ਚੰਗਾ
caṅgā[t͡ʃəŋ.ɡäː]
To say good in Punjabi, use ਚੰਗਾ (caṅgā).
ਚੰਗਾ means good in a general sense, for things, people and experiences that are pleasant. On its own it is also used in conversation like okay or alright.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective agrees with the noun. It becomes ਚੰਗੀ with a feminine noun and ਚੰਗੇ with plural nouns or when speaking respectfully about a person.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as caṅgā, where c sounds like the ch in church.
Did you know?
- Using the plural form ਚੰਗੇ when speaking to a single person is not about number, but a cultural marker of respect called 'honorific' speech.
- In Punjabi, ਚੰਗਾ can be used sarcastically to mean 'great' or 'wonderful' when something has actually gone wrong, similar to the English phrase 'just great'.
- The word ਚੰਗਾ is a descendant of the ancient Prakrit word caṃga, which was a middle language used in ancient India.
Examples in context
- ਇਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਚੰਗੀ ਚੀਜ਼ ਹੈ।This is a very good thing.Here ਚੰਗੀ is the feminine form, agreeing with the feminine noun for thing.
- ਤੁਸੀਂ ਚੰਗੇ ਹੋYou are good.
- ਅੱਜ ਦਾ ਮੌਸਮ ਬਹੁਤ ਚੰਗਾ ਹੈ।ajj da mausamm bahut changa hai.The weather is very good today.
- ਇਹ ਇੱਕ ਚੰਗਾ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਹੈ।ih ek changa vichar hai.This is a good idea.
Example conversation
Herman and Preet are discussing their weekend plans.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਕੀ ਅੱਜ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਦਿਨ ਚੰਗਾ ਰਿਹਾ?ki ajj tuhada din changa riha?Was your day good today?
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਹਾਂ, ਮੇਰਾ ਦਿਨ ਬਹੁਤ ਚੰਗਾ ਸੀ।han, mera din bahut changa si.Yes, my day was very good.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਇਹ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਚੰਗਾ ਲੱਗਿਆ।ih sun ke changa laggya.It felt good to hear that.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਧੰਨਵਾਦ, ਹਰਮਨ।dhanyavad, Harman.Thank you, Harman.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ਚੰਗਾ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਚੰਗਾ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
