दिखाना (dikhaanaa)
verb
The transitive causative of दिखना (dikhnaa, 'to be visible'), meaning 'to show'; it also runs the whole spectrum from literal showing to figurative displaying/pretending, and appears in a few common idiomatic frames.
Sense
1
:
to show, display (something to someone)
verb, transitive Takes an indirect object marked with को (ko) for the person shown to: उसे किताब दिखाना (use kitaab dikhaanaa, 'to show him/her the book').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the causative partner of दिखना (dikhnaa) -- think of दिखना (dikhnaa) as 'to be seen' and दिखाना (dikhaanaa) as 'to make [someone] see.' You will hear it constantly in markets and clinics alike: ज़रा दिखाओ (zaraa dikhaao, 'just show me') when someone wants a closer look at goods, or डॉक्टर को दिखाना (doktar ko dikhaanaa, 'to show [oneself] to the doctor,' i.e. 'to see a doctor').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes mark the person being shown with से (se) instead of को (ko) -- it is मुझे दिखाओ (mujhe dikhaao, 'show me'), not मुझसे दिखाओ (mujhse dikhaao). 2) दिखाना (dikhaanaa) is often confused with दिखना (dikhnaa) 'to be visible' -- दिखाना (dikhaanaa) needs an agent doing the showing, while दिखना (dikhnaa) just describes something appearing to view on its own.
Sample Sentences:
ज़रा वो कुर्ता दिखाओ।
Just show me that kurta.
(zaraa vo kurtaa dikhaao।)
मुझे बुखार है, मुझे डॉक्टर को दिखाना है।
I have a fever, I need to see a doctor.
(mujhe bukhaar hai, mujhe doktar ko dikhaanaa hai।)
दुकानदार ने हमें कई साड़ियाँ दिखाईं।
The shopkeeper showed us several sarees.
(dukaandaar ne hamen kaii saadiyaan dikhaaiin।)
वह हर हफ्ते अपनी पेंटिंग्स गैलरी में दिखाता है।
He shows his paintings at the gallery every week.
(vah har haphte apnii pentings gailrii men dikhaataa hai।)
वह मुझे अपनी नई गाड़ी दिखा रहा था जब बारिश शुरू हो गई।
He was showing me his new car when it started raining.
(vah mujhe apnii naii gaadii dikhaa rahaa thaa jab baarish shuroo ho gaii।)
कल मैं तुम्हें अपने घर की तस्वीरें दिखाऊँगी।
Tomorrow I will show you the pictures of my house.
(kal main tumhen apne ghar kii tasviiren dikhaaoongii।)
अगर तुम मुझे नक्शा दिखाते, तो मैं रास्ता नहीं भूलता।
If you had shown me the map, I would not have forgotten the way.
(agar tum mujhe nakshaa dikhaate, to main raastaa nahiin bhooltaa।)
कृपया अपना पहचान पत्र दिखाइए।
Please show your identity card.
(kripyaa apnaa pahchaan patr dikhaaie।)
जब तक तुम अपना बिल न दिखाओ, हम सामान वापस नहीं लेंगे।
Until you show your receipt, we will not take the item back.
(jab tak tum apnaa bil n dikhaao, ham saamaan vaapas nahiin lenge।)
एयरपोर्ट पर सबको अपना पासपोर्ट दिखाया जाता है।
At the airport, everyone has to show their passport.
(eyarport par sabko apnaa paasport dikhaayaa jaataa hai।)
क्या तुम मुझे अपनी नोटबुक दिखा सकते हो?
Can you show me your notebook?
(kyaa tum mujhe apnii notbuk dikhaa sakte ho?)
Sense
2
:
to demonstrate, prove, or make evident (an ability, quality, or fact)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: साबित करना (saabit karnaa, 'to prove')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Used for showing off inner qualities, not just objects: हिम्मत दिखाना (himmat dikhaanaa, 'to show courage') or दिलचस्पी दिखाना (dilchaspii dikhaanaa, 'to show interest') are everyday collocations you will hear in encouragement, scolding, and news reports alike.
Sample Sentences:
उसने मुश्किल हालात में बहुत हिम्मत दिखाई।
He showed a lot of courage in a difficult situation.
(usne mushkil haalaat men bahut himmat dikhaaii।)
तुम अपने काम में थोड़ी दिलचस्पी दिखाओ तो नतीजे बेहतर होंगे।
If you show a bit of interest in your work, the results will be better.
(tum apne kaam men thodii dilchaspii dikhaao to natiije behtar honge।)
अगर तुम अपनी काबिलियत दिखाते तो तुम्हें यह नौकरी मिल जाती।
If you had demonstrated your ability, you would have gotten this job.
(agar tum apnii kaabiliyat dikhaate to tumhen yah naukrii mil jaatii।)
टीम रोज़ अपने खेल में सुधार दिखा रही है।
The team is showing improvement in its game every day.
(tiim roz apne khel men sudhaar dikhaa rahii hai।)
नतीजे साफ़ दिखाते हैं कि नई नीति काम कर रही है।
The results clearly demonstrate that the new policy is working.
(natiije saaf dikhaate hain ki naii niiti kaam kar rahii hai।)
रिपोर्ट में यह दिखाया गया है कि प्रदूषण का स्तर बढ़ गया है।
The report demonstrates that pollution levels have increased.
(riport men yah dikhaayaa gayaa hai ki pradooshan kaa star badh gayaa hai।)
अगर वह अपनी प्रतिभा दिखाना चाहता है, तो उसे और मेहनत करनी होगी।
If he wants to demonstrate his talent, he will have to work harder.
