ਆ ਰਿਹਾ
aa riha
In Punjabi, the English phrase "coming" can be expressed as ਆ ਰਿਹਾ (aa riha).
The phrase is used to denote the act of arriving or an arrival.
Meaning: act of arriving, an arrival (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb ਆ (aa), meaning "come" and the continuous marker ਰਿਹਾ (riha), meaning "is/was doing".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes to agree with the subject: use ਆ ਰਹੀ (aa rahi) for a female subject, and change to ਆ ਰਹੇ (aa rahe) when the subject is plural or when using an honorific to show respect. In a complete sentence, the auxiliary verb ਹੈ (hai) is often added to the end to form ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ (aa riha hai) to indicate the present continuous tense.
How do you pronounce it?
aa riha
Did you know?
- In Punjabi, it is common to use ਆ ਰਿਹਾ (coming) as a response to someone calling your name, even if you are still sitting down and have not yet started moving.
- The continuous marker ਰਿਹਾ (riha) originates from the root verb ਰਹਿ (rahi), which means 'to stay' or 'to remain'.
- Punjabi often uses ਆ ਰਿਹਾ (coming) in contexts where an English speaker would say 'is about to happen', such as referring to a coming storm or a coming festival.
Example conversation
Two people waiting for a guest at home.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਕੀ ਮਹਿਮਾਨ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ?ki mehman aa riha hai?Is the guest coming?
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਹਾਂ, ਉਹ ਹੁਣੇ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ।han, oh hune aa riha hai.Yes, he is coming right now.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਕੀ ਉਹ ਇਕੱਲਾ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ?ki oh ikalla aa riha hai?Is he coming alone?
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਨਹੀਂ, ਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਵੀ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ।nahin, prit vi aa riha hai.No, Preet is also coming.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਰਿਹਾ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
