Waqt (ਵਕਤ) is the Punjabi word for 'time'. It means the hours and days as they pass, and also the right moment or chance: 'waqt milya' means 'I got the time'. It comes from the Arabic word waqt, which reached Punjabi through Persian, and it is one of the most common words in Punjabi speech and songs.
How it's used
- 1ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲ ਵਕਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ।I do not have time.
- 2ਵਕਤ ਬਹੁਤ ਤੇਜ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ ਲੰਘ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ।Time is passing very fast.
- 3ਵਕਤ ਤੇ ਆ ਜਾਇਓ।Come on time.
Show 2 more examples
- 4ਵਕਤ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਤੇ ਗੱਲ ਬਣ ਗਈ।When the moment came, the matter was settled.
- 5ਹੁਣ ਵਕਤ ਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।Now the time has come.
ਵਕਤ ਦਾ ਅਰਥ ਹੈ 'ਸਮਾਂ'। ਇਹ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਅਰਬੀ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਵਕਤ ਤੋਂ ਆਇਆ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਫਾਰਸੀ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਇਆ। ਇਹ ਪੁਲਿੰਗ ਹੈ। 'ਵਕਤ ਮਿਲਿਆ' ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੈ 'ਵਕਤ ਮਿਲ ਗਿਆ', ਅਤੇ 'ਵਕਤ ਆ ਗਿਆ' ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੈ 'ਸਮਾਂ ਆ ਗਿਆ'। ਵਕਤ ਦਾ ਦੂਜਾ ਅਰਥ 'ਮੌਕਾ' ਵੀ ਹੈ, ਜਿਵੇਂ 'ਵਕਤ ਲੰਘ ਗਿਆ' ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੈ ਮੌਕਾ ਹੱਥੋਂ ਨਿਕਲ ਗਿਆ। ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਮਾਂ (ਸਮਾਂ) ਵੀ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਰੋਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਬੋਲਚਾਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਕਤ ਵੱਧ ਆਮ ਹੈ।
What does waqt mean in Punjabi?
Waqt (ਵਕਤ) is the Punjabi word for 'time'. It means the hours and days as they pass, and it also means the right moment or chance to do something: 'waqt milya' means 'I got the time', and 'waqt aa gaya' means 'the time has come'. It comes from the Arabic word waqt, which reached Punjabi through Persian.
Where does waqt come from?
Waqt comes from the Arabic word waqt, borrowed into Punjabi through Classical Persian, where it is spelled the same way. The Hindi word vaqt (वक़्त) is the same word in another script. Waqt is a masculine noun, and it is spelled ਵਕਤ in Gurmukhi and وقت in Shahmukhi. Dictionaries list more senses than just clock time: a fixed time, a season, an hour, a duration, a juncture, and an opportunity.
Punjabi also has samay (ਸਮਾਂ), a Sanskrit-derived word for time. Samay is used in more formal speech and in writing, while waqt is the everyday word, the one people use at home, in the fields and in songs.
How is waqt used?
Waqt is used for the time of day, for being on time and for chances. 'Waqt te aa jao' means 'Come on time.' 'Mere kol waqt nahi hai' means 'I do not have time.' 'Waqt barbaad na karo' means 'Do not waste time.' And 'waqt da pata nahi lagda' means 'You do not notice time passing', the way a good day slips by. In each case waqt is the measure of the day, not the clock on the wall.
Waqt as chance
Waqt's second sense is the one Punjabis use most in advice and sayings: the right moment. 'Waqt milya te gall ban gayi' means 'When the moment came, the matter was settled.' A chance that is missed is 'waqt langh gaya', the time has gone by. Rekhta's dictionary notes the same range in Urdu and Hindi, where waqt can mean an opportunity, a season, and even, in metaphor, a hard time.
What does 'waqt nahi hai' mean?
'Waqt nahi hai' means 'There is no time' or 'I do not have time.' It is the everyday way to say no to something without explaining why. The fuller form is 'Mere kol waqt nahi hai', 'I do not have time', and the polite answer to a request is often 'Waqt milya te zaroor', 'If I get the time, certainly.'
Related words
Sources (2)
Jugti is free and independent. Reader support keeps the Kosh growing.
Support