पकना (paknaa)
verb
The everyday intransitive verb for food or fruit 'cooking/ripening' on its own; the causative पकाना (pakaanaa, 'to cook') is a separate lemma for when someone actively cooks something.
Sense
1
:
to cook (of food, intransitively)
verb, intransitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the verb you hear in the kitchen when someone checks on the दाल (daal, 'lentils') or चावल (chaaval, 'rice') -- खाना पक रहा है (khaanaa pak rahaa hai, 'the food is cooking') describes the food as doing the cooking itself, with no cook mentioned, which is a very Hindi way of framing a process happening on its own.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for पकाना (pakaanaa) even when there is no agent actively cooking -- if the sentence is about rice or dal cooking on the stove by itself, पकना (paknaa) is the natural intransitive choice, not its causative pair. 2) Because it is intransitive, this verb never takes ने (ne) marking on the subject in the past tense, unlike पकाना (pakaanaa).
Sample Sentences:
खाना पक रहा है, बस दस मिनट और लगेंगे।
The food is cooking, it'll take just ten more minutes.
(khaanaa pak rahaa hai, bas das minat aur lagenge।)
दाल अभी तक नहीं पकी है।
The lentils haven't cooked yet.
(daal abhii tak nahiin pakii hai।)
चावल पक गए, तुम खाना निकाल लो।
The rice has cooked, go ahead and take the food out.
(chaaval pak gae, tum khaanaa nikaal lo।)
धीमी आग पर सब्ज़ी अच्छे से पकती है।
Vegetables cook well on a low flame.
(dhiimii aag par sabzii achchhe se paktii hai।)
अगर कुकर में डालो तो जल्दी पकेगा।
If you put it in the pressure cooker, it'll cook faster.
(agar kukar men daalo to jaldii pakegaa।)
मीट को धीरे-धीरे पकने दो, तभी स्वाद आएगा।
Let the meat cook slowly, only then will it taste good.
(miit ko dhiire-dhiire pakne do, tabhii svaad aaegaa।)
जब तक सब्ज़ी पक रही थी, मैं बर्तन धो रहा था।
While the vegetables were cooking, I was washing the dishes.
(jab tak sabzii pak rahii thii, main bartan dho rahaa thaa।)
यह ऐसा चावल है जो कभी ठीक से नहीं पकता।
This is the kind of rice that never cooks properly.
(yah aisaa chaaval hai jo kabhii thiik se nahiin paktaa।)
अगर आग थोड़ी तेज़ होती तो खाना जल्दी पक जाता।
If the flame were a bit higher, the food would have cooked faster.
(agar aag thodii tez hotii to khaanaa jaldii pak jaataa।)
बिरयानी को दम पर पकाया जाता है, ताकि वह अच्छे से पके।
Biryani is cooked on dum, so that it cooks properly.
(biryaanii ko dam par pakaayaa jaataa hai, taaki vah achchhe se pake।)
पारंपरिक रसोई में भोजन मिट्टी की हांडी में पकता था।
In the traditional kitchen, food used to cook in an earthen pot.
(paaramprik rasoii men bhojan mittii kii haandii men paktaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
to ripen (of fruit)
verb, intransitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Used constantly for fruit like आम (aam, 'mango') and केला (kelaa, 'banana') -- आम पक गया है (aam pak gayaa hai, 'the mango has ripened') is the kind of line you hear at a फल वाला (phal vaalaa, 'fruit seller')'s cart in season.
Sample Sentences:
आम पक गया है।
The mango has ripened.
(aam pak gayaa hai।)
ये केले अभी नहीं पके हैं, कच्चे हैं।
These bananas haven't ripened yet, they're raw.
(ye kele abhii nahiin pake hain, kachche hain।)
गरमी में आम बहुत तेज़ी से पकते हैं।
In summer, mangoes ripen very quickly.
(garmii men aam bahut tezii se pakte hain।)
ये आम धूप में पक रहे हैं।
These mangoes are ripening in the sun.
(ye aam dhoop men pak rahe hain।)
पेड़ पर लगे आम अगले हफ़्ते तक पक जाएँगे।
The mangoes on the tree will ripen by next week.
(ped par lage aam agle hafte tak pak jaaenge।)
फल वाले ने बताया कि ये आम पेड़ पर ही पके हैं, कार्बाइड से नहीं।
The fruit seller said these mangoes ripened on the tree itself, not with carbide.
(phal vaale ne bataayaa ki ye aam ped par hii pake hain, kaarbaaid se nahiin।)
अगर मौसम ठंडा न होता, तो ये अमरूद अब तक पक जाते।
If the weather hadn't been cold, these guavas would have ripened by now.
(agar mausam thandaa n hotaa, to ye amrood ab tak pak jaate।)
इन आमों को अखबार में लपेट दो ताकि जल्दी पक जाएँ।
Wrap these mangoes in newspaper so they ripen quickly.
(in aamon ko akhbaar men lapet do taaki jaldii pak jaaen।)
यह किस्म का आम देर से पकता है।
This variety of mango ripens late.
(yah kism kaa aam der se paktaa hai।)
पिछले साल तो आम मई में ही पक गए थे।
Last year, the mangoes had already ripened by May.
(pichhle saal to aam maii men hii pak gae the।)
Sense
3
:
to fester, become infected (of a wound/boil)
verb, intransitive
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The same verb used for a घाव (ghaav, 'wound') or फोड़ा (phodaa, 'boil') that has festered -- Hindi treats an infected wound as 'ripening' just like fruit, which feels vivid once you notice the shared image of something swelling and coming to a head.
