Painterly illustration of a young Punjabi man lounging idly on a charpai under a banyan tree while villagers walk to work
Word

ਵੇਹਲਾ

vella
Say itVEH-laa, often typed vella in Roman slang spellingTypeAdjective
In short

Vella (ਵੇਹਲਾ), often written vella in Roman letters, is Punjabi slang for a person who is idle and unoccupied, with no work in hand and no plan to find any. Friends and mothers use it in teasing more often than in anger: the vella is the one roaming around while everyone else is busy.

How it's used

  1. 1ਉਹ ਸਾਰਾ ਦਿਨ ਵੇਹਲਾ ਘੁੱਮਦਾ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ।He roams around idle all day long. the classic picture
  2. 2ਮੈਂ ਅੱਜ ਕੱਲ੍ਹ ਵੇਹਲਾ ਹਾਂ, ਪ੍ਰੀਖਿਆਵਾਂ ਮੁੱਕ ਗਈਆਂ ਹਨ।I am free these days, my exams are over. a neutral use
  3. 3ਵੇਹਲੇ ਬੈਠਣ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਕੁਝ ਕੰਮ ਹੀ ਕਰ ਲੈ।Instead of sitting idle, do some work at least. a gentle scolding
Show 1 more example
  1. 4ਸਾਡੇ ਪਿੰਡ ਦੇ ਵੇਹਲੇ ਮੁੰਡੇ ਸੱਥ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੈਠੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ।The idle lads of our village keep sitting in the sath, the village gathering spot. village life

What does vella mean in Punjabi? Vella (ਵੇਹਲਾ) describes a person who is idle, unoccupied and in no hurry to change that: no job on the go, no task in hand, just time being passed. It is one of the most familiar teasing words in Punjabi homes, aimed at anyone caught doing nothing while work waits.

What does vella mean in Punjabi?

The standard Punjabi word is vehla, written ਵੇਹਲਾ, which dictionaries give for the English word idle. In Roman letters, vella is the slang spelling most young people type, and in speech the two are the same word. Its feminine form is vehli (ਵੇਹਲੀ), and the masculine plural is velle. Slang explainers describe a vella as someone unoccupied, unemployed or simply doing nothing, which matches how families actually use the word.

How is the word used?

Vella is a label, not an insult with real teeth. A mother who finds her son stretched out on the charpai at noon calls him vella. Friends tease the one who is always free for a film as the vella of the group. The classic picture is vella turya phirda, roaming around idle, a phrase slang explanations of the word themselves use. Said to a stranger or an elder it would be rude, but inside the family it usually lands with a laugh, half complaint and half affection.

The word can also soften into something almost fond. In a culture that prizes mehnat, hard work, being vella for one afternoon is a small holiday, and students between exams or workers between seasons claim the title proudly for a few days. It only turns sharp when idleness becomes a habit and everyone else is left carrying the load.

Is vella the same as lazy?

Not exactly. Lazy describes a habit and a character, while vella describes a state: having nothing to do right now. A hardworking farmer is vella in the quiet weeks after harvest, and a diligent student is vella on the day the results come out. That is why the teasing rarely wounds. Everyone has been vella at some point, and everyone expects to be again.

ਪਂਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਰਥ

ਵੇਹਲਾ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਜਿਸ ਕੋਲ ਉਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਕੋਈ ਕੰਮ ਨਾ ਹੋਵੇ। ਇਹ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਅਕਸਰ ਮਜ਼ਾਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਮਾਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਨੂੰ ਕਹਿੰਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਾਰਾ ਦਿਨ ਵੇਹਲਾ ਘੁੱਮਦਾ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈਂ। ਵੇਹਲਾ ਹੋਣਾ ਆਲਸੀ ਹੋਣ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਖਰਾ ਹੈ, ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਮਿਹਨਤੀ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਵੀ ਕੰਮ ਮੁੱਕਣ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਕੁਝ ਦਿਨ ਵੇਹਲਾ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ।

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