ढोना (dhonaa)
verb
One core sense: to carry or haul a load, physically or with effort. Extends naturally into a figurative use for bearing a burden (responsibility, blame, someone else's work).
Sense
1
:
to carry/haul a physical load
verb, transitive
Synonyms: उठाना (uthaanaa, to lift/carry), लादना (laadnaa, to load onto something)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of a laborer hauling bricks at a construction site, or someone carrying pots of water from a hand pump -- ढोना (dhonaa) is the verb for that kind of physical, grinding labor. It is a word steeped in the texture of manual work in India, not a neutral 'to carry.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for ले जाना (le jaanaa) for any 'carrying,' but ढोना (dhonaa) specifically implies a heavy, tiring, or repetitive load -- water, bricks, sacks -- not just moving something from A to B. 2) It carries a mild flavor of drudgery, so using it for a light object (like carrying a phone) sounds odd or comic.
Sample Sentences:
मज़दूर सिर पर ईंटें ढोता है।
The laborer carries bricks on his head.
(mazdoor sir par iinten dhotaa hai।)
वह हर सुबह कुएँ से पानी ढोकर लाती थी।
She used to haul water from the well every morning.
(vah har subah kuen se paanii dhokar laatii thii।)
वे इस वक़्त बोरियाँ ढो रहे हैं।
They are hauling sacks right now.
(ve is vaqt boriyaan dho rahe hain।)
उसने दिनभर रेत ढोई और शाम को थक कर गिर पड़ा।
He hauled sand all day and collapsed exhausted in the evening.
(usne dinbhar ret dhoii aur shaam ko thak kar gir padaa।)
इतना भारी सामान मत ढोओ, ट्रॉली ले आओ।
Don't haul such heavy stuff, bring a trolley.
(itnaa bhaarii saamaan mat dhoo, trolii le aao।)
अगर मशीन होती तो हमें बोरियाँ ढोनी न पड़तीं।
If there were a machine, we wouldn't have had to haul the sacks.
(agar mashiin hotii to hamen boriyaan dhonii n padtiin।)
ईंटें ट्रकों में ढोई जाती हैं।
Bricks are hauled in trucks.
(iinten trakon men dhoii jaatii hain।)
मुझे कल तक ये बोरे गोदाम तक ढोने होंगे।
I'll have to haul these sacks to the warehouse by tomorrow.
(mujhe kal tak ye bore godaam tak dhone honge।)
इतना वज़न ढोना उसके लिए मुमकिन नहीं है।
Hauling so much weight isn't possible for him.
(itnaa vazan dhonaa uske lie mumkin nahiin hai।)
क्या तुम यह पत्थर अकेले ढो सकते हो?
Can you haul this stone alone?
(kyaa tum yah patthar akele dho sakte ho?)
Sense
2
:
to bear a burden (figurative)
verb, transitive Commonly used with abstract nouns like बोझ (bojh, 'burden'), जिम्मेदारी (jimmedaarii, 'responsibility'), or इल्ज़ाम (ilzaam, 'blame') as the object.
Synonyms: सहना (sahnaa, to endure), उठाना (uthaanaa, to bear/take on)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this in phrases like दूसरों का बोझ ढोना (doosron kaa bojh dhonaa, 'to carry others' burden') -- said of someone stuck doing extra work or shouldering blame that is not really theirs. It has the same weary, put-upon feeling as its physical sense, just moved into the emotional register.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes think this figurative sense is a separate word, but it is the same ढोना (dhonaa) -- the image of hauling a physical weight is deliberately carried over to emotional or social burdens. 2) It has a resigned, weary tone; it is not neutral like 'to have a responsibility,' so overusing it can sound overly dramatic for small duties.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे क्यों हमेशा दूसरों का बोझ ढोना पड़ता है?
Why do I always have to bear the burden of others?
(mujhe kyon hameshaa doosron kaa bojh dhonaa padtaa hai?)
