चाहना (chaahnaa)
verb
Core verb of wanting/desiring; also the root behind the modal चाहिए (chaahie, 'should') and the frozen form चाहे (chaahe, 'whether/even if') seen in idioms. This entry covers only the base verb's own senses.
Sense
1
:
to want, to wish for (something)
verb, transitive Commonly takes an infinitive + चाहना (chaahnaa) construction, e.g. जाना चाहता हूँ (jaanaa chaahtaa hoon, 'I want to go'), where चाहना (chaahnaa) agrees with the subject like a normal transitive verb.
Synonyms: इच्छा करना (ichchhaa karnaa, formal), चाह रखना (chaah rakhnaa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the verb Hindi speakers reach for when talking about wants and wishes in everyday life -- from a child saying मुझे खिलौना चाहिए नहीं, मैं खिलौना चाहता हूँ (mujhe khilaunaa chaahie nahiin, main khilaunaa chaahtaa hoon, 'I don't need a toy, I want a toy') to adults discussing life goals. Its subjunctive form चाहे (chaahe) survives independently in the common idiom चाहे कुछ भी हो (chaahe kuchh bhii ho, 'whatever happens'), which is worth recognizing as a relative.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for चाहिए (chaahie) when they actually mean the plain verb चाहना (chaahnaa) -- चाहिए (chaahie) expresses obligation/need ('should'), while चाहना (chaahnaa) expresses personal desire ('want'); मुझे पानी चाहिए (mujhe paanii chaahie, 'I need water') and मैं पानी चाहता हूँ (main paanii chaahtaa hoon, 'I want water') are not interchangeable in feel. 2) With a direct object, चाहना (chaahnaa) does not take ने (ne) in the past tense despite being transitive -- चाहा (chaahaa) agrees with the subject, not the object.
Sample Sentences:
मैं यह किताब चाहता हूँ।
I want this book.
(main yah kitaab chaahtaa hoon।)
वह हमेशा से एक बड़ा घर चाहती थी।
She had always wanted a big house.
(vah hameshaa se ek badaa ghar chaahtii thii।)
तुम आखिर क्या चाहते हो?
What do you actually want?
(tum aakhir kyaa chaahte ho?)
अगर तुम सफलता चाहोगे, तो मेहनत करनी होगी।
If you want success, you'll have to work hard.
(agar tum saphaltaa chaahoge, to mehnat karnii hogii।)
अगर वह चाहता, तो यह काम आसानी से हो जाता।
If he had wanted to, this work would have been done easily.
(agar vah chaahtaa, to yah kaam aasaanii se ho jaataa।)
चाहे कुछ भी हो, मैं तुम्हारा साथ नहीं छोड़ूँगा।
Whatever happens, I won't leave your side.
(chaahe kuchh bhii ho, main tumhaaraa saath nahiin chhodoongaa।)
क्या आप चाय या कॉफ़ी चाहेंगे?
Would you like tea or coffee?
(kyaa aap chaay yaa kofii chaahenge?)
बच्चे अक्सर वही चाहते हैं जो उन्हें नहीं मिलता।
Children often want exactly what they don't get.
(bachche aksar vahii chaahte hain jo unhen nahiin miltaa।)
यह फैसला जनता द्वारा चाहा गया था।
This decision was wanted by the public.
(yah phaislaa jantaa dvaaraa chaahaa gayaa thaa।)
तुम जो चाहो, कर सकते हो।
You can do whatever you want.
(tum jo chaaho, kar sakte ho।)
मैंने कभी इतनी शांति नहीं चाही थी।
I had never wanted this much peace.
(mainne kabhii itnii shaanti nahiin chaahii thii।)
Sense
2
:
to love, to care for (a person)
verb, transitive Used with a person as object to express affection, most often in romantic or deeply emotional contexts, e.g. मैं तुम्हें चाहता हूँ (main tumhen chaahtaa hoon, 'I love you' / 'I want you').
