ढकना (dhaknaa)
verb/noun
Two related things live under this spelling: the verb 'to cover' and the noun 'lid/cover' (the thing you cover something with). Inline Hindi as Devanagari (dhaknaa).
Sense
1
:
to cover, put a covering over something
verb, transitive
Synonyms: छिपाना (chhipaanaa, to hide/conceal, not identical), ढाँपना (dhaampnaa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of a Delhi kitchen: दाल (daal) simmering on the stove, and someone says बर्तन ढक दो (bartan dhak do, 'cover the pot'), often as a compound with दो (denaa) to mean 'go ahead and cover it for me/for now.' The related noun sense, ढकना (dhaknaa, 'lid'), is the thing you'd use to do this very action -- the noun and verb share the same body.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for छिपाना (chhipaanaa) when they mean a physical cover -- छिपाना (chhipaanaa) is about hiding/concealing (an object, a fact, an emotion), while ढकना (dhaknaa) is about physically covering something with a lid, cloth, or blanket. 2) The past-tense object marking follows the standard transitive pattern (उसने बर्तन ढका, usne bartan dhakaa, 'he covered the pot') -- nothing unusual here, but learners occasionally forget ने (ne) because the verb feels 'light.'
Sample Sentences:
दाल उबल रही है, बर्तन ढक दो।
The lentils are boiling, cover the pot.
(daal ubal rahii hai, bartan dhak do।)
माँ रोज़ रात को खाना ढक कर रख देती है।
Mom covers and puts away the food every night.
(maan roz raat ko khaanaa dhak kar rakh detii hai।)
उसने कपड़े से टोकरी ढक दी।
She covered the basket with a cloth.
(usne kapde se tokrii dhak dii।)
बर्फ़ पूरे पहाड़ को ढक रही थी।
Snow was covering the entire mountain.
(barf poore pahaad ko dhak rahii thii।)
अगर धूल इतनी न होती तो हमें फ़र्नीचर ढकना न पड़ता।
If there weren't so much dust, we wouldn't have to cover the furniture.
(agar dhool itnii n hotii to hamen farniichar dhaknaa n padtaa।)
बादलों ने पूरे आसमान को ढक लिया।
The clouds covered the entire sky.
(baadlon ne poore aasmaan ko dhak liyaa।)
जब बारिश शुरू हो, तो गमलों को ढक देना।
When it starts raining, cover the pots.
(jab baarish shuroo ho, to gamlon ko dhak denaa।)
शव को सफ़ेद चादर से ढका गया था।
The body had been covered with a white sheet.
(shav ko safed chaadar se dhakaa gayaa thaa।)
क्या तुमने खाना ढक दिया?
Did you cover the food?
(kyaa tumne khaanaa dhak diyaa?)
शायद वह मिठाई को मक्खियों से बचाने के लिए ढक दे।
Maybe she'll cover the sweets to protect them from flies.
(shaayad vah mithaaii ko makkhiyon se bachaane ke lie dhak de।)
Sense
2
:
lid, cover (the object)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: ढक्कन (dhakkan)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This noun sense is simply the object you use to perform the verb ढकना (dhaknaa, 'to cover') -- a पतीले का ढकना (patiile kaa dhaknaa, 'the lid of a pot') sitting on the kitchen shelf. Many learners are surprised the same spelling covers both the action and the thing.
Common Mistakes: 1) ढक्कन (dhakkan) is the far more common everyday word for a bottle-cap or jar-lid in casual speech; ढकना (dhaknaa) as a noun is understood but less frequently reached for by native speakers, who often default to ढक्कन (dhakkan).
Sample Sentences:
पतीले का ढकना कहाँ है?
Where is the lid of the pot?
(patiile kaa dhaknaa kahaan hai?)
यह ढकना बहुत छोटा है, बर्तन पर ठीक से नहीं बैठता।
This lid is too small, it does not fit properly on the container.
(yah dhaknaa bahut chhotaa hai, bartan par thiik se nahiin baithtaa।)
किसी ने डिब्बे का ढकना तोड़ दिया है।
Someone has broken the lid of the box.
(kisii ne dibbe kaa dhaknaa tod diyaa hai।)
ढकना ज़रा उठाकर देखो, अंदर क्या है।
Lift the lid a bit and see what's inside.
(dhaknaa zaraa uthaakar dekho, andar kyaa hai।)
अगर ढकना सही जगह न रखा जाए तो टूट सकता है।
If the lid is not kept in the right place, it can break.
(agar dhaknaa sahii jagah n rakhaa jaae to toot saktaa hai।)
अगर ढकना ठीक से बंद होता, तो खाना खराब नहीं होता।
If the lid had closed properly, the food wouldn't have gone bad.
(agar dhaknaa thiik se band hotaa, to khaanaa kharaab nahiin hotaa।)
मैं बाज़ार से कुकर का नया ढकना लाऊँगी।
I will bring a new lid for the cooker from the market.
(main baazaar se kukar kaa nayaa dhaknaa laaoongii।)
बर्तन का ढकना गिरकर टूट गया।
The container's lid fell and broke.
(bartan kaa dhaknaa girkar toot gayaa।)
इस डब्बे का ढकना कहीं खो गया है, अब कैसे बंद करूँ?
This box's lid has gotten lost somewhere, how do I close it now?
(is dabbe kaa dhaknaa kahiin kho gayaa hai, ab kaise band karoon?)
बरतन का ढकना ऐसा होना चाहिए कि भाप बाहर न निकले।
A pot's lid should be such that steam doesn't escape.
(bartan kaa dhaknaa aisaa honaa chaahie ki bhaap baahar n nikle।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
ढकना
(dhaknaa)
infinitive oblique:
ढकने
(dhakne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
ढकता
(dhaktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
ढकते
(dhakte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
ढकती
(dhaktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
ढकतीं
(dhaktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ढक रहा
(dhak rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ढक रहे
(dhak rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ढक रही
(dhak rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ढक रहीं
(dhak rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
ढका
(dhakaa)
perfective (pl.m):
ढके
(dhake)
perfective (sg.f):
ढकी
(dhakii)
perfective (pl.f):
ढकीं
(dhakiin)
imperative (informal):
ढक
(dhak)
imperative (neutral):
ढको
(dhako)
imperative (formal):
ढकिए
(dhakie)
future (1sg.m):
ढकूँगा
(dhakoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
ढकूँगी
(dhakoongii)
future (1pl.m):
ढकेंगे
(dhakenge)
future (1pl.f):
ढकेंगी
(dhakengii)
future (2sg.m):
ढकेगा
(dhakegaa)
future (2sg.f):
ढकेगी
(dhakegii)
future (2pl.m):
ढकोगे
(dhakoge)
future (2pl.f):
ढकोगी
(dhakogii)
future (3sg.m):
ढकेगा
(dhakegaa)
future (3sg.f):
ढकेगी
(dhakegii)
future (3pl.m):
ढकेंगे
(dhakenge)
future (3pl.f):
ढकेंगी
(dhakengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
ढकूँ
(dhakoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
ढकें
(dhaken)
subjunctive (2sg):
ढके
(dhake)
subjunctive (2pl):
ढको
(dhako)
subjunctive (3sg):
ढके
(dhake)
subjunctive (3pl):
ढकें
(dhaken)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ढकना
(dhaknaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
ढकने
(dhakne)
(pl.m.direct):
ढकने
(dhakne)
(pl.m.oblique):
ढकनों
(dhaknon)