ਦਰਿਆ
dariāGurmukhi, masculine
The Punjabi word for river is ਦਰਿਆ (dariā). Wiktionary also lists ਨਦੀ (nadī) and دَریا (dareyā).
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
Ways to say it
| Punjabi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ਦਰਿਆ | dariā | Gurmukhi, masculine | |
| ਨਦੀ | nadī | Gurmukhi, feminine | |
| دَریا | dareyā | Shahmukhi, masculine | |
| نَدی | nadī | Shahmukhi, feminine | |
| دریا | pnb | Western Punjabi, masculine | |
| ندی | nadī | /nə.d̪iː/ | Western Punjabi, feminine |
Both ਦਰਿਆ and ਨਦੀ are used to describe a large stream of water that drains a landmass.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form ਦਰਿਆ is typically used for large, major rivers, while the feminine form ਨਦੀ is typically used for smaller rivers or streams.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The Gurmukhi script forms, such as ਦਰਿਆ and ਨਦੀ, are primarily used in the Indian state of Punjab. The Shahmukhi script forms, such as دَریا and نَدی, are primarily used in the Pakistani province of Punjab. In Western Punjabi, both دریا and ندی are also used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express more than one river, use the plural masculine form ਦਰਿਆਵਾਂ (dariāvā̃) or the plural feminine form ਨਦੀਆਂ (nadīā̃).
How do you pronounce it?
dariā
Did you know?
- In Punjabi poetry and Sufi music, the ਦਰਿਆ is often used as a metaphor for the vastness of divine love or the journey of the soul.
- The 'Five Rivers' for which the region of Punjab is named are the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Jhelum and Chenab.
- The word ਦਰਿਆ is borrowed from Classical Persian, while ਨਦੀ is a learned borrowing from Sanskrit.
Examples in context
- ਇਹ ਦਰਿਆ ਬਹੁਤ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ।ih darīā bahut vaḍā hai.This river is very large.
- ਦਰਿਆ ਦਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਸਾਫ਼ ਹੈ।darīā dā pānī sāf hai.The river water is clean.
- ਅਸੀਂ ਦਰਿਆ ਦੇ ਕਿਨਾਰੇ ਬੈਠੇ ਹਾਂ।asī darīā dē kināre baiṭē hā̃.We are sitting by the river bank.
Example conversation
Preet and Harman are walking near a large water body.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਕੀ ਇਹ ਉਹੀ ਦਰਿਆ ਹੈ?kī ih u hī darīā hai?Is this the same river?
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਹਾਂ, ਇਹ ਉਹੀ ਦਰਿਆ ਹੈ।hā̃, ih u hī darīā hai.Yes, it is the same river.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਇਸ ਦਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਗਹਿਰਾ ਹੈ।is dā pānī bahut gaharā hai.Its water is very deep.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਹਾਂ, ਸਾਵਧਾਨ ਰਹਿਣਾ।hā̃, sāvdhān rahīṇā.Yes, be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations and entries ਦਰਿਆ, ਨਦੀ, دریا, ندی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਦਰਿਆ, ਨਦੀ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
