ਵੇਖਣਾ

What does vekhna mean in Punjabi? Vekhna (ਵੇਖਣਾ) means to see, to look and to watch: it is the everyday Punjabi verb for using your eyes, from glancing at the weather to watching a film. When a Punjabi speaker says vekh, they mean look, and vekhna is one of the first verbs every learner meets.

What does vekhna mean in Punjabi?

Wiktionary's Punjabi Swadesh list, the standard list of core vocabulary, gives vekhna as the Punjabi word for to see, at number 101, right before sunna, to hear. The Wiktionary word data also lists vekhna as a verb meaning to look. The two English words cover the Punjabi one together: vekhna is seeing that you do on purpose, looking at something with your eyes open and your attention on it, not just light reaching the eye.

How is vekhna used every day?

The verb changes shape through the day. Vekh on its own is the quick command, look. Vekhya is saw, as in I saw him yesterday. Vekhna also stretches beyond eyesight in daily talk: vekhange, we will see, is the standard Punjabi way of saying wait and see, and asking someone to vekh lena can mean keep an eye on something or check it. Watching a film, checking the sky before a journey and looking after children all use forms of this one verb.

Is vekhna the same as dekhna?

Almost. Dekhna (ਦੇਖਣਾ) is a close synonym shared with Hindi and Urdu, and every Punjabi speaker understands it. The Indo-Aryan Swadesh lists set the pair side by side: Hindi dekhna, Punjabi vekhna, for the same core meaning to see. In Punjab itself, vekhna is the word that sounds like home, the one used in villages, songs and family talk, while dekhna often arrives through film, school and Hindi media. Learners who choose vekhna will sound naturally Punjabi.