जीतना (jiitnaa)
verb
One core meaning: to win or to conquer. Both senses (winning a game/contest and conquering a place or heart) grow from the same root idea of overcoming something.
Sense
1
:
to win (a game, match, election, prize)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: जीत हासिल करना (jiit haasil karnaa, compound phrase)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly during election season and cricket matches -- भारत मैच जीत गया (bhaarat maich jiit gayaa, 'India won the match') is a classic newsroom line, with जीत जाना (jiit jaanaa) adding a sense of finality or achievement to the plain verb.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say मैंने मैच जीता (mainne maich jiitaa, 'I won the match') correctly with ने (ne) marking since जीतना (jiitnaa) is transitive, but then forget object agreement and leave the verb in masculine singular even when the object is feminine, e.g. it should be मैंने बाज़ी जीती (mainne baazii jiitii, 'I won the bet'), not जीता (jiitaa).
Sample Sentences:
भारत मैच जीत गया।
India won the match.
(bhaarat maich jiit gayaa।)
वह हर बार शतरंज जीतता है।
He wins at chess every time.
(vah har baar shatranj jiittaa hai।)
इस बार वह चुनाव जीतेगी।
She will win the election this time.
(is baar vah chunaav jiitegii।)
अगर हम मेहनत करते तो मैच जीत जाते।
If we had worked hard, we would have won the match.
(agar ham mehnat karte to maich jiit jaate।)
टीम पिछले तीन मैच जीत चुकी है।
The team has already won the last three matches.
(tiim pichhle tiin maich jiit chukii hai।)
तुम भी एक दिन ईनाम जीतोगे, बस कोशिश करते रहो।
You'll win a prize someday too, just keep trying.
(tum bhii ek din iinaam jiitoge, bas koshish karte raho।)
यह मैच जीता जा सकता है, हार मत मानो।
This match can be won, don't give up.
(yah maich jiitaa jaa saktaa hai, haar mat maano।)
काश हम फ़ाइनल जीत जाते!
I wish we had won the final!
(kaash ham faainal jiit jaate!)
प्रधानमंत्री ने कहा कि पार्टी हर हाल में चुनाव जीतेगी।
The prime minister said the party would win the election no matter what.
(pradhaanmantrii ne kahaa ki paartii har haal men chunaav jiitegii।)
मेहनत करो ताकि तुम प्रतियोगिता जीत सको।
Work hard so that you can win the competition.
(mehnat karo taaki tum pratiyogitaa jiit sako।)
जीतना ही तुम्हारा लक्ष्य होना चाहिए।
Winning should be your only goal.
(jiitnaa hii tumhaaraa lakshy honaa chaahie।)
Sense
2
:
to conquer or win over (a place, person, or heart)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: फ़तह करना (fatah karnaa, formal/historical), दिल जीतना (dil jiitnaa, fixed idiom for winning someone's heart)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense shows up in history lessons (राजा ने किला जीत लिया, raajaa ne kilaa jiit liyaa, 'the king conquered the fort') and equally in romance -- दिल जीतना (dil jiitnaa) is a phrase you will hear in countless film dialogues and songs about winning someone's affection, not just on a battlefield.
Common Mistakes: 1) दिल जीतना (dil jiitnaa, 'to win someone's heart') is a fixed idiom -- learners sometimes try to translate 'to win someone over' word for word with को (ko) instead of using this set phrase, e.g. उसने मेरा दिल जीत लिया (usne meraa dil jiit liyaa, 'he/she won my heart') rather than a literal calque.
Sample Sentences:
राजा ने किला जीत लिया।
The king conquered the fort.
(raajaa ne kilaa jiit liyaa।)
उसने अपनी मुस्कान से सबका दिल जीत लिया।
She won everyone's heart with her smile.
(usne apnii muskaan se sabkaa dil jiit liyaa।)
मुग़ल सेना धीरे-धीरे पूरे उत्तर भारत को जीत रही थी।
The Mughal army was gradually conquering the whole of North India.
(mughal senaa dhiire-dhiire poore uttar bhaarat ko jiit rahii thii।)
अगर तुम सच में उसे चाहते हो, तो पहले उसका विश्वास जीतो।
If you really love her, first win her trust.
(agar tum sach men use chaahte ho, to pahle uskaa vishvaas jiito।)
इतिहास में कई राजाओं ने युद्ध जीतकर भी लोगों का दिल नहीं जीता।
In history, many kings won wars but never won the people's hearts.
(itihaas men kaii raajaaon ne yuddh jiitkar bhii logon kaa dil nahiin jiitaa।)
क्या सचमुच प्यार से दुनिया जीती जा सकती है?
Can the world truly be conquered with love?
(kyaa sachmuch pyaar se duniyaa jiitii jaa saktii hai?)
अगर वह थोड़ा नरम बोलता तो शायद सबका दिल जीत लेता।
If he had spoken a bit more gently, he might have won everyone's heart.
(agar vah thodaa naram boltaa to shaayad sabkaa dil jiit letaa।)
सिकंदर ने कई देश जीते, पर वह खुद का मन नहीं जीत पाया।
Alexander conquered many countries, but he could not conquer his own mind.
(sikandar ne kaii desh jiite, par vah khud kaa man nahiin jiit paayaa।)
मुझे यकीन है कि तुम अपनी मेहनत से उसका दिल जीत लोगे।
I'm sure you will win her heart with your hard work.
(mujhe yakiin hai ki tum apnii mehnat se uskaa dil jiit loge।)
काश मैं उसका भरोसा जीत पाता।
I wish I could have won his trust.
(kaash main uskaa bharosaa jiit paataa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
जीतना
(jiitnaa)
infinitive oblique:
जीतने
(jiitne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
जीतता
(jiittaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
जीतते
(jiitte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
जीतती
(jiittii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
जीततीं
(jiittiin)
continuous (sg.m):
जीत रहा
(jiit rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
जीत रहे
(jiit rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
जीत रही
(jiit rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
जीत रहीं
(jiit rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
जीता
(jiitaa)
perfective (pl.m):
जीते
(jiite)
perfective (sg.f):
जीती
(jiitii)
perfective (pl.f):
जीतीं
(jiitiin)
imperative (informal):
जीत
(jiit)
imperative (neutral):
जीतो
(jiito)
imperative (formal):
जीतिए
(jiitie)
future (1sg.m):
जीतूँगा
(jiitoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
जीतूँगी
(jiitoongii)
future (1pl.m):
जीतेंगे
(jiitenge)
future (1pl.f):
जीतेंगी
(jiitengii)
future (2sg.m):
जीतेगा
(jiitegaa)
future (2sg.f):
जीतेगी
(jiitegii)
future (2pl.m):
जीतोगे
(jiitoge)
future (2pl.f):
जीतोगी
(jiitogii)
future (3sg.m):
जीतेगा
(jiitegaa)
future (3sg.f):
जीतेगी
(jiitegii)
future (3pl.m):
जीतेंगे
(jiitenge)
future (3pl.f):
जीतेंगी
(jiitengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
जीतूँ
(jiitoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
जीतें
(jiiten)
subjunctive (2sg):
जीते
(jiite)
subjunctive (2pl):
जीतो
(jiito)
subjunctive (3sg):
जीते
(jiite)
subjunctive (3pl):
जीतें
(jiiten)