To express something is happening or someone is doing something, the word rihā (-ing) is added to a verb. rihā is like adding “-ing” to the end of a word in English, but is written as a separate word. The ending of the word rihā changes to match the gender and number of the subject.
Singular | Plural | |
Masculine | rihā | rahē |
Feminine | rihī | rahīā(n) |
This table outlines all the ways present continuous can be expressed for each person, number, and gender.
Person | Number | Gender | Punjabi | English |
First | Singular | Male | mae(n) kar rihā hā(n) | I am doing |
Female | mae(n) kar rahī hā(n) | I am doing | ||
Plural | Male | asī(n) kar rahē hā(n) | We are doing | |
Female | asī(n) kar rahīā(n) hā(n) | We are doing | ||
Second | Singular, informal | Male | tū(n) kar rihā hae(n) | You are doing |
Female | tū(n) kar rahī hae(n) | You are doing | ||
Plural / respectful | Male | tusī(n) kar rahē ho | You are doing | |
Female | tusī(n) kar rahīā(n) ho | You are doing | ||
Third near | Singular, informal | Male | ih kar rihā hae | He is doing |
Female | ih kar rahī hae | She is doing | ||
Plural / respectful | Male | ih kar rahē han | They are doing | |
Female | ih kar rahīā(n) han | They are doing | ||
Third far | Singular, informal | Male | uh kar rihā hae | He is doing |
Female | uh kar rahī hae | She is doing | ||
Plural / respectful | Male | uh kar rahē han | They are doing | |
Female | uh kar rahīā(n) han | They are doing |
mae(n) kahāṇī likh rihā hā(n)
I (masculine) am writing a story
tū(n) huṇ kī kar rihā hae(n)?
What are you (masculine) doing now?
asī(n) likh rahē hā(n)
We (masculine) are writing