पीना (piinaa)

verb पीना (piinaa) means 'to drink' and is the everyday verb for any liquid, but it stretches to cover smoking (सिगरेट पीना (sigret piinaa)) and shows up in vivid idioms about swallowing emotion or tormenting someone.
Sense 1 : to drink (a liquid)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: सेवन करना (sevan karnaa, formal, used for medicine/tonics), गटकना (gataknaa, informal, to gulp down)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: चाय पीना (chaay piinaa, 'to drink tea') is probably the single most common verb phrase you will hear in any Indian home or office -- offering and drinking chai runs through daily social life. Note that पीना (piinaa) covers a slow sip and a fast gulp alike; Hindi does not force you to distinguish the two the way English sometimes does.
Common Mistakes: 1) Liquid medicine (syrup, tonics) takes पीना (piinaa), but a tablet or capsule takes खाना (khaanaa) -- learners often default to पीना (piinaa) for pills too.
Sample Sentences:
क्या तुम चाय पिओगे? Will you have some tea?
(kyaa tum chaay pioge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मैं हर सुबह खाली पेट पानी पीता हूँ। I drink water on an empty stomach every morning.
(main har subah khaalii pet paanii piitaa hoon।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह अभी दूध पी रही है। She is drinking milk right now.
(vah abhii doodh pii rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बच्चे ने सारा जूस पी लिया। The child drank up all the juice.
(bachche ne saaraa joos pii liyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पानी पियो, वरना डिहाइड्रेशन हो जाएगा। Drink water, or you'll get dehydrated.
(paanii piyo, varnaa dihaaidreshan ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा है कि मरीज़ को ज़्यादा पानी पीना चाहिए। The doctor has said that the patient should drink more water.
(doktar ne kahaa hai ki mariiz ko zyaadaa paanii piinaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे प्यास लगती तो मैं थोड़ा पानी पी लेता। If I had been thirsty, I would have drunk some water.
(agar mujhe pyaas lagtii to main thodaa paanii pii letaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
मेहमानों को चाय पिलाई गई। The guests were served tea to drink.
(mehmaanon ko chaay pilaaii gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
पहले चाय पी लो, फिर बात करते हैं। First have your tea, then we'll talk.
(pahle chaay pii lo, phir baat karte hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शायद वह ठंडा नींबू पानी पीना पसंद करे। Perhaps she would prefer to drink cold lemonade.
(shaayad vah thandaa niimboo paanii piinaa pasand kare।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
जब मैं दफ़्तर पहुँचूँगा, तब तक चाय पी चुका होऊँगा। By the time I reach the office, I will have already had my tea.
(jab main daftar pahunchoongaa, tab tak chaay pii chukaa hooongaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to smoke (tobacco)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: फूंकना (phoonknaa, colloquial, 'to puff')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: सिगरेट पीना (sigret piinaa, 'to smoke a cigarette') and बीड़ी पीना (biidii piinaa, 'to smoke a bidi') both use पीना (piinaa) rather than a 'burn' verb -- Hindi conceptually treats inhaling smoke as a kind of drinking, which trips up English speakers expecting a fire-based verb.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for जलाना (jalaanaa, 'to light/burn') to say 'smoke a cigarette,' but जलाना (jalaanaa) only covers lighting it -- the act of smoking itself is पीना (sigret piinaa, 'to smoke a cigarette').
Sample Sentences:
वह रोज़ दो सिगरेट पीता है। He smokes two cigarettes every day.
(vah roz do sigret piitaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाहर मत सिगरेट पी, यहीं पी लो। Don't smoke outside, smoke it right here.
(baahar mat sigret pii, yahiin pii lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह गली के कोने में बीड़ी पी रहा था। He was smoking a bidi at the corner of the lane.
(vah galii ke kone men biidii pii rahaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम सिगरेट पीते हो? Do you smoke cigarettes?
