Ways to say it
| Punjabi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ਦਰਦ | darad | /d̪əɾd̪/ | Gurmukhi, feminine |
| ਦੁੱਖ | dukkha | Gurmukhi, masculine | |
| ਪੀੜ | pīṛ | /piːɽ/ | Gurmukhi, feminine |
| ਵੇਦਨ | vedan | Gurmukhi, feminine | |
| پِیڑ | pīṛ | Shahmukhi, feminine | |
| دَرد | dard | Shahmukhi, masculine | |
| ڈول | ḍol | Shahmukhi, feminine |
The term ਦਰਦ is a common and general word used to describe both physical and emotional pain. For physical discomfort or minor aches, speakers often use the colloquial term takleef. If the pain is specifically the result of a physical injury, you might use the informal term chot, which literally means 'injury'.
Which one should you use?
While ਦਰਦ covers both physical and emotional sensations, ਦੁੱਖ is typically used to refer to emotional pain, sorrow or grief rather than physical sensation. The term chot is specifically used to express physical pain resulting from an injury.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Shahmukhi script used for Punjabi in Pakistan, the word ਦਰਦ is written as دَرد.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ਦਰਦ is grammatically feminine, whereas ਦੁੱਖ is grammatically masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is darad and the IPA is /d̪əɾd̪/.
Did you know?
- In Punjabi poetry and Sufi music, ਦਰਦ is often used as a metaphor for the longing of a soul for the divine rather than simple bodily pain.
- The word ਦਰਦ was borrowed into Punjabi from Classical Persian, which in turn took it from Middle Persian.
- The term ਦੁੱਖ shares a common root with the Sanskrit word duḥkha, which is used in Buddhist philosophy to describe the fundamental nature of suffering.
Examples in context
- ਮੇਰੇ ਸਿਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਹੁਤ ਦਰਦ ਹੈ।mere sir vich bahut dard hai.I have a lot of pain in my head.
- ਇਸ ਦਵਾਈ ਨਾਲ ਦਰਦ ਘਟ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।is dava'ī nāla dard ghaṭ jāvēgā.This medicine will reduce the pain.
- ਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਹੁਣ ਵੀ ਦਰਦ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ?kī tuhānu hun vī dard ho rihā hai?Are you still feeling pain now?
Example conversation
Aman is asking Prit about her injury at home.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਅਮਨ, ਮੇਰੇ ਪੈਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਹੁਤ ਦਰਦ ਹੈ।Aman, mere pair vich bahut dard hai.Aman, there is a lot of pain in my foot.
- ਅਮਨ Amanਕੀ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਚੱਲਣ ਵੇਲੇ ਵੀ ਦਰਦ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ?Kī tuhānu challaṇ vēḷē vī dard hundā hai?Do you feel pain even when walking?
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਹਾਂ, ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਦਰਦ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।Hāṅ, bahut ziādā dard hundā hai.Yes, it is a lot of pain.
- ਅਮਨ Amanਚਲੋ, ਅਸੀਂ ਡਾਕਟਰ ਕੋਲ ਚੱਲਦੇ ਹਾਂ।Chalo, asīṅ ḍākaṭar kōl challadē hāṅ.Come on, let's go to the doctor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pain” translations and entries ਦਰਦ, ਦੁੱਖ, ਪੀੜ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਦਰਦ, ਦੁੱਖ, ਪੀੜ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
