बसाना (basaanaa)
verb
The causative of बसना (basnaa, 'to settle/dwell'): बसाना (basaanaa) means 'to settle someone/something, to found a place, to make a home for' -- it also has an extended figurative sense of building a life or world around someone in the heart.
Sense
1
:
to settle (people), colonize, populate
verb, transitive
Synonyms: आबाद करना (aabaad karnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in the context of history and geography lessons -- मुग़लों ने यह शहर बसाया (mughlon ne yah shahar basaayaa, 'the Mughals founded/settled this city') is a classic textbook-style sentence. It's the go-to verb for talking about founding towns, resettling refugees, or colonizing new land.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with बसना (basnaa), the intransitive 'to settle down' -- बसाना (basaanaa) always needs someone doing the settling, e.g. सरकार ने शरणार्थियों को बसाया (sarkaar ne sharnaarthiyon ko basaayaa, 'the government settled the refugees'). 2) It is not used for a person settling themselves somewhere -- for that, use बसना (basnaa) instead.
Sample Sentences:
मुग़लों ने यह शहर बसाया था।
The Mughals had settled this city.
(mughlon ne yah shahar basaayaa thaa।)
सरकार ने बाढ़-पीड़ितों को नए इलाके में बसाया।
The government resettled the flood victims in a new area.
(sarkaar ne baadh-piiditon ko nae ilaake men basaayaa।)
अंग्रेज़ों ने कई देशों में अपने लोगों को बसाया।
The British colonized (settled their people in) many countries.
(angrezon ne kaii deshon men apne logon ko basaayaa।)
यह प्रोजेक्ट रेगिस्तान के किनारे हज़ारों परिवारों को बसाएगा।
This project will settle thousands of families on the edge of the desert.
(yah projekt registaan ke kinaare hazaaron parivaaron ko basaaegaa।)
प्राचीन काल में लोग नदियों के किनारे बस्तियाँ बसाते थे।
In ancient times, people used to settle communities along riverbanks.
(praachiin kaal men log nadiyon ke kinaare bastiyaan basaate the।)
शरणार्थियों को कैसे बसाया जाए, इस पर बहस चल रही है।
There's a debate going on about how the refugees should be settled.
(sharnaarthiyon ko kaise basaayaa jaae, is par bahas chal rahii hai।)
अगर सरकार यह ज़मीन देती, तो हज़ारों लोग यहाँ बसाए जाते।
If the government had given this land, thousands of people would have been settled here.
(agar sarkaar yah zamiin detii, to hazaaron log yahaan basaae jaate।)
पुराने ज़माने में राजा नए इलाकों को बसाने के लिए किसानों को भेजते थे।
In olden times, kings used to send farmers to populate new territories.
(puraane zamaane men raajaa nae ilaakon ko basaane ke lie kisaanon ko bhejte the।)
इस योजना के तहत विस्थापितों को पहाड़ी क्षेत्र में बसाया जा रहा है।
Under this scheme, the displaced people are being settled in the hill region.
(is yojnaa ke tahat visthaapiton ko pahaadii kshetr men basaayaa jaa rahaa hai।)
इतिहास की किताब में लिखा है कि यूनानियों ने कई उपनिवेश बसाए।
It says in the history book that the Greeks settled many colonies.
(itihaas kii kitaab men likhaa hai ki yoonaaniyon ne kaii upnivesh basaae।)
Sense
2
:
to found, establish (a city, home, household)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: स्थापित करना (sthaapit karnaa, formal), बनाना (banaanaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: घर बसाना (ghar basaanaa) is a phrase loaded with emotional weight in Hindi -- it's what elders wish for a newly married couple, meaning far more than bricks and mortar; it's about building a life together. You'll hear it in wedding blessings and also in film dialogues about starting over.
Common Mistakes: 1) घर बसाना (ghar basaanaa) is a set phrase meaning 'to start a family / set up a household,' often after marriage -- it doesn't literally mean 'to build a house' (that's घर बनाना, ghar banaanaa).
Sample Sentences:
उसने दिल्ली में नया घर बसाया।
He set up a new home in Delhi.
(usne dillii men nayaa ghar basaayaa।)
शादी के बाद दोनों ने मिलकर घर बसाया।
After the wedding, the two of them built a home together.
(shaadii ke baad donon ne milkar ghar basaayaa।)
बड़े-बुज़ुर्ग नई दुल्हन को यही आशीर्वाद देते हैं कि तुम्हारा घर हमेशा बसा रहे।
The elders give the new bride this very blessing, that her home may always flourish.
(bade-buzurg naii dulhan ko yahii aashiirvaad dete hain ki tumhaaraa ghar hameshaa basaa rahe।)
बेटा, मेहनत करो और अपना घर बसाओ।
Son, work hard and build your own home.
(betaa, mehnat karo aur apnaa ghar basaao।)
अगर उसे नौकरी मिल जाती तो वह यहीं घर बसा लेता।
If he had gotten a job, he would have settled down here.
(agar use naukrii mil jaatii to vah yahiin ghar basaa letaa।)
फ़िल्म में हीरो अपने गाँव लौटकर नए सिरे से घर बसाता है।
In the film, the hero returns to his village and starts a new home from scratch.
