Punjabi Question Words: Kee, Kaun, Kithe, Kado, Kyun

Every language has a handful of words that open up the whole system. In Punjabi, the question words are those words. Once you have ਕੀ (kī, what), ਕੌਣ (kauṇ, who), ਕਿੱਥੇ (kitthe, where), ਕਦੋਂ (kadoṃ, when), ਕਿਉਂ (kiuṃ, why), ਕਿਵੇਂ (kiveṃ, how), and ਕਿੰਨਾ (kinnā, how much/many) — you can build questions about anything. You can ask for names, directions, prices, times, reasons. Real conversation becomes possible.

The mechanics are not complicated. Punjabi question words tend to sit in a particular position relative to the verb, the formality system affects which form of certain question phrases you use, and yes/no questions work on intonation rather than word order. All of that is learnable in a single session.

The Seven Core Question Words

Gurmukhi	Romanization	Meaning	IPA
ਕੀ	kī	what	/kiː/
ਕੌਣ	kauṇ	who	/kɔːɳ/
ਕਿੱਥੇ	kitthe	where	/kɪtːʰe/
ਕਦੋਂ	kadoṃ	when	/kəd̪õː/
ਕਿਉਂ	kiuṃ	why	/kɪũː/
ਕਿਵੇਂ	kiveṃ	how	/kɪʋẽː/
ਕਿੰਨਾ / ਕਿੰਨੀ	kinnā / kinnī	how much / how many	/kɪnːɑː/ /kɪnːiː/

A note on ਕਿੰਨਾ (kinnā): like adjectives in Punjabi, this word agrees with the gender of the noun it modifies. ਕਿੰਨਾ for masculine nouns, ਕਿੰਨੀ for feminine ones, ਕਿੰਨੇ for plurals. So "how much water?" (ਪਾਣੀ, pāṇī, masculine) becomes ਕਿੰਨਾ ਪਾਣੀ (kinnā pāṇī), while "how many books?" becomes ਕਿੰਨੀਆਂ ਕਿਤਾਬਾਂ (kinnīāṃ kitābaṃ).

And a note on ਕੀ (kī): it does double duty. As a question word, it means "what." But placed at the very beginning of a sentence, it also serves as a yes/no question marker. That second role gets its own section below.

Where the Question Word Goes

This is where Punjabi diverges from English. In English, question words march to the front: "Where are you going?" "What did she say?" In Punjabi, the question word typically sits right before the verb — not at the start of the sentence.

The subject comes first, then any objects or adverbs, then the question word, then the verb.

Compare the structure:

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ? Tusī kitthe jā rahe ho? "Where are you going?" (formal)

Break it down: ਤੁਸੀਂ (you, formal) → ਕਿੱਥੇ (where) → ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ (are going). The question word is the hinge immediately before the verb cluster.

ਓਹ ਕੀ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ? Oh kī kardā hai? "What does he do?"

Again: ਓਹ (he) → ਕੀ (what) → ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ (does).

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਕਿਉਂ ਸਿੱਖ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ? Tusī Pañjābī kiuṃ sikkh rahe ho? "Why are you learning Punjabi?"

ਤੁਸੀਂ (you) → ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi) → ਕਿਉਂ (why) → ਸਿੱਖ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ (are learning).

The pre-verbal position is a strong default. You will occasionally hear question words at the front for emphasis — "ਕੌਣ ਆਇਆ?" (kauṇ āiyā?, "Who came?") — but when learners hear native speakers and wonder why the question word isn't where they expect it, the answer is almost always: it's before the verb.

The exception: ਕੌਣ. Kauṇ (who) is flexible. It can open a sentence, especially in short, clipped questions: ਕੌਣ ਹੈ? (kauṇ hai?, "Who is it?") — said when someone knocks. That placement is natural. But in longer sentences, it follows the same pre-verbal rule.

Yes/No Questions: Intonation First, ਕੀ Optional

Punjabi does not rearrange word order to form yes/no questions. The sentence structure stays the same as a statement. What changes is the rising intonation at the end.

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹੋ। Tusī Pañjābī bolde ho. "You speak Punjabi." (statement, falling intonation)

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹੋ? Tusī Pañjābī bolde ho? "Do you speak Punjabi?" (question, rising intonation)

Same words. Different pitch. This is how it works in everyday spoken Punjabi, and it is especially common in the Punjabi spoken in Lahore, Amritsar, and among diaspora communities in Brampton, Surrey, and Birmingham.

The optional addition: ਕੀ (kī) at the start of the sentence signals "question" explicitly. It is more formal and marks the sentence unambiguously as a question regardless of intonation.

ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਹੋ? Kī tusī Pañjābī bolde ho? "Do you speak Punjabi?" (with explicit question marker)

You hear this in formal settings — interviews, announcements, careful speech. In casual conversation, the rising intonation alone does the job. Think of the initial kī the way you might think of "Would it be the case that...?" versus just asking with a raised eyebrow. Both work. The raised eyebrow is more common.

Formality and Question Phrases

The formality system runs through questions exactly as it runs through everything else in Punjabi. The pronouns shift — ਤੁਹਾਡਾ (tuhāḍā) for formal, ਤੇਰਾ (terā) for intimate — and the verbs follow accordingly. This matters most for a handful of very common question phrases.

The most important example: asking someone's name.

ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਨਾਂ ਕੀ ਏ? Tuhāḍā nāṃ kī ae? "What is your name?" (formal — to an elder, stranger, or in a professional context)

ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਂ ਕੀ ਏ? Terā nāṃ kī ae? "What is your name?" (intimate — to a child, close friend, peer)

The question word ਕੀ (kī) and the structure stay identical. What changes is the possessive pronoun — tuhāḍā vs. terā. For a full breakdown of how the pronoun system works and when to use which tier, the guide to Punjabi pronouns is the right companion to this post.

More formality-sensitive question pairs:

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿੱਥੋਂ ਹੋ? Tusī kitthōṃ ho? "Where are you from?" (formal)

ਤੂ ਕਿੱਥੋਂ ਏਂ? Tū kitthōṃ eṃ? "Where are you from?" (intimate)

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੋ? Tusī kiveṃ ho? "How are you?" (formal)

ਤੂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਏਂ? Tū kiveṃ eṃ? "How are you?" (intimate)

The auxiliary verb at the end changes: ਹੋ (ho) for formal tusī, ਏਂ (eṃ) for intimate tū. These are some of the most frequent question forms you will hear and say — they come up in every greeting exchange. If you haven't already read the guide to Punjabi greetings, it shows exactly how these questions land in real opening conversations.

Special Uses: ਕਦੋਂ, ਕਿੱਥੋਂ, ਕਿੱਥੇ

A few question words have related forms worth knowing.

ਕਿੱਥੇ (kitthe) — "where" (static location) ਕਿੱਥੋਂ (kitthōṃ) — "from where" (source) ਕਿੱਥੇ ਤੱਕ (kitthe takk) — "up to where, how far"

ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਹੈ? Shahir kitthe hai? "Where is the city?"

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿੱਥੋਂ ਆਏ? Tusī kitthōṃ āe? "Where did you come from?"

ਕਦੋਂ (kadoṃ) — "when" (general) ਕਦੇ (kade) — "ever / at some point" (used in negative or indefinite contexts)

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਦੋਂ ਆਓਗੇ? Tusī kadoṃ āoge? "When will you come?"

ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਦੇ ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ ਗਏ ਹੋ? Kī tusī kade Ludhiāṇā gae ho? "Have you ever been to Ludhiana?"

The distinction between kadoṃ (a specific time) and kade (ever/at any point) is subtle but worth getting right early.

20 Practice Question–Answer Pairs

These are designed for shadowing — read the question aloud, pause, read the answer. Each pair uses real, conversational Punjabi rather than textbook constructions. Work through all twenty, then go back and try saying just the question before reading the answer.

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1. ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਨਾਂ ਕੀ ਏ? / Tuhāḍā nāṃ kī ae? / "What is your name?" ਮੇਰਾ ਨਾਂ ਅਮਰ ਏ। / Merā nāṃ Amar ae. / "My name is Amar."

2. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿੱਥੋਂ ਹੋ? / Tusī kitthōṃ ho? / "Where are you from?" ਮੈਂ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਤੋਂ ਹਾਂ। / Maiṃ Ammritsar toṃ hāṃ. / "I am from Amritsar."

3. ਦੁਕਾਨ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਹੈ? / Dukān kitthe hai? / "Where is the shop?" ਦੁਕਾਨ ਉੱਥੇ ਏ। / Dukān utthe ae. / "The shop is over there."

4. ਕਲਾਸ ਕਦੋਂ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਏ? / Kilās kadoṃ shurū hundī ae? / "When does class start?" ਸਵੇਰੇ ਦਸ ਵਜੇ। / Savere das vaje. / "At ten in the morning."

5. ਇਹ ਕਿੰਨੇ ਦਾ ਏ? / Ih kinne dā ae? / "How much does this cost?" ਪੰਜਾਹ ਰੁਪਏ। / Pañjāh rupae. / "Fifty rupees."

6. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੀ ਖਾਓਗੇ? / Tusī kī khāoge? / "What will you eat?" ਮੈਂ ਦਾਲ ਤੇ ਰੋਟੀ ਖਾਵਾਂਗਾ। / Maiṃ dāl te roṭī khāvāṃgā. / "I will eat dal and roti."

