ठहरना (thaharnaa)
verb
A common intransitive verb built around the idea of stopping or halting in place; covers physically staying/lodging somewhere, a moving thing coming to a stop, and the extended sense of waiting or holding on for a moment.
Sense
1
:
to stay, lodge, put up (somewhere)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: रुकना (ruknaa), टिकना (tiknaa), निवास करना (nivaas karnaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you will hear at a Delhi guesthouse reception: आप कहाँ ठहरे हैं? (aap kahaan thahre hain?, 'Where are you staying?'). It carries a slightly more settled, purposeful feel than रुकना (ruknaa), which leans toward a brief pause.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for रुकना (ruknaa) for 'stay the night', but ठहरना (thaharnaa) is the natural choice when talking about where someone is lodging or putting up during a trip, e.g. होटल में ठहरना (hotal men thaharnaa, 'to stay at a hotel'). 2) The location takes में (men) or पर (par), not को (ko).
Sample Sentences:
आप कहाँ ठहरे हैं?
Where are you staying?
(aap kahaan thahre hain?)
हम इस बार अपने मामा के घर ठहरेंगे।
This time we will stay at my uncle's house.
(ham is baar apne maamaa ke ghar thahrenge।)
पिछली बार वे एक सस्ते गेस्टहाउस में ठहरे थे।
Last time they stayed at a cheap guesthouse.
(pichhlii baar ve ek saste gestahaaus men thahre the।)
अगर टिकट न मिलता तो हम यहीं ठहरते।
If we hadn't gotten tickets, we would have stayed right here.
(agar tikat n miltaa to ham yahiin thaharte।)
कृपया रिसेप्शन पर बताएँ कि आप कितने दिन ठहरेंगे।
Please tell the reception how many days you will be staying.
(kripyaa risepshan par bataaen ki aap kitne din thahrenge।)
यहाँ ठहरो, मैं कमरा बुक करा देता हूँ।
Stay here, I'll get a room booked.
(yahaan thahro, main kamraa buk karaa detaa hoon।)
वह अक्सर दिल्ली आकर अपनी बुआ के यहाँ ठहरती है।
Whenever she comes to Delhi, she usually stays at her aunt's place.
(vah aksar dillii aakar apnii buaa ke yahaan thahartii hai।)
आगंतुकों को होटल में ठहराया गया।
The visitors were put up in the hotel.
(aagantukon ko hotal men thahraayaa gayaa।)
शायद वे अपने दोस्त के फ्लैट में ठहरें।
Maybe they will stay at their friend's flat.
(shaayad ve apne dost ke phlait men thahren।)
हम रात भर वहीं ठहरे रहे।
We stayed put there all night.
(ham raat bhar vahiin thahre rahe।)
सरकारी मेहमान आमतौर पर इसी अतिथि गृह में ठहराए जाते हैं।
Government guests are usually put up in this very guest house.
(sarkaarii mehmaan aamtaur par isii atithi grih men thahraae jaate hain।)
Sense
2
:
to stop, come to a halt (of a moving thing)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: रुकना (ruknaa), थमना (thamnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of a boat gliding to rest at a ghat, or rain finally letting up: बारिश ठहर गई (baarish thahar gaii, 'the rain stopped'). The verb suggests motion settling into stillness, not an abrupt stop.
Common Mistakes: 1) Overlaps heavily with रुकना (ruknaa); in casual speech about traffic, trains, or rain stopping, रुकना (ruknaa) is far more common, and ठहरना (thaharnaa) here can sound slightly more literary or deliberate.
Sample Sentences:
गाड़ी लाल बत्ती पर ठहर गई।
The car came to a stop at the red light.
(gaadii laal battii par thahar gaii।)
बारिश आखिरकार ठहर गई।
The rain finally stopped.
(baarish aakhirkaar thahar gaii।)
नाव धीरे-धीरे घाट के पास ठहर जाती है।
The boat gradually comes to rest near the ghat.
(naav dhiire-dhiire ghaat ke paas thahar jaatii hai।)
पहिया घूमते-घूमते आखिर में ठहर जाएगा।
The wheel will eventually come to a halt after spinning for a while.
(pahiyaa ghoomte-ghoomte aakhir men thahar jaaegaa।)
हवा का झोंका ठहरते ही पत्ते फिर से शांत हो गए।
As soon as the gust of wind stopped, the leaves became still again.
(havaa kaa jhonkaa thaharte hii patte phir se shaant ho gae।)
अगर ब्रेक न लगती तो गाड़ी यूँ ही न ठहरती।
If the brakes hadn't worked, the car wouldn't have stopped like that.
(agar brek n lagtii to gaadii yoon hii n thahartii।)
पंखा बंद करने के बाद भी वह घूमता रहा, फिर धीरे से ठहर गया।
Even after switching it off, the fan kept spinning, then slowly came to a stop.
