ਮੂਰਖ
mūrakhă/muːɾ.(ə)kʰə̆/
In Punjabi, the word for stupid is ਮੂਰਖ (mūrakhă).
The word ਮੂਰਖ is used to describe someone who is lacking in intelligence or wisdom. It can function as an adjective to describe a person, or as a noun to refer to a fool or a simpleton.
Meaning: lacking in intelligence (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the concept of stupidity as a noun, you use the form ਮੂਰਖਤਾ, which is derived from the adjective ਮੂਰਖ.
Did you know?
- While ਮੂਰਖ is the standard term, in many Punjabi dialects, people use the word ਗਧਾ, which literally means 'donkey', to call someone stupid.
- Using ਮੂਰਖ toward an elder or a superior in Punjabi society is considered a severe breach of social etiquette and is far more offensive than saying 'stupid' in English.
- The word ਮੂਰਖ is a learned borrowing from Sanskrit मूर्ख.
Examples in context
- ਉਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਮੂਰਖ ਹੈ।oh bahut murakh hai.He is very stupid.
- ਮੂਰਖ ਬੰਦਾ ਨਾ ਬਣ।murakh banda na ban.Don't be a stupid person.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a bad decision.
- ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰੀਤ Gurpreetਮੈਂ ਉਹ ਮੋਬਾਈਲ ਕਿਉਂ ਖਰੀਦਿਆ?Main oh mobile kyon kharidiya?Why did I buy that mobile?
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਤੁਸੀਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਮੂਰਖ ਹੋ।Tusi bahut murakh ho.You are very stupid.
- ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰੀਤ Gurpreetਮੈਨੂੰ ਪਤਾ ਹੈ, ਮੈਂ ਗਲਤੀ ਕੀਤੀ।Mainu pata hai, main galti kiti.I know, I made a mistake.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਅਗਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਸੋਚ ਕੇ ਲੈਣਾ।Agli vaar soch ke laina.Next time, think before buying.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ਮੂਰਖ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਮੂਰਖ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
