दौड़ना (daudnaa)

verb One core sense: physical running, with a common figurative extension to things (like a vehicle or mind) moving/racing. Related noun दौड़ (daud, 'race/run') shares the root.
Sense 1 : to run (on foot)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: भागना (bhaagnaa, also means 'to flee')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of the morning walkers and joggers in any Delhi park -- दौड़ना (daudnaa) is exactly what they're doing. It's the everyday, literal word for running, so it's the one you want for exercise, sports, or racing to catch a bus.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for भागना (bhaagnaa) to mean 'run', but भागना (bhaagnaa) usually implies running away or fleeing, while दौड़ना (daudnaa) is the neutral word for the physical act of running, as in exercise or racing. 2) With को (ko), बच्चा दौड़ने लगा (bachchaa daudne lagaa, 'the child started running') uses the inceptive compound with लगना (lagnaa) rather than a simple past, which learners sometimes skip.
Sample Sentences:
वह हर सुबह पार्क में दौड़ता है। He runs in the park every morning.
(vah har subah paark men daudtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बच्चे मैदान में दौड़ रहे हैं। The children are running in the field.
(bachche maidaan men daud rahe hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जब बारिश शुरू हुई, मैं घर की तरफ दौड़ा। When the rain started, I ran towards home.
(jab baarish shuroo huii, main ghar kii taraph daudaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बस छूट रही थी, इसलिए वह स्टेशन तक दौड़ी। The bus was about to leave, so she ran to the station.
(bas chhoot rahii thii, islie vah steshan tak daudii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
तुम इतनी तेज़ मत दौड़ो, गिर जाओगे। Don't run so fast, you'll fall.
(tum itnii tez mat daudo, gir jaaoge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मैं रोज़ दौड़ता तो मेरी सेहत बेहतर होती। If I ran every day, my health would be better.
(agar main roz daudtaa to merii sehat behtar hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कल सुबह हम पार्क में दौड़ेंगे। We will run in the park tomorrow morning.
(kal subah ham paark men daudenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि उसे रोज़ दौड़ना चाहिए ताकि वज़न कम हो। The doctor said he should run every day so that his weight comes down.
(doktar ne kahaa ki use roz daudnaa chaahie taaki vazan kam ho।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
प्रतियोगिता में सभी धावकों को ट्रैक पर दौड़ना पड़ा। In the competition, all the runners had to run on the track.
(pratiyogitaa men sabhii dhaavkon ko traik par daudnaa padaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
स्कूल में दौड़ने की प्रतियोगिता आयोजित की जाती है। A running competition is organized at school.
(skool men daudne kii pratiyogitaa aayojit kii jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
जब मैं बच्चा था, हम गली में घंटों दौड़ते थे। When I was a child, we used to run in the lane for hours.
(jab main bachchaa thaa, ham galii men ghanton daudte the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to move fast, race along (of vehicles, machines, or the mind)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: भागना (bhaagnaa, also colloquial for a vehicle 'flying along')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear गाड़ी तेज़ दौड़ रही है (gaadii tez daud rahii hai, 'the car is racing along') on any highway conversation, and ज़हन में ख़याल दौड़ना (zahan men khayaal daudnaa, 'a thought racing through the mind') is a lovely, very natural extension -- Hindi treats a racing mind just like a racing vehicle.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume this figurative use only applies to vehicles, but it's also very natural for thoughts or the mind, as in दिमाग़ दौड़ाना (dimaagh daudaanaa, 'to rack one's brain') -- note that form is the causative दौड़ाना (daudaanaa), not दौड़ना (daudnaa) itself, so don't confuse the two when you hear it.
Sample Sentences:
हाईवे पर गाड़ियाँ बहुत तेज़ दौड़ रही थीं। The cars were racing along very fast on the highway.
(haaiive par gaadiyaan bahut tez daud rahii thiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह ट्रेन दिल्ली से मुंबई तक बिना रुके दौड़ती है। This train races nonstop from Delhi to Mumbai.
(yah tren dillii se mumbaii tak binaa ruke daudtii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जैसे ही उसने एक्सीलरेटर दबाया, गाड़ी सड़क पर दौड़ने लगी। As soon as he pressed the accelerator, the car started racing down the road.
(jaise hii usne eksiilretar dabaayaa, gaadii sadak par daudne lagii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसकी बात सुनकर मेरे ज़हन में कई ख़याल दौड़ गए। Hearing what she said, many thoughts raced through my mind.
(uskii baat sunkar mere zahan men kaii khayaal daud gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब भी वह चुप बैठता है, उसके दिमाग़ में विचार दौड़ते रहते हैं। Whenever he sits quietly, thoughts keep racing through his mind.
(jab bhii vah chup baithtaa hai, uske dimaagh men vichaar daudte rahte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश यह पुरानी मशीन इतनी तेज़ दौड़ पाती। If only this old machine could run this fast.
(kaash yah puraanii mashiin itnii tez daud paatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर इंजन में तेल न होता, तो गाड़ी इतनी दूर तक न दौड़ती। If there had been no oil in the engine, the car wouldn't have run this far.
(agar injan men tel n hotaa, to gaadii itnii door tak n daudtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
नई तकनीक की वजह से यह कंप्यूटर पहले से ज़्यादा तेज़ दौड़ेगा। Thanks to the new technology, this computer will run faster than before.
(naii takniik kii vajah se yah kampyootar pahle se zyaadaa tez daudegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
डर के मारे उसकी नब्ज़ें तेज़ी से दौड़ने लगीं। Out of fear, her pulse began racing rapidly.
(dar ke maare uskii nabzen tezii se daudne lagiin।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुमकिन है कि तूफ़ान से पहले हवा और तेज़ दौड़े। It's possible that the wind will race even faster before the storm.
(mumkin hai ki toofaan se pahle havaa aur tez daude।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: दौड़ना (daudnaa)
infinitive oblique: दौड़ने (daudne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): दौड़ता (daudtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): दौड़ते (daudte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): दौड़ती (daudtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): दौड़तीं (daudtiin)
continuous (sg.m): दौड़ रहा (daud rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): दौड़ रहे (daud rahe)
continuous (sg.f): दौड़ रही (daud rahii)
continuous (pl.f): दौड़ रहीं (daud rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): दौड़ा (daudaa)
perfective (pl.m): दौड़े (daude)
perfective (sg.f): दौड़ी (daudii)
perfective (pl.f): दौड़ीं (daudiin)
imperative (informal): दौड़ (daud)
imperative (neutral): दौड़ो (daudo)
imperative (formal): दौड़िए (daudie)
future (1sg.m): दौड़ूँगा (daudoongaa)
future (1sg.f): दौड़ूँगी (daudoongii)
future (1pl.m): दौड़ेंगे (daudenge)
future (1pl.f): दौड़ेंगी (daudengii)
future (2sg.m): दौड़ेगा (daudegaa)
future (2sg.f): दौड़ेगी (daudegii)
future (2pl.m): दौड़ोगे (daudoge)
future (2pl.f): दौड़ोगी (daudogii)
future (3sg.m): दौड़ेगा (daudegaa)
future (3sg.f): दौड़ेगी (daudegii)
future (3pl.m): दौड़ेंगे (daudenge)
future (3pl.f): दौड़ेंगी (daudengii)
subjunctive (1sg): दौड़ूँ (daudoon)
subjunctive (1pl): दौड़ें (dauden)
subjunctive (2sg): दौड़े (daude)
subjunctive (2pl): दौड़ो (daudo)
subjunctive (3sg): दौड़े (daude)
subjunctive (3pl): दौड़ें (dauden)