Ways to say it
| Punjabi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ਆਦਮੀ | ādamī | /äːd̪.miː/ | masculine |
| ਪੁਰਖ | purakh | [pʊɾᵊkʰə̆] (narrow) | masculine |
| ਮਰਦ | marad | masculine | |
| ਬੰਦਾ | bandā | /bən.d̪aː/ | colloquial, masculine |
The primary way to refer to an adult male human is ਆਦਮੀ.
Which one should you use?
While ਆਦਮੀ refers to a male human, ਮਰਦ is often used to emphasize masculinity or gender-specific qualities. For a more formal or literary sense of a man or a human being, ਪੁਰਖ is used. In certain slang contexts, ਬੰਦਾ can be used to refer to any person regardless of gender, even though it is grammatically masculine.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ਪੁਰਖ is a formal or literary term for a man or a human being. ਬੰਦਾ is a colloquial term similar to the English word 'guy' or 'person'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Majhi dialect, ਆਦਮੀ is used as an alternative to ਮਰਦ to refer to a man.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are grammatically masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
ādamī (/äːd̪.miː/)
When do people say it?
Among friends, the word Yaar (which literally translates to 'friend') is often used to refer to each other as 'man'.
Did you know?
- The term ਆਦਮੀ was borrowed into Punjabi from Classical Persian, which took it from Arabic, and ultimately from the Biblical Hebrew word אָדָם.
Examples in context
- ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਮੁੰਡੇ ਪਸੰਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਉਂਦੇ।I don't like these guys.
- ਉਹ ਇੱਕ ਚੰਗਾ ਆਦਮੀ ਹੈ।Oh ik changā ādamī hai.He is a good man.
- ਉੱਥੇ ਇੱਕ ਆਦਮੀ ਖੜ੍ਹਾ ਹੈ।Utthē ik ādamī khaṛhā hai.A man is standing there.
- ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਉਸ ਆਦਮੀ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣਦੇ ਹੋ?Kī tusī̃ us ādamī nū jān dē hō?Do you know that man?
Example conversation
Kiran and Ravinder are talking about a neighbor in the street.
- ਕਿਰਨ Kiranਰਵਿੰਦਰ, ਉਹ ਆਦਮੀ ਕੌਣ ਹੈ?Ravinder, oh ādamī kauṇ hai?Ravinder, who is that man?
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਉਹ ਸਾਡਾ ਇੱਕ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਗੁਆਂਢੀ ਹੈ।Oh sāḍā ik purānā guṇāḍhī hai.He is an old neighbor of ours.
- ਕਿਰਨ Kiranਕੀ ਉਹ ਇੱਕ ਚੰਗਾ ਆਦਮੀ ਹੈ?Kī oh ik changā ādamī hai?Is he a good man?
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਹਾਂ, ਉਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਨੇਕ ਆਦਮੀ ਹੈ।Hā̃, oh bahut nēk ādamī hai.Yes, he is a very kind man.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries ਆਦਮੀ, ਪੁਰਖ, ਮਰਦ, ਬੰਦਾ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਆਦਮੀ, ਪੁਰਖ, ਬੰਦਾ, ਮਰਦ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
