सुलाना (sulaanaa)
verb
The causative of सोना (sonaa, 'to sleep') -- means 'to put someone to sleep, to lay someone down to rest.'
Sense
1
:
to put to sleep, to lull to sleep
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the classic word for the nightly ritual of putting a child to bed -- बच्चे को सुलाना (bachche ko sulaanaa) is something every Indian parent or grandparent talks about, often paired with गाना (gaanaa, 'song') or लोरी (lorii, 'lullaby'). It is the direct causative partner of सोना (sonaa, 'to sleep'), so if you know that verb, this one follows naturally in form and logic.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse सुलाना (sulaanaa) with सोना (sonaa) itself -- सुलाना (sulaanaa) always needs someone else as the object being put to sleep, it cannot mean 'to sleep' on its own. 2) Do not confuse with सुनाना (sunaanaa, 'to tell/narrate'), which looks and sounds similar but is unrelated in meaning.
Sample Sentences:
माँ रोज़ रात को बच्चे को सुलाती है।
Mother puts the child to sleep every night.
(maan roz raat ko bachche ko sulaatii hai।)
दादी लोरी गाकर बच्चे को सुला रही थी।
Grandmother was putting the child to sleep by singing a lullaby.
(daadii lorii gaakar bachche ko sulaa rahii thii।)
आखिरकार मैंने उसे सुला दिया।
Finally I got him to sleep.
(aakhirkaar mainne use sulaa diyaa।)
प्लीज़ बच्चे को सुला दो, वरना वह रोता रहेगा।
Please put the child to sleep, otherwise he'll keep crying.
(pliiz bachche ko sulaa do, varnaa vah rotaa rahegaa।)
अगर तुम गाना सुनाते तो बच्चा जल्दी सो जाता, तुमने तो उसे सुलाया ही नहीं।
If you had sung a song, the child would have fallen asleep quickly, but you didn't even put him to sleep.
(agar tum gaanaa sunaate to bachchaa jaldii so jaataa, tumne to use sulaayaa hii nahiin।)
बच्चे को सुलाने के लिए माँ को घंटों जागना पड़ता है।
To put the child to sleep, the mother has to stay awake for hours.
(bachche ko sulaane ke lie maan ko ghanton jaagnaa padtaa hai।)
उसे कल रात मुश्किल से सुलाया जा सका।
He could barely be put to sleep last night.
(use kal raat mushkil se sulaayaa jaa sakaa।)
क्या तुम आज बच्चे को सुला दोगी?
Will you put the child to sleep today?
(kyaa tum aaj bachche ko sulaa dogii?)
उम्मीद है कि नानी बच्चे को जल्दी सुला देंगी।
Hopefully grandmother will put the child to sleep early.
(ummiid hai ki naanii bachche ko jaldii sulaa dengii।)
पिताजी हर शाम बच्चे को कहानी सुनाकर सुलाते थे।
Father used to put the child to sleep every evening by telling a story.
(pitaajii har shaam bachche ko kahaanii sunaakar sulaate the।)
नर्स ने मरीज़ को दवा देकर सुला दिया।
The nurse gave the patient medicine and put him to sleep.
(nars ne mariiz ko davaa dekar sulaa diyaa।)
Sense
2
:
to lay down, to make someone lie down (not necessarily to sleep)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: लिटाना (litaanaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Used when the point is simply getting someone horizontal -- a nurse or mother saying मरीज़ को सुलाना (mariiz ko sulaanaa) is about positioning the patient to rest, with actual sleep being incidental. लिटाना (litaanaa) is a close cousin that leans even more toward the physical 'lay flat' sense without any sleep connotation.
Sample Sentences:
नर्स ने मरीज़ को सुलाया।
The nurse laid the patient down.
(nars ne mariiz ko sulaayaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि मरीज़ को सीधा सुलाओ।
The doctor said, lay the patient down straight.
(doktar ne kahaa ki mariiz ko siidhaa sulaao।)
चोट लगने के बाद उसे तुरंत सुलाना ज़रूरी है।
After the injury, it's necessary to lay him down immediately.
(chot lagne ke baad use turant sulaanaa zaroorii hai।)
बेहोश आदमी को हम पीठ के बल सुलाते हैं।
We lay an unconscious man down on his back.
(behosh aadmii ko ham piith ke bal sulaate hain।)
अगर उसे चक्कर आए, तो उसे फ़ौरन सुला दो।
If he feels dizzy, lay him down at once.
(agar use chakkar aae, to use fauran sulaa do।)
मरीज़ को स्ट्रेचर पर सुलाया जा रहा था।
The patient was being laid down on the stretcher.
(mariiz ko strechar par sulaayaa jaa rahaa thaa।)
काश हम उसे समय पर सुला पाते, शायद दर्द कम होता।
If only we could have laid him down in time, maybe the pain would have been less.
(kaash ham use samay par sulaa paate, shaayad dard kam hotaa।)
एम्बुलेंस वालों ने घायल को सावधानी से सुलाया।
The ambulance staff carefully laid the injured man down.
(embulens vaalon ne ghaayal ko saavdhaanii se sulaayaa।)
उसे तकिए के सहारे सुलाया गया है ताकि सांस लेने में आसानी हो।
He has been laid down propped on a pillow so that breathing is easier.
(use takie ke sahaare sulaayaa gayaa hai taaki saans lene men aasaanii ho।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
सुलाना
(sulaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
सुलाने
(sulaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
सुलाता
(sulaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
सुलाते
(sulaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
सुलाती
(sulaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
सुलातीं
(sulaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
सुला रहा
(sulaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
सुला रहे
(sulaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
सुला रही
(sulaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
सुला रहीं
(sulaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
सुलाया
(sulaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
सुलाए
(sulaae)
perfective (sg.f):
सुलाई
(sulaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
सुलाईं
(sulaaiin)
imperative (informal):
सुला
(sulaa)
imperative (neutral):
सुलाओ
(sulaao)
imperative (formal):
सुलाइए
(sulaaie)
future (1sg.m):
सुलाऊँगा
(sulaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
सुलाऊँगी
(sulaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
सुलाएँगे
(sulaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
सुलाएँगी
(sulaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
सुलाएगा
(sulaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
सुलाएगी
(sulaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
सुलाओगे
(sulaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
सुलाओगी
(sulaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
सुलाएगा
(sulaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
सुलाएगी
(sulaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
सुलाएँगे
(sulaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
सुलाएँगी
(sulaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
सुलाऊँ
(sulaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
सुलाएँ
(sulaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
सुलाए
(sulaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
सुलाओ
(sulaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
सुलाए
(sulaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
सुलाएँ
(sulaaen)