In informal speech, the present tense forms of hoṇā are often pronounced slightly differently. The h sound is often not pronounced. Also, the word han is normally only used in formal speech or writing and nē is more common in spoken Punjabi. In addition to these, there are many dialectic variations described in another section.
Subject | hoṇā (to be) formal | hoṇā (to be) colloquial | English |
mae(n) | hā(n) | ā(n) | I am |
asī(n) | hā(n) | ā(n) | We are |
tū(n) | hae(n) | ae(n) | You are |
tusī(n) | ho | o | You (all) are |
ih, uh | hae | ae | This/that/he/she is |
ih, uh | han | nē | They/those are |
Some present tense forms of the word hoṇā (to be) (the masculine singular forms) often get merged with the verb preceding them in the flow of everyday speech. This is not done in formal language.
Subject + verb + hoṇā | Merged | English |
mae(n) karadā hā(n) | mae(n) karadā(n) | I do (masculine) |
tū(n) karadā hae(n) | tū(n) karadae(n) | You do (masculine, singular) |
ih karadā hae | ih karadae | He does (near) |
uh karadā hae | uh karadae | He does (far) |
Additionally, in everyday speech, the pronoun is sometimes left out of sentences since the subject, gender, and number can be inferred from the verb ending and form of hoṇā (to be) used.
kar rihā hā(n)
(I) am doing (it)
kar rihā(n)
(I) am doing (it)
paṛhadā hae(n)?
(Are you) reading?
paṛhadae(n)?
(Are you) reading?
sikhadā hae?
(Does he) learn?
sikhadae?
(Does he) learn?