(kyaa tum sigret piite ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम सिगरेट न पीते तो तुम्हारी खांसी इतनी नहीं बढ़ती। If you didn't smoke cigarettes, your cough wouldn't have gotten this bad.
(agar tum sigret n piite to tumhaarii khaansii itnii nahiin badhtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि वह सिगरेट पीना छोड़ दे। The doctor said that he should quit smoking cigarettes.
(doktar ne kahaa ki vah sigret piinaa chhod de।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसने दस साल तक सिगरेट पी और फिर एक दिन छोड़ दी। He smoked cigarettes for ten years and then quit one day.
(usne das saal tak sigret pii aur phir ek din chhod dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यहाँ सार्वजनिक जगह पर सिगरेट पीना मना है। Smoking cigarettes in public places here is prohibited.
(yahaan saarvajnik jagah par sigret piinaa manaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
मैं कॉलेज के दिनों में छिपकर बीड़ी पीता था। I used to secretly smoke bidis during my college days.
(main kolej ke dinon men chhipkar biidii piitaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह अब भी सिगरेट पीता होता तो उसे साँस लेने में इतनी तकलीफ़ होती। If he still smoked now, he would have this much trouble breathing.
(agar vah ab bhii sigret piitaa hotaa to use saans lene men itnii takliif hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
वह पार्टी में सिगार पी रहा होगा। He is probably smoking a cigar at the party.
(vah paartii men sigaar pii rahaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : to swallow or suppress (an emotion, silently endure)
verb, transitive Occurs almost exclusively with emotion-nouns as object: गम पीना (gam piinaa, 'to swallow one's sorrow'), आंसू पीना (aansoo piinaa, 'to hold back tears'), अपमान पीना (apmaan piinaa, 'to swallow an insult').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: गम पीना (gam piinaa) and आंसू पीना (aansoo piinaa) picture pain as a bitter drink you force down rather than let show -- a culturally loaded image of quiet endurance, often praised (or expected) especially of elders and women holding a family together.
Sample Sentences:
उसने अपने आंसू पी लिए और मुस्कुरा दी। She swallowed her tears and smiled.
(usne apne aansoo pii lie aur muskuraa dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
माँ ने सारी उम्र गम पिया, कभी किसी से शिकायत नहीं की। Mother swallowed her grief her whole life, never complaining to anyone.
(maan ne saarii umr gam piyaa, kabhii kisii se shikaayat nahiin kii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर बेइज़्ज़ती का घूँट पी जाता है और कुछ नहीं कहता। He swallows every insult like a bitter draught and says nothing.
(vah har beizztii kaa ghoont pii jaataa hai aur kuchh nahiin kahtaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अपना दर्द पी जाओ, बच्चों के सामने रोना ठीक नहीं। Swallow your pain, it's not right to cry in front of the children.
(apnaa dard pii jaao, bachchon ke saamne ronaa thiik nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह अपनी बात कह देती तो उसे इतना अपमान न पीना पड़ता। If she had spoken her mind, she wouldn't have had to swallow so much humiliation.
(agar vah apnii baat kah detii to use itnaa apmaan n piinaa padtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बड़े घर की इज़्ज़त के लिए उसे अपनी हर तकलीफ़ पीनी पड़ी। For the sake of the family's honor, she had to swallow every hardship of hers.
(bade ghar kii izzat ke lie use apnii har takliif piinii padii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम हमेशा अपना गुस्सा पी लेते हो, कभी फूटता नहीं? Do you always swallow your anger like this, does it never burst out?
(kyaa tum hameshaa apnaa gussaa pii lete ho, kabhii phoottaa nahiin?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसका अपमान इस तरह पिया गया कि किसी को पता ही नहीं चला। His humiliation was swallowed so quietly that no one even found out.
(uskaa apmaan is tarah piyaa gayaa ki kisii ko pataa hii nahiin chalaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
बेहतर है तुम अपनी नाराज़गी पी जाओ, यह वक्त झगड़े का नहीं है। It's better that you swallow your resentment; this isn't the time for a fight.