(film men hiiro apne gaanv lautkar nae sire se ghar basaataa hai।)
यह शहर सदियों पहले एक राजा ने बसाया था।
This city was founded by a king centuries ago.
(yah shahar sadiyon pahle ek raajaa ne basaayaa thaa।)
उम्मीद है कि तुम दोनों जल्दी ही अपना घर बसा लोगे।
I hope you two will set up your own home soon.
(ummiid hai ki tum donon jaldii hii apnaa ghar basaa loge।)
यह शहर मुग़ल शासकों द्वारा बसाया गया था।
This city was founded by the Mughal rulers.
(yah shahar mughal shaaskon dvaaraa basaayaa gayaa thaa।)
वह चाहती है कि उसका पति जल्दी विदेश से लौटकर घर बसाए।
She wants her husband to return from abroad soon and settle down at home.
(vah chaahtii hai ki uskaa pati jaldii videsh se lautkar ghar basaae।)
बरसों की मेहनत के बाद आखिर उसने अपना घर बसा लिया।
After years of hard work, he finally set up his own home.
(barson kii mehnat ke baad aakhir usne apnaa ghar basaa liyaa।)
Sense
3
:
to make a place for someone in one's heart/life (figurative)
verb, transitive Commonly seen in the phrase दिल में बसाना (dil men basaanaa, 'to enshrine in one's heart') or आँखों में बसाना (aankhon men basaanaa).
Synonyms: समाना (samaanaa, intransitive counterpart)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a favorite of Hindi film lyrics and shayari -- मैंने तुम्हें दिल में बसा लिया (mainne tumhen dil men basaa liyaa, 'I have enshrined you in my heart') captures how Hindi treats love as making someone a resident of your inner self, not just a feeling.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is almost always paired with दिल में (dil men) or आँखों में (aankhon men) -- dropping the location phrase makes it sound like the literal 'settle a population' sense instead.
Sample Sentences:
मैंने तुम्हें दिल में बसा लिया है।
I have enshrined you in my heart.
(mainne tumhen dil men basaa liyaa hai।)
वह हमेशा उसे अपनी आँखों में बसाए रहता था।
He always kept her enshrined in his eyes.
(vah hameshaa use apnii aankhon men basaae rahtaa thaa।)
क्या तुम सच में किसी को इतनी गहराई से दिल में बसा सकते हो?
Can you really make a home for someone that deeply in your heart?
(kyaa tum sach men kisii ko itnii gahraaii se dil men basaa sakte ho?)
उसकी याद को दिल में बसा लो, वह हमेशा तुम्हारे साथ रहेगी।
Enshrine her memory in your heart -- it will always stay with you.
(uskii yaad ko dil men basaa lo, vah hameshaa tumhaare saath rahegii।)
अगर मैं उसे दिल में न बसाता, तो शायद यह दर्द इतना न होता।
If I hadn't made a home for him in my heart, maybe this pain wouldn't be so much.
(agar main use dil men n basaataa, to shaayad yah dard itnaa n hotaa।)
शायर ने अपनी नज़्म में कहा कि उसने महबूब को रूह में बसा लिया है।
The poet said in his poem that he has enshrined his beloved in his soul.
(shaayar ne apnii nazm men kahaa ki usne mahboob ko rooh men basaa liyaa hai।)
माँ की सीख उसने जीवन भर मन में बसाए रखी।
She kept her mother's teaching enshrined in her mind for her whole life.
(maan kii siikh usne jiivan bhar man men basaae rakhii।)
काश मैं उसकी सूरत को इतनी बुरी तरह दिल में न बसाता।
I wish I hadn't enshrined his face in my heart so badly.
(kaash main uskii soorat ko itnii burii tarah dil men n basaataa।)
उस गीत में कवि ने अपने गाँव को दिल में बसाने की बात की है।
In that song, the poet speaks of enshrining his village in his heart.
(us giit men kavi ne apne gaanv ko dil men basaane kii baat kii hai।)
जब भी वह गाना बजता है, लगता है जैसे किसी ने मेरी रूह में उसे बसा दिया हो।
Whenever that song plays, it feels as if someone has enshrined him in my very soul.
(jab bhii vah gaanaa bajtaa hai, lagtaa hai jaise kisii ne merii rooh men use basaa diyaa ho।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बसाना
(basaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
बसाने
(basaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बसाता
(basaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बसाते
(basaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बसाती
(basaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बसातीं
(basaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बसा रहा
(basaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बसा रहे
(basaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बसा रही
(basaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बसा रहीं
(basaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बसाया
(basaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बसाए
(basaae)
perfective (sg.f):
बसाई
(basaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
बसाईं
(basaaiin)
imperative (informal):
बसा
(basaa)
imperative (neutral):
बसाओ
(basaao)
imperative (formal):
बसाइए
(basaaie)
future (1sg.m):
बसाऊँगा
(basaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बसाऊँगी
(basaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बसाएँगे
(basaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
बसाएँगी
(basaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
बसाएगा
(basaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बसाएगी
(basaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
बसाओगे
(basaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
बसाओगी
(basaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
बसाएगा
(basaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बसाएगी
(basaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
बसाएँगे
(basaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
बसाएँगी
(basaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बसाऊँ
(basaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बसाएँ
(basaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बसाए
(basaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
बसाओ
(basaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
बसाए
(basaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
बसाएँ
(basaaen)