डूबना (doobnaa)
verb
A single-root verb built around 'sinking/drowning', extending naturally from literal immersion to being financially wiped out to the sun/moon 'setting'. Related causative: डुबाना (dubaanaa).
Sense
1
:
to drown, to sink
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: गोता खाना (gotaa khaanaa, to take a dip/plunge)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you hear in monsoon-season news reports about नाव (naav, boats) or इलाके (ilaake, neighborhoods) डूबना (doobnaa) during floods in Delhi-NCR when the यमुना (yamunaa, Yamuna river) rises every year.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for बूड़ना (boodnaa) or confuse it with तैरना (tairnaa, 'to swim') since both involve water -- डूबना (doobnaa) specifically means going under, the opposite of staying afloat. 2) The thing that sinks takes नहीं/is the subject directly -- there is no ने (ne) marking since डूबना (doobnaa) is intransitive, e.g. नाव डूब गई (naav doob gaii, 'the boat sank').
Sample Sentences:
हर साल बरसात में यमुना का पानी बढ़ता है और कई इलाके डूब जाते हैं।
Every year during the rains the Yamuna's water rises and many neighborhoods get flooded.
(har saal barsaat men yamunaa kaa paanii badhtaa hai aur kaii ilaake doob jaate hain।)
कल रात एक नाव नदी में डूब गई।
Last night a boat sank in the river.
(kal raat ek naav nadii men doob gaii।)
बाढ़ में फंसा आदमी डूब रहा था, तभी लोगों ने उसे बचा लिया।
The man trapped in the flood was drowning, just then people saved him.
(baadh men phansaa aadmii doob rahaa thaa, tabhii logon ne use bachaa liyaa।)
बच्चा तालाब में मत जाना, कहीं डूब मत जाना!
Kid, don't go into the pond, don't end up drowning!
(bachchaa taalaab men mat jaanaa, kahiin doob mat jaanaa!)
अगर समय पर मदद न पहुँचती, तो पूरा गाँव डूब जाता।
If help hadn't arrived on time, the whole village would have drowned.
(agar samay par madad n pahunchtii, to pooraa gaanv doob jaataa।)
मुझे डर है कि यह नाव भारी बारिश में डूब सकती है।
I'm afraid this boat might sink in heavy rain.
(mujhe dar hai ki yah naav bhaarii baarish men doob saktii hai।)
समाचारों में दिखाया गया कि निचले इलाके पूरी तरह डूब चुके हैं।
The news showed that the low-lying areas have completely gone underwater.
(samaachaaron men dikhaayaa gayaa ki nichle ilaake poorii tarah doob chuke hain।)
यमुना के किनारे बसी झुग्गियाँ हर मानसून में डूब जाती हैं।
The slums settled along the Yamuna's banks get submerged every monsoon.
(yamunaa ke kinaare basii jhuggiyaan har maansoon men doob jaatii hain।)
अधिकारियों का कहना है कि अगले हफ्ते और इलाके डूब सकते हैं।
Officials say that more areas may get flooded next week.
(adhikaariyon kaa kahnaa hai ki agle haphte aur ilaake doob sakte hain।)
नदी इतनी शांत लग रही थी, किसी को अंदाज़ा नहीं था कि नाव डूब जाएगी।
The river looked so calm, no one had any idea that the boat would sink.
(nadii itnii shaant lag rahii thii, kisii ko andaazaa nahiin thaa ki naav doob jaaegii।)
पुल के नीचे का पूरा इलाका पानी में डूब गया है।
The entire area under the bridge has gone underwater.
(pul ke niiche kaa pooraa ilaakaa paanii men doob gayaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to be financially ruined, to be lost (money, investment)
verb, intransitive Common with पैसा (paisaa), पैसे (paise), or रुपया (rupyaa) as subject: पैसा डूब गया (paisaa doob gayaa, 'the money was lost/sunk').
Synonyms: बर्बाद होना (barbaad honaa, to be ruined), स्वाहा होना (svaahaa honaa, colloquial, 'to go up in smoke')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Very natural in everyday talk about business or investments -- a shopkeeper might say मेरे पैसे डूब गए (mere paise doob gae, 'my money went down the drain') the same way an English speaker says money was 'sunk' into something, showing the metaphor overlaps nicely between the two languages.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पैसे डूब गए।
My money went down the drain.
(mere paise doob gae।)
अगर यह कंपनी डूब गई, तो हमारा सारा निवेश डूब जाएगा।
If this company goes under, our entire investment will be lost.
