ख़त्म करना (khatm karnaa)
verb
A compound expression meaning 'to finish/end' something (transitive) -- the adjective ख़त्म (khatm, 'finished') paired with करना (karnaa, 'to do'). See also ख़त्म होना (khatm honaa) for the intransitive counterpart, 'to end/run out' on its own.
Sense
1
:
to finish, complete (a task, food, book, etc.)
verb, transitive Takes ने in the perfective since it is transitive: मैंने काम ख़त्म किया (mainne kaam khatm kiyaa, 'I finished the work'). The adjective ख़त्म agrees with the object like a normal predicate adjective in this construction, so it shows up as ख़त्म किया / ख़त्म की / ख़त्म किए depending on the object's gender and number.
Synonyms: समाप्त करना (samaapt karnaa, formal), पूरा करना (pooraa karnaa, 'to complete')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the everyday, casual way to say 'finish' in spoken Hindi -- you will hear it constantly for finishing food, homework, a movie, a bottle of water. समाप्त करना (samaapt karnaa) means the same thing but sounds like a news anchor or a formal announcement, so ख़त्म करना (khatm karnaa) is what people actually say at the dinner table or in the office.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for ख़त्म होना (khatm honaa) when they actually mean the transitive sense -- 'I finished my tea' needs करना (karnaa) because you are acting on the tea, not the tea ending by itself. 2) Because ख़त्म is an adjective here, learners sometimes forget it must agree with the object in gender/number, saying ख़त्म किया (khatm kiyaa) even when the object is feminine (should be ख़त्म की (khatm kii)).
Sample Sentences:
खाना खत्म करो, फिर खेलने जाना।
Finish your food, then go play.
(khaanaa khatm karo, phir khelne jaanaa।)
मैं रोज़ रात को अपना काम खत्म करता हूँ।
I finish my work every night.
(main roz raat ko apnaa kaam khatm kartaa hoon।)
वह अभी अपनी किताब खत्म कर रही है।
She is finishing her book right now.
(vah abhii apnii kitaab khatm kar rahii hai।)
मैंने अभी-अभी अपनी चाय खत्म की।
I just finished my tea.
(mainne abhii-abhii apnii chaay khatm kii।)
क्या तुमने अपना होमवर्क खत्म कर लिया?
Did you finish your homework?
(kyaa tumne apnaa homvark khatm kar liyaa?)
हम कल तक यह प्रोजेक्ट खत्म कर लेंगे।
We will finish this project by tomorrow.
(ham kal tak yah projekt khatm kar lenge।)
अगर वह जल्दी शुरू करता तो अब तक काम खत्म कर चुका होता।
If he had started early, he would have finished the work by now.
(agar vah jaldii shuroo kartaa to ab tak kaam khatm kar chukaa hotaa।)
बोतल खत्म करके ही उठना।
Don't get up until you've finished the bottle.
(botal khatm karke hii uthnaa।)
प्लीज़ मीटिंग टाइम पर खत्म कर दीजिए।
Please finish the meeting on time.
(pliiz miiting taaim par khatm kar diijie।)
शायद वह फिल्म आधे घंटे में खत्म कर दे।
Maybe he'll finish the movie in half an hour.
(shaayad vah philm aadhe ghante men khatm kar de।)
पिज़्ज़ा तो एक ही मिनट में खत्म हो गया।
The pizza got finished in just one minute.
(pizzaa to ek hii minat men khatm ho gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
to end, terminate, kill off (a relationship, a person's life, someone's problem) -- figurative/extended use
verb, transitive Used with abstract or animate objects to mean 'put an end to' -- a relationship, someone's career, a rivalry, or, bluntly, a person's life. The literal completion sense above is about tasks and objects; this sense is about erasing or terminating something that had ongoing existence.
Synonyms: ख़त्म कर देना (khatm kar denaa, with completive nuance), मिटा देना (mitaa denaa, 'to wipe out'), मार देना (maar denaa, 'to kill', when referring to a person)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This figurative extension is everywhere in Hindi film dialogue and news reporting -- गैंग को ख़त्म करना (gaing ko khatm karnaa, 'to finish off the gang') has that same dramatic finality as English 'take out' or 'finish off.' It is worth learning early because the leap from 'finish a sandwich' to 'finish a rival' is smaller in Hindi than it feels in English.
