ਸੁਣੋ
The English phrase 'listen' is translated into Punjabi as ਸੁਣੋ.
The verb means to pay attention to a sound.
Meaning: to pay attention to a sound (verb)
Which one should you use?
The infinitive form, used in a dictionary context, is ਸੁਣਨਾ. While ਸੁਣੋ is an imperative used to give a command or instruction to one or more people, the form ਸੁਣ is an informal imperative used when addressing a close friend or someone younger.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the third-person singular, the masculine form is ਸੁਣਦਾ ਹੈ and the feminine form is ਸੁਣਦੀ ਹੈ. The form ਸੁਣੋ serves as the imperative form for commands or instructions directed at one or more people.
Did you know?
- There is a subtle distinction where using the formal ਸੁਣੋ with a spouse can sometimes signal that the speaker is upset or being unusually serious.
- In Punjabi culture, ਸੁਣੋ is often used as a gentle 'excuse me' to get a stranger's attention in a market or on the street.
- In Punjabi, the act of 'listening' is often linked to the concept of 'obeying', meaning that to not ਸੁਣਨਾ can imply a rebellious act.
Examples in context
- ਧਿਆਨ ਨਾਲ ਸੁਣੋ।dhī'ana nāla sunō.Listen carefully.
- ਮੇਰੀ ਗੱਲ ਸੁਣੋ।mērī gall sunō.Listen to what I say.
Example conversation
Ravinder and Preet are standing near a window.
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਪ੍ਰੀਤ, ਬਾਹਰੋਂ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਸੁਣੋ।Prīta, bāharōṃ āvāza sunō.Preet, listen to the sound from outside.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਕੀ ਸੁਣਨਾ ਹੈ, ਰਵਿੰਦਰ?kī sun'anā hai, ravindara?What should I listen to, Ravinder?
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਕੁਝ ਚੀਜ਼ਾਂ ਡਿੱਗਣ ਦੀ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਸੁਣੋ।kuju chīzāṅ ḍigaṇa dī āvāza sunō.Listen to the sound of something falling.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਹਾਂ, ਮੈਂ ਸੁਣ ਸਕਦੀ ਹਾਂ।hāṃ, maiṃ sun sakadī hāṃ.Yes, I can hear it.