(agar yah kampnii doob gaii, to hamaaraa saaraa nivesh doob jaaegaa।)
शेयर बाज़ार गिरने से बहुत से लोगों का पैसा डूब रहा है।
With the stock market falling, a lot of people's money is being lost.
(sheyar baazaar girne se bahut se logon kaa paisaa doob rahaa hai।)
अगर वह उस सौदे में पैसा लगाता, तो सब कुछ डूब जाता।
If he had put money into that deal, everything would have been lost.
(agar vah us saude men paisaa lagaataa, to sab kuchh doob jaataa।)
इस धंधे में पैसा मत लगाना, वरना डूब जाएगा।
Don't put money into this business, or it'll be lost.
(is dhandhe men paisaa mat lagaanaa, varnaa doob jaaegaa।)
बैंक के डूबने से हज़ारों खाताधारकों की जमा पूँजी डूब गई।
With the bank collapsing, thousands of account holders' savings were lost.
(baink ke doobne se hazaaron khaataadhaarkon kii jamaa poonjii doob gaii।)
मुझे डर है कि कहीं मेरी सारी जमा-पूँजी न डूब जाए।
I'm afraid all my savings might be lost.
(mujhe dar hai ki kahiin merii saarii jamaa-poonjii n doob jaae।)
उस साझेदारी में उसका सारा पैसा डूब चुका है।
All his money in that partnership is already gone.
(us saajhedaarii men uskaa saaraa paisaa doob chukaa hai।)
निवेशकों की गाढ़ी कमाई इस घोटाले में डूब गई।
The investors' hard-earned money was lost in this scam.
(niveshkon kii gaadhii kamaaii is ghotaale men doob gaii।)
Sense
3
:
to set (of sun, moon, stars)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: अस्त होना (ast honaa, formal/literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Said constantly and casually -- सूरज डूब रहा है (sooraj doob rahaa hai, 'the sun is setting') is how most people actually talk about evening, saved for poetry only in its अस्त (ast) form.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners familiar with English 'the sun sets' may not expect the same 'sinking' verb used for water to apply here -- सूरज डूब गया (sooraj doob gayaa) is the everyday way to say 'the sun set', while अस्त होना (ast honaa) sounds more bookish.
Sample Sentences:
सूरज डूब रहा है, चलो छत पर चलते हैं।
The sun is setting, let's go to the roof.
(sooraj doob rahaa hai, chalo chhat par chalte hain।)
सर्दियों में सूरज जल्दी डूब जाता है।
In winter, the sun sets early.
(sardiyon men sooraj jaldii doob jaataa hai।)
कल शाम को सूरज बहुत सुंदर ढंग से डूबा था।
Yesterday evening the sun set very beautifully.
(kal shaam ko sooraj bahut sundar dhang se doobaa thaa।)
चांद कब डूबेगा?
When will the moon set?
(chaand kab doobegaa?)
अगर सूरज न डूबता, तो रात कभी न होती।
If the sun never set, night would never come.
(agar sooraj n doobtaa, to raat kabhii n hotii।)
सूरज के डूबने से पहले घर पहुंच जाना।
Get home before the sun sets.
(sooraj ke doobne se pahle ghar pahunch jaanaa।)
तारे भी सुबह होते-होते धीरे-धीरे डूब जाते हैं।
The stars too gradually set as morning comes.
(taare bhii subah hote-hote dhiire-dhiire doob jaate hain।)
हो सकता है सूरज बादलों की वजह से जल्दी डूब जाए।
It's possible the sun might set early because of the clouds.
(ho saktaa hai sooraj baadlon kii vajah se jaldii doob jaae।)
क्षितिज पर सूर्य अस्त हो रहा था, और आकाश रक्तिम हो उठा था।
The sun was setting on the horizon, and the sky had turned crimson.
(kshitij par soory ast ho rahaa thaa, aur aakaash raktim ho uthaa thaa।)
जब सूरज डूबता है, तो समुंदर का पानी सुनहरा दिखने लगता है।
When the sun sets, the sea water starts looking golden.
(jab sooraj doobtaa hai, to samundar kaa paanii sunahraa dikhne lagtaa hai।)
Sense
4
:
to be absorbed/lost (in thought, sorrow, work)
verb, intransitive Takes में (men): ख्यालों में डूबना (khyaalon men doobnaa, 'to be lost in thoughts').
