मन लगना (man lagnaa)
verb
A dative-subject expression built from मन (man, 'mind/heart') and लगना (lagnaa, 'to attach/feel'); it describes feeling engaged or settled in an activity or place, and by extension its negative flip describes restlessness or homesickness.
Sense
1
:
to feel absorbed/engaged in something, to enjoy doing something
verb, intransitive Takes a dative subject with को (ko): the person who feels engaged is marked with को, e.g. मुझे पढ़ाई में मन लगता है (mujhe padhaaii men man lagtaa hai, 'I feel engaged in studying'). The activity or place is usually marked with में (men).
Synonyms: दिलचस्पी होना (dilchaspii honaa, 'to have interest'), रुचि होना (ruchi honaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Parents and teachers use this constantly: पढ़ाई में मन लगाओ (padhaaii men man lagaao, 'put your mind into your studies') is a classic scolding. The idiom treats attention as something that 'attaches' to an activity rather than something you actively direct, which is a very Hindi way of framing focus.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to make the person the subject with ने (ne) as if it were an ordinary transitive verb; it is always a को-marked dative construction, like लगना (lagnaa) itself. 2) Do not confuse with मन करना (man karnaa), which expresses a passing desire ('feel like doing') rather than sustained engagement or enjoyment.
Sample Sentences:
आज मेरा पढ़ने में मन नहीं लग रहा है।
I don't feel like studying today.
(aaj meraa padhne men man nahiin lag rahaa hai।)
पढ़ाई में मन लगाओ, वरना फेल हो जाओगे।
Put your mind into your studies, or you'll fail.
(padhaaii men man lagaao, varnaa phel ho jaaoge।)
उसका दिल्ली में मन नहीं लगा तो वह वापस चला गया।
He didn't feel engaged in Delhi, so he went back.
(uskaa dillii men man nahiin lagaa to vah vaapas chalaa gayaa।)
बचपन में मेरा मन गाने में बहुत लगता था।
As a child, I used to really enjoy singing.
(bachpan men meraa man gaane men bahut lagtaa thaa।)
अगर तुम्हारा इस काम में मन लगेगा तो तुम इसे जल्दी सीख लोगे।
If you get absorbed in this work, you'll learn it quickly.
(agar tumhaaraa is kaam men man lagegaa to tum ise jaldii siikh loge।)
काश उसका दफ्तर के काम में मन लगता।
I wish he actually enjoyed his office work.
(kaash uskaa daphtar ke kaam men man lagtaa।)
शायद संगीत सुनने से उसका मन लग जाए।
Maybe listening to music will help him get absorbed in it.
(shaayad sangiit sunne se uskaa man lag jaae।)
जब भी वह चित्रकारी करता है, उसका मन पूरी तरह लग जाता है।
Whenever he paints, he becomes completely absorbed in it.
(jab bhii vah chitrkaarii kartaa hai, uskaa man poorii tarah lag jaataa hai।)
मेहमानों को खाने में मन लगाने के लिए संगीत बजाया गया।
Music was played to help the guests get absorbed in the meal.
(mehmaanon ko khaane men man lagaane ke lie sangiit bajaayaa gayaa।)
उसका किसी भी काम में मन नहीं लगता, हमेशा बहाने बनाता है।
He never feels engaged in any work; he's always making excuses.
(uskaa kisii bhii kaam men man nahiin lagtaa, hameshaa bahaane banaataa hai।)
बेटा, जरा अपना मन इस प्रोजेक्ट में लगा दो, फिर देखना कैसे नंबर आते हैं।
Son, just get absorbed in this project for once, then see how the marks come.
(betaa, jaraa apnaa man is projekt men lagaa do, phir dekhnaa kaise nambar aate hain।)
Sense
2
:
to feel settled/at home in a place (often negated: to feel restless, not settle in)
verb, intransitive Very commonly used in the negative to describe homesickness or restlessness: यहाँ मेरा मन नहीं लगता (yahaan meraa man nahiin lagtaa, 'I don't feel settled/at home here'). Place is marked with में (men) or यहाँ/वहाँ-type locatives.
Synonyms: जी लगना (jii lagnaa, close synonym)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the phrase behind the common complaint of students or new hostel-goers: होस्टल में मन नहीं लगता, घर जाना है (hostal men man nahiin lagtaa, ghar jaanaa hai, 'I don't feel settled in the hostel, I want to go home'). It captures a very relatable ache of displacement that English usually needs a whole sentence to express.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes translate this literally as 'my mind is not attaching' and miss that it idiomatically means homesickness or discomfort in a place, closer to 'I can't settle in' than any literal sense. 2) The subject is still दिल/मन (man), not the person directly -- the person appears only via the possessive मेरा/उसका (meraa/uskaa) or a dative को.
