ਕਿੱਨਾ

What does kinna mean in Punjabi?

Kinna (ਕਿੱਨਾ) is the Punjabi word for 'how much' or 'how many'. It asks about amount or number; it is the word for asking a price: 'Kinne da hai?' means 'How much does it cost?' Kinna changes its ending to match the word it describes, and it can cry out in wonder, as in 'Kinna sohna!', which means 'How beautiful!'

Kinna, kinni, kinne: one word, three forms

Kinna follows the same rule as most Punjabi adjectives that end in -a: the ending changes to match the noun. Kinna goes with a masculine singular noun, as in 'kinna paisa' (how much money); kinni goes with a feminine singular noun, as in 'kinni roti' (how many rotis); and kinne goes with plurals, as in 'kinne bande' (how many people) or 'kinne paise' (how much money, counting coins). The pattern is the same one you see in vadda, vaddi and vadde, the three forms of big. Its Hindi cousin is kitna, which works the same way.

How is kinna used?

Kinna asks about quantity in everyday life: money, time, food and people. 'Kinna paisa hai?' asks how much money there is; 'Kinne vaje han?' asks what time it is; 'Kinni roti khaoge?' asks how many rotis you will eat. In each case the word stands at the front of the question, and the answer is a number.

Kinna also measures feelings and sizes. 'Kinna vadda!' means 'How big!', said when something surprises you, and 'Kinna changa!' means 'How good!' The word turns a plain statement into a measure, and the measure is always the speaker's own surprise or curiosity.

Kinna as an exclamation

Put an exclamation mark after kinna and it stops asking and starts marvelling. 'Kinna sohna!' means 'How beautiful!', and Punjabi songs double the word for extra feeling: 'Kinni kinni sohni' means 'so very beautiful', repeated until the praise lands. The doubled form is common in songs and in fond teasing, and it is always warm, never a complaint.

How do you ask the price in Punjabi?

The question is 'Kinne da hai?', which means 'How much does this cost?' The shopkeeper answers with a number, often followed by 'rupaye'. In a market you will also hear 'Kinna ghatt karoge?', which means 'How much less will you do?', the start of a friendly bargain. Knowing kinna is what turns looking into buying.

What is the difference between kinna and bahut?

Kinna asks and bahut answers. Kinna means 'how much?', while bahut means 'a lot' or 'very much'. So 'Kinna pani hai?' asks how much water there is, and 'Bahut pani hai' says there is a lot of it. Thoda means 'a little', so together the three words cover the whole scale of amount, with kinna as the question that starts it.