Source: https://jugti.com/kosh/words/ki/ ਕ [Kosh](https://jugti.com/kosh/)/[Words](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/)/Word Word # ਕੀ ki Say it**kee, with a long 'ee' sound**Type**Word**Shahmukhiکیہہ In short Ki (ਕੀ) is the Punjabi word for 'what'. It opens questions such as 'ki hoya?' (what happened?) and 'ki kar rahe ho?' (what are you doing?), and it can also introduce a yes-or-no question, close to 'whether'. It comes from the Sanskrit word kim, and it is written کیہہ in Shahmukhi. ## How it's used 1. 1ਕੀ ਹੋਇਆ?What happened? 2. 2ਤੂੰ ਕੀ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈਂ?What are you doing? 3. 3ਤੈਨੂੰ ਕੀ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ?What do you need? Show 2 more examples 1. 4ਕੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ?What is the matter? 2. 5ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦੱਸ ਕੀ ਹੋਇਆ।Tell me what happened. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਰਥ ਕੀ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ 'what' ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਸਵਾਲ ਪੁੱਛਣ ਲਈ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਵੇਂ 'ਕੀ ਹੋਇਆ?', 'ਤੂੰ ਕੀ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈਂ?' ਅਤੇ 'ਕੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ?'। ਇਹ ਸੰਸਕ੍ਰਿਤ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਕਿਮ੍ ਤੋਂ ਆਇਆ ਹੈ। ਸ਼ਾਹਮੁਖੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ کیہہ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। 'ਕੀ ਹੋਇਆ?' ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੈ 'ਕੀ ਵਾਪਰਿਆ?'। ## What does ki mean in Punjabi? Ki (ਕੀ) is the Punjabi word for 'what'. It opens questions about a thing, an event or a reason: 'ki hoya?' means 'what happened?', 'ki kar rahe ho?' means 'what are you doing?', and 'tuhnu ki chahida hai?' means 'what do you need?'. It is one of the first words a learner of Punjabi should know. ## The origin of ki Ki comes from the Sanskrit word kim, meaning 'what'. The word is old: it was already recorded in Bhai Maya Singh's Panjabi Dictionary, published in Lahore in 1895, and it appears in the Punjabi University Punjabi-English Dictionary today. Hindi kya comes from the same Sanskrit root, which shows how the question word has travelled across the Indo-Aryan languages while keeping its job. In Shahmukhi, the script used for Punjabi in Pakistan, ki is written کیہہ. ## Ki in everyday questions Most of the time ki sits at the start of a question. 'Ki hoya?' asks what happened, 'ki gall hai?' asks what the matter is, and 'ki karna hai?' asks what is to be done. It also works inside a sentence: 'tu ki kehna chauna hai?' means 'what do you want to say?' and 'mainu das ki hoya' means 'tell me what happened'. Because the word is so short, speakers often stretch it for emphasis, saying 'kiii?' when they are surprised or have not heard properly. ## What does 'ki hoya' mean? 'Ki hoya' means 'what happened?' It is the first thing a Punjabi speaker asks on hearing surprising news, and the usual answer begins with 'kujh nahi' (nothing) or a short account of the event. The phrase is so common that it also works as a friendly greeting: 'ki hoya, theek hai?' means 'what happened, are you all right?' ## Does ki also mean 'whether'? Yes, in a second use ki introduces a yes-or-no question, close to 'whether' in English. 'Ki tu kal aavenga?' asks 'will you come tomorrow?' Wiktionary records this sense alongside 'what'. In writing, the connecting word is usually spelled ਕਿ (ki, short vowel) while the question word is ਕੀ (ki, long vowel); in speech the two sound the same. ## Related words [ਕਿਵੇਂkivenHow; in what way](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kiven/)[ਕਿਹੜਾkehdaWhich; which one](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kehda/)[ਕਿਉਂkyonwhy, for what reason: the Punjabi question word that asks for a reason](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kyon/)[ਕਦੋਂkadonwhen, at what time: the Punjabi question word for time](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kadon/) Advertisement Sources (2) 1. [Wiktionary: ki; from Sanskrit kim; Shahmukhi kieh; meanings 'what' and 'whether or not'; recorded in Bhai Maya Singh's Panjabi Dictionary (1895)](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ਕੀ) 2. [Wiktionary: Hindi kya; from Sanskrit kim ('what, which'); compare Punjabi ki](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE) [Report a correction](https://jugti.com/corrections/) **Jugti is free and independent.