Sample Sentences:
होस्टल में मेरा मन नहीं लगता, घर जाना है।
I don't feel settled in the hostel, I want to go home.
(hostal men meraa man nahiin lagtaa, ghar jaanaa hai।)
नए शहर में उसका मन नहीं लग रहा है।
He isn't feeling settled in the new city.
(nae shahar men uskaa man nahiin lag rahaa hai।)
शुरू में मेरा दिल्ली में मन नहीं लगा था, पर अब आदत हो गई है।
In the beginning I didn't feel settled in Delhi, but now I'm used to it.
(shuroo men meraa dillii men man nahiin lagaa thaa, par ab aadat ho gaii hai।)
क्या तुम्हारा यहाँ मन लगता है या घर की याद आती है?
Do you feel settled here, or do you miss home?
(kyaa tumhaaraa yahaan man lagtaa hai yaa ghar kii yaad aatii hai?)
अगर तुम्हारा यहाँ मन नहीं लगता, तो कुछ दिन घर चले जाओ।
If you don't feel settled here, go home for a few days.
(agar tumhaaraa yahaan man nahiin lagtaa, to kuchh din ghar chale jaao।)
काश उसका इस गाँव में मन लग जाता, तो वह इतनी जल्दी शहर न लौटता।
If only he had felt settled in this village, he wouldn't have gone back to the city so soon.
(kaash uskaa is gaanv men man lag jaataa, to vah itnii jaldii shahar n lauttaa।)
बेटा, नए स्कूल में मन लगाने की कोशिश करो, धीरे-धीरे सब ठीक हो जाएगा।
Son, try to feel settled in the new school, everything will be fine gradually.
(betaa, nae skool men man lagaane kii koshish karo, dhiire-dhiire sab thiik ho jaaegaa।)
इतने बड़े घर में भी उसका मन नहीं लगता, अकेलापन खाता रहता है।
Even in such a big house he doesn't feel settled, loneliness keeps gnawing at him.
(itne bade ghar men bhii uskaa man nahiin lagtaa, akelaapan khaataa rahtaa hai।)
विदेश जाने के बाद पहले साल किसी का भी मन नहीं लगता, यह आम बात है।
After going abroad, no one feels settled in the first year, that's common.
(videsh jaane ke baad pahle saal kisii kaa bhii man nahiin lagtaa, yah aam baat hai।)
अस्पताल में इतने दिन रहकर उसका मन पूरी तरह उखड़ गया था, मन बिल्कुल नहीं लगता था।
After staying in the hospital so many days, he had become completely unsettled, he just couldn't feel at home there.
(asptaal men itne din rahkar uskaa man poorii tarah ukhad gayaa thaa, man bilkul nahiin lagtaa thaa।)
पहले तो मुझे यह ऑफ़िस अजनबी लगता था, अब यहाँ मन लगने लगा है।
At first this office felt strange to me, but now I've started feeling settled here.
(pahle to mujhe yah ofis ajanbii lagtaa thaa, ab yahaan man lagne lagaa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
मन लगना
(man lagnaa)
infinitive oblique:
मन लगने
(man lagne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
मन लगता
(man lagtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
मन लगते
(man lagte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
मन लगती
(man lagtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
मन लगतीं
(man lagtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
मन लग रहा
(man lag rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
मन लग रहे
(man lag rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
मन लग रही
(man lag rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
मन लग रहीं
(man lag rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
मन लगा
(man lagaa)
perfective (pl.m):
मन लगे
(man lage)
perfective (sg.f):
मन लगी
(man lagii)
perfective (pl.f):
मन लगीं
(man lagiin)
imperative (informal):
मन लग
(man lag)
imperative (neutral):
मन लगो
(man lago)
imperative (formal):
मन लगिए
(man lagie)
future (1sg.m):
मन लगूँगा
(man lagoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
मन लगूँगी
(man lagoongii)
future (1pl.m):
मन लगेंगे
(man lagenge)
future (1pl.f):
मन लगेंगी
(man lagengii)
future (2sg.m):
मन लगेगा
(man lagegaa)
future (2sg.f):
मन लगेगी
(man lagegii)
future (2pl.m):
मन लगोगे
(man lagoge)
future (2pl.f):
मन लगोगी
(man lagogii)
future (3sg.m):
मन लगेगा
(man lagegaa)
future (3sg.f):
मन लगेगी
(man lagegii)
future (3pl.m):
मन लगेंगे
(man lagenge)
future (3pl.f):
मन लगेंगी
(man lagengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
मन लगूँ
(man lagoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
मन लगें
(man lagen)
subjunctive (2sg):
मन लगे
(man lage)
subjunctive (2pl):
मन लगो
(man lago)
subjunctive (3sg):
मन लगे
(man lage)
subjunctive (3pl):
मन लगें
(man lagen)