पड़ना (padnaa)
verb
पड़ना (padnaa) is a versatile intransitive verb with three faces to learn: (1) its core meaning 'to fall / land / occur / be situated', (2) a necessitive modal 'to have to' (dative subject + infinitive + पड़ना), and (3) an inceptive vector verb 'to suddenly begin/happen' (verb stem + पड़ना). The infinitive-vs-stem distinction is what tells the two grammaticalized senses apart.
Sense
1
:
to fall / land / occur / be situated
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: गिरना (girnaa, physical falling only), होना (honaa, to happen)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of पड़ना (padnaa) as picturing something 'landing' on the world or on you -- rain falls (बारिश पड़ती है, baarish padtii hai, 'it rains'), an effect falls on you (असर पड़ना, asar padnaa), a need falls upon you (ज़रूरत पड़ना, zaroorat padnaa). This is also why a village or landmark 'falls' on your route in Hindi (रास्ते में पड़ना, raaste men padnaa, 'to lie on the way') -- many things English treats as static states, Hindi treats as things that fall into place.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often confuse पड़ना (padnaa) with गिरना (girnaa) -- गिरना is for a person or object tumbling down, while पड़ना is used for things landing, settling, or abstract things arising (बारिश पड़ना (baarish padnaa, 'to rain'), असर पड़ना (asar padnaa, 'to have an effect')); they are not interchangeable. 2) Phrases like ज़रूरत पड़ना (zaroorat padnaa) or काम पड़ना (kaam padnaa) use पड़ना idiomatically with abstract nouns to mean 'arise/come up' -- don't translate word-for-word as 'fall'.
Sample Sentences:
दिल्ली में हर साल बहुत बारिश पड़ती है।
It rains a lot in Delhi every year.
(dillii men har saal bahut baarish padtii hai।)
Listen: M85
कल रात बहुत तेज़ बारिश पड़ी थी।
It rained very heavily last night.
(kal raat bahut tez baarish padii thii।)
Listen: F85
मेरा गाँव रास्ते में ही पड़ता है, आप वहीं रुक जाना।
My village lies right on the way, you can stop there.
(meraa gaanv raaste men hii padtaa hai, aap vahiin ruk jaanaa।)
Listen: M85
उसकी बात का मुझ पर कोई असर नहीं पड़ा।
What he said had no effect on me.
(uskii baat kaa mujh par koii asar nahiin padaa।)
Listen: M85
धूप में इतनी देर मत बैठो, सेहत पर बुरा असर पड़ेगा।
Don't sit in the sun so long, it will have a bad effect on your health.
(dhoop men itnii der mat baitho, sehat par buraa asar padegaa।)
Listen: F85
किताब मेज़ से गिरकर फ़र्श पर पड़ी थी।
The book had fallen from the table and was lying on the floor.
(kitaab mez se girkar farsh par padii thii।)
Listen: F85
अगर बर्फ़ पड़ती तो बच्चे बहुत खुश होते।
If it had snowed, the children would have been very happy.
(agar barf padtii to bachche bahut khush hote।)
Listen: M85
वह गाँव नदी के उस पार पड़ता है।
That village is situated on the far side of the river.
(vah gaanv nadii ke us paar padtaa hai।)
Listen: F85
पेड़ से एक सूखा पत्ता मेरे कंधे पर पड़ा।
A dry leaf fell from the tree onto my shoulder.
(ped se ek sookhaa pattaa mere kandhe par padaa।)
Listen: F85
यह मामला किस अदालत के अधिकार क्षेत्र में पड़ता है, यह देखना होगा।
It will have to be seen which court's jurisdiction this matter falls under.
(yah maamlaa kis adaalat ke adhikaar kshetr men padtaa hai, yah dekhnaa hogaa।)
Listen: F85
जब भी उससे मिलो, कोई नई मुसीबत सिर पर पड़ी होती है।
Whenever you meet him, some new trouble has landed on his head.