(pankhaa band karne ke baad bhii vah ghoomtaa rahaa, phir dhiire se thahar gayaa।)
समय जैसे वहीं ठहर गया हो।
It was as if time had stopped right there.
(samay jaise vahiin thahar gayaa ho।)
उम्मीद है कि तूफान जल्दी ठहर जाए।
Let's hope the storm stops soon.
(ummiid hai ki toophaan jaldii thahar jaae।)
Sense
3
:
to wait, hold on for a moment
verb, intransitive Frequently used in the imperative ठहरो (thahro) or ज़रा ठहरिए (zaraa thahrie) as a polite or urgent 'wait a second'.
Synonyms: रुकना (ruknaa), इंतज़ार करना (intzaar karnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear ज़रा ठहरिए (zaraa thahrie) from a shopkeeper asking you to wait a second while they fetch change -- it has a gentle, momentary quality distinct from the longer wait implied by इंतज़ार करना (intzaar karnaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners default to रुको (ruko) for 'wait', which is fine, but ठहरो (thahro) / ठहरिए (thahrie) is the more natural interjection-like imperative when interrupting someone mid-action, e.g. before they leave the room.
Sample Sentences:
ज़रा ठहरिए, मैं अभी आता हूँ।
Please wait a moment, I'll come right away.
(zaraa thahrie, main abhii aataa hoon।)
एक मिनट ठहरो, मुझे जूते पहनने दो।
Wait a minute, let me put on my shoes.
(ek minat thahro, mujhe joote pahanne do।)
वह थोड़ी देर ठहरा और फिर चला गया।
He waited a little while and then left.
(vah thodii der thahraa aur phir chalaa gayaa।)
अगर तुम थोड़ा ठहरते तो मैं तुम्हारे साथ चल पाता।
If you had waited a bit, I would have been able to go with you.
(agar tum thodaa thaharte to main tumhaare saath chal paataa।)
दुकानदार ने कहा कि वह ज़रा ठहरे, वह पैसे लेकर आती है।
The shopkeeper said that he should wait a moment, she was bringing the change.
(dukaandaar ne kahaa ki vah zaraa thahre, vah paise lekar aatii hai।)
क्या आप एक पल ठहर सकते हैं?
Could you wait a moment?
(kyaa aap ek pal thahar sakte hain?)
बस, ठहर जा, मुझे बात पूरी करने दे।
Hold on, just wait, let me finish what I'm saying.
(bas, thahar jaa, mujhe baat poorii karne de।)
वह हर बार दरवाज़े पर थोड़ी देर ठहरता है, फिर अंदर आता है।
He waits a moment at the door every time, then comes inside.
(vah har baar darvaaze par thodii der thahartaa hai, phir andar aataa hai।)
मैडम ने बताया कि वे ठहरें, साहब अभी मिलेंगे।
Madam said that they should wait, sir would meet them shortly.
(maidam ne bataayaa ki ve thahren, saahab abhii milenge।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
ठहरना
(thaharnaa)
infinitive oblique:
ठहरने
(thaharne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
ठहरता
(thahartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
ठहरते
(thaharte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
ठहरती
(thahartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
ठहरतीं
(thahartiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ठहर रहा
(thahar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ठहर रहे
(thahar rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ठहर रही
(thahar rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ठहर रहीं
(thahar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
ठहरा
(thahraa)
perfective (pl.m):
ठहरे
(thahre)
perfective (sg.f):
ठहरी
(thahrii)
perfective (pl.f):
ठहरीं
(thahriin)
imperative (informal):
ठहर
(thahar)
imperative (neutral):
ठहरो
(thahro)
imperative (formal):
ठहरिए
(thahrie)
future (1sg.m):
ठहरूँगा
(thahroongaa)
future (1sg.f):
ठहरूँगी
(thahroongii)
future (1pl.m):
ठहरेंगे
(thahrenge)
future (1pl.f):
ठहरेंगी
(thahrengii)
future (2sg.m):
ठहरेगा
(thahregaa)
future (2sg.f):
ठहरेगी
(thahregii)
future (2pl.m):
ठहरोगे
(thahroge)
future (2pl.f):
ठहरोगी
(thahrogii)
future (3sg.m):
ठहरेगा
(thahregaa)
future (3sg.f):
ठहरेगी
(thahregii)
future (3pl.m):
ठहरेंगे
(thahrenge)
future (3pl.f):
ठहरेंगी
(thahrengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
ठहरूँ
(thahroon)
subjunctive (1pl):
ठहरें
(thahren)
subjunctive (2sg):
ठहरे
(thahre)
subjunctive (2pl):
ठहरो
(thahro)
subjunctive (3sg):
ठहरे
(thahre)
subjunctive (3pl):
ठहरें
(thahren)