गोली मारना (golii maarnaa)

verb A compound expression built from गोली (golii, 'bullet/pill') plus मारना (maarnaa, 'to hit/strike'): literally 'to hit with a bullet,' i.e. to shoot someone. Also carries a very common figurative sense of dismissively giving up on or ignoring something.
Sense 1 : to shoot (someone) with a gun
verb, transitive The person shot is marked with को (ko): उसे गोली मारी (use golii maarii, 'shot him').
Synonyms: गोली चलाना (golii chalaanaa), भून देना (bhoon denaa, informal/violent)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase shows up constantly in news reports and Bollywood dialogue about crime and police action -- headlines often read पुलिस ने गोली मारी (pulis ne golii maarii, 'the police shot [him]'). It pairs with गोली लगना (golii lagnaa, 'to be hit by a bullet'), the intransitive counterpart used when describing the victim's experience rather than the shooter's action.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes say मारना गोली (maarnaa golii) with the word order reversed -- गोली always comes before मारना in this fixed expression. 2) Note this is transitive with ने-marking in the perfective: उसने गोली मारी (usne golii maarii, 'he fired the shot'), not उसने गोली मारा (usne golii maaraa) -- the verb agrees with गोली, the direct object, which is feminine.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस ने चोर को गोली मार दी। The police shot the thief.
(pulis ne chor ko golii maar dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसने अपने दुश्मन को गोली मार दी है। He has shot his enemy.
(usne apne dushman ko golii maar dii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह भागने की कोशिश करेगा तो सिपाही उसे गोली मार देंगे। If he tries to run, the constables will shoot him.
(agar vah bhaagne kii koshish karegaa to sipaahii use golii maar denge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
गोली मार दो इसे! Shoot him!
(golii maar do ise!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
आतंकवादी को मुठभेड़ में गोली मारी गई। The terrorist was shot in the encounter.
(aatankvaadii ko muthbhed men golii maarii gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
खबर है कि पुलिस ने गोली मारी और वह वहीं ढेर हो गया। The news is that the police shot him and he collapsed on the spot.
(khabar hai ki pulis ne golii maarii aur vah vahiin dher ho gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
डाकू रोज़ाना किसी न किसी को गोली मार देते थे। The dacoits used to shoot someone or the other every day.
(daakoo rozaanaa kisii n kisii ko golii maar dete the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर मेरे पास बंदूक होती तो मैं उसे गोली मार देता। If I had had a gun, I would have shot him.
(agar mere paas bandook hotii to main use golii maar detaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सिपाही उसे गोली मार रहा था जब बाकी लोग भाग गए। The constable was shooting him when the others fled.
(sipaahii use golii maar rahaa thaa jab baakii log bhaag gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुमकिन है कि हमलावर ने उसे पीछे से गोली मारी हो। It's possible that the attacker shot him from behind.
(mumkin hai ki hamlaavar ne use piichhe se golii maarii ho।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to dismiss, forget about, not care about (something)
verb, transitive Used idiomatically with छोड़ो/छोड़ो यार as a dismissive imperative: इस बात को गोली मारो (is baat ko golii maaro, 'forget about that').
Synonyms: भूल जाना (bhool jaanaa), छोड़ना (chhodnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a favorite bit of youthful, breezy Delhi slang -- friends say things like उस बात को गोली मारो, चलो खाना खाते हैं (us baat ko golii maaro, chalo khaanaa khaate hain, 'forget about that, let's go eat') to wave away a worry. It has the same shrugging energy as English 'screw it' or 'forget it.'
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is colloquial and can sound flippant or rude in a formal setting -- learners should reserve it for casual speech among friends. 2) The thing being dismissed takes को (ko), not से or पर, which learners sometimes guess incorrectly.
Sample Sentences:
उस बात को गोली मारो, चलो खाना खाते हैं। Forget about that, let's go eat.
