Language/Panjabi/Grammar/Gurmukhi-Matra
| ◀️ Gurmukhi Alphabet — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Greetings and Introductions ▶️ |
As a Panjabi language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the Gurmukhi Matra in this lesson. These are diacritical marks used in Gurmukhi script, which modify the pronunciation of consonants. Understanding the Matra is an essential step towards mastering the Panjabi language.
Let us dive right in!
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Give your Opinion & 0 to A1 Course.
What are the Gurmukhi Matra?
Matra in Gurmukhi denotes vowel sound. The Matra consists of nine marks that are added to the consonants to represent different vowels sounds. The vowels that can be added to consonants are:
- ਅ
- ਆ
- ਇ
- ਈ
- ਉ
- ਊ
- ਏ
- ਐ
- ਓ
- ਔ
The vowel sounds are divided into short and long sounds as indicated by the horizontal lines above the consonants.
Now, let’s look at each Matra and its pronunciation.
Gurmukhi Matra and Pronunciation
Here is a list and pronunciation of the Gurmukhi Matra:
| Gurmukhi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ਅ | a, /ə/ (depending on position) | As in "above"/ "ago" |
| ਆ | aa, /aː/ | As in "car" |
| ਇ | i, /ɪ, iː/ | As in "pin" or "heat" |
| ਈ | ii, /i:/ | As in "fleek" |
| ਉ | u, /ʊ/ or /u:/ | As in "putt" or "boot" |
| ਊ | uu, /u:/ | As in "shoe" |
| ਏ | ei, /ɛː/ | As in "bear" |
| ਐ | ai, /aɪ/ | As in "pie" |
| ਓ | o, /o:/ or /ɔː/ | As in "bowl" or "law" |
| ਔ | au, /aʊ/ | As in "cow" |
Note: The pronunciation of some Matra sounds depends on their location in the word. For example, the sound of Matra ‘ਅ’ may be pronounced as a short ‘a’ or a short vowel sound similar to ‘uh’ depending on its location.
Usage of the Gurmukhi Matra
The Matra is used in Gurmukhi script to denote the different vowel sounds that can be paired with each consonant sound in Panjabi. There are two categories of vowel sounds: dependent and independent vowel sounds.
Dependent Vowel Sounds
The dependent vowel sounds can only be used in combination with a consonant. They are added to a consonant to create a syllable. The dependent vowels are:
- ਿ (i) – pronounced as “ih”
- ੀ (ee) – pronounced as “eeh”
- ੭ (u) – pronounced as “uh"
- ੂ (oo) – pronounced as “ooh”
- ੇ (ae) – pronounced as “ayh”
- ੈ (ai) – pronounced as “ayee”
- ੋ (au) – pronounced as “ow”
- ੌ (ou) – pronounced as “owee”
Independent Vowel Sounds
The independent vowel sounds can be used on their own or combined with consonants. The independent vowels are:
- ਅ (a) – pronounced as "a"
- ਆ (aa) – pronounced as "aa"
- ਇ (i) – pronounced as "ih"
- ਈ (ee) – pronounced as "eeh"
- ਉ (u) – pronounced as "uh"
- ਊ (oo) – pronounced as "ooh"
- ਏ (ae) – pronounced as "ayh"
- ਐ (ai) – pronounced as "ayee"
- ਓ (au) – pronounced as "ow"
- ਔ (ou) – pronounced as "owee"
Modifying Consonant Pronunciation
The Gurmukhi Matra can significantly impact the pronunciation and meaning of a word by modifying the consonant pronunciation. Here are a few examples of how the Matra changes the pronunciation of consonants when paired with dependent vowel sounds:
- ਕ – pronounced as "k"
- ਕਿ - pronounced as "ke"
- ਕੀ - pronounced as "kee"
- ਕੁ - pronounced as "ku" (soft "u")
- ਕੂ - pronounced as "koo" (hard "u")
- ਕੇ - pronounced as "kay"
- ਕੈ - pronounced as "kai" (pronounced as "ke" - young inflection)
- ਕੋ - pronounced as "ko" (hard 'o', nasalized)
- ਕੌ - pronounced as "kow" (ou, pronounced like cow)
As you can see, the Matra creates a unique sound in each example. It's essential to practice the pronunciation of each Matra with consonants to become comfortable with how the Matra affects the consonant sound.
Conclusion
By now, you know what the Gurmukhi Matra is, its usage, and its importance in Panjabi script. Understanding the Matra is an essential step towards mastering Panjabi language. If you practice and understand how the Matra modifies consonant pronunciation, your Panjabi pronunciation will dramatically improve.
In the next section of this course, we will dive into basic Panjabi words and phrases. Keep practicing the Gurmukhi Matra in the meanwhile.
I hope you found this lesson helpful. Happy learning!
With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: How to Use Be & Nouns and Pronouns.
Other Lessons
- 0 to A1 Course
- Likes and Dislikes
- Prepositions
- Pronouns
- Nouns
- Nouns and Pronouns
- Subject Object Verb Order
- Asking Questions
- How to Use Be
| ◀️ Gurmukhi Alphabet — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Greetings and Introductions ▶️ |