निकालना (nikaalnaa)

verb The everyday transitive verb for 'taking out' -- covers literal removal, extracting/withdrawing, expelling/firing, and several idiomatic extensions (finding a way out, venting anger, deriving a result). Pairs with the intransitive निकलना (nikalnaa, 'to come out'), which describes the same event from the thing-that-emerges' point of view.
Sense 1 : to take out, remove (physically)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: बाहर करना (baahar karnaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the verb your mother uses constantly in the kitchen: फ्रिज से दूध निकालो (phrij se doodh nikaalo, 'take the milk out of the fridge'). Its intransitive twin निकलना (nikalnaa) is what you'd use if the milk somehow came out on its own -- Hindi is careful about who's doing the causing.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बाहर करना (baahar karnaa) when निकालना (nikaalnaa) alone already carries the 'out' meaning -- native speakers just say जेब से पैसे निकाले (jeb se paise nikaale, 'took the money out of the pocket'), not जेब से पैसे बाहर निकाले for this ordinary case. 2) The source is marked with से (se), not से मे or का -- पर्स से निकालना (pars se nikaalnaa, 'to take out of the purse'), never पर्स का निकालना (pars kaa nikaalnaa).
Sample Sentences:
फ्रिज से दूध निकालो। Take the milk out of the fridge.
(phrij se doodh nikaalo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मैं अलमारी से कपड़े निकाल रही हूँ। I am taking the clothes out of the cupboard.
(main almaarii se kapde nikaal rahii hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने बैग से किताबें निकालीं। She took the books out of the bag.
(usne baig se kitaaben nikaaliin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हर सुबह वह जार से एक बिस्कुट निकालता है। Every morning he takes a biscuit out of the jar.
(har subah vah jaar se ek biskut nikaaltaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल तक हम सारा सामान डब्बों से निकाल लेंगे। By tomorrow we will have taken all the stuff out of the boxes.
(kal tak ham saaraa saamaan dabbon se nikaal lenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मेज़ के दराज़ से पेन निकालो तो सही। Just take the pen out of the table drawer already.
(mez ke daraaz se pen nikaalo to sahii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह जल्दी में होती तो सामान बैग से नहीं निकालती। If she had been in a hurry, she would not have taken the stuff out of the bag.
(agar vah jaldii men hotii to saamaan baig se nahiin nikaaltii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बर्तन ओवन से सावधानी से निकाले जाते हैं। The utensils are carefully taken out of the oven.
(bartan ovan se saavdhaanii se nikaale jaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
कृपया आलमारी से पुरानी फ़ाइलें निकाल दीजिए। Please take the old files out of the cupboard.
(kripyaa aalmaarii se puraanii faailen nikaal diijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शायद वह पानी की बोतल बैग से निकाल दे। Maybe she will take the water bottle out of the bag.
(shaayad vah paanii kii botal baig se nikaal de।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
बच्चे ने डिब्बे से खिलौने निकाल कर फैला दिए। The child took the toys out of the box and scattered them.
(bachche ne dibbe se khilaune nikaal kar phailaa die।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to withdraw, extract (money, information, a tooth, etc.)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: निकासी करना (nikaasii karnaa, formal, money only)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this at the ATM (पैसे निकालना, paise nikaalnaa, 'to withdraw cash'), at the dentist (दांत निकालना, daant nikaalnaa, 'to pull a tooth'), and in the classroom (जवाब निकालना, javaab nikaalnaa, 'to work out/extract the answer') -- the common thread is pulling something useful out of a larger source.
Common Mistakes: 1) For bank withdrawals, learners sometimes say पैसे बाहर लेना, but the natural collocation is पैसे निकालना (paise nikaalnaa, 'to withdraw money') -- ATM से पैसे निकालना (ATM se paise nikaalnaa, 'to withdraw money from the ATM') is the standard phrase.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे एटीएम से पैसे निकालने हैं। I need to withdraw money from the ATM.
(mujhe etiiem se paise nikaalne hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने मेरा दांत निकाल दिया। The doctor pulled out my tooth.
(doktar ne meraa daant nikaal diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस सवाल का जवाब निकालना बहुत मुश्किल है। Working out the answer to this question is very difficult.
