फूलना (phoolnaa)
verb
Basic meaning is 'to swell up' or 'to bloom/blossom' -- covers literal swelling (dough, a bruised limb) and the figurative sense of puffing up with pride. Closely related to फूल (phool, 'flower').
Sense
1
:
to swell, puff up (physically)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: सूजना (soojnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this about bread or पूरी (poorii) puffing up on the tava, or about feet swelling (pair phoolnaa) after a long day of standing -- it is a very physical, visual verb.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with सूजना (soojnaa); फूलना (phoolnaa) is broader and can describe dough rising or a balloon inflating, not just an injury swelling up.
Sample Sentences:
गर्म तवे पर पूरी फूल जाती है।
The puri puffs up on the hot tava.
(garm tave par poorii phool jaatii hai।)
इतनी देर खड़े रहने से मेरे पैर फूल गए हैं।
My feet have swollen up from standing for so long.
(itnii der khade rahne se mere pair phool gae hain।)
चोट लगने के बाद उसका हाथ फूल गया था।
His hand had swollen up after the injury.
(chot lagne ke baad uskaa haath phool gayaa thaa।)
पूरी तभी अच्छी लगती है जब वह ठीक से फूले।
The puri only looks good when it puffs up properly.
(poorii tabhii achchhii lagtii hai jab vah thiik se phoole।)
तेल गरम होते ही पूरियाँ फूलने लगती हैं।
As soon as the oil heats up, the puris start puffing up.
(tel garam hote hii pooriyaan phoolne lagtii hain।)
अगर तवा सही से गरम नहीं होता तो पूरी नहीं फूलती।
If the tava were not properly heated, the puri would not puff up.
(agar tavaa sahii se garam nahiin hotaa to poorii nahiin phooltii।)
मधुमक्खी के काटने से उसका गाल फूल गया।
His cheek swelled up from the bee sting.
(madhumakkhii ke kaatne se uskaa gaal phool gayaa।)
बरसात में लकड़ी के दरवाजे फूल जाते हैं।
Wooden doors swell up during the rainy season.
(barsaat men lakdii ke darvaaje phool jaate hain।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि उसका पेट गैस से फूला हुआ है।
The doctor said his stomach is swollen with gas.
(doktar ne kahaa ki uskaa pet gais se phoolaa huaa hai।)
पूरी को ज़्यादा देर तक मत तलो, वरना वह फूलकर फट जाएगी।
Don't fry the puri too long, or it will puff up and burst.
(poorii ko zyaadaa der tak mat talo, varnaa vah phoolkar phat jaaegii।)
Sense
2
:
to swell with pride, be delighted
verb, intransitive Very commonly used in the compound expression फूले नहीं समाना (phoole nahiin samaanaa, 'to be so happy one can't contain oneself').
Synonyms: फूला न समाना (phoolaa n samaanaa, idiom: to be overjoyed)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: A mother watching her son get top marks might be described as फूली नहीं समा रही (phoolii nahiin samaa rahii, 'she's beside herself with joy') -- the body-as-container image is very Hindi: joy literally doesn't 'fit' inside the person.
Common Mistakes: 1) फूलना (phoolnaa) alone in this sense usually implies a slightly negative or ironic edge -- 'puffed up with pride/vanity' -- whereas the idiom फूला न समाना (phoolaa n samaanaa) is purely positive, meaning overjoyed; learners sometimes mix up the tone of the two.
Sample Sentences:
बेटे के नंबर सुनकर माँ फूली नहीं समा रही थी।
Hearing her son's marks, the mother was beside herself with joy.
(bete ke nambar sunkar maan phoolii nahiin samaa rahii thii।)
तारीफ सुनकर वह फूल गया।
He puffed up with pride on hearing the praise.
(taariiph sunkar vah phool gayaa।)
जरा सी तारीफ से मत फूलो।
Don't get puffed up over a little bit of praise.
(jaraa sii taariiph se mat phoolo।)
वह अपनी तनख्वाह बढ़ने की खबर से फूला हुआ है।
He's swelling with pride over the news of his raise.
(vah apnii tanakhvaah badhne kii khabar se phoolaa huaa hai।)
छोटी-छोटी बातों पर फूलने की आदत अच्छी नहीं है।
It's not a good habit to swell with pride over small things.
(chhotii-chhotii baaton par phoolne kii aadat achchhii nahiin hai।)
अगर वह जीत जाता तो खुशी से फूल जाता।
If he had won, he would have been overjoyed.