Synonyms: प्यार करना (pyaar karnaa), मोहब्बत करना (mohabbat karnaa, literary/romantic register), स्नेह करना (sneh karnaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense shows up constantly in Bollywood song lyrics and romantic dialogue, where चाहना (chaahnaa) carries a softer, more poetic weight than the everyday प्यार करना (pyaar karnaa). It blurs desire and love in a way English keeps separate -- part of why this verb feels so central to Hindi film romance.
Common Mistakes: 1) मैं तुम्हें चाहता हूँ (main tumhen chaahtaa hoon) can mean either 'I want you' or 'I love you' depending on tone and context -- learners should listen for context rather than assuming one fixed meaning.
Sample Sentences:
मैं तुम्हें बहुत चाहता हूँ।
I love you very much.
(main tumhen bahut chaahtaa hoon।)
वह उसे दिल से चाहती थी।
She loved him with all her heart.
(vah use dil se chaahtii thii।)
अगर तुम मुझे सच में चाहते, तो कभी झूठ न बोलते।
If you really loved me, you would never have lied.
(agar tum mujhe sach men chaahte, to kabhii jhooth n bolte।)
काश वह मुझे उसी तरह चाहता जैसे पहले चाहता था।
I wish he loved me the way he used to.
(kaash vah mujhe usii tarah chaahtaa jaise pahle chaahtaa thaa।)
इस गाने में नायक कहता है कि वह उसे जान से ज़्यादा चाहता है।
In this song the hero says he loves her more than his own life.
(is gaane men naayak kahtaa hai ki vah use jaan se zyaadaa chaahtaa hai।)
माँ अपने बच्चों को बिना किसी शर्त के चाहती है।
A mother loves her children unconditionally.
(maan apne bachchon ko binaa kisii shart ke chaahtii hai।)
क्या तुम अब भी मुझे चाहते हो?
Do you still love me?
(kyaa tum ab bhii mujhe chaahte ho?)
उसे इस तरह चाहा जाएगा, यह उसने कभी नहीं सोचा था।
She had never imagined she would be loved this way.
(use is tarah chaahaa jaaegaa, yah usne kabhii nahiin sochaa thaa।)
उसने कभी नहीं बताया कि वह उसे कितना चाहता था।
He never told her how much he loved her.
(usne kabhii nahiin bataayaa ki vah use kitnaa chaahtaa thaa।)
प्रिये, मुझे चाहना कभी मत छोड़ना।
My love, never stop loving me.
(priye, mujhe chaahnaa kabhii mat chhodnaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
चाहना
(chaahnaa)
infinitive oblique:
चाहने
(chaahne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
चाहता
(chaahtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
चाहते
(chaahte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
चाहती
(chaahtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
चाहतीं
(chaahtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
चाह रहा
(chaah rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
चाह रहे
(chaah rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
चाह रही
(chaah rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
चाह रहीं
(chaah rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
चाहा
(chaahaa)
perfective (pl.m):
चाहे
(chaahe)
perfective (sg.f):
चाही
(chaahii)
perfective (pl.f):
चाहीं
(chaahiin)
imperative (informal):
चाह
(chaah)
imperative (neutral):
चाहो
(chaaho)
imperative (formal):
चाहिए
(chaahie)
future (1sg.m):
चाहूँगा
(chaahoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
चाहूँगी
(chaahoongii)
future (1pl.m):
चाहेंगे
(chaahenge)
future (1pl.f):
चाहेंगी
(chaahengii)
future (2sg.m):
चाहेगा
(chaahegaa)
future (2sg.f):
चाहेगी
(chaahegii)
future (2pl.m):
चाहोगे
(chaahoge)
future (2pl.f):
चाहोगी
(chaahogii)
future (3sg.m):
चाहेगा
(chaahegaa)
future (3sg.f):
चाहेगी
(chaahegii)
future (3pl.m):
चाहेंगे
(chaahenge)
future (3pl.f):
चाहेंगी
(chaahengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
चाहूँ
(chaahoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
चाहें
(chaahen)
subjunctive (2sg):
चाहे
(chaahe)
subjunctive (2pl):
चाहो
(chaaho)
subjunctive (3sg):
चाहे
(chaahe)
subjunctive (3pl):
चाहें
(chaahen)