Synonyms: खोया रहना (khoyaa rahnaa, to remain lost in), मगन होना (magan honaa, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same body-and-mind imagery English uses ('drowning in sorrow', 'lost in thought'), so it tends to feel intuitive -- you will hear ग़म में डूबना (gham men doobnaa, 'to be drowned in grief') often in songs and everyday sympathetic talk alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is figurative, so learners may try to translate 'drown in thought' literally with a different verb; डूबना (doobnaa) itself carries that exact metaphor naturally in Hindi too.
Sample Sentences:
वह किसी सोच में डूबा हुआ था।
He was lost in some thought.
(vah kisii soch men doobaa huaa thaa।)
वह अपने काम में इतना डूब जाता है कि उसे समय का पता नहीं चलता।
He gets so engrossed in his work that he loses track of time.
(vah apne kaam men itnaa doob jaataa hai ki use samay kaa pataa nahiin chaltaa।)
उसकी माँ के जाने के बाद वह ग़म में डूब गई।
After her mother passed away, she was drowned in grief.
(uskii maan ke jaane ke baad vah gham men doob gaii।)
मैं इस गाने को सुनकर पुरानी यादों में डूब जाता हूँ।
Whenever I hear this song, I get lost in old memories.
(main is gaane ko sunkar puraanii yaadon men doob jaataa hoon।)
वह किताब में डूबी हुई थी, तभी फोन की घंटी बजी।
She was engrossed in the book when the phone rang.
(vah kitaab men doobii huii thii, tabhii phon kii ghantii bajii।)
अगर तुम अपने दुख में इस तरह डूबते रहे, तो जीना मुश्किल हो जाएगा।
If you keep drowning in your sorrow like this, living will become hard.
(agar tum apne dukh men is tarah doobte rahe, to jiinaa mushkil ho jaaegaa।)
बेटा, अपने ग़म में मत डूबो, हम सब तुम्हारे साथ हैं।
Son, don't drown yourself in your grief, we're all with you.
(betaa, apne gham men mat doobo, ham sab tumhaare saath hain।)
काश मैं भी उसकी तरह अपने काम में इतना डूब पाता।
I wish I too could get as engrossed in my work as he does.
(kaash main bhii uskii tarah apne kaam men itnaa doob paataa।)
शायरों की महफ़िल में हर कोई शब्दों के जादू में डूब गया।
In the poets' gathering, everyone got lost in the magic of words.
(shaayron kii mahfil men har koii shabdon ke jaadoo men doob gayaa।)
कृपया ध्यान में डूब जाइए और मन की सारी चंचलता को शांत होने दें।
Please immerse yourself in meditation and let all restlessness of the mind settle.
(kripyaa dhyaan men doob jaaie aur man kii saarii chanchaltaa ko shaant hone den।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
डूबना
(doobnaa)
infinitive oblique:
डूबने
(doobne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
डूबता
(doobtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
डूबते
(doobte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
डूबती
(doobtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
डूबतीं
(doobtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
डूब रहा
(doob rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
डूब रहे
(doob rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
डूब रही
(doob rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
डूब रहीं
(doob rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
डूबा
(doobaa)
perfective (pl.m):
डूबे
(doobe)
perfective (sg.f):
डूबी
(doobii)
perfective (pl.f):
डूबीं
(doobiin)
imperative (informal):
डूब
(doob)
imperative (neutral):
डूबो
(doobo)
imperative (formal):
डूबिए
(doobie)
future (1sg.m):
डूबूँगा
(dooboongaa)
future (1sg.f):
डूबूँगी
(dooboongii)
future (1pl.m):
डूबेंगे
(doobenge)
future (1pl.f):
डूबेंगी
(doobengii)
future (2sg.m):
डूबेगा
(doobegaa)
future (2sg.f):
डूबेगी
(doobegii)
future (2pl.m):
डूबोगे
(dooboge)
future (2pl.f):
डूबोगी
(doobogii)
future (3sg.m):
डूबेगा
(doobegaa)
future (3sg.f):
डूबेगी
(doobegii)
future (3pl.m):
डूबेंगे
(doobenge)
future (3pl.f):
डूबेंगी
(doobengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
डूबूँ
(dooboon)
subjunctive (1pl):
डूबें
(dooben)
subjunctive (2sg):
डूबे
(doobe)
subjunctive (2pl):
डूबो
(doobo)
subjunctive (3sg):
डूबे
(doobe)
subjunctive (3pl):
डूबें
(dooben)