i can't keep calling her Rani...

July 2, 2007 2:37 PM

How would I go about saying "You're my queen, and I love you" in Punjabi?

It's a long story. Basically, I need to know how to pronounce the above phrase in Punjabi. I especially need to know how to say it so it makes sense to someone who speaks Punjabi. I could find the translation online, but I can't find anywhere that will show me how to pronounce it, syllable by syllable.

If it matters, I'll be saying to to a very close friend, not a family member/complete stranger.

So if you can tell me, that would be great.

posted by Solomon to writing & language (6 comments total)

man. will you settle for hindi?
posted by unexpected at 3:43 PM on July 2, 2007

Ask her mum/sister?
posted by hobbes at 4:20 PM on July 2, 2007

Hindi would be cool, thanks. :)

Her mom (who is really nice) doesn't speak much english at all, and I don't know much beyond "salaam aleikum" (a fairly standard greeting).
posted by Solomon at 4:40 PM on July 2, 2007

okay this is pretty close (my hindi is slowly fading away from me!)

first the hindi, then the pronunciation:

Tumharee merii rani aur mai pyaar karta huu.

Toom-har-e marry ra-nee or mayh py-aar kar-ta who.


i always found I love you to be pretty funny. Mai pyaar karta huu literally means (I make love to you). Which would have a totally different connotation in english, but in Hindi it means I love you. My Hindi professor never taught us the word for sex though...she always claimed that it did not exist (which, if true, says so much about the indian culture).

Solomon, the punjabi version will be really close to this. You make me feel ashamed because I'm punjabi, but don't know it!

good luck.
posted by unexpected at 5:20 PM on July 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

In punjabi: Thu meri rani hai, meh thenu (boath) pyaar kardha ha.

with the "boath" it means I love you very much.
without the "boath" it means I love you

it's customary with -- otherwise it just sounds flat given the common usage of the language.
posted by gadha at 6:27 PM on July 2, 2007

On actual pronounciation...
This is informal, I don't actually know how to do this properly...

"Thu" - is like "too" with a h
"meri" - is like a contracted version of "mary" (as in saying it fast)
"rani" - as pronounced in english
"hai" - is like "hey" but with an i instead of a y
"meh" - is like the english "meh" (apathy)
"thenu" - is like "ten" and "ooh"
"boath" - is like both
"pyaar" - is like "pee" "aar"
"kardha" - is like car and "dha"
ha - is self evident.

dang. that seems odd
posted by gadha at 6:36 PM on July 2, 2007