Nouns in Punjabi are always pulingg (masculine) or isatarī lingg (feminine). Unlike English, every noun, even objects, have a gender. There is no absolute way to tell if a Punjabi word is masculine or feminine just from its meaning or spelling, but there are general patterns that apply most of the time.
Masculine:
- Most masculine nouns end in ā: banddā (man), munḍḍā (boy), bharā (brother), kuhāṛā (axe), basatā (bag).
- Many masculine nouns don’t end in ā: shēr (lion), daraxat (tree), pahāṛ (mountain), pancchhī (bird), ghar (house)
Feminine
- Most feminine nouns end in ī: janānī (woman), kuṛī (girl), bijalī (lightning), dharatī (earth), kurasī (chair)
- Some feminine nouns don’t end in ī: kitāb (book), kamīz (shirt), havā (air), kavitā (poem), tasavīr (picture)
More likely than not, a Punjabi word ending in ā will be masculine and a Punjabi word ending in ī will be feminine, but there are exceptions. There are exceptions to this and it can be tricky for beginners, but with practice, it will become natural.