ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ?
kī tuhānū̃ bhukh lagī hai?
The Punjabi phrase for "are you hungry?" is ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ? (kī tuhānū̃ bhukh lagī hai?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone feels a need to eat food. The core concept involves the word ਭੁੱਖ, which means hunger.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "has hunger attached to you?" rather than a direct "are you hungry?"
Which one should you use?
If you are speaking to a close friend or a child, you would replace ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ with the informal ਤੈਨੂੰ.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual speech, the auxiliary verb ਹੈ at the end of the phrase is often dropped, resulting in ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ?
How do you pronounce it?
kī tuhānū̃ bhukh lagī hai?
When do people say it?
To respond affirmatively to this question, you can say ਹਾਂ, ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ (Yes, I am hungry). To decline, you can say ਨਹੀਂ, ਭੁੱਖ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੱਗੀ (No, I am not hungry).
Did you know?
- In many Punjabi households, it is common to ask ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ? multiple times to a guest, as refusing food once is often seen as politeness rather than a lack of hunger.
- In Punjabi culture, asking if someone is hungry is often a primary way of showing hospitality and love, making the phrase a social ritual rather than just a question about appetite.
- The question marker ਕੀ (kī) at the start functions like a verbal question mark, a feature common in many Indo-Aryan languages.
Examples in context
- ਮੈਂ ਪੁੱਛ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ, ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ?maiṁ pu hha rihā sī, kī tuhānū bhukkh lagī hai?I was asking, are you hungry?
Example conversation
Herman and Simran are deciding what to do before heading out.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਸਿਮਰਨ, ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ?Simran, kī tuhānū bhukkh lagī hai?Simran, are you hungry?
- ਸਿਮਰਨ Simranਹਾਂ, ਮੈਨੂੰ ਬਹੁਤ ਭੁੱਖ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੈ।hāṁ, mainū bahuta bhukkh lagī hai.Yes, I am very hungry.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਚਲੋ, ਕੁਝ ਖਾਣ ਲਈ ਚੱਲਦੇ ਹਾਂ।calō, kujha khāṇa laī caladē hāṁ.Let's go to eat something.
- ਸਿਮਰਨ Simranਠੀਕ ਹੈ, ਚਲੋ।ṭhīka hai, calō.Okay, let's go.
