ਪਤੀ
patī/pə.t̪iː/masculine
The Punjabi word for husband is ਪਤੀ (patī).
The term refers to a male partner in marriage.
Meaning: male partner in marriage (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ਪਤੀ is used in formal writing or legal contexts, ਘਰਵਾਲਾ is more frequently used in everyday spoken Punjabi.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ਪਤੀ is a formal, respectful or literary term. ਘਰਵਾਲਾ is a common, colloquial way to refer to a husband, while Piya is an informal and affectionate way to refer to a husband.
How does it change in a sentence?
ਪਤੀ is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
patī (/pə.t̪iː/)
Did you know?
- The formal word ਪਤੀ shares a common ancestor with the English word 'lord', both stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'master' or 'protector'.
- In traditional Punjabi culture, a wife might avoid saying her husband's name aloud and instead use a term like ਪਤੀ or a descriptive phrase to show respect.
- The colloquial term ਘਰਵਾਲਾ literally translates to 'the one who belongs to the house' or 'the house-holder'.
Examples in context
- ਉਸਦਾ ਪਤੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਚੰਗਾ ਹੈ।usadā patī bahut caṅgā hai.Her husband is very good.
- ਮੇਰੇ ਪਤੀ ਕੰਮ ਤੋਂ ਆ ਗਏ ਹਨ।merē patī kamma toṃ ā gaē hana.My husband has come from work.
- ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਪਤੀ ਡਾਕਟਰ ਹਨ?kī tuhāḍē patī ḍākaṭara hana?Is your husband a doctor?
Example conversation
Preet is introducing Ravinder to a friend.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਇਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਪਤੀ ਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਹੈ।Eh mera pati Ravinder hai.This is my husband, Ravinder.
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਖੁਸ਼ੀ ਹੋਈ।Tuhanu mil ke khushi hoi.Nice to meet you.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਰਵਿੰਦਰ, ਇਹ ਮੇਰੀ ਸਹੇਲੀ ਹੈ।Ravinder, eh meri saheli hai.Ravinder, this is my friend.
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ!Sat Sri Akal!Hello!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations and entries ਪਤੀ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਪਤੀ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
