जलाना (jalaanaa)
verb
The causative partner of जलना (jalnaa, 'to burn'): जलाना (jalaanaa) means 'to burn/light something' or, figuratively, 'to torment/annoy someone.' Both the literal and figurative senses are common in daily speech.
Sense
1
:
to set fire to, burn (something)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: फूँकना (phoonknaa, for burning up completely/destroying), भस्म करना (bhasm karnaa, literary/formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Lighting a दीया (diiyaa, 'oil lamp') is the quintessential use of this verb -- दीया जलाना (diiyaa jalaanaa, 'to light a lamp') is what you hear every evening during आरती (aartii) or on Diwali. Think of जलाना (jalaanaa) as the 'make it burn' action-word, paired conceptually with the intransitive जलना (jalnaa, 'to burn/be lit').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use जलना (jalnaa) when they mean to burn something (transitive) -- जलना (jalnaa) is intransitive ('to burn/be on fire' by itself), while जलाना (jalaanaa) needs an object: दीया जलाओ (diiyaa jalaao, 'light the lamp'). 2) With ने-marking in the past tense, remember जलाना (jalaanaa) is transitive: उसने कागज़ जलाया (usne kaagaz jalaayaa, 'he burned the paper'), not उसने जलाई।
Sample Sentences:
हर शाम माँ मंदिर में दीया जलाती है।
Every evening, mother lights a lamp in the temple.
(har shaam maan mandir men diiyaa jalaatii hai।)
दिवाली पर हमने पूरे घर में दीये जलाए।
On Diwali, we lit lamps all over the house.
(divaalii par hamne poore ghar men diiye jalaae।)
कृपया मोमबत्ती जलाइए, बिजली चली गई है।
Please light a candle, the electricity has gone.
(kripyaa mombattii jalaaie, bijlii chalii gaii hai।)
वह किसी पुराने पत्र को जला रहा था जब मैंने उसे देखा।
He was burning some old letter when I saw him.
(vah kisii puraane patr ko jalaa rahaa thaa jab mainne use dekhaa।)
आरती के समय पुजारी कपूर जलाता है।
During the aarti, the priest burns camphor.
(aartii ke samay pujaarii kapoor jalaataa hai।)
अगर उसने कचरा जलाया तो पूरा मोहल्ला धुएँ से भर जाएगा।
If he burns the garbage, the whole neighborhood will fill with smoke.
(agar usne kachraa jalaayaa to pooraa mohallaa dhuen se bhar jaaegaa।)
काश हम इतनी लकड़ी न जलाते, जंगल कट रहे हैं।
If only we didn't burn so much wood, the forests are being cut down.
(kaash ham itnii lakdii n jalaate, jangal kat rahe hain।)
पुराने दस्तावेज़ जला दिए गए ताकि कोई सबूत न बचे।
The old documents were burned so that no evidence would remain.
(puraane dastaavez jalaa die gae taaki koii saboot n bache।)
बच्चे दिवाली की रात पटाखे जलाते हैं और खूब शोर करते हैं।
The children light firecrackers on Diwali night and make a lot of noise.
(bachche divaalii kii raat pataakhe jalaate hain aur khoob shor karte hain।)
उसने अपने हाथ से चूल्हा जलाया और खाना बनाना शुरू किया।
She lit the stove with her own hands and started cooking.
(usne apne haath se choolhaa jalaayaa aur khaanaa banaanaa shuroo kiyaa।)
अंधकार दूर करने के लिए दीप जलाओ।
Light a lamp to drive away the darkness.
(andhkaar door karne ke lie diip jalaao।)
Sense
2
:
to torment, annoy, make someone jealous or irritated
verb, transitive
Synonyms: तंग करना (tang karnaa, to harass/pester), चिढ़ाना (chidhaanaa, to tease/provoke), खिझाना (khijhaanaa, less common)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense rides on the same 'burning' image as emotional jealousy -- if जलना (jalnaa) is 'to burn (with envy)', जलाना (jalaanaa) is 'to make someone burn.' You will hear this constantly in domestic banter, like a sister-in-law teasing another: वह जलाने के लिए ऐसा कहती है (vah jalaane ke lie aisaa kahtii hai, 'she says that just to needle her').
