Hindi collocations: the noun and its verb

An English speaker’s Hindi can be grammatical and still wrong. Nobody makes a mistake in Hindi — they do one, ग़लती करना. A bus is not taken but caught, बस पकड़ना; a guitar is not played but sounded, गिटार बजाना; and hunger is not something you are but something that strikes you, मुझे भूख लगी है. Much of everyday Hindi is a noun and a small verb after it, and which small verb belongs to which noun is a habit of the language, not a rule. Habits are learnt in pairs.

करना

To do, and the most productive verb in the language: almost any noun of action becomes a verb with it. You do a decision, a mistake, a phone call, a wait and a promise. It is transitive, so its past takes ne.

मैंने परीक्षा में फिर वही ग़लती की।I made the same mistake again in the exam.

सोच-समझकर फ़ैसला कीजिए।Think it over carefully before you decide.

मैं आपको शाम को फ़ोन करूँगा।I will call you in the evening.

होना

To be, and to happen. A fever, a delay, a pain or a feeling simply is, to the person who has it: that person stands with ko, and the verb agrees with the fever or the pain.

मुझे कल से बुख़ार है।I have had a fever since yesterday.

बारिश में भीगने से उसे ज़ुकाम हो गया।He caught a cold from getting wet in the rain.

माफ़ कीजिए, मुझे आने में देर हो गई।Sorry, I am late.

लगना

To strike, to be felt, to seem. Hunger, thirst, cold and fear strike a person; a song strikes them as good; a journey takes up time. The person stands with ko, and English “take” is the commonest wrong guess.

मुझे बहुत भूख लगी है।I am very hungry.

धूप में चलने के बाद बच्चों को प्यास लगी।After walking in the sun the children were thirsty.

खिड़की बंद कर दीजिए, मुझे ठंड लग रही है।Please close the window; I am feeling cold.

आना

To come — and the verb for what comes over you without your doing: sleep, anger, a memory, laughter, enjoyment. Like lagna, it puts the person with ko.

मुझे बहुत नींद आ रही है।I am very sleepy.

मेरे पापा को जल्दी ग़ुस्सा आता है।My father gets angry quickly.

विदेश में मुझे घर की बहुत याद आती है।Abroad I miss home very much.

देना

To give: an answer, advice, permission, thanks, attention — and an exam, which the candidate gives and the examiner takes. With dikhai and sunai it makes “to be seen” and “to be heard”.

कृपया इस बात पर ध्यान दीजिए।Please pay attention to this.

उसने मेरे सवाल का जवाब नहीं दिया।He did not answer my question.

कल मुझे गणित की परीक्षा देनी है।Tomorrow I have to sit my maths exam.

लेना

To take: a breath, a part, a day off, a loan. Often it is the English verb too — but not for a bus, an exam or time, which is exactly why the shared cases are worth knowing.

आँखें बंद कीजिए और गहरी साँस लीजिए।Close your eyes and take a deep breath.

मैंने स्कूल की दौड़ में हिस्सा लिया।I took part in the school race.

मैंने बीमारी की वजह से दो दिन की छुट्टी ली।I took two days off because I was ill.

खाना

To eat — and to suffer or receive: you eat a deception, a stumble, an oath. Medicine is eaten as well as taken, and fresh air is eaten on an evening walk.

सस्ते फ़ोन के चक्कर में मैंने धोखा खाया।I was taken in by the offer of a cheap phone.

यह दवा दिन में दो बार खाइए।Take this medicine twice a day.

उसने सच बोलने की क़सम खाई।She swore to tell the truth.

लगाना

To attach, to apply: a lock, a broom, cream on the skin, a plant in the ground, a guess. The transitive partner of lagna, and one of the busiest verbs of daily life.

जाने से पहले दरवाज़े पर ताला लगा दीजिए।Lock the door before you go.

माँ हर सुबह आँगन में झाड़ू लगाती हैं।Mother sweeps the courtyard every morning.

धूप में निकलने से पहले क्रीम लगाइए।Put on some cream before you go out in the sun.

रखना

To put, to keep: care, a name, a fast, something in mind. Where English takes care, Hindi keeps it.

अपना ध्यान रखिए।Take care of yourself.

दादी घर पर बच्चों का ख़याल रखती हैं।Grandmother looks after the children at home.

उन्होंने बेटी का नाम आशा रखा।They named their daughter Asha.

बनाना

To make with your hands or your planning: food, tea, a plan, friends, an excuse. Not a mistake and not a decision — those are done.

आज पापा सबके लिए खाना बना रहे हैं।Today Dad is cooking for everyone.

मैं सुबह सबसे पहले चाय बनाती हूँ।The first thing I do in the morning is make tea.

हमने छुट्टियों की योजना बनाई।We made plans for the holidays.

चलाना

To make something move or work: a car, a bicycle, a fan, a computer — and a shop or a business, which an English speaker runs.