(agar vah jiit jaataa to khushii se phool jaataa।)
काश मैं भी किसी बात पर इतना फूल पाता।
I wish I could get so puffed up with joy over something too.
(kaash main bhii kisii baat par itnaa phool paataa।)
इनाम मिलते ही वह गर्व से फूल उठी।
The moment she got the award, she swelled up with pride.
(inaam milte hii vah garv se phool uthii।)
अपनी उपलब्धियों पर इतना मत फूलिए, विनम्र रहिए।
Please don't get so puffed up over your achievements, stay humble.
(apnii uplabdhiyon par itnaa mat phoolie, vinamr rahie।)
Sense
3
:
to bloom, blossom
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: खिलना (khilnaa)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: खिलना (khilnaa) is the far more common word for flowers blooming in everyday speech; फूलना (phoolnaa) in this sense leans slightly more literary or descriptive, often paired with खिलना (phoolnaa-khilnaa) as a set phrase for a garden in full bloom.
Sample Sentences:
बगीचे में फूल फूल-खिल रहे हैं।
The flowers in the garden are blossoming.
(bagiiche men phool phool-khil rahe hain।)
वसंत में यह पेड़ फूलता है।
This tree blossoms in spring.
(vasant men yah ped phooltaa hai।)
पूरा बगीचा फूल-खिलकर किसी स्वर्ग जैसा लग रहा था।
The whole garden had blossomed and looked like some kind of paradise.
(pooraa bagiichaa phool-khilkar kisii svarg jaisaa lag rahaa thaa।)
अगर बारिश ठीक समय पर होती, तो ये कलियाँ भी फूल जातीं।
If the rain had come at the right time, these buds would have blossomed too.
(agar baarish thiik samay par hotii, to ye kaliyaan bhii phool jaatiin।)
कवि ने लिखा कि रात के अंधकार में भी कुछ फूल फूलते रहे।
The poet wrote that even in the darkness of night, some flowers kept blossoming.
(kavi ne likhaa ki raat ke andhkaar men bhii kuchh phool phoolte rahe।)
जब सारी घाटी फूल-खिलती है, तो दृश्य अवर्णनीय होता है।
When the whole valley bursts into bloom, the sight becomes indescribable.
(jab saarii ghaatii phool-khiltii hai, to drishy avarnniiy hotaa hai।)
उम्मीद है कि इस बार गुलाब समय से पहले फूल जाएँ।
It is hoped that this time the roses will blossom ahead of schedule.
(ummiid hai ki is baar gulaab samay se pahle phool jaaen।)
इस मिट्टी में कमल कभी नहीं फूलता।
The lotus never blossoms in this soil.
(is mittii men kamal kabhii nahiin phooltaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
फूलना
(phoolnaa)
infinitive oblique:
फूलने
(phoolne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
फूलता
(phooltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
फूलते
(phoolte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
फूलती
(phooltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
फूलतीं
(phooltiin)
continuous (sg.m):
फूल रहा
(phool rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
फूल रहे
(phool rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
फूल रही
(phool rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
फूल रहीं
(phool rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
फूला
(phoolaa)
perfective (pl.m):
फूले
(phoole)
perfective (sg.f):
फूली
(phoolii)
perfective (pl.f):
फूलीं
(phooliin)
imperative (informal):
फूल
(phool)
imperative (neutral):
फूलो
(phoolo)
imperative (formal):
फूलिए
(phoolie)
future (1sg.m):
फूलूँगा
(phooloongaa)
future (1sg.f):
फूलूँगी
(phooloongii)
future (1pl.m):
फूलेंगे
(phoolenge)
future (1pl.f):
फूलेंगी
(phoolengii)
future (2sg.m):
फूलेगा
(phoolegaa)
future (2sg.f):
फूलेगी
(phoolegii)
future (2pl.m):
फूलोगे
(phoologe)
future (2pl.f):
फूलोगी
(phoologii)
future (3sg.m):
फूलेगा
(phoolegaa)
future (3sg.f):
फूलेगी
(phoolegii)
future (3pl.m):
फूलेंगे
(phoolenge)
future (3pl.f):
फूलेंगी
(phoolengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
फूलूँ
(phooloon)
subjunctive (1pl):
फूलें
(phoolen)
subjunctive (2sg):
फूले
(phoole)
subjunctive (2pl):
फूलो
(phoolo)
subjunctive (3sg):
फूले
(phoole)
subjunctive (3pl):
फूलें
(phoolen)