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense overlaps with जलना (jalnaa) meaning 'to burn with envy' -- जलाना (jalaanaa) is what you do *to* someone to make them feel that way: वह मुझे जलाता है (vah mujhe jalaataa hai, 'he winds me up/needles me'). 2) Learners may reach for चिढ़ाना (chidhaanaa) for lighter teasing and miss that जलाना (jalaanaa) carries a sharper edge of provoking jealousy or real irritation, not just playful teasing.
Sample Sentences:
वह जलाने के लिए ऐसा कहती है।
She says that just to needle her.
(vah jalaane ke lie aisaa kahtii hai।)
मत जला मुझे, अपनी नई नौकरी की बात बार-बार मत बता।
Stop tormenting me, don't keep bringing up your new job again and again.
(mat jalaa mujhe, apnii naii naukrii kii baat baar-baar mat bataa।)
वह जानबूझकर मुझे जला रही थी जब उसने अपनी सैलरी का ज़िक्र किया।
She was deliberately trying to make me jealous when she mentioned her salary.
(vah jaanboojhkar mujhe jalaa rahii thii jab usne apnii sailrii kaa zikr kiyaa।)
उसने अपनी ननद को जलाने के लिए नया गहना पहना।
She wore new jewelry just to make her sister-in-law jealous.
(usne apnii nanad ko jalaane ke lie nayaa gahnaa pahnaa।)
अगर तुम उसे इस तरह जलाते रहोगे तो वह गुस्से में घर छोड़ देगी।
If you keep tormenting her like this, she'll leave the house in anger.
(agar tum use is tarah jalaate rahoge to vah gusse men ghar chhod degii।)
काश तुम उसे हर बात पर न जलाते।
I wish you didn't needle her over every little thing.
(kaash tum use har baat par n jalaate।)
शायद वह अपनी भाभी को जलाने के लिए ही मिठाई सबके सामने खा रहा है।
Maybe he's eating the sweets in front of everyone just to aggravate his sister-in-law.
(shaayad vah apnii bhaabhii ko jalaane ke lie hii mithaaii sabke saamne khaa rahaa hai।)
मुझे जलाया गया था जब मेरे सामने उसकी तरक्की की तारीफ़ की गई।
I was made to feel jealous when his promotion was praised right in front of me.
(mujhe jalaayaa gayaa thaa jab mere saamne uskii tarakkii kii taariif kii gaii।)
क्या तुम मुझे जलाने की कोशिश कर रहे हो?
Are you trying to needle me?
(kyaa tum mujhe jalaane kii koshish kar rahe ho?)
देवरानी-जेठानी का यह पुराना खेल है -- एक-दूसरे को जलाना और फिर हँस देना।
This is an old game between sisters-in-law -- needling each other and then just laughing it off.
(devraanii-jethaanii kaa yah puraanaa khel hai -- ek-doosre ko jalaanaa aur phir hans denaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
जलाना
(jalaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
जलाने
(jalaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
जलाता
(jalaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
जलाते
(jalaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
जलाती
(jalaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
जलातीं
(jalaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
जला रहा
(jalaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
जला रहे
(jalaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
जला रही
(jalaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
जला रहीं
(jalaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
जलाया
(jalaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
जलाए
(jalaae)
perfective (sg.f):
जलाई
(jalaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
जलाईं
(jalaaiin)
imperative (informal):
जला
(jalaa)
imperative (neutral):
जलाओ
(jalaao)
imperative (formal):
जलाइए
(jalaaie)
future (1sg.m):
जलाऊँगा
(jalaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
जलाऊँगी
(jalaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
जलाएँगे
(jalaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
जलाएँगी
(jalaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
जलाएगा
(jalaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
जलाएगी
(jalaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
जलाओगे
(jalaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
जलाओगी
(jalaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
जलाएगा
(jalaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
जलाएगी
(jalaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
जलाएँगे
(jalaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
जलाएँगी
(jalaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
जलाऊँ
(jalaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
जलाएँ
(jalaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
जलाए
(jalaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
जलाओ
(jalaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
जलाए
(jalaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
जलाएँ
(jalaaen)