(is savaal kaa javaab nikaalnaa bahut mushkil hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हर महीने वह अपनी सैलरी से कुछ पैसे निकालकर बचाती है। Every month she withdraws some money from her salary and saves it.
(har mahiine vah apnii sailrii se kuchh paise nikaalkar bachaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया खाते से पूरी रकम मत निकालिए। Please do not withdraw the entire amount from the account.
(kripyaa khaate se poorii rakam mat nikaalie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर बैंक बंद न होता तो मैं आज ही पैसे निकाल लेता। If the bank weren't closed, I would have withdrawn the money today itself.
(agar baink band n hotaa to main aaj hii paise nikaal letaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
उससे जानकारी निकालना इतना आसान नहीं होगा। Extracting information from him will not be that easy.
(usse jaankaarii nikaalnaa itnaa aasaan nahiin hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
पुलिस उससे सच निकालने की कोशिश कर रही थी। The police were trying to extract the truth from him.
(pulis usse sach nikaalne kii koshish kar rahii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब मैं छोटा था, तब मेरे दोनों दांत निकाले गए थे। When I was little, both my teeth were pulled out.
(jab main chhotaa thaa, tab mere donon daant nikaale gae the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
शायद वह इस मुसीबत से कोई हल निकाल ले। Perhaps he'll manage to extract some solution out of this mess.
(shaayad vah is musiibat se koii hal nikaal le।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
बैंक से पैसे निकालने के लिए पहचान पत्र दिखाना ज़रूरी है। It is necessary to show ID in order to withdraw money from the bank.
(baink se paise nikaalne ke lie pahchaan patr dikhaanaa zaroorii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : to expel, fire, throw out (from a job, school, group)
verb, transitive Often appears with दे देना (de denaa) as निकाल देना (nikaal denaa) to stress the abruptness/finality of the act -- a natural compound-verb extension rather than a separate sense.
Synonyms: बर्खास्त करना (barkhaast karnaa, formal), निकाल देना (nikaal denaa, completive variant)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word for getting fired or expelled -- नौकरी से निकाल दिया (naukrii se nikaal diyaa, 'got fired from the job') or स्कूल से निकाल दिया (skool se nikaal diyaa, 'got expelled from school') -- a phrase every Indian family dreads hearing about a relative.
Common Mistakes: 1) The person removed takes को (ko): उसे नौकरी से निकाल दिया (use naukrii se nikaal diyaa, 'they fired him from the job') -- learners sometimes drop को and it sounds off.
Sample Sentences:
बॉस ने उसे नौकरी से निकाल दिया। The boss fired him from the job.
(bos ne use naukrii se nikaal diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसे बदतमीज़ी करने की वजह से स्कूल से निकाल दिया गया। He was expelled from school for misbehaving.
(use badatmiizii karne kii vajah se skool se nikaal diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अगर तुम फिर देर से आए, तो कंपनी तुम्हें निकाल देगी। If you come late again, the company will fire you.
(agar tum phir der se aae, to kampnii tumhen nikaal degii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उसे टीम से निकाल दो, वो सबको परेशान करता है। Throw him out of the team, he troubles everyone.
(use tiim se nikaal do, vo sabko pareshaan kartaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश वो मुझे इस नौकरी से न निकालते। I wish they hadn't fired me from this job.
(kaash vo mujhe is naukrii se n nikaalte।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कंपनियाँ अक्सर मंदी के दौरान कर्मचारियों को निकाल देती हैं। Companies often lay off employees during a recession.
(kampniyaan aksar mandii ke dauraan karmchaariyon ko nikaal detii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसे संगठन से निकाला जा रहा है क्योंकि उसने नियम तोड़े हैं। He is being thrown out of the organization because he broke the rules.
(use sangthan se nikaalaa jaa rahaa hai kyonki usne niyam tode hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
मुझे डर है कि इस बार वे मुझे निकाल दें। I'm afraid that this time they might fire me.
(mujhe dar hai ki is baar ve mujhe nikaal den।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पूरे मोहल्ले को पता चल गया कि उसे नौकरी से निकाल दिया गया है। The whole neighborhood found out that he had been fired from his job.
