देना (denaa)
verb
देना (denaa) is one of Hindi's most essential verbs: at its core it means 'to give', but it also functions as a permissive auxiliary ('to let'), as a completive/benefactive vector verb attached to other verb stems, and in fixed collocations for undergoing exams, interviews, and auditions.
Sense
1
:
to give
verb, transitive Extends constantly beyond physical objects into fixed noun+देना collocations: जवाब देना (javaab denaa, 'to answer'), सलाह देना (salaah denaa, 'to advise'), ध्यान देना (dhyaan denaa, 'to pay attention'), इजाज़त देना (ijaazat denaa, 'to give permission').
Synonyms: सौंपना (saumpnaa, to hand over/entrust), प्रदान करना (pradaan karnaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: देना pairs constantly with abstract nouns in everyday speech, and its reciprocal pairing with लेना (lenaa) shows up in the idiom लेना-देना (lenaa-denaa) -- as in इससे मेरा कोई लेना-देना नहीं (isse meraa koii lenaa-denaa nahiin, 'I have nothing to do with this'), one of the most common ways to disclaim involvement.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse देना (denaa, direction away from the subject) with मिलना (milnaa, to receive/get) -- मुझे किताब मिली (mujhe kitaab milii, 'I got the book') is not the same event described from the other side as मैंने किताब दी (mainne kitaab dii, 'I gave the book'). 2) With abstract objects, learners often try to translate word-for-word instead of learning the collocation -- सलाह देना (salaah denaa) is simply 'to advise,' not literally 'to give a consultation.'
Sample Sentences:
क्या तुम मुझे वह किताब दे सकते हो?
Can you give me that book?
(kyaa tum mujhe vah kitaab de sakte ho?)
उसने मुझे जन्मदिन पर एक तोहफा दिया।
He gave me a gift on my birthday.
(usne mujhe janmdin par ek tohphaa diyaa।)
मैं तुम्हें कल पैसे दूँगा।
I will give you the money tomorrow.
(main tumhen kal paise doongaa।)
कृपया मुझे एक गिलास पानी दें।
Please give me a glass of water.
(kripyaa mujhe ek gilaas paanii den।)
इससे मेरा कोई लेना-देना नहीं है।
I have nothing to do with this.
(isse meraa koii lenaa-denaa nahiin hai।)
गरीबों को दान देना पुण्य का काम माना जाता है।
Giving charity to the poor is considered a virtuous act.
(gariibon ko daan denaa puny kaa kaam maanaa jaataa hai।)
अगर मेरे पास पैसे होते तो मैं तुम्हें ज़रूर देता।
If I had the money, I would definitely give it to you.
(agar mere paas paise hote to main tumhen zaroor detaa।)
शायद वह तुम्हें अपनी गाड़ी दे दे।
Maybe he will give you his car.
(shaayad vah tumhen apnii gaadii de de।)
हर साल कंपनी कर्मचारियों को बोनस देती है।
Every year the company gives its employees a bonus.
(har saal kampnii karmchaariyon ko bonas detii hai।)
पुलिस को यह जानकारी किसी अनजान व्यक्ति ने दी थी।
This information had been given to the police by some unknown person.
(pulis ko yah jaankaarii kisii anjaan vyakti ne dii thii।)
Sense
2
:
completive/benefactive vector verb (V-stem + देना)
verb, transitive Attaches to the stem of a main verb (V + देना) to add a sense of finality or completion, often directed outward or performed for someone else's benefit -- कह देना (kah denaa, 'to just say it / say it once and for all'), बता देना (bataa denaa, 'to inform someone fully'), लिख देना (likh denaa, 'to write it out for someone').
Synonyms: डालना (daalnaa, similar completive vector, but implies abruptness or force)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Hindi speakers reach for V+देना constantly to signal an action is complete and often oriented toward another person -- पापा को बता देना (paapaa ko bataa denaa, 'be sure to tell dad') -- which contrasts with the self-oriented V+लेना vector (ले लेना (le lenaa)); noticing this direction is a big step toward native-sounding speech.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often skip this vector entirely, saying कहा (kahaa) where a native speaker would say कह दिया (kah diyaa), losing the sense of finality the narration expects. 2) The vector frequently implies the action was done for someone else or to get it settled -- बता देना (bataa denaa) suggests informing someone fully/for their sake, not merely 'telling' in passing.
Sample Sentences:
यह किताब मुझे लौटा देना।
Give this book back to me.
(yah kitaab mujhe lautaa denaa।)
पापा को बता देना कि मैं देर से आऊँगा।
Be sure to tell dad that I'll come late.
