हाथ आना (haath aanaa)
verb
A compound expression built on हाथ (haath, 'hand') plus आना (aanaa, 'to come'), used idiomatically for something falling into one's possession or grasp, often by luck or after effort rather than deliberate acquisition.
Sense
1
:
to come into one's possession, to be obtained (often unexpectedly or after effort)
verb, intransitive The possessor is marked with को (ko), and the thing obtained is the grammatical subject that agrees with the verb: e.g. 'उसे नौकरी हाथ आई' (use naukrii haath aaii, 'he got hold of a job'). This is a dative-subject frame like लगना (lagnaa).
Synonyms: मिलना (milnaa), प्राप्त होना (praapt honaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase carries a flavor of fortune or fate: something 'comes into your hand' rather than you actively seizing it, which fits Hindi's broader habit of framing events as happening *to* a person (को (ko) constructions) rather than being driven *by* them. It is often used for opportunities, evidence, or rare finds slipping into someone's grasp -- 'मौका हाथ आना' (maukaa haath aanaa, 'an opportunity coming one's way') is a very common pairing.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to make the person who receives the thing the grammatical subject with ने (ne), but हाथ आना (haath aanaa) takes a को (ko)-marked possessor instead, with the thing obtained as the subject. 2) Because आना (aanaa) is intransitive, there is no ने (ne) marking anywhere in this construction, even though the meaning feels like 'getting' something.
Sample Sentences:
आखिरकार मुझे वह किताब हाथ आ गई जिसकी मैं महीनों से खोज में था।
Finally I got hold of that book I had been searching for months.
(aakhirkaar mujhe vah kitaab haath aa gaii jiskii main mahiinon se khoj men thaa।)
पुलिस को अपराधी के खिलाफ एक अहम सबूत हाथ आया है।
The police have gotten hold of an important piece of evidence against the criminal.
(pulis ko apraadhii ke khilaaph ek aham saboot haath aayaa hai।)
अगर यह मौका हाथ आ जाए तो मैं इसे कभी नहीं छोड़ूँगा।
If this opportunity comes my way, I will never let it go.
(agar yah maukaa haath aa jaae to main ise kabhii nahiin chhodoongaa।)
काश वह पुरानी चिट्ठी मुझे हाथ आती, तो सारा सच सामने आ जाता।
If only that old letter had come into my hands, the whole truth would have come out.
(kaash vah puraanii chitthii mujhe haath aatii, to saaraa sach saamne aa jaataa।)
बरसों की मेहनत के बाद उसे यह नौकरी हाथ आई है।
After years of hard work, this job has landed in her hands.
(barson kii mehnat ke baad use yah naukrii haath aaii hai।)
ऐसे दुर्लभ सिक्के बार-बार हाथ नहीं आते।
Rare coins like these don't come one's way again and again.
(aise durlabh sikke baar-baar haath nahiin aate।)
खुदाई के दौरान मजदूरों को एक पुराना सिक्का हाथ आया।
During the excavation, the workers came upon an old coin.
(khudaaii ke dauraan majdooron ko ek puraanaa sikkaa haath aayaa।)
देखो, ऐसा मौका दोबारा हाथ आए, यह जरूरी नहीं।
Look, it's not certain that such an opportunity will come your way again.
(dekho, aisaa maukaa dobaaraa haath aae, yah jaroorii nahiin।)
व्यापारी को सौदे में भारी मुनाफा हाथ आने वाला है।
The trader is about to land a huge profit in the deal.
(vyaapaarii ko saude men bhaarii munaaphaa haath aane vaalaa hai।)
जांच अधिकारियों के हाथ अब तक कोई ठोस सुराग नहीं आया है।
The investigating officers have not gotten hold of any solid clue so far.
(jaanch adhikaariyon ke haath ab tak koii thos suraag nahiin aayaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to be caught, to be captured (of a person or animal)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: पकड़ में आना (pakad men aanaa), गिरफ़्तार होना (giraftaar honaa, formal, of a person by authorities)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Used for a fugitive, thief, or fleeing animal finally being caught, as in crime reporting or storytelling: 'चोर पुलिस के हाथ आ गया' (chor pulis ke haath aa gayaa, 'the thief was caught by the police'). Note the के हाथ आना (ke haath aanaa) pattern here, distinct from the को (ko) pattern in the possession sense -- both share the same root idea of something landing in someone's 'hand.'