(poore mohalle ko pataa chal gayaa ki use naukrii se nikaal diyaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
प्रबंधन ने तय किया है कि लापरवाह कर्मचारियों को निकाला जाए। Management has decided that careless employees should be let go.
(prabandhan ne tay kiyaa hai ki laaparvaah karmchaariyon ko nikaalaa jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
पिताजी बहुत सख्त हैं, अगर मैंने पढ़ाई में ध्यान नहीं दिया तो वो मुझे कॉलेज से निकालने की धमकी देते हैं। Dad is very strict -- if I don't focus on my studies, he threatens to get me thrown out of college.
(pitaajii bahut sakht hain, agar mainne padhaaii men dhyaan nahiin diyaa to vo mujhe kolej se nikaalne kii dhamkii dete hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 4 : to find, work out, come up with (a way, solution, route)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: ढूँढना (dhoondhnaa, broader 'search for')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: कोई रास्ता निकालेंगे (koii raastaa nikaalenge, 'we'll figure something out') is the classic reassurance a Delhi uncle gives when a plan falls apart -- it's less about roads and more about Indian improvisational optimism (जुगाड़, jugaad).
Common Mistakes: 1) रास्ता निकालना (raastaa nikaalnaa) means 'to find a way/solution,' not literally 'to take a road out' -- a learner translating word-by-word will miss the idiomatic 'figure something out' sense.
Sample Sentences:
कोई न कोई रास्ता निकाल लेंगे। We'll figure out some way or the other.
(koii n koii raastaa nikaal lenge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
टेंशन मत लो, कोई रास्ता निकालेंगे। Don't stress, we'll figure something out.
(tenshan mat lo, koii raastaa nikaalenge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उसने इस मुश्किल समस्या का हल निकाल लिया। He figured out the solution to this difficult problem.
(usne is mushkil samasyaa kaa hal nikaal liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर हम मिलकर सोचें, तो कोई तरकीब निकल आएगी। If we think about it together, some trick will come up.
(agar ham milkar sochen, to koii tarkiib nikal aaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
वह हमेशा किसी भी काम का जुगाड़ निकाल लेता है। He always manages to come up with a workaround for any task.
(vah hameshaa kisii bhii kaam kaa jugaad nikaal letaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इंजीनियर टीम नई डिज़ाइन के लिए रास्ता निकाल रही है। The engineering team is working out a way for the new design.
(injiiniyar tiim naii dizaain ke lie raastaa nikaal rahii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश हम कोई तरीका निकाल पाते इस मामले को सुलझाने का। If only we could have worked out some way to resolve this matter.
(kaash ham koii tariikaa nikaal paate is maamle ko suljhaane kaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
तुम कोई हल निकालो, वरना बात बिगड़ जाएगी। Come up with some solution, or things will get worse.
(tum koii hal nikaalo, varnaa baat bigad jaaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
समिति द्वारा इस विवाद का समाधान निकाला गया। A resolution to this dispute was worked out by the committee.
(samiti dvaaraa is vivaad kaa samaadhaan nikaalaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
हो सकता है वह कोई नया तरीका निकाल ले। It's possible he might come up with some new method.
(ho saktaa hai vah koii nayaa tariikaa nikaal le।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
दादाजी हर संकट से निकलने का कोई न कोई उपाय निकाल लेते थे। Grandfather used to always figure out some remedy to get out of every crisis.
(daadaajii har sankat se nikalne kaa koii n koii upaay nikaal lete the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 5 : to vent, take out (anger, frustration) on someone
verb, transitive Takes पर (par) for the target of the vented emotion: गुस्सा किसी पर निकालना (gussaa kisii par nikaalnaa, 'to vent anger on someone').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: मुझ पर गुस्सा मत निकालो (mujh par gussaa mat nikaalo, 'don't vent your anger on me') is something siblings say to each other constantly -- the idiom treats anger as a substance you physically expel onto a nearby target, very much in line with Hindi's love of body/emotion-as-object imagery.
Common Mistakes: 1) The target of the anger is marked with पर (par), not को (ko) -- मुझ पर गुस्सा मत निकालो (mujh par gussaa mat nikaalo, 'don't take your anger out on me'), never मुझको गुस्सा मत निकालो.
