Translate SRT subtitles to Punjabi, in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi
Upload SRT or VTT files and get every line translated into Punjabi on the original time codes. This page preselects Punjabi in Gurmukhi, the script of Indian Punjab; Punjabi in Shahmukhi, the Perso-Arabic script of Pakistani Punjab, is a separate choice in the list. The first part is free without an account, and the job is $5.
- Punjabi (Gurmukhi): left to right, as read in Indian Punjab
- Punjabi (Shahmukhi): right to left, with right-to-left marks on every line
- One script per job; the model is told which to use
- Time codes and numbering copied unchanged
- $5 for up to 30 files and 10,000 lines
Every line, on its timing.
The numbers and time codes of your file are kept exactly; only the words change. Right-to-left languages get the marks players need to show punctuation in the right place.
Demo scene written for this page; the Persian lines are real output from the tool.
One language, two scripts
Punjabi is spoken on both sides of the border between India and Pakistan and written differently on each side. In Indian Punjab, and among most Sikh communities abroad, it is written in Gurmukhi, a left-to-right script with its own letters. In Pakistani Punjab it is written in Shahmukhi, a Perso-Arabic script close to Urdu, written right to left. Most readers of one cannot read the other, so a subtitle in the wrong script is of no use to them.
Both scripts are in the target list as separate entries. This page starts with Gurmukhi; for a Pakistani audience, switch to Punjabi (Shahmukhi) before uploading.
What changes with Shahmukhi
Shahmukhi runs right to left, so each line gets an invisible right-to-left mark at its start and end, which keeps punctuation on the correct side in players that would otherwise lay the line out left to right. As with Urdu, the look on screen depends on the player's font, and a Nastaliq font looks most natural to readers. Gurmukhi needs no marks and displays on current phones and TVs.
Who needs Punjabi subtitles
- Punjabi families in Canada, the UK, the US and Australia sharing films with grandparents
- Gurdwaras and cultural associations organizing screenings
- Punjabi teachers using films with English and Punjabi on screen together
- Creators of short films and documentaries about Punjab who want a Punjabi track
Limits to be aware of
Punjabi has less AI training material than Hindi or Urdu, and Shahmukhi has less than Gurmukhi. Expect the meaning of most lines to come through, with some vocabulary leaning toward Hindi in Gurmukhi or toward Urdu in Shahmukhi. Check the free first part, correct lines on screen, and ask a fluent reader to review files for public screenings.
How the tool works, what it costs and how your files are handled is on the Subtitle Translator page; prices for every tool are on the pricing page.
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Questions and answers
Can ChatGPT translate an SRT file to Punjabi?
It can handle a short clip if you name the script. A whole film is a different job: long files tend to come back incomplete, or with lines merged and renumbered, so the subtitles drift away from the speech.
Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi: which should I pick?
Gurmukhi for viewers from Indian Punjab and most Sikh communities; Shahmukhi for viewers from Pakistani Punjab. If unsure, ask how they write Punjabi on their phone.
Can it convert Gurmukhi subtitles into Shahmukhi?
Not reliably. It is built to translate between languages, and lines already in Punjabi may be copied unchanged, so it is not a script converter.
Can I make both versions of a film?
Yes. Translate the original once with Punjabi (Gurmukhi) and once with Punjabi (Shahmukhi).
What is the price for a film?
You read the first part for free. A full job, up to 10,000 lines in up to 30 files, is $5, paid once; files totaling 150 lines or fewer are free in full. Unlimited is $19 a week.
Can English stay on screen above the Punjabi?
Yes. Bilingual output keeps the original line on top and the Punjabi below it, on the same timing.