ਤੁਸੀਂ

What does tusi mean in Punjabi?

Tusi (ਤੁਸੀਂ) is the Punjabi word for 'you' when you speak politely, or to more than one person. It is the plural and respectful form of tu, the familiar 'you'. 'Tusi kithe ja rahe ho?' means 'Where are you going?' It is one of the first words a learner of Punjabi needs, because it is how you speak to elders, strangers and teachers.

The origin of tusi

Tusi is the plural of tu, so it shares tu's old root: the Prakrit word tum, from the Sanskrit word tvam, 'you', running back to the Proto-Indo-European root *tuh2. Hindi keeps the same pattern, with tum as its plural 'you'. In Shahmukhi, the Perso-Arabic script used for Punjabi in Pakistan, tusi is written تسیں.

What are the forms of tusi?

Tusi changes its shape depending on its job in the sentence. The plain form, tusi, is the subject: 'tusi aao', you come. The oblique form is tusan, used before postpositions. When something is given to you, Punjabi says tuhaanu: 'tuhaanu ki chahida hai?', what do you need? When something comes from you, it is tuhaathon: 'tuhaathon puchhange', we will ask you. And to say that something belongs to you, the word is tuhada: 'eh tuhada ghar hai', this is your house. Tuhada has its own page in the Kosh, with its forms tuhade and tuhadi.

Tusi or tu: when to use which?

Tu is for closeness, so tusi is the safe word everywhere else. With elders, strangers, teachers, shopkeepers and anyone older than you, tusi shows respect, and using tu there can sound rude. Tusi is also the only choice when you speak to more than one person, even if they are close friends: one friend is tu, two friends are tusi. Learners sometimes worry about getting it wrong, but Punjabis are forgiving: starting with tusi and switching to tu when invited is always polite.

Tusi in everyday phrases

Tusi turns up in the small phrases that fill a Punjabi day. 'Tusi kiddan ho?' asks 'How are you?', 'tusi kithe rehnde ho?' asks 'Where do you live?', and 'tusi chaah peeoge?' offers 'Will you have tea?' A host welcomes a guest with 'tusi aao, baitho', come in, sit down, and a shopkeeper greets a customer with 'tusi dasso', you tell me. Once you know tusi and its partner main, 'I', you can hold a polite conversation in Punjabi.