लगना (lagnaa)
verb
A hugely versatile intransitive verb built around the core idea of 'contact/attachment' or 'application' -- it branches into senses like to seem/appear, to feel (physical/emotional sensations), to be affixed/installed/posted, to take time or cost, to be struck/hit, and as an auxiliary marking the start of an action (lag gayaa).
Sense
1
:
to seem, to appear, to be liked/felt as a subjective impression
verb, intransitive Takes a को-marked experiencer with the thing being judged as grammatical subject: मुझे यह फ़िल्म अच्छी लगी (mujhe yah film achchhii lagii, 'I liked this film' / 'this film seemed good to me').
Synonyms: प्रतीत होना (pratiit honaa, literary/formal), जान पड़ना (jaan padnaa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This सा (lagnaa) is the verb behind some of the most common small talk in Hindi -- कैसा लगा? (kaisaa lagaa?, 'how did you like it/how did it seem?') is asked constantly after a meal, a movie, a trip. It reflects a broader Hindi habit of framing personal reactions as impressions that arrive at you, rather than opinions you actively hold.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often translate this too literally as 'to seem' and miss that it is the natural, most common way to say 'I like/liked' something -- मुझे अच्छा लगा (mujhe achchhaa lagaa) is far more idiomatic than a literal 'to like' verb in many contexts. 2) The adjective describing the impression agrees with the subject noun, not with the को-marked experiencer -- learners sometimes wrongly try to make it agree with the person.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे यह फिल्म बहुत अच्छी लगी।
This movie seemed very good to me.
(mujhe yah philm bahut achchhii lagii।)
पार्टी कैसी लगी?
How was the party (how did it seem to you)?
(paartii kaisii lagii?)
मुझे लगता है कि वह आज नहीं आएगा।
It seems to me that he won't come today.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki vah aaj nahiin aaegaa।)
यह जगह मुझे हमेशा अजीब लगती है।
This place always seems strange to me.
(yah jagah mujhe hameshaa ajiib lagtii hai।)
अगर तुम्हें बुरा लगे तो मुझे बताना।
If it seems offensive to you, do tell me.
(agar tumhen buraa lage to mujhe bataanaa।)
उसकी बात सुनकर मुझे अच्छा लग रहा है।
Hearing what he said, I'm feeling good about it right now.
(uskii baat sunkar mujhe achchhaa lag rahaa hai।)
अगर मैं वहाँ होता, तो मुझे भी वैसा ही लगता।
If I had been there, it would have seemed the same to me too.
(agar main vahaan hotaa, to mujhe bhii vaisaa hii lagtaa।)
सबको यह मुहावरा पहले अटपटा लगा था, पर अब सही लगता है।
This phrase seemed odd to everyone at first, but now it seems right.
(sabko yah muhaavraa pahle ataptaa lagaa thaa, par ab sahii lagtaa hai।)
मुझे नहीं लगता कि यह सही फैसला है।
I don't think this is the right decision (it doesn't seem so to me).
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki yah sahii phaislaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हें भी ऐसा ही लगा?
Did it seem the same way to you too?
(kyaa tumhen bhii aisaa hii lagaa?)
आदरणीय अतिथियों को यह आयोजन प्रभावशाली लगा होगा।
The esteemed guests must have found this event impressive.
(aadarniiy atithiyon ko yah aayojan prabhaavshaalii lagaa hogaa।)
Sense
2
:
to feel a physical or emotional sensation (hunger, thirst, cold, fear, etc.)
verb, intransitive The experiencer takes को, and a sensation noun (भूख, ठंड, डर, प्यास) is the grammatical subject: मुझे भूख लगती है (mujhe bhookh lagtii hai, 'I feel hungry'), उसे ठंड लग रही है (use thand lag rahii hai, 'she is feeling cold'), बच्चे को डर लगता है (bachche ko dar lagtaa hai, 'the child feels scared').
Synonyms: महसूस होना (mahsoos honaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Hindi treats hunger, cold, and fear as things that 'arrive' or 'attach themselves' to you rather than states you actively enter -- so a mother might ask a child तुम्हें भूख लगी है? (tumhen bhookh lagii hai?, 'are you hungry?', literally 'has hunger attached to you?'). This is the same dative-experiencer logic as लगना's 'seem' sense, but the two families of sentences look and feel completely different in practice.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners try to make the person the subject as in English ('I feel hungry') and forget the को-marking with the sensation noun as the real subject. 2) This sense is easily confused with the separate 'to seem/to be liked' sense (मुझे अच्छा लगता है, mujhe achchhaa lagtaa hai) since both use को...लगना -- but here the subject is always a specific sensation noun (भूख, प्यास, ठंड, डर, गर्मी), not a general adjective of quality.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे बहुत भूख लगी है।
I'm very hungry.
(mujhe bahut bhookh lagii hai।)
क्या तुम्हें ठंड लग रही है?
Are you feeling cold?
(kyaa tumhen thand lag rahii hai?)
अंधेरे में उसे बहुत डर लगता था।
He used to feel very scared in the dark.
(andhere men use bahut dar lagtaa thaa।)
अगर तुम्हें प्यास लगे तो पानी पी लेना।
If you feel thirsty, drink some water.
(agar tumhen pyaas lage to paanii pii lenaa।)
अगर उसे बुखार में इतनी ठंड लगती तो वह डॉक्टर के पास जाता।
If he had been feeling this cold with the fever, he would have gone to the doctor.
(agar use bukhaar men itnii thand lagtii to vah doktar ke paas jaataa।)
बच्चों को अकेले घर में डर लगेगा।
The children will feel scared alone at home.
(bachchon ko akele ghar men dar lagegaa।)
यह देखकर मुझे बड़ी शर्म लगी।
Seeing this, I felt so ashamed.
(yah dekhkar mujhe badii sharm lagii।)
क्या आपको गर्मी लग रही है? मैं पंखा चला दूँ?
Are you feeling hot? Shall I turn on the fan?
(kyaa aapko garmii lag rahii hai? main pankhaa chalaa doon?)
उपवास के दौरान उन्हें बहुत कमजोरी लगती है।
During the fast, they feel very weak.
(upvaas ke dauraan unhen bahut kamjorii lagtii hai।)
तुम्हें भूख लगी हो तो खाना खा लो।
If you're hungry, go ahead and eat.
(tumhen bhookh lagii ho to khaanaa khaa lo।)
Sense
3
:
to be affixed, applied, installed, put up, or posted/appointed
verb, intransitive Covers things being physically attached or put in place -- ताला लगा है (taalaa lagaa hai, 'a lock is on/attached'), पोस्टर लगा है (postar lagaa hai, 'a poster has been put up'), पेड़ लगा है (ped lagaa hai, 'a tree has been planted') -- and by extension a person being placed into a job or post: उसकी नौकरी लग गई (uskii naukrii lag gaii, 'she got a job/was appointed').
Synonyms: जड़ना (jadnaa, more about embedding/studding), स्थापित होना (sthaapit honaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the same root idea as आग लगना (aag lagnaa, 'to catch fire') -- fire is imagined as 'attaching itself' to something, which is why that expression uses लगना rather than a verb for burning. You will also hear this sense in everyday phrases like मेरा मन लग गया (meraa man lag gayaa, 'I've settled in/started enjoying it'), where one's mind is described as having 'attached' to a place or activity.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for लगाना (lagaanaa) (the transitive 'to affix/apply') when they actually want the intransitive result-state लगना, e.g. describing a poster as already up (पोस्टर लगा है) rather than the act of putting it up. 2) नौकरी लगना (naukrii lagnaa) surprises learners expecting a separate verb for 'getting a job' -- it is simply this same placement sense extended to careers/postings.
Sample Sentences:
दीवार पर एक नया पोस्टर लगा है।
A new poster is put up on the wall.
(diivaar par ek nayaa postar lagaa hai।)
उसकी नौकरी दिल्ली में लग गई।
He got a job (was appointed) in Delhi.
(uskii naukrii dillii men lag gaii।)
रात में अचानक घर में आग लग गई।
At night, the house suddenly caught fire.
(raat men achaanak ghar men aag lag gaii।)
यहाँ आकर मेरा मन लग गया है।
I've settled in and started enjoying it here.
(yahaan aakar meraa man lag gayaa hai।)
हर साल इस मैदान में मेला लगता है।
Every year a fair is set up in this ground.
(har saal is maidaan men melaa lagtaa hai।)
क्या नई मशीन फैक्ट्री में लग गई है?
Has the new machine been installed in the factory?
(kyaa naii mashiin phaiktrii men lag gaii hai?)
इस खंभे पर बल्ब लगा दो।
Put up a bulb on this pole.
(is khambhe par balb lagaa do।)
अगर उसकी बदली दूसरे शहर में लग जाती, तो हम बहुत उदास होते।
If he had been transferred and posted to another city, we would have been very sad.
(agar uskii badlii doosre shahar men lag jaatii, to ham bahut udaas hote।)
नए शिक्षक अगले महीने इस स्कूल में लगाए जाएंगे।
New teachers will be appointed at this school next month.
(nae shikshak agle mahiine is skool men lagaae jaaenge।)
संभव है कि उसका तबादला यहीं लग जाए।
It's possible that his transfer/posting will be fixed right here.
(sambhav hai ki uskaa tabaadlaa yahiin lag jaae।)
Sense
4
:
to take (time, money, effort) -- as a cost or requirement
verb, intransitive The quantity (time, money) is the grammatical subject and the person incurring it is को-marked: मुझे दो घंटे लगे (mujhe do ghante lage, 'it took me two hours'), कितना पैसा लगेगा? (kitnaa paisaa lagegaa?, 'how much money will it take/cost?').
Synonyms: खर्च होना (kharch honaa, for money specifically)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Asking कितना लगेगा? (kitnaa lagegaa?, 'how much will it take/cost?') is a everyday bargaining phrase you will hear in autos and markets across Delhi, where लगेगा stands in comfortably for both money and time.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use लेना (lenaa) by analogy with 'it takes' but लगना is what natives actually use for durations and costs. 2) The verb agrees with the time/money noun (often plural, e.g. घंटे लगे) not with the person, which can trip up learners used to English word order.
Sample Sentences:
दिल्ली से आगरा जाने में कितना समय लगेगा?
How much time will it take to go from Delhi to Agra?
(dillii se aagraa jaane men kitnaa samay lagegaa?)
यह किताब बनाने में बहुत मेहनत लगी।
It took a lot of effort to make this book.
(yah kitaab banaane men bahut mehnat lagii।)
भाई, यह ऑटो वाला बता, इस सामान को घर तक पहुँचाने में कितना लगेगा?
Brother, tell me, how much will it cost to deliver this stuff home?
(bhaaii, yah oto vaalaa bataa, is saamaan ko ghar tak pahunchaane men kitnaa lagegaa?)
इस मकान को बनाने में दो साल लगते हैं।
It takes two years to build this house.
(is makaan ko banaane men do saal lagte hain।)
अगर तुम मेट्रो लेते तो कम समय लगता।
If you had taken the metro, it would have taken less time.
(agar tum metro lete to kam samay lagtaa।)
शायद इस काम में एक हफ्ता लग जाए।
This work might end up taking a week.
(shaayad is kaam men ek haphtaa lag jaae।)
इतना मत सोचो, ज्यादा पैसा नहीं लगेगा।
Don't think so much, it won't cost much money.
(itnaa mat socho, jyaadaa paisaa nahiin lagegaa।)
पूरी शादी की तैयारी में लाखों रुपए लग गए।
Lakhs of rupees ended up being spent on the whole wedding preparation.
(poorii shaadii kii taiyaarii men laakhon rupae lag gae।)
इस परियोजना को पूरा करने में जितना समय लगना चाहिए था, उससे कहीं ज़्यादा लग गया।
This project ended up taking far more time than it should have to complete.
(is pariyojnaa ko pooraa karne men jitnaa samay lagnaa chaahie thaa, usse kahiin zyaadaa lag gayaa।)
एक कुशल कारीगर को यह काम पूरा करने में बस एक दिन लगता है।
It takes a skilled craftsman just one day to finish this work.
(ek kushal kaariigar ko yah kaam pooraa karne men bas ek din lagtaa hai।)
Sense
5
:
to be struck, hit, or sustain an injury/impact
verb, intransitive Used both for a blow physically landing (गेंद उसे लगी, gend use lagii, 'the ball hit him') and, as a fixed collocation, चोट लगना (chot lagnaa, 'to get hurt/injured') -- the को-marked person is the one struck or injured.
Synonyms: टकराना (takraanaa, more about collision), चोट लगना (chot lagnaa, fixed phrase for 'to be injured')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will often hear concerned questions like तुम्हें चोट तो नहीं लगी? (tumhen chot to nahiin lagii?, 'you didn't get hurt, did you?') after any small stumble -- a very natural, caring register of everyday Hindi.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with the transitive मारना (maarnaa) ('to hit someone') -- लगना describes the impact landing on someone, not the act of striking them. 2) चोट लगना (chot lagnaa) is so fixed a phrase that learners should learn it as a unit ('to get injured') rather than building it word by word.
Sample Sentences:
तुम्हें चोट तो नहीं लगी?
You didn't get hurt, did you?
(tumhen chot to nahiin lagii?)
गिरने से उसके घुटने पर गहरी चोट लगी।
He got a deep injury on his knee from falling.
(girne se uske ghutne par gahrii chot lagii।)
गेंद सीधे उसके सिर पर लगी।
The ball hit him directly on the head.
(gend siidhe uske sir par lagii।)
गोली उसके कंधे में लगी थी।
The bullet had hit him in the shoulder.
(golii uske kandhe men lagii thii।)
अगर तुम सावधान रहते तो चोट न लगती।
If you had been careful, you wouldn't have gotten hurt.
(agar tum saavdhaan rahte to chot n lagtii।)
सड़क पार करते समय ध्यान रखो, नहीं तो चोट लग जाएगी।
Be careful while crossing the road, or you'll end up getting hurt.
(sadak paar karte samay dhyaan rakho, nahiin to chot lag jaaegii।)
क्रिकेट खेलते हुए बच्चों को अक्सर चोट लग जाती है।
Children often get injured while playing cricket.
(kriket khelte hue bachchon ko aksar chot lag jaatii hai।)
दुर्घटना में कई यात्रियों को चोटें लगीं।
Several passengers were injured in the accident.
(durghatnaa men kaii yaatriyon ko choten lagiin।)
उसे सीने में इतनी बुरी तरह चोट लगी कि उसे हस्पताल ले जाना पड़ा।
He was hurt so badly in the chest that he had to be taken to the hospital.
(use siine men itnii burii tarah chot lagii ki use hasptaal le jaanaa padaa।)
काश उसे इतनी चोट न लगी होती।
I wish he hadn't been hurt so badly.
(kaash use itnii chot n lagii hotii।)
Sense
6
:
auxiliary marking the onset/start of an action (with another verb's infinitive stem)
verb, intransitive Combines with the oblique infinitive of another verb to show an action beginning: बारिश होने लगी (baarish hone lagii, 'it started raining'), वह रोने लगा (vah rone lagaa, 'he started crying').
