टिकना (tiknaa)
verb
One core meaning: to stay put, hold up, or last -- used for people/things enduring in a place, in a condition, or over time (tiknaa).
Sense
1
:
to stay, remain in place
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: रुकना (ruknaa), ठहरना (thaharnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of a traveler who cannot find anywhere to टिकना (tiknaa) for the night -- the word carries a mild sense of finding stable ground, which is why it also extends naturally to things that hold up structurally or endure over time.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for रुकना (ruknaa) here, which is fine for a short halt, but टिकना (tiknaa) carries a stronger sense of settling in or lasting there for a while, not just pausing. 2) It takes पर (par) or में (men) for the place, not को (ko): घर पर टिकना (ghar par tiknaa, 'to stay put at home').
Sample Sentences:
आज रात हम इस धर्मशाला में टिकेंगे।
Tonight we will stay put at this pilgrims' rest house.
(aaj raat ham is dharmshaalaa men tikenge।)
वह किसी एक जगह नहीं टिकता, हर हफ्ते शहर बदल लेता है।
He doesn't stay put in any one place, he changes cities every week.
(vah kisii ek jagah nahiin tiktaa, har haphte shahar badal letaa hai।)
बारिश की वजह से हम रास्ते में एक ढाबे पर टिक गए।
Because of the rain, we stopped over at a roadside eatery on the way.
(baarish kii vajah se ham raaste men ek dhaabe par tik gae।)
कृपया यहीं टिकिए, मैं अभी सामान ले आता हूँ।
Please stay put right here, I'll bring the luggage right away.
(kripyaa yahiin tikie, main abhii saamaan le aataa hoon।)
यहाँ टिक, मैं अभी वापस आती हूँ।
Stay put here, I'll be right back.
(yahaan tik, main abhii vaapas aatii hoon।)
अगर हमें कोई सस्ता कमरा मिल जाए तो हम कुछ दिन यहाँ टिक सकते हैं।
If we can find some cheap room, we could stay put here for a few days.
(agar hamen koii sastaa kamraa mil jaae to ham kuchh din yahaan tik sakte hain।)
अगर उस रात सराय बंद न होती तो हम वहाँ टिक जाते।
If the inn hadn't been closed that night, we would have stayed put there.
(agar us raat saraay band n hotii to ham vahaan tik jaate।)
पूरे सफर में वह कहीं टिका नहीं, बस भटकता रहा।
Through the whole journey he never stayed put anywhere, he just kept wandering.
(poore saphar men vah kahiin tikaa nahiin, bas bhataktaa rahaa।)
साधु महीनों तक एक ही आश्रम में टिका रहा।
The sadhu remained put in the same ashram for months.
(saadhu mahiinon tak ek hii aashram men tikaa rahaa।)
उस मुसाफिर को रात बिताने के लिए कोई ठिकाना नहीं मिल रहा था जहाँ वह टिक सके।
That traveler couldn't find any place to spend the night where he could stay put.
(us musaaphir ko raat bitaane ke lie koii thikaanaa nahiin mil rahaa thaa jahaan vah tik sake।)
Sense
2
:
to hold up, withstand, endure (of things/situations)
verb, intransitive Common with चीज़ें (chiizen), रिश्ते (rishte), दाम (daam), मौसम (mausam) etc. as subjects rather than people.
Synonyms: बना रहना (banaa rahnaa), कायम रहना (kaayam rahnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this in market haggling -- दाम नहीं टिकेंगे (daam nahiin tikenge, 'the price won't hold') -- and in everyday complaints about cheap goods that don't टिकना (tiknaa), reflecting a very Delhi-bazaar concern with durability and value for money.
Common Mistakes: 1) Used for things that endure stress or time -- a phone, a relationship, a price -- where English might say 'hold up' or 'last', not 'stay'. Learners sometimes default to रहना (rahnaa) here, which just means 'to remain' without टिकना's (tiknaa) implication of surviving pressure or a test.
Sample Sentences:
यह जूता ज़्यादा दिन नहीं टिकेगा।
This shoe won't last many days.
(yah jootaa zyaadaa din nahiin tikegaa।)
इतनी सस्ती चीज़ें कभी नहीं टिकतीं।
Such cheap things never last.
(itnii sastii chiizen kabhii nahiin tiktiin।)
दाम नहीं टिकेंगे, भाई साहब, थोड़ा और दे दो।
The price won't hold up, brother, give a little more.
(daam nahiin tikenge, bhaaii saahab, thodaa aur de do।)
पुराना पुल तेज़ बारिश में नहीं टिका।
The old bridge didn't hold up in the heavy rain.
(puraanaa pul tez baarish men nahiin tikaa।)
अगर दीवार अच्छी तरह बनी होती, तो इतने साल टिकती।
If the wall had been built properly, it would have held up for so many years.
(agar diivaar achchhii tarah banii hotii, to itne saal tiktii।)
यह सरकार ज़्यादा दिन नहीं टिकेगी, ऐसा सब कह रहे हैं।
Everyone is saying this government won't hold up for long.
(yah sarkaar zyaadaa din nahiin tikegii, aisaa sab kah rahe hain।)
मुझे शक है कि यह रिश्ता ज़्यादा दिन टिके।
I doubt this relationship will hold up for long.
(mujhe shak hai ki yah rishtaa zyaadaa din tike।)
बाज़ार में ऐसी चीज़ें बिकती हैं जो एक हफ़्ता भी न टिकें।
Things are sold in the market that don't even last a week.
(baazaar men aisii chiizen biktii hain jo ek haftaa bhii n tiken।)
इस मौसम में यह पेंट ज़्यादा नहीं टिक पाएगा।
In this weather, this paint won't be able to hold up for long.
(is mausam men yah pent zyaadaa nahiin tik paaegaa।)
उस समझौते की शर्तें आर्थिक दबाव के आगे नहीं टिक सकीं।
The terms of that agreement could not withstand the economic pressure.
(us samjhaute kii sharten aarthik dabaav ke aage nahiin tik sakiin।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
टिकना
(tiknaa)
infinitive oblique:
टिकने
(tikne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
टिकता
(tiktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
टिकते
(tikte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
टिकती
(tiktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
टिकतीं
(tiktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
टिक रहा
(tik rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
टिक रहे
(tik rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
टिक रही
(tik rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
टिक रहीं
(tik rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
टिका
(tikaa)
perfective (pl.m):
टिके
(tike)
perfective (sg.f):
टिकी
(tikii)
perfective (pl.f):
टिकीं
(tikiin)
imperative (informal):
टिक
(tik)
imperative (neutral):
टिको
(tiko)
imperative (formal):
टिकिए
(tikie)
future (1sg.m):
टिकूँगा
(tikoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
टिकूँगी
(tikoongii)
future (1pl.m):
टिकेंगे
(tikenge)
future (1pl.f):
टिकेंगी
(tikengii)
future (2sg.m):
टिकेगा
(tikegaa)
future (2sg.f):
टिकेगी
(tikegii)
future (2pl.m):
टिकोगे
(tikoge)
future (2pl.f):
टिकोगी
(tikogii)
future (3sg.m):
टिकेगा
(tikegaa)
future (3sg.f):
टिकेगी
(tikegii)
future (3pl.m):
टिकेंगे
(tikenge)
future (3pl.f):
टिकेंगी
(tikengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
टिकूँ
(tikoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
टिकें
(tiken)
subjunctive (2sg):
टिके
(tike)
subjunctive (2pl):
टिको
(tiko)
subjunctive (3sg):
टिके
(tike)
subjunctive (3pl):
टिकें
(tiken)