(jab bhii usse milo, koii naii musiibat sir par padii hotii hai।)
Listen: F85
Sense
2
:
to have to (necessitive modal, external compulsion)
verb, intransitive Frame: dative subject (को) + verb infinitive + पड़ना. The tense of पड़ना itself modulates how strong or immediate the obligation feels -- subjunctive softens it, plain future states it firmly, future + ही makes it most urgent, and the habitual present marks a recurring duty.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of Hindi's core 'have to' modals, alongside चाहिए (chaahie) -- but पड़ना carries a flavor of external compulsion or reluctant necessity forced by circumstance, not a calm 'should'. A Delhi parent might sigh, "क्या करूँ, जाना पड़ेगा" (kyaa karoon, jaanaa padegaa, 'what to do, I'll have to go') -- a note of resignation is baked into the word itself.
Common Mistakes: 1) The subject takes को (ko), never ने (ne) -- even in past-tense sentences describing a completed obligation, because पड़ना is intransitive and the logical subject is a dative experiencer, not an agent. 2) The verb before पड़ना must be the infinitive (e.g. जाना (jaanaa), देना (denaa)), not the bare stem -- using the stem instead shifts the meaning to the unrelated 'suddenly happen' sense of पड़ना. 3) Tense changes the force: शायद...रहना पड़े (shaayad...rahnaa pade, 'might have to stay') is soft, ...देना पड़ेगा (...denaa padegaa, 'will have to pay') is firm, and ...जाना ही पड़ेगा (...jaanaa hii padegaa, 'simply must go right now') is most urgent -- do not treat these as interchangeable.
Sample Sentences:
आज मुझे ऑफ़िस जाना पड़ेगा।
I'll have to go to office today.
(aaj mujhe ofis jaanaa padegaa।)
Listen: M85
पिछले हफ़्ते बारिश की वजह से हमें घर पर ही रुकना पड़ा।
Last week, because of the rain, we had to stay home.
(pichhle hafte baarish kii vajah se hamen ghar par hii ruknaa padaa।)
Listen: F85
जब भी पैसों की तंगी होती है, उसे उधार माँगना पड़ता है।
Whenever money is tight, he has to ask for a loan.
(jab bhii paison kii tangii hotii hai, use udhaar maangnaa padtaa hai।)
Listen: F85
अगर ट्रैफ़िक ऐसा ही रहा तो हमें एक घंटा पहले निकलना पड़ेगा।
If the traffic stays like this, we'll have to leave an hour early.
(agar traifik aisaa hii rahaa to hamen ek ghantaa pahle nikalnaa padegaa।)
Listen: F85
अगर उसे सच पता चल जाता, तो उसे माफ़ी माँगनी पड़ती।
If he had found out the truth, he would have had to apologize.
(agar use sach pataa chal jaataa, to use maafii maangnii padtii।)
Listen: M85
कर्मचारियों को नए नियमों का पालन करना पड़ता है, चाहे उन्हें पसंद हो या नहीं।
Employees have to follow the new rules, whether they like it or not.
(karmchaariyon ko nae niymon kaa paalan karnaa padtaa hai, chaahe unhen pasand ho yaa nahiin।)
Listen: M85
माफ़ करना, मुझे बीच में ही उठकर जाना पड़ रहा है।
Sorry, I have to get up and leave in the middle of this.
(maaf karnaa, mujhe biich men hii uthkar jaanaa pad rahaa hai।)
Listen: M85
बीमारी की हालत में उन्हें अस्पताल में भर्ती होना पड़ा था।
Given the condition of his illness, he had had to be admitted to the hospital.
(biimaarii kii haalat men unhen asptaal men bhartii honaa padaa thaa।)
Listen: F85
क्या तुम्हें भी अपने बॉस से हर छोटी बात के लिए इजाज़त लेनी पड़ती है?
Do you also have to take permission from your boss for every little thing?
(kyaa tumhen bhii apne bos se har chhotii baat ke lie ijaazat lenii padtii hai?)
Listen: M85
मजबूरी में उन्हें अपना घर बेचना पड़ा।
Out of sheer necessity, they had to sell their house.