** Reader support keeps the Kosh growing. [Support](https://jugti.com/support/) ## More words [ਚੰਨchannMoon](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/chann/)[ਕਿੱਦਾਂkiddanhow are you? what's up? (informal greeting)](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kiddan/)[ਭਾਬੀbhabhiElder brother's wife; sister-in-law](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/bhabhi/)[ਪਟੋਲਾpatolaslang for a beautiful, stylishly dressed woman; a compliment in Punjabi songs and speech](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/patola/)[ਅੱਤattthe extreme, over the top (slang)](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/att/)[ਖੁਸ਼ੀkhushiHappiness; joy](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/khushi/) [ੳ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B3)[ਅ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%85)[ੲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B2)[ਸ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B8)[ਹ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B9)[ਕ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%95)[ਖ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%96)[ਗ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%97)[ਘ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%98)[ਙ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%99)[ਚ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9A)[ਛ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9B)[ਜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9C)[ਝ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9D)[ਞ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9E)[ਟ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9F)[ਠ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A0)[ਡ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A1)[ਢ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A2)[ਣ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A3)[ਤ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A4)[ਥ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A5)[ਦ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A6)[ਧ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A7)[ਨ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A8)[ਪ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AA)[ਫ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AB)[ਬ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AC)[ਭ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AD)[ਮ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AE)[ਯ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AF)[ਰ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B0)[ਲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B2)[ਵ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B5)[ੜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%9C) On this page[In short](#in-short)[How it's used](#how-used)[ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਰਥ](#pa-meaning)[What does ki mean in Punjabi?](#s-k1)[The origin of ki](#s-k3)[Ki in everyday questions](#s-k5)[What does 'ki hoya' mean?](#s-k7)[Does ki also mean 'whether'?](#s-k9) Related words[ਕਿਵੇਂ kivenHow; in what way](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kiven/)[ਕਿਹੜਾ kehdaWhich; which one](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kehda/)[ਕਿਉਂ kyonwhy, for what reason: the Punjabi question word that asks for a reason](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kyon/)[ਕਦੋਂ kadonwhen, at what time: the Punjabi question word for time](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/kadon/) [A Punjabi wordਦਾਦਾdadaFather's father; paternal grandfather](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/dada/) Browse words by letter [ੳ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B3)[ਅ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%85)[ੲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B2)[ਸ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B8)[ਹ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B9)[ਕ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%95)[ਖ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%96)[ਗ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%97)[ਘ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%98)[ਙ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%99)[ਚ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9A)[ਛ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9B)[ਜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9C)[ਝ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9D)[ਞ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9E)[ਟ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9F)[ਠ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A0)[ਡ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A1)[ਢ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A2)[ਣ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A3)[ਤ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A4)[ਥ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A5)[ਦ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A6)[ਧ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A7)[ਨ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A8)[ਪ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AA)[ਫ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AB)[ਬ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AC)[ਭ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AD)[ਮ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AE)[ਯ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AF)[ਰ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B0)[ਲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B2)[ਵ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B5)[ੜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%9C) Advertisement ## Keep exploring Everything in the Kosh, with sources. [People537 entries](https://jugti.com/kosh/people/)[Places12,428 places](https://jugti.com/kosh/places/)[Books277 books](https://jugti.com/kosh/books/)[Religion547 entries](https://jugti.com/kosh/religions/)[ੳA to ZEvery entry by letter](https://jugti.com/kosh/a-z/) Advertisement