Common Mistakes: 1) In news/crime contexts and in everyday tough talk, उसे ख़त्म कर दिया (use khatm kar diyaa) means 'they killed him,' not 'they finished him off a task' -- learners sometimes miss this darker figurative reading and get confused by headlines or dramatic dialogue. 2) With relationships, रिश्ता ख़त्म करना (rishtaa khatm karnaa) sounds more final and decisive than तोड़ना (todnaa, 'to break'), so swapping them changes the emotional weight of the sentence.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस ने पूरे गैंग को ख़त्म कर दिया।
The police finished off the entire gang.
(pulis ne poore gaing ko khatm kar diyaa।)
उसने अपने रिश्ते को हमेशा के लिए ख़त्म कर दिया।
She ended the relationship for good.
(usne apne rishte ko hameshaa ke lie khatm kar diyaa।)
सरकार भ्रष्टाचार को ख़त्म करने की कोशिश कर रही है।
The government is trying to eradicate corruption.
(sarkaar bhrashtaachaar ko khatm karne kii koshish kar rahii hai।)
अगर वो रास्ते में आया, तो हम उसे ख़त्म कर देंगे।
If he gets in the way, we'll finish him off.
(agar vo raaste men aayaa, to ham use khatm kar denge।)
दुश्मन को ख़त्म कर दो, कोई रहम नहीं।
Finish off the enemy, no mercy.
(dushman ko khatm kar do, koii raham nahiin।)
काश हम इस बीमारी को जड़ से ख़त्म कर पाते।
If only we could eradicate this disease at its root.
(kaash ham is biimaarii ko jad se khatm kar paate।)
आतंकवाद को ख़त्म किया जाना चाहिए।
Terrorism should be eliminated.
(aatankvaad ko khatm kiyaa jaanaa chaahie।)
पूरे इलाके में माफ़िया का राज ख़त्म कर दिया गया।
The mafia's rule over the whole area was wiped out.
(poore ilaake men maafiyaa kaa raaj khatm kar diyaa gayaa।)
मुझे नहीं लगता वो सच में उसे ख़त्म कर सकता है।
I don't think he can actually kill him off.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa vo sach men use khatm kar saktaa hai।)
बड़े-बड़े साम्राज्य युद्धों में ख़त्म हो जाते थे।
Great empires used to be destroyed in wars.
(bade-bade saamraajy yuddhon men khatm ho jaate the।)
उस डॉन ने अपने ही चेले को ख़त्म करवा दिया।
That don had his own disciple taken out.
(us don ne apne hii chele ko khatm karvaa diyaa।)
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive:
ख़त्म करना
(khatm karnaa)
infinitive oblique:
ख़त्म करने
(khatm karne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
ख़त्म करता
(khatm kartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
ख़त्म करते
(khatm karte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
ख़त्म करती
(khatm kartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
ख़त्म करतीं
(khatm kartiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ख़त्म कर रहा
(khatm kar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ख़त्म कर रहे
(khatm kar rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ख़त्म कर रही
(khatm kar rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ख़त्म कर रहीं
(khatm kar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
ख़त्म किया
(khatm kiyaa)
perfective (pl.m):
ख़त्म किए
(khatm kie)
perfective (sg.f):
ख़त्म की
(khatm kii)
perfective (pl.f):
ख़त्म कीं
(khatm kiin)
imperative (informal):
ख़त्म कर
(khatm kar)
imperative (neutral):
ख़त्म करो
(khatm karo)
imperative (formal):
ख़त्म कीजिए
(khatm kiijie)
future (1sg.m):
ख़त्म करूँगा
(khatm karoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
ख़त्म करूँगी
(khatm karoongii)
future (1pl.m):
ख़त्म करेंगे
(khatm karenge)
future (1pl.f):
ख़त्म करेंगी
(khatm karengii)
future (2sg.m):
ख़त्म करेगा
(khatm karegaa)
future (2sg.f):
ख़त्म करेगी
(khatm karegii)
future (2pl.m):
ख़त्म करोगे
(khatm karoge)
future (2pl.f):
ख़त्म करोगी
(khatm karogii)
future (3sg.m):
ख़त्म करेगा
(khatm karegaa)
future (3sg.f):
ख़त्म करेगी
(khatm karegii)
future (3pl.m):
ख़त्म करेंगे
(khatm karenge)
future (3pl.f):
ख़त्म करेंगी
(khatm karengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
ख़त्म करूँ
(khatm karoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
ख़त्म करें
(khatm karen)
subjunctive (2sg):
ख़त्म करे
(khatm kare)
subjunctive (2pl):
ख़त्म करो
(khatm karo)
subjunctive (3sg):
ख़त्म करे
(khatm kare)
subjunctive (3pl):
ख़त्म करें
(khatm karen)