(majboorii men unhen apnaa ghar bechnaa padaa।)
Listen: F85
Sense
3
:
to suddenly begin/happen (inceptive vector verb)
verb, intransitive Frame: verb stem (not infinitive) + पड़ना, marking a sudden, unexpected occurrence the subject had no prior knowledge of, often with a downward or abrupt momentum: उसे बुरा लग पड़ा (use buraa lag padaa, 'he suddenly felt bad'), पर्दा खुल पड़ा (pardaa khul padaa, 'the curtain suddenly flew open').
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This 'sudden happening' use of पड़ना belongs to a small family of Hindi vector verbs (उठना, uthnaa; जाना, jaanaa; पड़ना, padnaa) that attach to a bare verb stem to color an action with a particular flavor -- here, unexpectedness and a slight abrupt or downward momentum. It shows up more in narrative and literary Hindi than in casual chat, so treat it as a 'recognize it' sense before an 'actively use it' one.
Common Mistakes: 1) This construction takes the bare verb stem right before पड़ना (padnaa) -- e.g. लग पड़ना (lag padnaa) 'to suddenly start feeling', not the infinitive लगना (lagnaa) + पड़ना, which would wrongly suggest the 'have to' modal sense. 2) This sense is only for uncontrolled, unexpected events -- it does not apply to deliberate or planned actions.
Sample Sentences:
यह सुनकर वह रो पड़ी।
Hearing this, she suddenly broke into tears.
(yah sunkar vah ro padii।)
Listen: M85
बिजली जाते ही सब लोग चिल्ला पड़े।
The moment the power went, everyone suddenly cried out.
(bijlii jaate hii sab log chillaa pade।)
Listen: M85
उसकी बात सुनकर पूरी सभा हँस पड़ी।
Hearing his remark, the whole assembly suddenly broke into laughter.
(uskii baat sunkar poorii sabhaa hans padii।)
Listen: M85
अगर वह यह देख लेता तो चौंक पड़ता।
If he had seen this, he would have suddenly startled.
(agar vah yah dekh letaa to chaunk padtaa।)
Listen: F85
डर के मारे बच्चा काँप पड़ा।
Out of fear, the child suddenly began to tremble.
(dar ke maare bachchaa kaamp padaa।)
Listen: F85
यह सुनते ही वे काँप पड़ीं।
The moment she heard this, she suddenly trembled.
(yah sunte hii ve kaamp padiin।)
Listen: F85
काश वह उस पल शरमा न पड़ता।
If only he hadn't suddenly become bashful in that moment.
(kaash vah us pal sharmaa n padtaa।)
Listen: M85
कवि के शब्द सुनकर श्रोता झूम पड़े।
Hearing the poet's words, the listeners suddenly swayed with delight.
(kavi ke shabd sunkar shrotaa jhoom pade।)
Listen: M85
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
पड़ना
(padnaa)
infinitive oblique:
पड़ने
(padne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पड़ता
(padtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पड़ते
(padte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पड़ती
(padtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पड़तीं
(padtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पड़ रहा
(pad rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पड़ रहे
(pad rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पड़ रही
(pad rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पड़ रहीं
(pad rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पड़ा
(padaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पड़े
(pade)
perfective (sg.f):
पड़ी
(padii)
perfective (pl.f):
पड़ीं
(padiin)
imperative (informal):
पड़
(pad)
imperative (neutral):
पड़ो
(pado)
imperative (formal):
पड़िए
(padie)
future (1sg.m):
पड़ूँगा
(padoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पड़ूँगी
(padoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पड़ेंगे
(padenge)
future (1pl.f):
पड़ेंगी
(padengii)
future (2sg.m):
पड़ेगा
(padegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पड़ेगी
(padegii)
future (2pl.m):
पड़ोगे
(padoge)
future (2pl.f):
पड़ोगी
(padogii)
future (3sg.m):
पड़ेगा
(padegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पड़ेगी
(padegii)
future (3pl.m):
पड़ेंगे
(padenge)
future (3pl.f):
पड़ेंगी
(padengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पड़ूँ
(padoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पड़ें
(paden)
subjunctive (2sg):
पड़े
(pade)
subjunctive (2pl):
पड़ो
(pado)
subjunctive (3sg):
पड़े
(pade)
subjunctive (3pl):
पड़ें
(paden)