मेरी बहन गाड़ी चलाना सीख रही है।My sister is learning to drive.

बच्चे पार्क में साइकिल चला रहे हैं।The children are riding their bikes in the park.

मेरे चाचा बाज़ार में एक छोटी दुकान चलाते हैं।My uncle runs a small shop in the market.

उठाना

To lift: the telephone when it rings, a question in a meeting, an advantage, a step, and the trouble somebody takes on your behalf.

मैंने तीन बार फ़ोन किया, पर किसी ने फ़ोन नहीं उठाया।I rang three times, but nobody answered.

इस मौक़े का पूरा फ़ायदा उठाइए।Make the most of this opportunity.

उसने मीटिंग में एक ज़रूरी सवाल उठाया।She raised an important question in the meeting.

निकालना

To take out: money from a machine, time from a busy day, a way out of a difficulty.

रोज़ थोड़ा समय पढ़ने के लिए निकालिए।Make a little time for reading every day.

मुझे एटीएम से पैसे निकालने हैं।I need to get some money out of the cash machine.

चिंता मत कीजिए, हम कोई रास्ता निकाल लेंगे।Don’t worry, we will find a way.

पकड़ना

To catch or hold: a bus, a train, a thief, a mistake in a text. English takes the bus; Hindi catches it.

मुझे सात बजे की बस पकड़नी है।I have to catch the seven o’clock bus.

हमने आख़िरी ट्रेन पकड़ी।We caught the last train.

टीचर ने मेरी ग़लती तुरंत पकड़ ली।The teacher spotted my mistake at once.

बजाना

To make something sound: a bell, a horn, the hands in applause, and every musical instrument. A game is played with khelna; an instrument never is.

मेरा भाई बहुत अच्छा गिटार बजाता है।My brother plays the guitar very well.

किसी ने दरवाज़े की घंटी बजाई।Somebody rang the doorbell.

गाना ख़त्म होने पर सबने ताली बजाई।When the song ended, everyone clapped.

मानना

To accept or to regard: what somebody tells you, defeat, an offence. Giving up is accepting defeat.

बच्चे मेरी बात नहीं मानते।The children don’t do what I tell them.

मुश्किल हो, फिर भी हार मत मानो।Even if it is hard, don’t give up.

मेरी बात का बुरा मत मानिए।Please don’t take offence at what I said.

भरना

To fill: a form, a bottle — and a bill or a fine, which are filled in the sense of paid in full.

यह फ़ॉर्म भरकर काउंटर पर दीजिए।Fill in this form and hand it in at the counter.

मैंने बिजली का बिल ऑनलाइन भरा।I paid the electricity bill online.

ग़लत जगह गाड़ी खड़ी करने पर उसे जुर्माना भरना पड़ा।He had to pay a fine for parking in the wrong place.

पड़ना

To fall, to befall: cold weather, an illness. Falling ill is not the same verb as falling down.

वह पिछले हफ़्ते बीमार पड़ गया।He fell ill last week.

इस साल दिल्ली में बहुत ठंड पड़ी।It was very cold in Delhi this year.

उड़ाना

To make fly: a kite, money that disappears, and a joke at somebody else’s expense.

दूसरों का मज़ाक़ मत उड़ाओ।Don’t make fun of other people.

मकर संक्रांति पर लोग छतों पर पतंग उड़ाते हैं।At Makar Sankranti people fly kites from the rooftops.

माँगना

To ask for, to request: forgiveness, help, permission. English “ask” is two verbs in Hindi, and this is the one that wants something.

मैंने देर से आने के लिए उससे माफ़ी माँगी।I apologised to her for coming late.

रास्ता भटक जाने पर हमने एक दुकानदार से मदद माँगी।When we lost our way, we asked a shopkeeper for help.

अंदर आने से पहले इजाज़त माँगिए।Ask for permission before you come in.

पूछना

To ask, to enquire: a question, the way, the price. The other half of English “ask”, the one that wants information.

क्या मैं आपसे एक सवाल पूछ सकती हूँ?May I ask you a question?

हमने एक पुलिसवाले से स्टेशन का रास्ता पूछा।We asked a policeman the way to the station.

छोड़ना

To leave, to let go: a job, a habit, a person at the station. Giving up smoking is leaving it.

उसने पिछले साल अपनी नौकरी छोड़ी।She quit her job last year.

मेरे पापा ने दस साल पहले सिगरेट छोड़ दी।My father gave up smoking ten years ago.

जलाना

To light, to burn: a lamp, a candle, a fire — and the light in a room, which is lit rather than opened.

अँधेरा हो गया है, बत्ती जला दीजिए।It has got dark; please switch on the light.

दिवाली की रात हर घर में दीये जलाए जाते हैं।On the night of Diwali lamps are lit in every house.

Try it yourself