ओढ़ना (odhnaa)

verb A verb meaning to wrap or cover oneself with something (a shawl, blanket, sheet) -- used for anything draped over the body, especially for warmth or sleep. Also has a figurative sense of 'taking on' or 'assuming' something like a guise or persona, similar to how English uses 'wrap oneself in.'
Sense 1 : to cover oneself with, wrap around oneself (a blanket, shawl, sheet)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: लपेटना (lapetnaa, to wrap/wind around, broader use)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture a Delhi winter morning: someone pulling a रज़ाई (razaaii, quilt) tighter and refusing to get out of bed -- that image is exactly what ओढ़ना (odhnaa) evokes. It pairs naturally with चादर (chaadar), कंबल (kambal), and दुपट्टा (dupattaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners confuse ओढ़ना (odhnaa) with पहनना (pahannaa, to wear/put on) -- ओढ़ना (odhnaa) is specifically for things draped over the body like a chादर (chaadar, sheet), शॉल (shol, shawl), or रज़ाई (razaaii, quilt), not for clothes you put your arms/legs through.
Sample Sentences:
सर्दियों में मैं रोज़ रात को मोटा कंबल ओढ़ता हूँ। In winter I wrap myself in a thick blanket every night.
(sardiyon men main roz raat ko motaa kambal odhtaa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह रज़ाई ओढ़कर सो रही है और उठने का नाम नहीं ले रही। She's wrapped in the quilt, fast asleep, and won't even think about getting up.
(vah razaaii odhkar so rahii hai aur uthne kaa naam nahiin le rahii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
ज़रा चादर ओढ़ लो, बाहर बहुत ठंड है। Wrap the sheet around yourself, it's really cold outside.
(zaraa chaadar odh lo, baahar bahut thand hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उसने कंबल ओढ़ लिया और खिड़की की तरफ़ मुँह कर लिया। He pulled the blanket over himself and turned to face the window.
(usne kambal odh liyaa aur khidkii kii taraf munh kar liyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर मैंने दुपट्टा न ओढ़ा होता तो मुझे सर्दी लग जाती। If I hadn't wrapped the dupatta around myself, I would have caught a cold.
(agar mainne dupattaa n odhaa hotaa to mujhe sardii lag jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
माँ ने बच्चे को चादर ओढ़ा दी ताकि उसे नींद में ठंड न लगे। Mother wrapped the sheet around the child so he wouldn't feel cold in his sleep.
(maan ne bachche ko chaadar odhaa dii taaki use niind men thand n lage।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम रात में कंबल ओढ़ते हो या पंखा चलाकर सोते हो? Do you wrap yourself in a blanket at night, or sleep with the fan running?
(kyaa tum raat men kambal odhte ho yaa pankhaa chalaakar sote ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जब तक सब लोग रज़ाई ओढ़कर बैठे नहीं थे, कहानी शुरू नहीं हुई। The story didn't begin until everyone had settled in, wrapped in their quilts.
(jab tak sab log razaaii odhkar baithe nahiin the, kahaanii shuroo nahiin huii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दादी हमेशा कहती थीं कि सोने से पहले पैर तक चादर ओढ़ लेनी चाहिए। Grandmother always used to say that before sleeping, you should pull the sheet all the way down to your feet.
(daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin ki sone se pahle pair tak chaadar odh lenii chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस साल सर्दी में एक नया कंबल ओढ़ा जाएगा, पुराना बहुत घिस गया है। This winter a new blanket will be used to wrap up in, the old one is quite worn out.
(is saal sardii men ek nayaa kambal odhaa jaaegaa, puraanaa bahut ghis gayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
काश मेरे पास भी ऐसी मुलायम रज़ाई होती जिसे ओढ़कर मैं दिनभर पड़ा रहूँ। I wish I too had such a soft quilt that I could wrap myself in and lie about all day.
(kaash mere paas bhii aisii mulaayam razaaii hotii jise odhkar main dinbhar padaa rahoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to take on, assume, or put on (a guise, mask, appearance) figuratively
verb, transitive Used with abstract nouns like मुखौटा (mukhautaa, mask) or चादर (chaadar) in a figurative sense, e.g. भोलेपन की चादर ओढ़ना (bholepan kii chaadar odhnaa, 'to put on an air of innocence').