(us baat ko golii maaro, chalo khaanaa khaate hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
छोड़ यार, उसकी बातों को गोली मार। Leave it man, to hell with what he says.
(chhod yaar, uskii baaton ko golii maar।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मैंने उस नौकरी को गोली मार दी और अपना काम शुरू कर लिया। I said to hell with that job and started my own business.
(mainne us naukrii ko golii maar dii aur apnaa kaam shuroo kar liyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर छोटी बात को गोली मार देता है, टेंशन ही नहीं लेता। He just brushes off every little thing, he doesn't take tension at all.
(vah har chhotii baat ko golii maar detaa hai, tenshan hii nahiin letaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अरे इस टेंशन को गोली मारो और चिल करो। Oh, forget this tension and just chill.
(are is tenshan ko golii maaro aur chil karo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश मैं भी उसकी तरह हर मुसीबत को गोली मार पाता। I wish I too could just brush off every trouble like he does.
(kaash main bhii uskii tarah har musiibat ko golii maar paataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर वह इतनी आसानी से हर बात को गोली मार सकता, तो इतना परेशान क्यों रहता? If he could really just shrug off everything so easily, why would he stay so worried?
(agar vah itnii aasaanii se har baat ko golii maar saktaa, to itnaa pareshaan kyon rahtaa?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उसने अपनी बेइज़्ज़ती को गोली मार दी और मुस्कुराते हुए आगे बढ़ गया। He shrugged off his humiliation and moved on with a smile.
(usne apnii beizztii ko golii maar dii aur muskuraate hue aage badh gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यार, इस ब्रेकअप को गोली मार और नई ज़िंदगी शुरू कर। Dude, forget this breakup and start a new life.
(yaar, is brekaap ko golii maar aur naii zindgii shuroo kar।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम सच में इतनी बड़ी बात को गोली मार सकते हो? Can you really just brush off such a big deal?
(kyaa tum sach men itnii badii baat ko golii maar sakte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: गोली मारना (golii maarnaa)
infinitive oblique: गोली मारने (golii maarne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): गोली मारता (golii maartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): गोली मारते (golii maarte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): गोली मारती (golii maartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): गोली मारतीं (golii maartiin)
continuous (sg.m): गोली मार रहा (golii maar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): गोली मार रहे (golii maar rahe)
continuous (sg.f): गोली मार रही (golii maar rahii)
continuous (pl.f): गोली मार रहीं (golii maar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): गोली मारा (golii maaraa)
perfective (pl.m): गोली मारे (golii maare)
perfective (sg.f): गोली मारी (golii maarii)
perfective (pl.f): गोली मारीं (golii maariin)
imperative (informal): गोली मार (golii maar)
imperative (neutral): गोली मारो (golii maaro)
imperative (formal): गोली मारिए (golii maarie)
future (1sg.m): गोली मारूँगा (golii maaroongaa)
future (1sg.f): गोली मारूँगी (golii maaroongii)
future (1pl.m): गोली मारेंगे (golii maarenge)
future (1pl.f): गोली मारेंगी (golii maarengii)
future (2sg.m): गोली मारेगा (golii maaregaa)
future (2sg.f): गोली मारेगी (golii maaregii)
future (2pl.m): गोली मारोगे (golii maaroge)
future (2pl.f): गोली मारोगी (golii maarogii)
future (3sg.m): गोली मारेगा (golii maaregaa)
future (3sg.f): गोली मारेगी (golii maaregii)
future (3pl.m): गोली मारेंगे (golii maarenge)
future (3pl.f): गोली मारेंगी (golii maarengii)
subjunctive (1sg): गोली मारूँ (golii maaroon)
subjunctive (1pl): गोली मारें (golii maaren)
subjunctive (2sg): गोली मारे (golii maare)
subjunctive (2pl): गोली मारो (golii maaro)
subjunctive (3sg): गोली मारे (golii maare)
subjunctive (3pl): गोली मारें (golii maaren)