Punjab and the Five Rivers: Place Names and Geography in Punjabi
The meaning of Punjab, the five rivers, and Punjabi words for landscape, with notes on well-known places.
The name of the language's homeland is itself a Punjabi lesson.
What Punjab means
ਪੰਜਾਬ comes from Persian words meaning "five waters": ਪੰਜ (five) and ਆਬ (water). The region is named for its five rivers.
The five rivers
| Punjabi | Romanised | Also known as |
|---|---|---|
| ਸਤਲੁਜ | satluj | Sutlej |
| ਬਿਆਸ | biaas | Beas |
| ਰਾਵੀ | raavee | Ravi |
| ਚਨਾਬ | chanaab | Chenab |
| ਜੇਹਲਮ | jehlam | Jhelum |
The region is divided between India and Pakistan, so these rivers flow on both sides of the border.
Landscape words
- ਦਰਿਆ — river
- ਨਹਿਰ — canal
- ਖੇਤ — field
- ਪਿੰਡ — village
- ਸ਼ਹਿਰ — city
- ਪਹਾੜ — mountain
Punjab is known as a fertile farming land, and wheat and rice are among its major crops.
Well-known places
- ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ — Amritsar, home of the Golden Temple (ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ)
- ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ — Chandigarh, the capital of both Punjab and Haryana
- ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ — Ludhiana
- ਜਲੰਧਰ — Jalandhar
- ਪਟਿਆਲਾ — Patiala
- ਲਾਹੌਰ — Lahore, in Pakistani Punjab
Useful phrases
- ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਿਸ ਪਿੰਡ ਤੋਂ ਹੋ? — Which village are you from?
- ਮੈਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੋਂ ਹਾਂ। — I am from Punjab.
- ਸਾਡਾ ਪਿੰਡ ਦਰਿਆ ਦੇ ਕੋਲ ਹੈ। — Our village is near the river.
Tips
- Learn the five rivers.
- Notice ਪੰਜ + ਆਬ.
- Use the dictionary for place names.
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