Sample Sentences:
आखिरकार चोर पुलिस के हाथ आ गया।
Finally the thief was caught by the police.
(aakhirkaar chor pulis ke haath aa gayaa।)
भागा हुआ शेर कई घंटों बाद वन विभाग के हाथ आया।
The escaped lion was caught by the forest department several hours later.
(bhaagaa huaa sher kaii ghanton baad van vibhaag ke haath aayaa।)
पुलिस को पूरा यकीन है कि हत्यारा जल्द ही उनके हाथ आ जाएगा।
The police are quite sure that the murderer will soon be caught by them.
(pulis ko pooraa yakiin hai ki hatyaaraa jald hii unke haath aa jaaegaa।)
अगर वह इतना होशियार न होता तो कब का हाथ आ जाता।
If he weren't so clever, he would have been caught long ago.
(agar vah itnaa hoshiyaar n hotaa to kab kaa haath aa jaataa।)
भगोड़ा अपराधी सालों तक पुलिस के हाथ नहीं आया।
The fugitive criminal was not caught by the police for years.
(bhagodaa apraadhii saalon tak pulis ke haath nahiin aayaa।)
काश वह डाकू आज ही हाथ आ जाए।
I wish that bandit would get caught today itself.
(kaash vah daakoo aaj hii haath aa jaae।)
पत्रकार ने लिखा कि तस्कर आखिरकार सीमा सुरक्षा बल के हाथ आ गया।
The journalist wrote that the smuggler was finally caught by the border security force.
(patrkaar ne likhaa ki taskar aakhirkaar siimaa surakshaa bal ke haath aa gayaa।)
कहानी में बाघ जाल में फँसकर शिकारियों के हाथ आ जाता है।
In the story, the tiger gets trapped in a net and is caught by the hunters.
(kahaanii men baagh jaal men phanskar shikaariyon ke haath aa jaataa hai।)
देखना, यह बदमाश एक दिन जरूर हाथ आएगा।
Watch, this scoundrel will surely be caught one day.
(dekhnaa, yah badmaash ek din jaroor haath aaegaa।)
अरे भाई, वो चूहा तो अभी तक बिल्ली के हाथ नहीं आया।
Hey man, that mouse still hasn't been caught by the cat.
(are bhaaii, vo choohaa to abhii tak billii ke haath nahiin aayaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
हाथ आना
(haath aanaa)
infinitive oblique:
हाथ आने
(haath aane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
हाथ आता
(haath aataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
हाथ आते
(haath aate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
हाथ आती
(haath aatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
हाथ आतीं
(haath aatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
हाथ आ रहा
(haath aa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
हाथ आ रहे
(haath aa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
हाथ आ रही
(haath aa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
हाथ आ रहीं
(haath aa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
हाथ आया
(haath aayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
हाथ आए
(haath aae)
perfective (sg.f):
हाथ आई
(haath aaii)
perfective (pl.f):
हाथ आईं
(haath aaiin)
imperative (informal):
हाथ आ
(haath aa)
imperative (neutral):
हाथ आओ
(haath aao)
imperative (formal):
हाथ आइए
(haath aaie)
future (1sg.m):
हाथ आऊँगा
(haath aaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
हाथ आऊँगी
(haath aaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
हाथ आएँगे
(haath aaenge)
future (1pl.f):
हाथ आएँगी
(haath aaengii)
future (2sg.m):
हाथ आएगा
(haath aaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
हाथ आएगी
(haath aaegii)
future (2pl.m):
हाथ आओगे
(haath aaoge)
future (2pl.f):
हाथ आओगी
(haath aaogii)
future (3sg.m):
हाथ आएगा
(haath aaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
हाथ आएगी
(haath aaegii)
future (3pl.m):
हाथ आएँगे
(haath aaenge)
future (3pl.f):
हाथ आएँगी
(haath aaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
हाथ आऊँ
(haath aaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
हाथ आएँ
(haath aaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
हाथ आए
(haath aae)
subjunctive (2pl):
हाथ आओ
(haath aao)
subjunctive (3sg):
हाथ आए
(haath aae)
subjunctive (3pl):
हाथ आएँ
(haath aaen)