Speaking Punjabi with Elders: Respect, Asees and Ji ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗਾਂ ਨਾਲ

The single highest-value section for diaspora learners. Respectful forms, the questions elders ask, and the answers that land well.

What to know before you use these

"Ji" is the entire grammar of respect — Attach it to yes ("haan ji"), to a question ("ki kiha ji?"), to a name. Nothing else you can learn changes how you sound as much.
Never "tu" to an elder — Always "tusi", even with a grandparent you are close to. Affection is shown in other ways; the pronoun is not one of them.
Offer before you are asked — "Tusi baitho, main lai aunda haan" — you sit, I'll get it — is the most useful sentence on this page, and the one most likely to be remembered.

All 20 phrases

Cover:

You sit, I'll get it

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਬੈਠੋ, ਮੈਂ ਲੈ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ

Tusi baitho, main lai aunda haan

They say

ਖੇਚਲ ਨਾ ਕਰੋ ਜੀ

Khechal na karo ji — Please don't trouble yourself

How is your health?

ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੈ?

Tuhaadi sehat kiven hai?

Give me your blessings ji

ਅਸੀਸ ਦਿਓ ਜੀ

Asees dio ji

💡 said when touching an elder's feet or seeking their blessing

They say

ਜਿਉਂਦਾ ਰਹਿ, ਪੁੱਤ

Jiunda reh, putt — Live long, child

Ask an elder for their blessing and this is what comes back. "Putt" is used for a son or daughter alike.

Yes ji

ਹਾਂ ਜੀ

Haan ji

💡 always add ਜੀ with elders — a bare ਹਾਂ sounds curt

Have you eaten?

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਰੋਟੀ ਖਾ ਲਈ?

Tusi roti kha layi?

💡 ਰੋਟੀ here means the meal itself, not just the bread

Tell us about the old days

ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਵੇਲਿਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੱਲਾਂ ਸੁਣਾਓ

Puraane velian dian gallan sunao

💡 elders light up at this one — ask about the pind

You're absolutely right

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਬਿਲਕੁਲ ਠੀਕ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹੋ

Tusi bilkul theek kehnde ho

Shall I press your legs?

ਲੱਤਾਂ ਘੁੱਟ ਦਿਆਂ?

Lattan ghutt diaan?

💡 a classic gesture of care for grandparents

Take your medicine on time

ਦਵਾਈ ਵੇਲੇ ਸਿਰ ਖਾ ਲਿਆ ਕਰੋ

Davaai vele sir kha lia karo

💡 ਵੇਲੇ ਸਿਰ = on time, punctually

Please don't trouble yourself

ਖੇਚਲ ਨਾ ਕਰੋ ਜੀ

Khechal na karo ji

💡 said when an elder gets up to serve you

I'll drop you home

ਮੈਂ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਘਰ ਛੱਡ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ

Main tuhaanu ghar chhadd aunda haan

What did you say, ji?

ਕੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਜੀ?

Ki kiha ji?

💡 the polite way to say 'pardon?'

Live long, child

ਜਿਉਂਦਾ ਰਹਿ, ਪੁੱਤ

Jiunda reh, putt

💡 a blessing elders give in reply to a greeting or thanks

Okay ji, I'll head off now

ਚੰਗਾ ਜੀ, ਹੁਣ ਮੈਂ ਚੱਲਦਾ ਹਾਂ

Changa ji, hun main challda haan

They say

ਕੁਝ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਫ਼ੋਨ ਕਰ ਲੈਣਾ

Kujh chaahida hove taan phone kar laina — Call if you need anything

Call if you need anything

ਕੁਝ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਫ਼ੋਨ ਕਰ ਲੈਣਾ

Kujh chaahida hove taan phone kar laina

You haven't changed at all

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਤਾਂ ਬਿਲਕੁਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਦਲੇ

Tusi taan bilkul nahin badle

Bibi ji, your cooking is the best

ਬੀਬੀ ਜੀ, ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਹੱਥਾਂ ਦੀ ਰੋਟੀ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵਧੀਆ ਹੈ

Bibi ji, tuhaade hathan di roti sabh ton vadhia hai

💡 'the roti of your hands' — the idiom for someone's cooking

We'll come to visit again soon

ਅਸੀਂ ਛੇਤੀ ਫੇਰ ਮਿਲਣ ਆਵਾਂਗੇ

Asi chheti pher milan aavange

They say

ਜਿਉਂਦਾ ਰਹਿ, ਪੁੱਤ

Jiunda reh, putt — Live long, child

Rest a little

ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ ਆਰਾਮ ਕਰ ਲਓ

Thorha aaraam kar lao

Don't strain yourself

ਬਹੁਤਾ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਨਾ ਲਾਓ

Bahuta zor na lao

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.