Sat Sri Akaal, Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh!
Hi everyone! Ki haal hai? Sabh wadiya?
Not long ago, we had a lovely treat at home – my BhuaJi and FufarJi came over for a proper catch-up. And of course, being a Punjabi family, we had a feast to go with it: pakore, samose, sandwiches, chaa, and even some homemade cupcakes! 
There was plenty of laughter, a good trip down memory lane, and – naturally – a bit of a Punjabi quiz. You know how it is with family; everyone starts comparing their Punjabi skills, and the next thing you know, you’re knee-deep in language trivia!
Somehow, we got onto the topic of colours in Punjabi. Someone brought out a colour chart, and the next half-hour flew by with all of us debating Punjabi, Spanish, and French colour names. It was hilarious to see everyone digging through memories, debating words, and even introducing new ones!
Here’s what we came up with:
The easy ones (the basics we all agreed on):
- Neela – blue
- Peela – yellow
- Kala – black
- Chita – white
- Lal – red
The ones that took a little thinking:
- Santri – orange… not to be confused with santra, which is orange the fruit
- Gulabi – pink… not gulab, which means “rose”
And then, of course, the ones for debate:
-
Sunehri or Sohna for gold
- We settled on Sohna for “gold” in the sense of jewellery, and Sunehri for the colour gold.
-
Jamani or Bengani for purple
- Jamani is considered the “proper” Punjabi word, but many people say Bengani since it’s the colour of bengan (aubergine).
The best part? There was one colour that had us completely stumped: brown. Not one person knew it. But after some digging, we found the answer: Bhura!
So, did you know Bhura was brown? And do you have any colours you’ve debated with family? Drop me a message – I’d love to hear them!
Dhanwaad Ji, Harsimrat Kaur
PS: If you’re interested in practising your Punjabi weekly, we have a lovely WhatsApp group – come join us! Just drop me a message at (+44) 07792719514.