Sample Sentences:
उसके पैर का घाव पक गया है।
The wound on his foot has festered.
(uske pair kaa ghaav pak gayaa hai।)
अगर समय पर मरहम न लगाया जाए तो यह फोड़ा पक जाएगा।
If ointment isn't applied in time, this boil will fester.
(agar samay par maraham n lagaayaa jaae to yah phodaa pak jaaegaa।)
बचपन में मेरी उँगली में काँटा लगा था और वह जगह पक गई थी।
As a child a thorn had pricked my finger, and the spot had festered.
(bachpan men merii unglii men kaantaa lagaa thaa aur vah jagah pak gaii thii।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि घाव पकता जा रहा है, इसे साफ रखना होगा।
The doctor said the wound is progressively festering, it needs to be kept clean.
(doktar ne kahaa ki ghaav paktaa jaa rahaa hai, ise saaph rakhnaa hogaa।)
घाव को मत छेड़ो, वरना वह पक जाएगा।
Don't poke at the wound, or it will fester.
(ghaav ko mat chhedo, varnaa vah pak jaaegaa।)
अगर वह गंदी सुई इस्तेमाल न करता तो घाव न पकता।
If he hadn't used a dirty needle, the wound wouldn't have festered.
(agar vah gandii suii istemaal n kartaa to ghaav n paktaa।)
पुरानी चोटें अक्सर बरसात में पकने लगती हैं।
Old injuries often start to fester in the rainy season.
(puraanii choten aksar barsaat men pakne lagtii hain।)
अस्पताल में जब घाव देखा गया, तो पता चला कि वह पक चुका है।
When the wound was examined at the hospital, it turned out that it had already festered.
(asptaal men jab ghaav dekhaa gayaa, to pataa chalaa ki vah pak chukaa hai।)
डर है कि यह फोड़ा पक जाए और मामला बिगड़ जाए।
There's a fear that this boil might fester and the situation might worsen.
(dar hai ki yah phodaa pak jaae aur maamlaa bigad jaae।)
Sense
4
:
to become thoroughly experienced/hardened (figurative, of a person)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: पक्का होना (pakkaa honaa, related idiom)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You will hear this in phrases like यह खिलाड़ी अब पक चुका है (yah khilaadii ab pak chukaa hai, 'this player has now become seasoned') -- the same 'ripening' image is extended to a person who has been through enough experience to be fully matured or hardened, often with a slightly worldly or streetwise flavor.
Sample Sentences:
यह खिलाड़ी अब पक चुका है।
This player has now become seasoned.
(yah khilaadii ab pak chukaa hai।)
इतने सालों की राजनीति में वह पूरी तरह पक गया है।
After so many years in politics, he has become a completely hardened veteran.
(itne saalon kii raajniiti men vah poorii tarah pak gayaa hai।)
सड़क पर रहते-रहते वह लड़का बहुत जल्दी पक गया।
Living on the streets, that boy became streetwise very quickly.
(sadak par rahte-rahte vah ladkaa bahut jaldii pak gayaa।)
जब तक तुम कुछ मुश्किलें नहीं झेलोगे, पकोगे नहीं।
Until you go through some hardships, you won't become seasoned.
(jab tak tum kuchh mushkilen nahiin jheloge, pakoge nahiin।)
पुराने वकील अदालत के दांव-पेंच में खूब पके होते हैं।
Old lawyers are thoroughly seasoned in the tricks and turns of the courtroom.
(puraane vakiil adaalat ke daanv-pench men khoob pake hote hain।)
अगर वह इस धंधे में इतने साल न रहता तो इतना न पका होता।
If he hadn't stayed in this trade for so many years, he wouldn't have become so hardened.
(agar vah is dhandhe men itne saal n rahtaa to itnaa n pakaa hotaa।)
यह मानो कि वह इस काम में पक चुका है, तभी उसे बड़ी जिम्मेदारी दी गई।
Assume that he has become fully seasoned in this work, that's why he was given such a big responsibility.
(yah maano ki vah is kaam men pak chukaa hai, tabhii use badii jimmedaarii dii gaii।)
बरसों की चोट खाकर आदमी ऐसे ही पकता है।
This is exactly how a person becomes hardened, by taking blows for years.
(barson kii chot khaakar aadmii aise hii paktaa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
पकना
(paknaa)
infinitive oblique:
पकने
(pakne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पकता
(paktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पकते
(pakte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पकती
(paktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पकतीं
(paktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पक रहा
(pak rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पक रहे
(pak rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पक रही
(pak rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पक रहीं
(pak rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पका
(pakaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पके
(pake)
perfective (sg.f):
पकी
(pakii)
perfective (pl.f):
पकीं
(pakiin)
imperative (informal):
पक
(pak)
imperative (neutral):
पको
(pako)
imperative (formal):
पकिए
(pakie)
future (1sg.m):
पकूँगा
(pakoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पकूँगी
(pakoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पकेंगे
(pakenge)
future (1pl.f):
पकेंगी
(pakengii)
future (2sg.m):
पकेगा
(pakegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पकेगी
(pakegii)
future (2pl.m):
पकोगे
(pakoge)
future (2pl.f):
पकोगी
(pakogii)
future (3sg.m):
पकेगा
(pakegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पकेगी
(pakegii)
future (3pl.m):
पकेंगे
(pakenge)
future (3pl.f):
पकेंगी
(pakengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पकूँ
(pakoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पकें
(paken)
subjunctive (2sg):
पके
(pake)
subjunctive (2pl):
पको
(pako)
subjunctive (3sg):
पके
(pake)
subjunctive (3pl):
पकें
(paken)