ਜੰਗ
jaṅg/d͡ʒəŋɡᵊ/
In Punjabi, the word for war is ਜੰਗ (jaṅg). Wiktionary also lists ਲਾਮ (lām) and لڑائی (lṛā'ī).
Meaning: conflict involving organized use of arms (noun)
Ways to say it
| Punjabi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ਜੰਗ | jaṅg | /d͡ʒəŋɡᵊ/ | |
| ਲਾਮ | lām | /läːm(ə̆)/ | |
| لڑائی | lṛā'ī | feminine | |
| ਲੜਾਈ | laṛāī | feminine |
The primary way to express war as a conflict involving the organized use of arms is ਜੰਗ. Other forms like ਲੜਾਈ can be used to describe a fight, a battle or a quarrel.
Which one should you use?
While ਜੰਗ refers specifically to large-scale warfare, ਲੜਾਈ is often used for smaller-scale fights, battles or even personal quarrels.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Majhi dialect, ਲੜਾਈ is commonly used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine noun ਲੜਾਈ becomes ਲੜਾਈਆਂ when expressing multiple fights or battles.
How do you pronounce it?
jaṅg
Did you know?
- The term ਲਾਮ is a curious linguistic outlier in Punjabi, as it is actually a phonetic adaptation of the French 'l'arme'.
- In Punjabi, the word ਜੰਗ is also used in the phrase ਜੰਗ ਜਿੱਤਣੀ to describe overcoming a personal struggle or a disease, such as winning a 'war' against cancer.
- The word ਜੰਗ is often paired with adjectives to describe the nature of the conflict, such as ਠੰਡੀ ਜੰਗ for a 'cold war'.
Examples in context
- ਉਹ ਦੋ ਦੇਸ਼ ਜੰਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਨ।oh do desh jang vich han.Those two countries are at war.
- ਜੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਬਹੁਤ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।jang naal bahut nuksan hunda hai.War causes a lot of damage.
- ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੀਆਂ ਜੰਗਾਂ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਹਨ।itihas vich bahut sariyan janga hoiyan han.There have been many wars in history.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “war” translations and entries ਜੰਗ, ਲਾਮ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਜੰਗ, ਲਾਮ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