(paapaa ko bataa denaa ki main der se aaoongaa।)
मैंने उसे सारी बात समझा दी।
I explained the whole thing to her thoroughly.
(mainne use saarii baat samjhaa dii।)
वह हर महीने अपनी माँ को पैसे भेज देता है।
He sends money to his mother every month without fail.
(vah har mahiine apnii maan ko paise bhej detaa hai।)
मैं यह काम कल तक कर दूँगा।
I will get this work done by tomorrow.
(main yah kaam kal tak kar doongaa।)
क्या तुम मेरा फोन चार्ज कर दोगे?
Will you charge my phone for me?
(kyaa tum meraa phon chaarj kar doge?)
अगर वह समय पर बता देता तो हम तैयार हो जाते।
If he had told us in time, we would have been ready.
(agar vah samay par bataa detaa to ham taiyaar ho jaate।)
कृपया यह फॉर्म भरकर मुझे दे दीजिए।
Please fill out this form and hand it over to me.
(kripyaa yah phorm bharkar mujhe de diijie।)
उम्मीद है कि वह जल्दी ही सारा सामान बाँट देगी।
Hopefully she will distribute all the stuff soon.
(ummiid hai ki vah jaldii hii saaraa saamaan baant degii।)
जब तक वह पूरी रिपोर्ट लिख न दे, हम आगे नहीं बढ़ सकते।
Until he finishes writing the whole report, we can't move ahead.
(jab tak vah poorii riport likh n de, ham aage nahiin badh sakte।)
Sense
3
:
to let, to allow (permissive construction)
verb, transitive Built on the frame [Verb-ने + देना]: the person being permitted appears as a को-marked object, and the verb to be permitted takes the oblique infinitive -ने -- मुझे जाने दो (mujhe jaane do, 'let me go'), उसे बोलने दो (use bolne do, 'let him speak').
Synonyms: इजाज़त देना (ijaazat denaa, more formal-sounding phrase for the same idea)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This permissive frame shows up constantly in daily negotiation and parenting. जाने दो (jaane do) is also used idiomatically on its own to mean 'never mind, let it go/drop it,' well beyond its literal sense of physically letting someone go.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop the -ने and say मुझे जाना दो (mujhe jaanaa do), which is ungrammatical -- the permissive frame always needs the oblique infinitive, जाने (jaane) not जाना (jaanaa). 2) The को-marking here (मुझे, उसे) marks the person granted permission, which learners can confuse with को as a physical recipient in the plain 'to give' sense.
Sample Sentences:
माँ मुझे बाहर जाने नहीं देती।
Mom doesn't let me go outside.
(maan mujhe baahar jaane nahiin detii।)
उसे बोलने दो, फिर हम जवाब देंगे।
Let him speak, then we'll answer.
(use bolne do, phir ham javaab denge।)
छोड़ो, जाने दो, अब इस बात पर बहस करने का कोई फ़ायदा नहीं।
Forget it, never mind, there's no point arguing about this now.
(chhodo, jaane do, ab is baat par bahas karne kaa koii faaydaa nahiin।)
पापा ने मुझे कल पार्टी में जाने दिया।
Dad let me go to the party yesterday.
(paapaa ne mujhe kal paartii men jaane diyaa।)
अगर वे मुझे बोलने देते तो मैं सच बता देता।
If they had let me speak, I would have told the truth.
(agar ve mujhe bolne dete to main sach bataa detaa।)
क्या आप मुझे यह किताब पढ़ने देंगे?
Will you let me read this book?
(kyaa aap mujhe yah kitaab padhne denge?)
टीचर बच्चों को क्लास में मोबाइल इस्तेमाल नहीं करने देती।
The teacher doesn't let the children use mobile phones in class.
(tiichar bachchon ko klaas men mobaail istemaal nahiin karne detii।)
अरे छोड़ो न, जाने दो, वो हमेशा ऐसा ही करता है।
Oh come on, let it go, he always does this.
(are chhodo n, jaane do, vo hameshaa aisaa hii kartaa hai।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि वे हमें अंदर जाने देंगे।
I hope they will let us go inside.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki ve hamen andar jaane denge।)
बॉस ने आज मुझे जल्दी निकलने दिया।
The boss let me leave early today.
