ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ
main sauṇ jā rihā hāṁ
In Punjabi, the phrase "I am going to sleep" is said as ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ (main sauṇ jā rihā hāṁ).
This phrase is used to tell someone that you are about to go to bed.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ translates to "I sleep going am". In this phrase, sauṇ means "to sleep" and jā rihā hāṁ expresses the continuous action of "going to". The word ਮੈਂ means "I".
Which one should you use?
While ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ is a standard way to say you are going to sleep, the colloquial expression ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਲੱਗ ਪਿਆ ਹਾਂ is used to say that you have just started the process of settling in to sleep.
How do you pronounce it?
main sauṇ jā rihā hāṁ
Did you know?
- The Punjabi word for 'I' ਮੈਂ shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'I' through the Proto-Indo-European word *éǵh₂.
- The word ਸੌਣ for 'sleep' is used in various Punjabi idioms to describe someone who is unaware or oblivious to their surroundings.
- While the phrase uses ਰਿਹਾ to indicate a continuous action, this word is actually a form of the verb ਰਹਿ (rahi), which more fundamentally means 'to stay' or 'to remain'.
Examples in context
- ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ, ਅੱਲਾ ਰੱਖਾ।Main saun ja riha han, alla rakha.I am going to sleep, may God protect you.
- ਬਹੁਤ ਦੇਰ ਹੋ ਗਈ ਹੈ, ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ।Bahut der ho gayi hai, main saun ja riha han.It is very late, I am going to sleep.
- ਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਮੈਂ ਥੱਕ ਗਿਆ ਹਾਂ।Main saun ja riha han kyunki main thakk gaya han.I am going to sleep because I am tired.
Example conversation
A couple talking in their bedroom before bed.
- ਅਮਨ Amanਮੈਂ ਸੌਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ, ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ।Main saun ja riha han, Manpreet.I am going to sleep, Manpreet.
- ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ Manpreetਠੀਕ ਹੈ, ਅਮਨ, ਚੰਗੀ ਨੀਂਦ ਲਓ।Thik hai, Aman, changi neend lao.Okay, Aman, have a good sleep.
- ਅਮਨ Amanਤੁਸੀਂ ਵੀ ਹੁਣ ਸੌਂ ਜਾਓ।Tusi vi hun saun jao.You should sleep now too.
- ਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ Manpreetਹਾਂ, ਸ਼ੁਭ ਰਾਤ।Han, shubh raat.Yes, good night.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਮੈਂ, ਰਿਹਾ, ਹਾਂ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
