पछताना (pachhtaanaa)
verb
A single-sense verb meaning to regret or repent -- the everyday word for feeling sorry about something you did or failed to do.
Sense
1
:
to regret, to repent
verb, intransitive Commonly used with बाद में (baad men, 'later') to set up the classic warning shape: do X now, or you'll regret it later.
Synonyms: अफ़सोस करना (afsos karnaa), पश्चाताप करना (pashchaataap karnaa, formal/literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word behind every elder's favorite warning: अभी नहीं समझोगे तो बाद में पछताओगे (abhii nahiin samjhoge to baad men pachhtaaoge, 'if you don't understand now, you'll regret it later') -- a classic scolding rhythm you'll hear from parents, teachers, and worried aunties alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for अफ़सोस करना (afsos karnaa) by default since it is taught early, but पछताना (pachhtaanaa) is the more natural, punchier verb in warnings and scoldings like बाद में पछताओगे (baad men pachhtaaoge, 'you'll regret it later'). 2) It is intransitive and does not take ने (ne) in the past tense -- मैंने पछताया (mainne pachhtaayaa) is wrong; the correct form is मैं पछताया (main pachhtaayaa).
Sample Sentences:
अभी नहीं समझोगे तो बाद में पछताओगे।
If you don't understand now, you'll regret it later.
(abhii nahiin samjhoge to baad men pachhtaaoge।)
मुझे अपनी गलती पर बहुत पछतावा है।
I regret my mistake a lot.
(mujhe apnii galtii par bahut pachhtaavaa hai।)
वह अपने किए पर पछता रहा है।
He is regretting what he did.
(vah apne kie par pachhtaa rahaa hai।)
बाद में मत पछताना, मैंने तुम्हें पहले ही आगाह कर दिया था।
Don't regret it later, I had already warned you.
(baad men mat pachhtaanaa, mainne tumhen pahle hii aagaah kar diyaa thaa।)
अगर मैंने उसकी बात सुनी होती, तो आज इतना नहीं पछताता।
If I had listened to him, I wouldn't be regretting it so much today.
(agar mainne uskii baat sunii hotii, to aaj itnaa nahiin pachhtaataa।)
वह हमेशा फैसला लेने के बाद पछताती है।
She always regrets it after making a decision.
(vah hameshaa phaislaa lene ke baad pachhtaatii hai।)
क्या तुम कभी अपने फैसले पर पछताए हो?
Have you ever regretted your decision?
(kyaa tum kabhii apne phaisle par pachhtaae ho?)
काश तुम मेरी सलाह मान लेते, फिर तुम्हें पछताना नहीं पड़ता।
I wish you had taken my advice, then you wouldn't have had to regret it.
(kaash tum merii salaah maan lete, phir tumhen pachhtaanaa nahiin padtaa।)
इतनी जल्दबाज़ी में फैसला मत लो, वरना पछताओगे।
Don't make a decision in such a hurry, or you'll regret it.
(itnii jaldbaazii men phaislaa mat lo, varnaa pachhtaaoge।)
उसने अपनी जवानी बर्बाद करने पर बहुत पछताया।
He regretted greatly having wasted his youth.
(usne apnii javaanii barbaad karne par bahut pachhtaayaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
पछताना
(pachhtaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
पछताने
(pachhtaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पछताता
(pachhtaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पछताते
(pachhtaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पछताती
(pachhtaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पछतातीं
(pachhtaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पछता रहा
(pachhtaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पछता रहे
(pachhtaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पछता रही
(pachhtaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पछता रहीं
(pachhtaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पछताया
(pachhtaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पछताए
(pachhtaae)
perfective (sg.f):
पछताई
(pachhtaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
पछताईं
(pachhtaaiin)
imperative (informal):
पछता
(pachhtaa)
imperative (neutral):
पछताओ
(pachhtaao)
imperative (formal):
पछताइए
(pachhtaaie)
future (1sg.m):
पछताऊँगा
(pachhtaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पछताऊँगी
(pachhtaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पछताएँगे
(pachhtaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
पछताएँगी
(pachhtaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
पछताएगा
(pachhtaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पछताएगी
(pachhtaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
पछताओगे
(pachhtaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
पछताओगी
(pachhtaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
पछताएगा
(pachhtaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पछताएगी
(pachhtaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
पछताएँगे
(pachhtaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
पछताएँगी
(pachhtaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पछताऊँ
(pachhtaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पछताएँ
(pachhtaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
पछताए
(pachhtaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
पछताओ
(pachhtaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
पछताए
(pachhtaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
पछताएँ
(pachhtaaen)