An adjective modifies noun or pronoun i.e. highlights some of the properties of noun or pronoun. In Punjabi, adjectives usually precede the nouns but follow the pronouns.
For example:
ਸੋਹਣਾ
sōhṇā
handsome
ਕਾਲ਼ਾ
kāḷā
black
ਹਰੀ
harī
green
ਨੀਲੀ
nīlī
blue
Above are functioning as adjectives in ਸੋਹਣਾ
ਮੁੰਡਾ, ਕਾਲ਼ਾ ਘੋਡ਼ਾ, ਹਰੀ ਬੱਸ, ਨੀਲੀ
ਕਾਰ respectively.
As mentioned earlier, various pronouns can act as adjectives modifying nouns in sentences. Therefore, if a pronoun is modifying a noun then it will be termed as adjective.
Types
Punjabi adjectives can be classified into two types – Inflected and
Uninflected, depending upon whether they change forms for number and case or not.
This classification is also referred to as ਕਾਲ਼ਾ and ਲਾਲ respectively. Class of ਕਾਲ਼ਾ adjectives can change forms. Class of ਲਾਲ adjectives do not change forms for number and case.
On the semantic basis, adjectives are of five types: Qualitative adjectives, Numeral (cardinal and ordinal) adjectives, Quantitative adjectives, Demonstrative adjectives and Possessive or Pronominal adjectives.
Inflected Adjectives:
These adjectives behave like nouns i.e. have assigned gender and change forms for number and case. E.g. ਸੋਹਣਾ, ਕਾਲ਼ਾ, ਗੋਰਾ are all inflected adjectives for masculine gender and ਸੋਹਣੀ, ਕਾਲ਼ੀ, ਗੋਰੀ are corresponding forms for feminine gender. So inflected adjectives can be either masculine or feminine.
/-ਆ/ ending adjectives are the masculine and their/-ਈ / ending forms are the feminine. For example :-
MASCULINE
FEMININE
ਸੋਹਣਾ
sōhṇā
handsome
ਸੋਹਣੀ
sōhṇī
beautiful
ਕਾਲ਼ਾ
kāḷā
black
ਕਾਲ਼ੀ
kāḷī
black
ਗੋਰਾ
gōrā
fair-complexioned
ਗੋਰੀ
gōrī
fair-complexioned
Transformation
Inflected adjectives change forms for number and case.
Number:/-ਆ/ ending and
/-ਈ / ending Inflected adjectives inflect for the number grammatical category. Plural forms of /-ਆ/ ending singular adjectives are /-ਏ/ ending and plural forms of /-ਈ / ending singular adjectives are /-ਈਆਂ/ ending. For example :-
SINGULAR
PLURAL
ਸੋਹਣਾ
sōhṇā
handsome
ਸੋਹਣੇ
sōhṇē
handsome
ਸੋਹਣੀ
sōhṇī
beautiful
ਸੋਹਣੀਆਂ
sōhṇīāṃ
beautiful
Case:
As mentioned earlier, inflected adjectives take forms like Punjabi nouns. However, only direct and oblique case forms are generally used. Vocative case forms may be used in specific contexts. For example direct and oblique case forms of masculine adjective ਸੋਹਣਾ are:
DIRECT
OBLIQUE
ਸੋਹਣਾ
sōhṇā
singular
ਸੋਹਣੇ
sōhṇē
singular
ਸੋਹਣੇ
sōhṇē
plural
ਸੋਹਣਿਆਂ
sōhṇiāṃ
plural
Direct and oblique case forms of feminine adjective ਸੋਹਣੀ are:
DIRECT
OBLIQUE
ਸੋਹਣੀ
sōhṇī
singular
ਸੋਹਣੀ
sōhṇī
singular
ਸੋਹਣੀਆਂ
sōhṇīāṃ
plural
ਸੋਹਣੀਆਂ
sōhṇīāṃ
plural
Uninflected adjectives:
This class of adjectives do not change form for gender, number and case. For example:
