बचना (bachnaa)
verb
The core meaning is 'to be saved / escape / survive', with an everyday extended sense of 'to be left over' (money, food, time) and a common idiomatic sense of 'to avoid/steer clear of' something, taking से (se).
Sense
1
:
to be saved, escape (danger, harm, death)
verb, intransitive Takes से (se) for the danger or thing escaped: दुर्घटना से बचना (durghatnaa se bachnaa, 'to escape/survive an accident').
Synonyms: सुरक्षित रहना (surakshit rahnaa), बच जाना (bach jaanaa, with completive nuance)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you hear after any brush with disaster -- a car accident, a fall, an illness -- as in बच गया (bach gayaa, 'he survived/escaped'). Its causative बचाना (bachaanaa, 'to save someone') is a closely related lemma worth studying alongside it.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for छूटना (chhootnaa) here, but छूटना (chhootnaa) is about being let go/missing something (like a bus), not surviving danger -- बचना (bachnaa) is the word for coming out of harm alive. 2) The thing one is saved *from* is marked with से (se), not से बचाना or को.
Sample Sentences:
एक्सीडेंट में वह बुरी तरह ज़ख़्मी हुआ, लेकिन बच गया।
He was badly injured in the accident, but he survived.
(eksiident men vah burii tarah zakhmii huaa, lekin bach gayaa।)
डॉक्टरों ने कहा कि मरीज़ के बचने की उम्मीद कम है।
The doctors said there is little hope of the patient surviving.
(doktron ne kahaa ki mariiz ke bachne kii ummiid kam hai।)
भगवान का शुक्र है कि बच्चा डूबने से बच गया।
Thank God the child was saved from drowning.
(bhagvaan kaa shukr hai ki bachchaa doobne se bach gayaa।)
अगर वह समय पर हॉस्पिटल न पहुँचता तो शायद ही बचता।
If he hadn't reached the hospital in time, he would hardly have survived.
(agar vah samay par hospital n pahunchtaa to shaayad hii bachtaa।)
आग इतनी भयानक थी कि किसी के भी बचने की उम्मीद नहीं थी।
The fire was so terrible that there was no hope of anyone surviving.
(aag itnii bhayaanak thii ki kisii ke bhii bachne kii ummiid nahiin thii।)
भूकंप में पूरा घर गिर गया, पर परिवार बच गया।
The whole house collapsed in the earthquake, but the family survived.
(bhookamp men pooraa ghar gir gayaa, par parivaar bach gayaa।)
बचना है तो तुरंत यहाँ से निकल जाओ!
If you want to survive, get out of here immediately!
(bachnaa hai to turant yahaan se nikal jaao!)
कहते हैं कि जाकिर साहब की जान बाल-बाल बची थी उस हादसे में।
They say Zakir Sahab's life had a very narrow escape in that accident.
(kahte hain ki jaakir saahab kii jaan baal-baal bachii thii us haadse men।)
अस्पताल में इतनी भीड़ थी कि हर मरीज़ का बच पाना मुश्किल हो रहा था।
There was such a crowd in the hospital that it was becoming difficult for every patient to survive.
(asptaal men itnii bhiid thii ki har mariiz kaa bach paanaa mushkil ho rahaa thaa।)
उम्मीद है कि इस बार भी वह बच जाएगा।
It is hoped that he will be saved this time too.
(ummiid hai ki is baar bhii vah bach jaaegaa।)
उस भयानक तूफ़ान से नाव के सभी यात्री बचा लिए गए।
All the passengers on the boat were saved from that terrible storm.
(us bhayaanak toofaan se naav ke sabhii yaatrii bachaa lie gae।)
Sense
2
:
to be left over, remain (money, food, time)
verb, intransitive The thing left over is the grammatical subject: पैसे बच गए (paise bach gae, 'money was left over'); often paired with a possessor via के पास (ke paas).
Synonyms: शेष रहना (shesh rahnaa, formal), रह जाना (rah jaanaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly around money and food -- महीने के आखिर में कुछ नहीं बचता (mahiine ke aakhir men kuchh nahiin bachtaa, 'nothing is left by the end of the month') is a very relatable household complaint in India.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to mark the person with a subject case, but the person who has leftover money/time is expressed with के पास (ke paas) or को (ko), while बचना (bachnaa) agrees with the thing remaining, not the person.
Sample Sentences:
महीने के आखिर में कुछ नहीं बचता।
Nothing is left by the end of the month.
(mahiine ke aakhir men kuchh nahiin bachtaa।)
खाना बच गया है, फ्रिज में रख दो।
The food is left over; put it in the fridge.
(khaanaa bach gayaa hai, phrij men rakh do।)
तनख्वाह मिलने के दो दिन बाद ही कुछ नहीं बचा।
Just two days after getting my salary, nothing was left.
(tanakhvaah milne ke do din baad hii kuchh nahiin bachaa।)
अगर तुम इतना खर्च करते रहोगे तो कुछ नहीं बचेगा।
If you keep spending this much, nothing will be left.
(agar tum itnaa kharch karte rahoge to kuchh nahiin bachegaa।)
काश थोड़े पैसे बच जाते तो हम छुट्टियों पर जा पाते।
If only some money had been left over, we could have gone on vacation.
(kaash thode paise bach jaate to ham chhuttiyon par jaa paate।)
शायद इस बार थोड़ा पैसा बच जाए।
Maybe a little money will be left over this time.
(shaayad is baar thodaa paisaa bach jaae।)
मीटिंग खत्म होने में अभी बीस मिनट बचे हैं।
There are still twenty minutes left before the meeting ends.
(miiting khatm hone men abhii biis minat bache hain।)
पिछले महीने जो पैसे बचे थे, वे इस बार के बिल में लग गए।
The money that had been left over last month went into this time's bill.
(pichhle mahiine jo paise bache the, ve is baar ke bil men lag gae।)
जो सामान बच गया है उसे बाँट दिया जाएगा।
Whatever goods are left over will be distributed.
(jo saamaan bach gayaa hai use baant diyaa jaaegaa।)
हर हफ्ते कुछ न कुछ बच ही जाता है, बस थोड़ा हिसाब रखना पड़ता है।
Something or the other is left over every week, you just have to keep a bit of track.
(har haphte kuchh n kuchh bach hii jaataa hai, bas thodaa hisaab rakhnaa padtaa hai।)
जितना बचे उतना ही बचत खाते में डाल दिया करो।
Whatever is left over, keep putting that much into the savings account.
(jitnaa bache utnaa hii bachat khaate men daal diyaa karo।)
Sense
3
:
to avoid, keep away from (a person, situation, habit)
verb, intransitive The thing avoided is marked with से (se): झगड़े से बचना (jhagde se bachnaa, 'to avoid a quarrel').
Synonyms: परहेज़ करना (parahez karnaa, especially for food/habits), दूर रहना (door rahnaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Elders love using this in advice: बुरी संगत से बचो (burii sangat se bacho, 'stay away from bad company') is the kind of line every Hindi-speaking household has heard at least once.
Common Mistakes: 1) The object of avoidance always takes से (se), never को (ko) -- a common slip for learners transferring English 'avoid something'.
Sample Sentences:
बुरी संगत से बचो।
Stay away from bad company.
(burii sangat se bacho।)
वह हमेशा झगड़ों से बचता है।
He always avoids fights.
(vah hameshaa jhagdon se bachtaa hai।)
मैं तेल-मसाले वाले खाने से बचने की कोशिश कर रही हूँ।
I'm trying to avoid oily, spicy food.
(main tel-masaale vaale khaane se bachne kii koshish kar rahii hoon।)
अगर तुम पहले से तैयारी करते तो आखिरी वक्त की भागदौड़ से बच जाते।
If you had prepared beforehand, you would have avoided the last-minute rush.
(agar tum pahle se taiyaarii karte to aakhirii vakt kii bhaagdaud se bach jaate।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि उसे मीठे से बचना चाहिए।
The doctor said that he should avoid sweets.
(doktar ne kahaa ki use miithe se bachnaa chaahie।)
बेहतर होगा कि आप उस मुहल्ले से बचें, वहाँ अक्सर झगड़े होते हैं।
It would be better if you avoided that neighborhood; there are often fights there.
(behtar hogaa ki aap us muhalle se bachen, vahaan aksar jhagde hote hain।)
बच्चे शरारत करने के बाद हमेशा माँ की नज़रों से बचते फिरते हैं।
After doing mischief, the children are always dodging their mother's gaze.
(bachche sharaarat karne ke baad hameshaa maan kii nazron se bachte phirte hain।)
इस मामले में जो भी सवाल पूछो, वह जवाब देने से बच जाता है।
Whatever question you ask him about this matter, he manages to avoid answering.
(is maamle men jo bhii savaal poochho, vah javaab dene se bach jaataa hai।)
समय रहते सावधानी बरती जाए तो कई मुसीबतों से बचा जा सकता है।
If caution is taken in time, many troubles can be avoided.
(samay rahte saavdhaanii bartii jaae to kaii musiibton se bachaa jaa saktaa hai।)
वह अपने रिश्तेदारों से मिलने से बचता रहा।
He kept avoiding meeting his relatives.
(vah apne rishtedaaron se milne se bachtaa rahaa।)
क्या तुम हमेशा ज़िम्मेदारी से बचोगे?
Will you always avoid responsibility?
(kyaa tum hameshaa zimmedaarii se bachoge?)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बचना
(bachnaa)
infinitive oblique:
बचने
(bachne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बचता
(bachtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बचते
(bachte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बचती
(bachtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बचतीं
(bachtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बच रहा
(bach rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बच रहे
(bach rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बच रही
(bach rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बच रहीं
(bach rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बचा
(bachaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बचे
(bache)
perfective (sg.f):
बची
(bachii)
perfective (pl.f):
बचीं
(bachiin)
imperative (informal):
बच
(bach)
imperative (neutral):
बचो
(bacho)
imperative (formal):
बचिए
(bachie)
future (1sg.m):
बचूँगा
(bachoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बचूँगी
(bachoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बचेंगे
(bachenge)
future (1pl.f):
बचेंगी
(bachengii)
future (2sg.m):
बचेगा
(bachegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बचेगी
(bachegii)
future (2pl.m):
बचोगे
(bachoge)
future (2pl.f):
बचोगी
(bachogii)
future (3sg.m):
बचेगा
(bachegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बचेगी
(bachegii)
future (3pl.m):
बचेंगे
(bachenge)
future (3pl.f):
बचेंगी
(bachengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बचूँ
(bachoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बचें
(bachen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बचे
(bache)
subjunctive (2pl):
बचो
(bacho)
subjunctive (3sg):
बचे
(bache)
subjunctive (3pl):
बचें
(bachen)