ਵੇਖੋ

What does vekho mean in Punjabi?

Vekho (ਵੇਖੋ) means 'look' or 'see' in Punjabi. It is the polite way of telling someone to look at something, used with elders, strangers, or a group, and it comes from the verb vekhna, 'to see'. You will hear it in everyday requests such as 'idhar vekho', look here, and 'eh vekho', look at this.

Where does vekho come from?

Vekho comes from the verb vekhna (ਵੇਖਣਾ), 'to see', 'to look' or 'to watch'. Wiktionary traces vekhna to Prakrit avĕkkhaï and Sanskrit avékṣate, 'he looks', from īkṣate, 'he sees'. The stem is vekh, and vekho is the stem with the polite ending o added. Vekhna also carries a third sense, 'to watch over' or 'to safeguard', which still shows in phrases about looking after someone.

How is vekho used in everyday speech?

Vekho is the word Punjabis reach for when they want someone's attention on something. 'Eh vekho' means look at this, 'udhar vekho' means look over there, and 'aap vekho' means see for yourself. It works for looking at a photo, watching a match, or checking a price in a shop. Adding ji makes it softer: 'vekho ji' is 'please look'.

Vekho, vekh and vekhio: which form should you use?

Punjabi changes the ending to show respect. With tu, the familiar 'you' for a close friend or a child, the command is the bare stem: vekh, look. With tusi, the polite 'you' for elders and strangers, and for any group, it is vekho. A still softer form is the jussive vekhio, which sounds like a gentle request, 'please look'. To ask someone not to look, put na after the verb: 'na vekho', do not look.