Synonyms: धारण करना (dhaaran karnaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This figurative extension treats an attitude or pretense as literally something you drape over yourself -- so a person acting falsely innocent is said to have 'wrapped themselves' in that innocence, e.g. मासूमियत ओढ़ना (maasoomiyat odhnaa, 'to feign innocence').
Sample Sentences:
वह हमेशा मासूमियत ओढ़ लेती है ताकि कोई उससे सवाल न पूछे। She always puts on an air of innocence so that no one questions her.
(vah hameshaa maasoomiyat odh letii hai taaki koii usse savaal n poochhe।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मीटिंग में उसने अचानक गंभीरता ओढ़ ली। In the meeting, he suddenly put on a facade of seriousness.
(miiting men usne achaanak gambhiirtaa odh lii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
नेता लोग चुनाव के समय गरीबों का हमदर्द होने का मुखौटा ओढ़ लेते हैं। Politicians put on the mask of being sympathetic to the poor at election time.
(netaa log chunaav ke samay gariibon kaa hamdard hone kaa mukhautaa odh lete hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
झूठी शराफत मत ओढ़ो, मुझे तुम्हारी असलियत पता है। Don't put on a false show of decency, I know your true self.
(jhoothii sharaaphat mat odho, mujhe tumhaarii asliyat pataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह थोड़ी विनम्रता भी ओढ़ ले तो लोग उसे पसंद करने लगें। If he would only assume a bit of humility, people might start liking him.
(agar vah thodii vinamrtaa bhii odh le to log use pasand karne lagen।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश वह इतनी बेरुखी न ओढ़ता, तो शायद रिश्ता बच जाता। If only he hadn't put on such coldness, the relationship might have been saved.
(kaash vah itnii berukhii n odhtaa, to shaayad rishtaa bach jaataa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस समाज में हर कोई कोई न कोई नकाब ओढ़े हुए है। In this society, everyone is wearing some mask or other.
(is samaaj men har koii koii n koii nakaab odhe hue hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दफ्तर में उसे एक अलग व्यक्तित्व ओढ़ना पड़ता है। At the office, she has to put on a different personality altogether.
(daphtar men use ek alag vyaktitv odhnaa padtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या इंसान हमेशा के लिए कोई झूठा रूप ओढ़े रह सकता है? Can a person go on wearing a false appearance forever?
(kyaa insaan hameshaa ke lie koii jhoothaa roop odhe rah saktaa hai?)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस पर बेगुनाही का जो चोला ओढ़ाया गया, वह जल्दी ही उतर गया। The garb of innocence that was put on him soon fell away.
(us par begunaahii kaa jo cholaa odhaayaa gayaa, vah jaldii hii utar gayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: ओढ़ना (odhnaa)
infinitive oblique: ओढ़ने (odhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): ओढ़ता (odhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): ओढ़ते (odhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): ओढ़ती (odhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): ओढ़तीं (odhtiin)
continuous (sg.m): ओढ़ रहा (odh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): ओढ़ रहे (odh rahe)
continuous (sg.f): ओढ़ रही (odh rahii)
continuous (pl.f): ओढ़ रहीं (odh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): ओढ़ा (odhaa)
perfective (pl.m): ओढ़े (odhe)
perfective (sg.f): ओढ़ी (odhii)
perfective (pl.f): ओढ़ीं (odhiin)
imperative (informal): ओढ़ (odh)
imperative (neutral): ओढ़ो (odho)
imperative (formal): ओढ़िए (odhie)
future (1sg.m): ओढ़ूँगा (odhoongaa)
future (1sg.f): ओढ़ूँगी (odhoongii)
future (1pl.m): ओढ़ेंगे (odhenge)
future (1pl.f): ओढ़ेंगी (odhengii)
future (2sg.m): ओढ़ेगा (odhegaa)
future (2sg.f): ओढ़ेगी (odhegii)
future (2pl.m): ओढ़ोगे (odhoge)
future (2pl.f): ओढ़ोगी (odhogii)
future (3sg.m): ओढ़ेगा (odhegaa)
future (3sg.f): ओढ़ेगी (odhegii)
future (3pl.m): ओढ़ेंगे (odhenge)
future (3pl.f): ओढ़ेंगी (odhengii)
subjunctive (1sg): ओढ़ूँ (odhoon)
subjunctive (1pl): ओढ़ें (odhen)
subjunctive (2sg): ओढ़े (odhe)
subjunctive (2pl): ओढ़ो (odho)
subjunctive (3sg): ओढ़े (odhe)
subjunctive (3pl): ओढ़ें (odhen)