Sample Sentences:
मुझ पर गुस्सा मत निकालो। Don't vent your anger on me.
(mujh par gussaa mat nikaalo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह हमेशा अपनी झुंझलाहट बच्चों पर निकालता है। He always vents his irritation on the kids.
(vah hameshaa apnii jhunjhlaahat bachchon par nikaaltaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
ऑफिस का सारा तनाव उसने घर आकर पत्नी पर निकाल दिया। He came home and vented all the office stress on his wife.
(ophis kaa saaraa tanaav usne ghar aakar patnii par nikaal diyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
तुम अपनी खीज मुझ पर क्यों निकाल रही हो? Why are you venting your frustration on me?
(tum apnii khiij mujh par kyon nikaal rahii ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम्हें गुस्सा आता है तो उसे सही जगह निकालो, किसी और पर नहीं। If you get angry, vent it in the right place, not on someone else.
(agar tumhen gussaa aataa hai to use sahii jagah nikaalo, kisii aur par nahiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश वह अपना गुस्सा हम पर न निकालता। I wish he didn't take his anger out on us.
(kaash vah apnaa gussaa ham par n nikaaltaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बॉस की डांट का गुस्सा उसने अपने मानसिक स्वास्थ्य पर निकाला होगा, यह ठीक नहीं है। He must have taken out the anger from the boss's scolding on his own mental health -- that's not right.
(bos kii daant kaa gussaa usne apne maansik svaasthy par nikaalaa hogaa, yah thiik nahiin hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अपनी हार की खुन्नस टीम के दूसरे खिलाड़ियों पर मत निकालो। Don't vent your frustration over the loss on the other players on the team.
(apnii haar kii khunnas tiim ke doosre khilaadiyon par mat nikaalo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अपनी सारी भड़ास मुझ पर निकाल कर उसे कुछ हल्का महसूस हुआ। After venting all his pent-up frustration on me, he felt a bit lighter.
(apnii saarii bhadaas mujh par nikaal kar use kuchh halkaa mahsoos huaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम हमेशा अपनी नाकामी दूसरों पर निकालोगे? Will you always take out your failures on other people?
(kyaa tum hameshaa apnii naakaamii doosron par nikaaloge?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: निकालना (nikaalnaa)
infinitive oblique: निकालने (nikaalne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): निकालता (nikaaltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): निकालते (nikaalte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): निकालती (nikaaltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): निकालतीं (nikaaltiin)
continuous (sg.m): निकाल रहा (nikaal rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): निकाल रहे (nikaal rahe)
continuous (sg.f): निकाल रही (nikaal rahii)
continuous (pl.f): निकाल रहीं (nikaal rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): निकाला (nikaalaa)
perfective (pl.m): निकाले (nikaale)
perfective (sg.f): निकाली (nikaalii)
perfective (pl.f): निकालीं (nikaaliin)
imperative (informal): निकाल (nikaal)
imperative (neutral): निकालो (nikaalo)
imperative (formal): निकालिए (nikaalie)
future (1sg.m): निकालूँगा (nikaaloongaa)
future (1sg.f): निकालूँगी (nikaaloongii)
future (1pl.m): निकालेंगे (nikaalenge)
future (1pl.f): निकालेंगी (nikaalengii)
future (2sg.m): निकालेगा (nikaalegaa)
future (2sg.f): निकालेगी (nikaalegii)
future (2pl.m): निकालोगे (nikaaloge)
future (2pl.f): निकालोगी (nikaalogii)
future (3sg.m): निकालेगा (nikaalegaa)
future (3sg.f): निकालेगी (nikaalegii)
future (3pl.m): निकालेंगे (nikaalenge)
future (3pl.f): निकालेंगी (nikaalengii)
subjunctive (1sg): निकालूँ (nikaaloon)
subjunctive (1pl): निकालें (nikaalen)
subjunctive (2sg): निकाले (nikaale)
subjunctive (2pl): निकालो (nikaalo)
subjunctive (3sg): निकाले (nikaale)
subjunctive (3pl): निकालें (nikaalen)