(agar vah apnii pratibhaa dikhaanaa chaahtaa hai, to use aur mehnat karnii hogii।)
मैदान में उतरकर अपना दम दिखाओ, बातों से कुछ नहीं होगा।
Get onto the field and prove your mettle -- talk won't get you anywhere.
(maidaan men utarkar apnaa dam dikhaao, baaton se kuchh nahiin hogaa।)
वैज्ञानिकों ने प्रयोग से यह दिखा दिया कि उनकी परिकल्पना सही थी।
The scientists proved through the experiment that their hypothesis was correct.
(vaigyaanikon ne prayog se yah dikhaa diyaa ki unkii parikalpnaa sahii thii।)
क्या तुम भविष्य में भी ऐसी ही लगन दिखाओगे?
Will you show this same dedication in the future too?
(kyaa tum bhavishy men bhii aisii hii lagan dikhaaoge?)
संकट की घड़ी में उसने जो साहस दिखाया, वह सबको याद रहेगा।
The courage he demonstrated in that moment of crisis will be remembered by everyone.
(sankat kii ghadii men usne jo saahas dikhaayaa, vah sabko yaad rahegaa।)
Sense
3
:
to pretend, put on a show of (a feeling or state one may not genuinely have)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: ज़ाहिर करना (zaahir karnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Hindi loves this overlap between 'showing' a feeling and 'faking' it -- रोना दिखाना (ronaa dikhaanaa) or प्यार दिखाना (pyaar dikhaanaa) can slide from sincere expression into performance depending on who is speaking and how, much like English 'putting on a show of tears.'
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is easy to miss because the sentence looks identical to sense 2 (demonstrating a real quality) -- गुस्सा दिखाना (gussaa dikhaanaa) can mean 'to genuinely show anger' or 'to put on a show of anger'; context and tone decide which.
Sample Sentences:
वह बीमार होने का दिखावा करके ऑफिस से छुट्टी ले लेता है।
He fakes being sick to take leave from the office.
(vah biimaar hone kaa dikhaavaa karke ophis se chhuttii le letaa hai।)
मत दिखा इतना प्यार, मुझे पता है तुझे कोई फ़र्क़ नहीं पड़ता।
Don't put on such an act of love, I know you don't actually care.
(mat dikhaa itnaa pyaar, mujhe pataa hai tujhe koii farq nahiin padtaa।)
उसने सबके सामने बहुत रोना दिखाया मगर आँसू एक भी नहीं थे।
She put on a big show of crying in front of everyone, but there wasn't even one tear.
(usne sabke saamne bahut ronaa dikhaayaa magar aansoo ek bhii nahiin the।)
अगर तू दुख दिखाता भी तो किसी को यक़ीन नहीं होता, तूने पहले भी झूठ बोला है।
Even if you put on a show of sorrow, no one would believe it -- you've lied before too.
(agar too dukh dikhaataa bhii to kisii ko yaqiin nahiin hotaa, toone pahle bhii jhooth bolaa hai।)
नेता जनता के सामने हमदर्दी दिखाते हैं, पीछे कुछ और करते हैं।
Politicians put on a show of sympathy in front of the public, and do something else behind the scenes.
(netaa jantaa ke saamne hamdardii dikhaate hain, piichhe kuchh aur karte hain।)
क्या तुम सच में खुश हो या सिर्फ़ खुशी दिखा रहे हो?
Are you really happy, or are you just putting on a show of happiness?
(kyaa tum sach men khush ho yaa sirf khushii dikhaa rahe ho?)
शायद वह डर दिखा रही हो ताकि सब उस पर तरस खाएँ।
Maybe she's putting on a show of fear so that everyone takes pity on her.
(shaayad vah dar dikhaa rahii ho taaki sab us par taras khaaen।)
कोर्ट में उसने इतना पछतावा दिखाया कि जज भी सोच में पड़ गया कि सच में है या नहीं।
In court he put on such a show of remorse that even the judge fell to wondering whether it was genuine.
(kort men usne itnaa pachhtaavaa dikhaayaa ki jaj bhii soch men pad gayaa ki sach men hai yaa nahiin।)
प्रेम दिखाना और प्रेम करना, इन दोनों में ज़मीन-आसमान का फ़र्क़ है।
Putting on a show of love and actually loving -- between these two lies the difference of heaven and earth.
(prem dikhaanaa aur prem karnaa, in donon men zamiin-aasmaan kaa farq hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
दिखाना
(dikhaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
दिखाने
(dikhaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
दिखाता
(dikhaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
दिखाते
(dikhaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
दिखाती
(dikhaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
दिखातीं
(dikhaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
दिखा रहा
(dikhaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
दिखा रहे
(dikhaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
दिखा रही
(dikhaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
दिखा रहीं
(dikhaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
दिखाया
(dikhaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
दिखाए
(dikhaae)
perfective (sg.f):
दिखाई
(dikhaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
दिखाईं
(dikhaaiin)
imperative (informal):
दिखा
(dikhaa)
imperative (neutral):
दिखाओ
(dikhaao)
imperative (formal):
दिखाइए
(dikhaaie)
future (1sg.m):
दिखाऊँगा
(dikhaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
दिखाऊँगी
(dikhaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
दिखाएँगे
(dikhaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
दिखाएँगी
(dikhaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
दिखाएगा
(dikhaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
दिखाएगी
(dikhaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
दिखाओगे
(dikhaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
दिखाओगी
(dikhaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
दिखाएगा
(dikhaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
दिखाएगी
(dikhaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
दिखाएँगे
(dikhaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
दिखाएँगी
(dikhaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
दिखाऊँ
(dikhaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
दिखाएँ
(dikhaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
दिखाए
(dikhaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
दिखाओ
(dikhaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
दिखाए
(dikhaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
दिखाएँ
(dikhaaen)