डरना (darnaa)
verb
A basic intransitive verb meaning 'to fear, to be afraid.' Its causative partner डराना (daraanaa, 'to scare, frighten') is a separate lemma.
Sense
1
:
to be afraid, to fear
verb, intransitive Takes से (se) for the thing feared: किसी चीज़ से डरना (kisii chiiz se darnaa, 'to fear something'), not को.
Synonyms: भयभीत होना (bhaybhiit honaa, formal), घबराना (ghabraanaa, to be nervous/scared -- overlapping but not identical), सहमना (sahamnaa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Indian parents love to weaponize this verb: मत डरो, कुछ नहीं होगा (mat daro, kuchh nahiin hogaa, 'don't be afraid, nothing will happen') is a classic reassurance line at the doctor's or dentist's office. Note the family link to डराना (daraanaa, 'to frighten someone') -- the causative you'd use for a scary movie or a threatening uncle.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for को (ko) by analogy with dative-subject verbs like लगना, but डरना (darnaa) marks the object of fear with से (se): साँप से डरना (saamp se darnaa, 'to be afraid of a snake'), not साँप को डरना. 2) डरना (darnaa) is intransitive and does not take ने (ne) in the perfective: वह डरा (vah daraa, 'he got scared'), not उसने डरा.
Sample Sentences:
मत डरो, कुछ नहीं होगा।
Don't be afraid, nothing will happen.
(mat daro, kuchh nahiin hogaa।)
मुझे अंधेरे से बहुत डर लगता है।
I'm very afraid of the dark.
(mujhe andhere se bahut dar lagtaa hai।)
वह साँप को देखकर डर गया।
He got scared upon seeing the snake.
(vah saamp ko dekhkar dar gayaa।)
बच्चा इंजेक्शन से डर रहा है।
The child is scared of the injection.
(bachchaa injekshan se dar rahaa hai।)
अगर तुम सच में इतना डरते, तो यहाँ आते ही नहीं।
If you were really so scared, you wouldn't have come here at all.
(agar tum sach men itnaa darte, to yahaan aate hii nahiin।)
कहीं वह अकेले में डर न जाए।
I hope she doesn't get scared being alone.
(kahiin vah akele men dar n jaae।)
हमें असफलता से नहीं डरना चाहिए।
We should not be afraid of failure.
(hamen asphaltaa se nahiin darnaa chaahie।)
मौत से डरने से क्या फ़ायदा?
What's the use of being afraid of death?
(maut se darne se kyaa faaydaa?)
जब तूफ़ान आया, तो सारा गाँव डर गया था।
When the storm came, the whole village had gotten scared.
(jab toofaan aayaa, to saaraa gaanv dar gayaa thaa।)
कल जब बत्ती चली गई थी, हम सब डर गए थे।
Yesterday when the power went out, we all got scared.
(kal jab battii chalii gaii thii, ham sab dar gae the।)
वह हमेशा भविष्य को लेकर डरा रहता है।
He always remains anxious about the future.
(vah hameshaa bhavishy ko lekar daraa rahtaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to be intimidated by, to be in awe of (someone's authority)
verb, intransitive Same से (se)-marked frame as the core sense, but used for social/hierarchical fear rather than physical danger: बॉस से डरना (bos se darnaa, 'to be intimidated by the boss').
Synonyms: डरना-सहमना (darnaa-sahamnaa, compound idiom form)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is less about literal fear and more about respect-tinged wariness -- the kind of feeling Indian kids describe having for a strict teacher or a stern grandfather. It overlaps with the core sense enough that some teachers wouldn't split it, but the emotional register (deference, not danger) is distinct enough to flag for a learner building real conversational instinct.
Sample Sentences:
बच्चे अपने दादाजी से डरते हैं।
The kids are in awe of their grandfather.
(bachche apne daadaajii se darte hain।)
पूरी क्लास प्रिंसिपल साहब से डरती है।
The whole class is intimidated by the principal.
(poorii klaas prinsipal saahab se dartii hai।)
मैं अपने पापा से बहुत डरता था, कुछ भी गलत करने की हिम्मत नहीं होती थी।
I used to be quite in awe of my dad, I never dared to do anything wrong.
(main apne paapaa se bahut dartaa thaa, kuchh bhii galat karne kii himmat nahiin hotii thii।)
नए कर्मचारी अभी भी मैनेजर से डर रहे हैं।
The new employees are still intimidated by the manager.
(nae karmchaarii abhii bhii mainejar se dar rahe hain।)
उससे मत डरो, वो अंदर से बहुत नरम दिल है।
Don't be intimidated by him, he's very soft-hearted underneath.
(usse mat daro, vo andar se bahut naram dil hai।)
अगर वो अपने बॉस से इतना न डरता, तो अपनी बात खुलकर कहता।
If he weren't so intimidated by his boss, he would speak his mind openly.
(agar vo apne bos se itnaa n dartaa, to apnii baat khulkar kahtaa।)
टीचर की आवाज़ ही ऐसी थी कि सब डर जाते थे।
The teacher's voice alone was such that everyone would become intimidated.
(tiichar kii aavaaz hii aisii thii ki sab dar jaate the।)
हो सकता है वो तुमसे डरे, तुम बहुत सख्त बॉस हो।
It's possible he's intimidated by you, you are a very strict boss.
(ho saktaa hai vo tumse dare, tum bahut sakht bos ho।)
सीनियर अफ़सरों से डरना दफ़्तर की पुरानी परंपरा है।
Being intimidated by senior officers is an old tradition of the office.
(siiniyar afasron se darnaa daftar kii puraanii parampraa hai।)
उसके रौब से सब इतना डर जाते हैं कि सामने बोलने की किसी की हिम्मत नहीं होती।
Everyone becomes so intimidated by his authority that nobody dares speak up in front of him.
(uske raub se sab itnaa dar jaate hain ki saamne bolne kii kisii kii himmat nahiin hotii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
डरना
(darnaa)
infinitive oblique:
डरने
(darne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
डरता
(dartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
डरते
(darte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
डरती
(dartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
डरतीं
(dartiin)
continuous (sg.m):
डर रहा
(dar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
डर रहे
(dar rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
डर रही
(dar rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
डर रहीं
(dar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
डरा
(daraa)
perfective (pl.m):
डरे
(dare)
perfective (sg.f):
डरी
(darii)
perfective (pl.f):
डरीं
(dariin)
imperative (informal):
डर
(dar)
imperative (neutral):
डरो
(daro)
imperative (formal):
डरिए
(darie)
future (1sg.m):
डरूँगा
(daroongaa)
future (1sg.f):
डरूँगी
(daroongii)
future (1pl.m):
डरेंगे
(darenge)
future (1pl.f):
डरेंगी
(darengii)
future (2sg.m):
डरेगा
(daregaa)
future (2sg.f):
डरेगी
(daregii)
future (2pl.m):
डरोगे
(daroge)
future (2pl.f):
डरोगी
(darogii)
future (3sg.m):
डरेगा
(daregaa)
future (3sg.f):
डरेगी
(daregii)
future (3pl.m):
डरेंगे
(darenge)
future (3pl.f):
डरेंगी
(darengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
डरूँ
(daroon)
subjunctive (1pl):
डरें
(daren)
subjunctive (2sg):
डरे
(dare)
subjunctive (2pl):
डरो
(daro)
subjunctive (3sg):
डरे
(dare)
subjunctive (3pl):
डरें
(daren)