7. ਓਹ ਕੌਣ ਏ? / Oh kauṇ ae? / "Who is that?" ਓਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਭਰਾ ਏ। / Oh merā bhrā ae. / "That is my brother."

8. ਤੂ ਇੱਥੇ ਕਿਉਂ ਆਇਆ? / Tū itthe kiuṃ āiyā? / "Why did you come here?" ਮੈਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਮਿਲਣ ਆਇਆ। / Maiṃ tainūṃ milaṇ āiyā. / "I came to meet you."

9. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ? / Tusī Pañjābī kiveṃ sikkhiā? / "How did you learn Punjabi?" ਐਪ ਨਾਲ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ। / App nāl sikkhiā. / "I learned with an app."

10. ਤੇਰਾ ਘਰ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਏ? / Terā ghar kitthe ae? / "Where is your house?" (intimate) ਮੇਰਾ ਘਰ ਕੋਲ ਹੀ ਏ। / Merā ghar kol hī ae. / "My house is nearby."

11. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੰਮ ਕਦੋਂ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰੋਗੇ? / Tusī kamm khatam karoge? / "When will you finish work?" ਸ਼ਾਮ ਨੂੰ। / Shām nūṃ. / "In the evening."

12. ਇਹ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਕਿਸਦੀ ਏ? / Ih kitāb kisdī ae? / "Whose book is this?" ਇਹ ਮੇਰੀ ਭੈਣ ਦੀ ਏ। / Ih merī bhaiṇ dī ae. / "It is my sister's."

13. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿੰਨੀ ਵਾਰ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹੋ? / Tusī kinnī vār jānde ho? / "How often do you go?" ਹਫ਼ਤੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਵਾਰ। / Hapte vich ikk vār. / "Once a week."

14. ਬੱਸ ਕਦੋਂ ਆਵੇਗੀ? / Bass kadoṃ āvegī? / "When will the bus come?" ਦਸ ਮਿੰਟਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ। / Das minṭāṃ vich. / "In ten minutes."

15. ਤੂ ਕੀ ਸੋਚ ਰਿਹਾ ਏਂ? / Tū kī soc rihā eṃ? / "What are you thinking?" (intimate, m.) ਕੁਝ ਨਹੀਂ। / Kujh nahīṃ. / "Nothing."

16. ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਘਰ ਕਿੰਨੇ ਜੀਅ ਹਨ? / Tuhāḍe ghar kinne jī han? / "How many people are in your family?" ਪੰਜ ਜੀਅ ਹਾਂ। / Pañj jī hāṃ. / "There are five of us."

17. ਓਹ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਏ? / Oh kiveṃ ae? / "How is he/she?" ਓਹ ਠੀਕ ਏ। / Oh ṭhīk ae. / "He/she is fine."

18. ਮੀਟਿੰਗ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ? / Mīṭiṅg kitthe hovegī? / "Where will the meeting be?" ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ। / Daptar vich. / "In the office."

19. ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੀ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋ? / Tusī kī kamm karde ho? / "What work do you do?" ਮੈਂ ਅਧਿਆਪਕ ਹਾਂ। / Maiṃ adhyāpak hāṃ. / "I am a teacher."

20. ਤੇਰਾ ਜਨਮਦਿਨ ਕਦੋਂ ਏ? / Terā janamdin kadoṃ ae? / "When is your birthday?" (intimate) ਮਾਰਚ ਵਿੱਚ। / Mārc vich. / "In March."

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A Word on Register in Practice

When you are drilling these question forms, notice the patterns that repeat: ਏ (ae) as the informal third-person singular copula (equivalent of hai in Hindustani), ਹੈ (hai) in slightly more careful speech, ਹੋ (ho) for the formal second person. The question word itself does not change. The rest of the sentence shifts around it based on formality.

Diaspora Punjabi speakers — in Brampton, Surrey, Birmingham — often compress question phrases considerably. ਕੀ ਹਾਲ ਏ? (kī hāl ae?, "What's up?") is clipped to something closer to ki hāl? in fast speech. The full form is what you need to learn; the shortened form is what you will hear. Knowing both sides stops you from feeling like your textbook Punjabi is a different language from the Punjabi coming at you in conversation.

For the verb tenses that power these question-answer pairs — because the verb inside the question changes based on tense — the Punjabi verb tenses guide is the natural next stop.

The Brightwood Apps Learn Punjabi app introduces question words in Unit 3, with native audio for every question form in both formal and informal registers — so you hear how kī, kauṇ, and kiveṃ actually sound in real speech, not just how they look on the page.