is the same words, not a different phrase.

Cover your head

ਸਿਰ ਢੱਕ ਲਓ

Sir dhakk lao

💡 required before entering the darbar hall

Leave your shoes here

ਜੋੜੇ ਇੱਥੇ ਲਾਹ ਦਿਓ

Jorhe ithe laah dio

💡 ਜੋੜੇ is the word used for shoes at the gurdwara

Let's go bow before the Guru

ਚਲੋ ਮੱਥਾ ਟੇਕ ਆਈਏ

Chalo matha tek aaiye

💡 ਮੱਥਾ ਟੇਕਣਾ = bowing before Guru Granth Sahib

Take some parshad

ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਾਦ ਲੈ ਲਓ

Parshaad lai lao

💡 receive it with both hands cupped together

Langar is being served downstairs

ਲੰਗਰ ਥੱਲੇ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਹੈ

Langar thalle vartda hai

💡 ਵਰਤਣਾ is the special verb for langar being served

Will you do seva?

ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰੋਗੇ?

Seva karoge?

💡 seva = volunteer service, from dishes to shoes

They say

ਸੇਵਾ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੱਥ ਧੋ ਲਓ

Seva ton pehlan hath dho lao — Wash your hands before seva

Please sit down ji

ਬੈਠ ਜਾਓ ਜੀ

Baith jao ji

The kirtan is beautiful today

ਅੱਜ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਬਹੁਤ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ

Ajj keertan bahut sohna ho riha hai

They say

ਅੱਜ ਖ਼ਾਸ ਦੀਵਾਨ ਸਜਿਆ ਹੈ

Ajj khaas deevaan sajia hai — There's a special divaan today

When does the programme start?

ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਕਦੋਂ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ?

Program kadon shuru hovega?

Sit cross-legged

ਚੌਂਕੜੀ ਮਾਰ ਕੇ ਬੈਠੋ

Chaunkri maar ke baitho

We're going to the gurdwara on Sunday

ਅਸੀਂ ਐਤਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਜਾਣਾ ਹੈ

Asi aitvaar nu gurdware jaana hai

💡 Sunday divaan is the big weekly gathering in the diaspora

Wash your hands before seva

ਸੇਵਾ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੱਥ ਧੋ ਲਓ

Seva ton pehlan hath dho lao

Do you want the langar-wali chaa?

ਲੰਗਰ ਵਾਲੀ ਚਾਹ ਪੀਣੀ ਹੈ?

Langar vaali chaah peeni hai?

💡 gurdwara chaa has a legendary reputation

There's a special divaan today

ਅੱਜ ਖ਼ਾਸ ਦੀਵਾਨ ਸਜਿਆ ਹੈ

Ajj khaas deevaan sajia hai

💡 ਦੀਵਾਨ = the religious gathering; it 'is adorned' (ਸਜਿਆ)

Speak quietly in here

ਇੱਥੇ ਹੌਲੀ ਬੋਲੋ

Ithe hauli bolo

It's Sangrand today

ਅੱਜ ਸੰਗਰਾਂਦ ਹੈ

Ajj sangraand hai

💡 first day of the desi month — many families attend

May Waheguru bless you

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਭਲਾ ਕਰੇ

Waheguru bhala kare

Ardaas is starting, please stand up

ਅਰਦਾਸ ਹੋਣ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ, ਖੜ੍ਹੇ ਹੋ ਜਾਓ

Ardaas hon laggi hai, kharhe ho jao

💡 everyone stands with folded hands for the ardaas

Don't leave food on your plate in langar

ਲੰਗਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੂਠ ਨਾ ਛੱਡੋ

Langar vich jooth na chhaddo

💡 ਜੂਠ = leftover food; wasting langar is considered disrespectful

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.