Which one should you use?
While ਪੁਰਾਣਾ refers to old objects or concepts, the word ਬੁੱਢਾ (buḍḍhā) is used specifically to describe an elderly person. In colloquial speech, you might also hear the phrase Badi umar wala/wali (ਬੜੀ ਉਮਰ ਵਾਲਾ/ਵਾਲੀ) to describe someone of old age or someone who is older.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. The masculine form is ਪੁਰਾਣਾ (purāṇā). Use ਪੁਰਾਣੀ (purāṇī) when describing a feminine noun, and use ਪੁਰਾਣੇ (purāṇē) when describing plural nouns or when using the word in a respectful form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pʊ.ɾäː.ɳäː/ (purāṇā). It consists of three syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ਪੁਰਾਣਾ to describe an old person. Doing this can sound as if you are calling the person an "old object" rather than describing them as elderly. Use ਬੁੱਢਾ instead when referring to a person.
Did you know?
- The word ਪੁਰਾਣਾ traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European root *per-, making it a very distant relative of the English word 'prior'.
- Because Punjabi distinguishes between old objects (ਪੁਰਾਣਾ) and old people (ਬੁੱਢਾ), the language essentially forces a distinction between 'antique' and 'elderly' that English does not make with the word 'old'.
Example conversation
Ravinder and Simran are talking about a neighbor.
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਕੌਣ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਆਦਮੀ?Kaun hai uh purāṇā ādmī?Who is that old man?
- ਸਿਮਰਨ Simranਉਹ ਸਾਡੇ ਗੁਆਂਢੀ ਹਨ।Uh sādē guāṇḍhī han.He is our neighbor.
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਉਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ।Uh bahut purāṇā laggdā hai.He looks very old.
- ਸਿਮਰਨ Simranਹਾਂ, ਉਹ ਅੱਸੀ ਸਾਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਹਨ।Hā̃, uh assī sālā̃ dē han.Yes, he is eighty years old.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ਪੁਰਾਣਾ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਪੁਰਾਣਾ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
