चहकना (chahaknaa)
verb
One core meaning -- to chirp or twitter, used literally for birds and figuratively for a person speaking in a bright, cheerful, animated way.
Sense
1
:
to chirp, to twitter (birds)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: चहचहाना (chahchahaanaa, birds twittering together)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word for the cheerful racket of sparrows and mynahs on a Delhi balcony at sunrise -- चिड़िया चहक रही है (chidiyaa chahak rahii hai, 'the bird is chirping') is the classic morning-scene sentence in Hindi textbooks and songs alike.
Sample Sentences:
सुबह-सुबह चिड़िया चहक रही है।
The bird is chirping early in the morning.
(subah-subah chidiyaa chahak rahii hai।)
गौरैया रोज़ सुबह छत पर चहकती है।
The sparrow chirps on the terrace every morning.
(gauraiyaa roz subah chhat par chahaktii hai।)
Listen: M85
पेड़ों पर बैठी चिड़ियाँ चहक रही थीं।
The birds sitting on the trees were chirping.
(pedon par baithii chidiyaan chahak rahii thiin।)
जैसे ही सूरज निकला, मैना चहक उठी।
As soon as the sun came out, the mynah burst into chirping.
(jaise hii sooraj niklaa, mainaa chahak uthii।)
बारिश के बाद चिड़ियाँ ज़ोर से चहकेंगी।
After the rain, the birds will chirp loudly.
(baarish ke baad chidiyaan zor se chahkengii।)
अगर पेड़ ज़्यादा होते तो यहाँ चिड़ियाँ ज़्यादा चहकतीं।
If there were more trees, birds would chirp more here.
(agar ped zyaadaa hote to yahaan chidiyaan zyaadaa chahaktiin।)
शायद बारिश आने से पहले चिड़ियाँ इतनी चहक रही हों।
Perhaps the birds chirp so much before it rains.
(shaayad baarish aane se pahle chidiyaan itnii chahak rahii hon।)
बगिया में चिड़ियों का चहकना सुनकर मन खिल उठा।
Hearing the birds chirping in the garden, my heart blossomed.
(bagiyaa men chidiyon kaa chahaknaa sunkar man khil uthaa।)
पिंजरे में बंद तोता भी कभी-कभी चहकता है।
Even the parrot locked in the cage chirps sometimes.
(pinjre men band totaa bhii kabhii-kabhii chahaktaa hai।)
जंगल में हज़ारों चिड़ियों की चहकने की आवाज़ सुनी जाती थी।
The chirping sound of thousands of birds used to be heard in the forest.
(jangal men hazaaron chidiyon kii chahakne kii aavaaz sunii jaatii thii।)
Sense
2
:
to speak or laugh in a bright, cheerful, lively way (of a person)
verb, intransitive Used almost always of someone in an upbeat, playful mood -- a happy child, a cheerful bride, a lively friend -- carrying the same bird-like brightness as the literal sense.
Synonyms: खिलखिलाना (khilkhilaanaa, leans more toward bright laughter than speech)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this about a child home from school or a girl excited about a new outfit -- वो सुबह से चहक रही है (vo subah se chahak rahii hai, 'she has been chirping cheerfully since morning') -- the image is literally a bird-like brightness in someone's voice and mood.
Common Mistakes: 1) Do not reach for चहकना (chahaknaa) for ordinary excited talking or gossip -- that is बकबक करना (bakbak karnaa) or बतियाना (batiyaanaa); चहकना (chahaknaa) specifically carries a note of lightness and joy, not just volume or speed.
Sample Sentences:
वो सुबह से चहक रही है।
She has been chirping cheerfully since morning.
(vo subah se chahak rahii hai।)
नई ड्रेस पहनकर बिटिया चहक उठी।
The little girl brightened up and started chattering happily after wearing her new dress.
(naii dres pahankar bitiyaa chahak uthii।)
बच्चे स्कूल से लौटकर घर में चहकते हैं।
The children come home from school and chatter cheerfully.
(bachche skool se lautkar ghar men chahakte hain।)
इतना मत चहको, थोड़ी देर शांत बैठो।
Don't be so chirpy, sit quietly for a while.
(itnaa mat chahko, thodii der shaant baitho।)
अगर उसे इनाम मिल जाता तो वो पूरे दिन चहकती।
If she had gotten the prize, she would have been chattering cheerfully all day.
(agar use inaam mil jaataa to vo poore din chahaktii।)
जब भी उसका फोन आता है, वो चहकने लगती है।
Whenever his call comes, she starts chattering cheerfully.
(jab bhii uskaa phon aataa hai, vo chahakne lagtii hai।)
पार्टी में सब लड़कियाँ चहक रही थीं।
At the party, all the girls were chattering cheerfully.
(paartii men sab ladkiyaan chahak rahii thiin।)
काश वो थोड़ा चहकती, आजकल बहुत उदास रहती है।
I wish she would chatter cheerfully a bit, these days she stays very sad.
(kaash vo thodaa chahaktii, aajkal bahut udaas rahtii hai।)
उम्मीद है छुट्टियों के बाद बच्चे फिर से चहकें।
Hopefully the children will be chirpy again after the holidays.
(ummiid hai chhuttiyon ke baad bachche phir se chahken।)
रिजल्ट सुनकर वो खुशी से चहक उठेगी।
She will brighten up and start chattering happily on hearing the result.
(rijalt sunkar vo khushii se chahak uthegii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
चहकना
(chahaknaa)
infinitive oblique:
चहकने
(chahakne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
चहकता
(chahaktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
चहकते
(chahakte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
चहकती
(chahaktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
चहकतीं
(chahaktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
चहक रहा
(chahak rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
चहक रहे
(chahak rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
चहक रही
(chahak rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
चहक रहीं
(chahak rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
चहका
(chahkaa)
perfective (pl.m):
चहके
(chahke)
perfective (sg.f):
चहकी
(chahkii)
perfective (pl.f):
चहकीं
(chahkiin)
imperative (informal):
चहक
(chahak)
imperative (neutral):
चहको
(chahko)
imperative (formal):
चहकिए
(chahkie)
future (1sg.m):
चहकूँगा
(chahkoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
चहकूँगी
(chahkoongii)
future (1pl.m):
चहकेंगे
(chahkenge)
future (1pl.f):
चहकेंगी
(chahkengii)
future (2sg.m):
चहकेगा
(chahkegaa)
future (2sg.f):
चहकेगी
(chahkegii)
future (2pl.m):
चहकोगे
(chahkoge)
future (2pl.f):
चहकोगी
(chahkogii)
future (3sg.m):
चहकेगा
(chahkegaa)
future (3sg.f):
चहकेगी
(chahkegii)
future (3pl.m):
चहकेंगे
(chahkenge)
future (3pl.f):
चहकेंगी
(chahkengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
चहकूँ
(chahkoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
चहकें
(chahken)
subjunctive (2sg):
चहके
(chahke)
subjunctive (2pl):
चहको
(chahko)
subjunctive (3sg):
चहके
(chahke)
subjunctive (3pl):
चहकें
(chahken)