Synonyms: शुरू होना (shuroo honaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This construction is everywhere in storytelling and everyday narration -- अचानक बारिश होने लगी (achaanak baarish hone lagii, 'suddenly it started to rain') is the kind of line you will hear in casual accounts of a day out gone slightly wrong.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for शुरू करना (shuroo karnaa) in every context, not realizing V-ने लगना (lagnaa) is the far more natural, idiomatic way to express 'started doing X' for spontaneous or involuntary onsets. 2) The subject and main verb still follow normal agreement rules for लगना itself (intransitive, no ने), which can confuse learners who expect the ने-construction to appear here since the embedded verb feels 'active'.
Sample Sentences:
अचानक बारिश होने लगी।
Suddenly it started to rain.
(achaanak baarish hone lagii।)
बच्चा अचानक रोने लगा।
The child suddenly started crying.
(bachchaa achaanak rone lagaa।)
जैसे ही उसने मेरा नाम सुना, वह मुस्कुराने लगी।
As soon as she heard my name, she started smiling.
(jaise hii usne meraa naam sunaa, vah muskuraane lagii।)
अगर तुम अभी काम करने लगो, तो शाम तक ख़त्म हो जाएगा।
If you start working right now, it will be finished by evening.
(agar tum abhii kaam karne lago, to shaam tak khatm ho jaaegaa।)
जब मैं दस साल का था, तब मैं क्रिकेट खेलने लगा था।
When I was ten years old, I had started playing cricket.
(jab main das saal kaa thaa, tab main kriket khelne lagaa thaa।)
वह हर सुबह जल्दी उठकर पढ़ने लगती है।
She starts studying every morning after waking up early.
(vah har subah jaldii uthkar padhne lagtii hai।)
अगर वह सच में मेहनत करने लगता, तो आज कामयाब होता।
If he had really started working hard, he would be successful today.
(agar vah sach men mehnat karne lagtaa, to aaj kaamyaab hotaa।)
जैसे ही लाइट गई, सब चीखने-चिल्लाने लगे।
As soon as the power went out, everyone started screaming and shouting.
(jaise hii laait gaii, sab chiikhne-chillaane lage।)
प्रधानमंत्री के भाषण के बाद बाजार में शेयरों के दाम गिरने लगे।
After the prime minister's speech, share prices in the market started falling.
(pradhaanmantrii ke bhaashan ke baad baajaar men sheyron ke daam girne lage।)
जब उससे कोई पूछता है, तो वह बहाने बनाने लगता है।
Whenever someone asks him, he starts making excuses.
(jab usse koii poochhtaa hai, to vah bahaane banaane lagtaa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
लगना
(lagnaa)
infinitive oblique:
लगने
(lagne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
लगता
(lagtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
लगते
(lagte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
लगती
(lagtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
लगतीं
(lagtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
लग रहा
(lag rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
लग रहे
(lag rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
लग रही
(lag rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
लग रहीं
(lag rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
लगा
(lagaa)
perfective (pl.m):
लगे
(lage)
perfective (sg.f):
लगी
(lagii)
perfective (pl.f):
लगीं
(lagiin)
imperative (informal):
लग
(lag)
imperative (neutral):
लगो
(lago)
imperative (formal):
लगिए
(lagie)
future (1sg.m):
लगूँगा
(lagoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
लगूँगी
(lagoongii)
future (1pl.m):
लगेंगे
(lagenge)
future (1pl.f):
लगेंगी
(lagengii)
future (2sg.m):
लगेगा
(lagegaa)
future (2sg.f):
लगेगी
(lagegii)
future (2pl.m):
लगोगे
(lagoge)
future (2pl.f):
लगोगी
(lagogii)
future (3sg.m):
लगेगा
(lagegaa)
future (3sg.f):
लगेगी
(lagegii)
future (3pl.m):
लगेंगे
(lagenge)
future (3pl.f):
लगेंगी
(lagengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
लगूँ
(lagoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
लगें
(lagen)
subjunctive (2sg):
लगे
(lage)
subjunctive (2pl):
लगो
(lago)
subjunctive (3sg):
लगे
(lage)
subjunctive (3pl):
लगें
(lagen)