(bos ne aaj mujhe jaldii nikalne diyaa।)
Sense
4
:
to undergo/submit to a formal assessment or presentation
verb, transitive Used with nouns naming a formal assessment or presentation the subject submits to -- परीक्षा देना (pariikshaa denaa, 'to take an exam'), इंटरव्यू देना (intravyoo denaa, 'to attend/give an interview'), ऑडिशन देना (odishan denaa, 'to audition'). Hindi consistently uses देना here even where English says 'take.'
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In India's exam-heavy school culture, परीक्षा देना (pariikshaa denaa) is heard everywhere each exam season; the same grammatical logic -- the subject submits, देना marks it -- carries naturally into adult life with इंटरव्यू देना (intravyoo denaa) during job-hunting season.
Common Mistakes: 1) English speakers instinctively reach for लेना (lenaa, 'to take') for exams, but Hindi uses देना (denaa) from the test-taker's side -- परीक्षा देना (pariikshaa denaa), not परीक्षा लेना (pariikshaa lenaa) (the latter means the examiner administers the exam). 2) This pattern is not limited to exams -- इंटरव्यू देना (intravyoo denaa) and ऑडिशन देना (odishan denaa) follow the identical logic, so it should be learned as a productive pattern, not a single fixed idiom.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे कल गणित की परीक्षा देनी है।
I have to take a math exam tomorrow.
(mujhe kal ganit kii pariikshaa denii hai।)
उसने पिछले साल यू.पी.एस.सी. की परीक्षा दी थी।
He/she had taken the UPSC exam last year.
(usne pichhle saal yoo.pii.es.sii. kii pariikshaa dii thii।)
हर साल लाखों छात्र यह प्रतियोगी परीक्षा देते हैं।
Every year, lakhs of students take this competitive exam.
(har saal laakhon chhaatr yah pratiyogii pariikshaa dete hain।)
वह अभी अपना इंटरव्यू दे रही है।
She is giving her interview right now.
(vah abhii apnaa intravyoo de rahii hai।)
कल दोपहर तक मैं अपना ऑडिशन दे चुका होऊँगा।
By tomorrow afternoon, I will have given my audition.
(kal dopahar tak main apnaa odishan de chukaa hooongaa।)
अगर मैंने वह परीक्षा दी होती, तो शायद मेरा चयन हो जाता।
If I had taken that exam, I might have been selected.
(agar mainne vah pariikshaa dii hotii, to shaayad meraa chayan ho jaataa।)
पहले अपनी बोर्ड परीक्षा दे दो, फिर बाकी सब सोचना।
First give your board exam, then think about everything else.
(pahle apnii bord pariikshaa de do, phir baakii sab sochnaa।)
उम्मीदवारों से अनुरोध है कि वे समय पर पहुँचकर अपना टेस्ट दें।
Candidates are requested to arrive on time and take their test.
(ummiidvaaron se anurodh hai ki ve samay par pahunchkar apnaa test den।)
इस केंद्र में परीक्षा तीन घंटे में दी जाती है।
At this center, the exam is taken/given within three hours.
(is kendr men pariikshaa tiin ghante men dii jaatii hai।)
शायद वह इस बार स्क्रीन टेस्ट न दे।
Maybe he/she won't give the screen test this time.
(shaayad vah is baar skriin test n de।)
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive:
देना
(denaa)
infinitive oblique:
देने
(dene)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
देता
(detaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
देते
(dete)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
देती
(detii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
देतीं
(detiin)
continuous (sg.m):
दे रहा
(de rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
दे रहे
(de rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
दे रही
(de rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
दे रहीं
(de rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
दिया
(diyaa)
perfective (pl.m):
दिए
(die)
perfective (sg.f):
दी
(dii)
perfective (pl.f):
दीं
(diin)
imperative (informal):
दे
(de)
imperative (neutral):
दो
(do)
imperative (formal):
दीजिए
(diijie)
future (1sg.m):
दूँगा
(doongaa)
future (1sg.f):
दूँगी
(doongii)
future (1pl.m):
देंगे
(denge)
future (1pl.f):
देंगी
(dengii)
future (2sg.m):
देगा
(degaa)
future (2sg.f):
देगी
(degii)
future (2pl.m):
दोगे
(doge)
future (2pl.f):
दोगी
(dogii)
future (3sg.m):
देगा
(degaa)
future (3sg.f):
देगी
(degii)
future (3pl.m):
देंगे
(denge)
future (3pl.f):
देंगी
(dengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
दूँ
(doon)
subjunctive (1pl):
दें
(den)
subjunctive (2sg):
दे
(de)
subjunctive (2pl):
दो
(do)
subjunctive (3sg):
दे
(de)
subjunctive (3pl):
दें
(den)