(behtar hai tum apnii naaraazgii pii jaao, yah vakt jhagde kaa nahiin hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सदियों से इस देश की औरतें अपना दुख पीती रही हैं। For centuries, the women of this country have been swallowing their sorrow.
(sadiyon se is desh kii aurten apnaa dukh piitii rahii hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 4 : to torment or relentlessly exploit someone (idiom)
verb, transitive Fixed idiom: किसी का खून पीना (kisii kaa khoon piinaa, 'to drink someone's blood') -- the object is always खून (khoon, 'blood') marked with का (kaa).
Synonyms: सताना (sataanaa, similar meaning, not literal)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: साहब का तो खून पी लिया (saahab kaa to khoon pii liyaa, 'they really tormented the boss') -- खून पीना (khoon piinaa) is the go-to vivid complaint for a demanding boss, an overbearing relative, or anyone who drains you dry with constant demands.
Sample Sentences:
यह मैनेजर तो सबका खून पी जाता है। This manager just torments everyone.
(yah mainejar to sabkaa khoon pii jaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सास ने तो बहू का खून पी लिया। The mother-in-law really tormented her daughter-in-law.
(saas ne to bahoo kaa khoon pii liyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
साहब का तो खून पी लिया इन लोगों ने। These people really tormented the boss.
(saahab kaa to khoon pii liyaa in logon ne।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मत करो इतना काम मुझसे, मेरा खून मत पियो। Don't make me do so much work, don't torment me like this.
(mat karo itnaa kaam mujhse, meraa khoon mat piyo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह यहाँ काम करती तो उसका बॉस उसका खून पी जाता। If she worked here, her boss would drain the life out of her.
(agar vah yahaan kaam kartii to uskaa bos uskaa khoon pii jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस मकान मालिक ने तो किराएदारों का खून पी रखा है। This landlord has really been squeezing the tenants dry.
(is makaan maalik ne to kiraaedaaron kaa khoon pii rakhaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह अफसर लोगों को घूस के लिए तंग करके उनका खून पीता है। That officer torments people, harassing them for bribes.
(vah aphsar logon ko ghoos ke lie tang karke unkaa khoon piitaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मेरा खून पीने का इरादा रखते हो? Do you intend to torment me to no end?
(kyaa tum meraa khoon piine kaa iraadaa rakhte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: पीना (piinaa)
infinitive oblique: पीने (piine)
habitual/simple (sg.m): पीता (piitaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): पीते (piite)
habitual/simple (sg.f): पीती (piitii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): पीतीं (piitiin)
continuous (sg.m): पी रहा (pii rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): पी रहे (pii rahe)
continuous (sg.f): पी रही (pii rahii)
continuous (pl.f): पी रहीं (pii rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): पिया (piyaa)
perfective (pl.m): पिये (piye)
perfective (sg.f): पियी (piyii)
perfective (pl.f): पियीं (piyiin)
imperative (informal): पी (pii)
imperative (neutral): पियो (piyo)
imperative (formal): पीजिए (piijie)
future (1sg.m): पियूँगा (piyoongaa)
future (1sg.f): पियूँगी (piyoongii)
future (1pl.m): पियेंगे (piyenge)
future (1pl.f): पियेंगी (piyengii)
future (2sg.m): पियेगा (piyegaa)
future (2sg.f): पियेगी (piyegii)
future (2pl.m): पियोगे (piyoge)
future (2pl.f): पियोगी (piyogii)
future (3sg.m): पियेगा (piyegaa)
future (3sg.f): पियेगी (piyegii)
future (3pl.m): पियेंगे (piyenge)
future (3pl.f): पियेंगी (piyengii)
subjunctive (1sg): पियूँ (piyoon)
subjunctive (1pl): पियें (piyen)
subjunctive (2sg): पिये (piye)
subjunctive (2pl): पियो (piyo)
subjunctive (3sg): पिये (piye)
subjunctive (3pl): पियें (piyen)