गाना (gaanaa)
verb/noun
Two closely linked senses: as a verb, गाना (gaanaa) means 'to sing'; as a noun (masculine), गाना (gaanaa) means 'a song.' The overlap is not coincidental -- Hindi infinitives regularly double as verbal nouns.
Sense
1
:
to sing
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Singing together is a favorite pastime in Delhi-NCR households -- long train journeys and festival evenings often turn into a round of अंताक्षरी (antaakshrii), where everyone takes turns singing film गाने (gaane). Note that गाना (gaanaa) as a verb and गाना (gaanaa) as a noun share one form, a pattern you will meet again with other Hindi infinitives that moonlight as masculine nouns.
Common Mistakes: 1) The verb गाना (gaanaa) and the noun गाना (gaanaa, 'song') are spelled identically, so a sentence like उसने गाना गाया (usne gaanaa gaayaa, 'she sang a song') can look like a stutter or a repeated word -- it is actually object ('song') followed by the verb ('sang'), not the same word twice. 2) Learners sometimes try to use गाना (gaanaa) for humming or reciting -- for a tune hummed under one's breath, गुनगुनाना (gungunaanaa) is the word natives reach for instead.
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत अच्छा गाती है।
She sings very well.
(vah bahut achchhaa gaatii hai।)
बच्चे स्कूल में रोज़ प्रार्थना गाते हैं।
The children sing a prayer every day at school.
(bachche skool men roz praarthnaa gaate hain।)
वह मंच पर गा रहा है।
He is singing on stage.
(vah manch par gaa rahaa hai।)
कल रात पार्टी में सब लोग गा रहे थे।
Last night everyone was singing at the party.
(kal raat paartii men sab log gaa rahe the।)
उसने पूरे सफर में गाना गाया।
He sang a song for the whole journey.
(usne poore saphar men gaanaa gaayaa।)
तू ज़रा गा तो सही, सुनते हैं तेरी आवाज़।
Come on, sing a bit, let's hear your voice.
(too zaraa gaa to sahii, sunte hain terii aavaaz।)
कृपया अगला गाना आप गाइए।
Please sing the next song, sir.
(kripyaa aglaa gaanaa aap gaaie।)
अंताक्षरी में हर किसी को बारी-बारी से गाना पड़ता है।
In antaakshrii, everyone has to sing in turn.
(antaakshrii men har kisii ko baarii-baarii se gaanaa padtaa hai।)
अगर मुझे मौका मिलता, तो मैं भी गाता।
If I had gotten the chance, I would have sung too.
(agar mujhe maukaa miltaa, to main bhii gaataa।)
शायद वह शादी में कोई पुराना गाना गाए।
Maybe she will sing some old song at the wedding.
(shaayad vah shaadii men koii puraanaa gaanaa gaae।)
मंदिर में भजन बड़े प्रेम से गाए जाते हैं।
Devotional songs are sung with great love in the temple.
(mandir men bhajan bade prem se gaae jaate hain।)
कवि सम्मेलन में उसकी रचना गाई गई।
His composition was sung at the poets' gathering.
(kavi sammelan men uskii rachnaa gaaii gaii।)
Sense
2
:
song
noun, masculine
Synonyms: गीत (giit, slightly more literary/poetic)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: गाना बजाना (gaanaa bajaanaa, 'singing and playing music') is the standard phrase for the general hum of music-making at a wedding or party -- you will hear aunties say यहाँ तो गाना बजाना चल रहा है (yahaan to gaanaa bajaanaa chal rahaa hai, 'there's music going on here') as they walk into a सगाई (sagaaii) function.
Common Mistakes: 1) गीत (giit) tends to be reserved for devotional, classical, or poetic songs, while गाना (gaanaa) is the everyday word covering everything from Bollywood hits to nursery rhymes -- reaching for गीत (giit) in casual conversation about the radio can sound a touch formal.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे यह गाना बहुत पसंद है।
I like this song a lot.
(mujhe yah gaanaa bahut pasand hai।)
यहाँ तो गाना बजाना चल रहा है।
There's music going on here.
(yahaan to gaanaa bajaanaa chal rahaa hai।)
उसने शादी में एक बहुत पुराना गाना बजाया।
He played a very old song at the wedding.
(usne shaadii men ek bahut puraanaa gaanaa bajaayaa।)
यह गाना रेडियो पर बहुत बजता है।
This song plays a lot on the radio.
(yah gaanaa rediyo par bahut bajtaa hai।)
कल रात पार्टी में कौन सा गाना बज रहा था?
Which song was playing at the party last night?
(kal raat paartii men kaun saa gaanaa baj rahaa thaa?)
यह गाना उसके नए एल्बम में शामिल किया जाएगा।
This song will be included in his new album.
(yah gaanaa uske nae elbam men shaamil kiyaa jaaegaa।)
काश मुझे उस फिल्म के हर गाने के बोल याद होते।
I wish I remembered the lyrics of every song from that film.
(kaash mujhe us philm ke har gaane ke bol yaad hote।)
यह गाना सुनकर वह अपने बचपन के दिन याद करने लगा।
Hearing this song, he started remembering his childhood days.
(yah gaanaa sunkar vah apne bachpan ke din yaad karne lagaa।)
ज़रा वह गाना तो बजाओ, बहुत दिनों से नहीं सुना।
Go on, play that song, I haven't heard it in ages.
(zaraa vah gaanaa to bajaao, bahut dinon se nahiin sunaa।)
इस गाने का संगीत किसी बड़े संगीतकार ने दिया होगा।
The music for this song must have been composed by some big musician.
(is gaane kaa sangiit kisii bade sangiitkaar ne diyaa hogaa।)
उस गाने के बोल इतने गहरे हैं कि हर सुनने वाला सोच में पड़ जाता है।
The lyrics of that song are so profound that every listener falls into thought.
(us gaane ke bol itne gahre hain ki har sunne vaalaa soch men pad jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
गाना
(gaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
गाने
(gaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
गाता
(gaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
गाते
(gaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
गाती
(gaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
गातीं
(gaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
गा रहा
(gaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
गा रहे
(gaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
गा रही
(gaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
गा रहीं
(gaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
गाया
(gaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
गाए
(gaae)
perfective (sg.f):
गाई
(gaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
गाईं
(gaaiin)
imperative (informal):
गा
(gaa)
imperative (neutral):
गाओ
(gaao)
imperative (formal):
गाइए
(gaaie)
future (1sg.m):
गाऊँगा
(gaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
गाऊँगी
(gaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
गाएँगे
(gaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
गाएँगी
(gaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
गाएगा
(gaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
गाएगी
(gaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
गाओगे
(gaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
गाओगी
(gaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
गाएगा
(gaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
गाएगी
(gaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
गाएँगे
(gaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
गाएँगी
(gaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
गाऊँ
(gaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
गाएँ
(gaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
गाए
(gaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
गाओ
(gaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
गाए
(gaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
गाएँ
(gaaen)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
गाना
(gaanaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
गाने
(gaane)
(pl.m.direct):
गाने
(gaane)
(pl.m.oblique):
गानों
(gaanon)