वह सालों से अपने भाई की गलतियों का बोझ ढो रही है।
She has been shouldering the burden of her brother's mistakes for years.
(vah saalon se apne bhaaii kii galtiyon kaa bojh dho rahii hai।)
उसने पूरे परिवार की जिम्मेदारी का बोझ ढोया, फिर भी किसी ने शुक्रिया नहीं कहा।
He bore the burden of the whole family's responsibility, yet no one said thank you.
(usne poore parivaar kii jimmedaarii kaa bojh dhoyaa, phir bhii kisii ne shukriyaa nahiin kahaa।)
तुम अकेले पूरी टीम की नाकामी का बोझ मत ढोओ।
Don't shoulder the burden of the whole team's failure by yourself.
(tum akele poorii tiim kii naakaamii kaa bojh mat dhoo।)
अगर वह इतना बोझ न ढोता, तो इतना थका हुआ न दिखता।
If he weren't bearing so much of a burden, he wouldn't look this exhausted.
(agar vah itnaa bojh n dhotaa, to itnaa thakaa huaa n dikhtaa।)
मुझसे यह अपराध-भावना का बोझ अब और नहीं ढोया जाता।
I can't bear this weight of guilt anymore.
(mujhse yah apraadh-bhaavnaa kaa bojh ab aur nahiin dhoyaa jaataa।)
काश मुझे यह जिम्मेदारी का बोझ न ढोना पड़े।
I wish I didn't have to bear this burden of responsibility.
(kaash mujhe yah jimmedaarii kaa bojh n dhonaa pade।)
बरसों तक उसने चुपचाप अपने पिता के कर्ज़ों का बोझ ढोया।
For years he silently bore the burden of his father's debts.
(barson tak usne chupchaap apne pitaa ke karzon kaa bojh dhoyaa।)
समाज की अपेक्षाओं का बोझ हर लड़की को क्यों ढोना पड़ता है?
Why does every girl have to bear the burden of society's expectations?
(samaaj kii apekshaaon kaa bojh har ladkii ko kyon dhonaa padtaa hai?)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
ढोना
(dhonaa)
infinitive oblique:
ढोने
(dhone)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
ढोता
(dhotaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
ढोते
(dhote)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
ढोती
(dhotii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
ढोतीं
(dhotiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ढो रहा
(dho rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ढो रहे
(dho rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ढो रही
(dho rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ढो रहीं
(dho rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
ढोया
(dhoyaa)
perfective (pl.m):
ढोए
(dhoe)
perfective (sg.f):
ढोई
(dhoii)
perfective (pl.f):
ढोईं
(dhoiin)
imperative (informal):
ढो
(dho)
imperative (neutral):
ढोओ
(dhoo)
imperative (formal):
ढोइए
(dhoie)
future (1sg.m):
ढोऊँगा
(dhooongaa)
future (1sg.f):
ढोऊँगी
(dhooongii)
future (1pl.m):
ढोएँगे
(dhoenge)
future (1pl.f):
ढोएँगी
(dhoengii)
future (2sg.m):
ढोएगा
(dhoegaa)
future (2sg.f):
ढोएगी
(dhoegii)
future (2pl.m):
ढोओगे
(dhooge)
future (2pl.f):
ढोओगी
(dhoogii)
future (3sg.m):
ढोएगा
(dhoegaa)
future (3sg.f):
ढोएगी
(dhoegii)
future (3pl.m):
ढोएँगे
(dhoenge)
future (3pl.f):
ढोएँगी
(dhoengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
ढोऊँ
(dhooon)
subjunctive (1pl):
ढोएँ
(dhoen)
subjunctive (2sg):
ढोए
(dhoe)
subjunctive (2pl):
ढोओ
(dhoo)
subjunctive (3sg):
ढोए
(dhoe)
subjunctive (3pl):
ढोएँ
(dhoen)