छलाँग मारना (chhalaang maarnaa)

verb A compound expression meaning 'to jump/leap' -- literally 'to strike a leap.' छलाँग (chhalaang) is the noun 'leap,' and मारना (maarnaa) here works as a light verb (as it does in many such 'do an action forcefully' expressions, like चीख़ मारना chiikh maarnaa, 'to scream').
Sense 1 : to jump, to leap (physically)
verb, transitive Takes ने (ne) in the perfective since मारना (maarnaa) is transitive: उसने छलाँग मारी (usne chhalaang maarii, 'he/she jumped').
Synonyms: कूदना (koodnaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in the context of kids jumping into a pool or river -- पानी में छलाँग मारना (paanii men chhalaang maarnaa, 'to jump into the water') -- or athletes leaping over hurdles. The picture is always of a single, decisive leap rather than repeated hopping.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use कूदना (koodnaa) and छलाँग मारना (chhalaang maarnaa) as totally interchangeable in all contexts, but छलाँग मारना (chhalaang maarnaa) usually implies a single, more deliberate or dramatic leap (over something, into something, off something), while कूदना (koodnaa) covers general jumping/hopping too. 2) The agreement is with छलाँग (chhalaang) (feminine), not with the subject: उसने छलाँग मारी (usne chhalaang maarii), not मारा (maaraa).
Sample Sentences:
बच्चे ने तालाब में छलाँग मारी। The child jumped into the pond.
(bachche ne taalaab men chhalaang maarii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर सुबह नदी में छलाँग मारता है। He jumps into the river every morning.
(vah har subah nadii men chhalaang maartaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
देखो, वो लड़का छत से छलाँग मार रहा है! Look, that boy is jumping off the roof!
(dekho, vo ladkaa chhat se chhalaang maar rahaa hai!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
छलाँग मार दो, पानी ज़्यादा गहरा नहीं है। Jump in, the water isn't very deep.
(chhalaang maar do, paanii zyaadaa gahraa nahiin hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
एथलीट ने बाधा के ऊपर से छलाँग मारी और दौड़ती रही। The athlete leaped over the hurdle and kept running.
(ethliit ne baadhaa ke oopar se chhalaang maarii aur daudtii rahii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह थोड़ा और हिम्मत करता, तो पहाड़ी से नदी में छलाँग मार देता। If he had gathered a bit more courage, he would have leaped from the hill into the river.
(agar vah thodaa aur himmat kartaa, to pahaadii se nadii men chhalaang maar detaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कल शाम पार्क में एक कुत्ता अचानक बेंच पर छलाँग मार बैठा। Yesterday evening a dog suddenly leaped onto the bench in the park.
(kal shaam paark men ek kuttaa achaanak bench par chhalaang maar baithaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे डर है कि वह ऊँचाई से छलाँग मार सकता है। I'm afraid he might leap from that height.
(mujhe dar hai ki vah oonchaaii se chhalaang maar saktaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जब सीटी बजेगी, तो सभी तैराक एक साथ पानी में छलाँग मारेंगे। When the whistle blows, all the swimmers will jump into the water together.
(jab siitii bajegii, to sabhii tairaak ek saath paanii men chhalaang maarenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
प्रतियोगिता के नियमों के अनुसार, यह छलाँग तीन बार मारी जाएगी। According to the rules of the competition, this jump will be performed three times.
(pratiyogitaa ke niymon ke anusaar, yah chhalaang tiin baar maarii jaaegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
बंदर एक शाखा से दूसरी शाखा पर छलाँग मारता चला गया। The monkey kept leaping from one branch to another.
(bandar ek shaakhaa se doosrii shaakhaa par chhalaang maartaa chalaa gayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to make a sudden leap/jump in an abstract sense (progress, prices, etc.)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: उछाल आना (uchhaal aanaa, used for prices/values)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Just as in English we say prices 'jumped' or a career 'took a leap,' Hindi uses छलाँग मारना (chhalaang maarnaa) the same way -- तरक़्क़ी में छलाँग मारना (taraqqii men chhalaang maarnaa, 'to leap forward in progress') is a common phrase in news and everyday talk about growth, prices, or sudden advancement.
Sample Sentences:
पिछले साल कंपनी की तरक़्क़ी में ज़बरदस्त छलाँग लगी थी। Last year the company's progress made a tremendous leap.
(pichhle saal kampnii kii taraqqii men zabardast chhalaang lagii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
पेट्रोल की क़ीमतों ने अचानक छलाँग मार दी है। Petrol prices have suddenly jumped.
(petrol kii qiimton ne achaanak chhalaang maar dii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर हम सही रणनीति अपनाएँ, तो हमारी बिक्री में बड़ी छलाँग मार सकती है। If we adopt the right strategy, our sales could take a big leap.
(agar ham sahii ranniiti apnaaen, to hamaarii bikrii men badii chhalaang maar saktii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस तिमाही में शेयर बाज़ार ने छलाँग मारी है। The stock market has leapt this quarter.
(is timaahii men sheyar baazaar ne chhalaang maarii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
भारत की अर्थव्यवस्था तकनीक के क्षेत्र में लगातार छलाँग मारती रहती है। India's economy keeps making leaps in the technology sector.
(bhaarat kii arthavyvasthaa takniik ke kshetr men lagaataar chhalaang maartii rahtii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश हमारी तरक़्क़ी में भी ऐसी छलाँग लगती! If only our progress could make such a leap too!
(kaash hamaarii taraqqii men bhii aisii chhalaang lagtii!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Passive
अगर सरकार निवेश बढ़ाती, तो जीडीपी में बड़ी छलाँग मारती। If the government had increased investment, the GDP would have made a big leap.
(agar sarkaar nivesh badhaatii, to jiidiipii men badii chhalaang maartii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि अगले साल निर्यात में छलाँग मारेगी। Experts believe that exports will leap forward next year.
(visheshgyon kaa maannaa hai ki agle saal niryaat men chhalaang maaregii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
नई नीति के बाद उत्पादन में जो छलाँग मारी गई, उसने सबको चौंका दिया। The leap that production took after the new policy surprised everyone.
(naii niiti ke baad utpaadan men jo chhalaang maarii gaii, usne sabko chaunkaa diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
यार, इस बार तो उसकी सैलरी ने बड़ी छलाँग मार दी! Dude, his salary took a huge leap this time!
(yaar, is baar to uskii sailrii ne badii chhalaang maar dii!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: छलाँग मारना (chhalaang maarnaa)
infinitive oblique: छलाँग मारने (chhalaang maarne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): छलाँग मारता (chhalaang maartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): छलाँग मारते (chhalaang maarte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): छलाँग मारती (chhalaang maartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): छलाँग मारतीं (chhalaang maartiin)
continuous (sg.m): छलाँग मार रहा (chhalaang maar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): छलाँग मार रहे (chhalaang maar rahe)
continuous (sg.f): छलाँग मार रही (chhalaang maar rahii)
continuous (pl.f): छलाँग मार रहीं (chhalaang maar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): छलाँग मारा (chhalaang maaraa)
perfective (pl.m): छलाँग मारे (chhalaang maare)
perfective (sg.f): छलाँग मारी (chhalaang maarii)
perfective (pl.f): छलाँग मारीं (chhalaang maariin)
imperative (informal): छलाँग मार (chhalaang maar)
imperative (neutral): छलाँग मारो (chhalaang maaro)
imperative (formal): छलाँग मारिए (chhalaang maarie)
future (1sg.m): छलाँग मारूँगा (chhalaang maaroongaa)
future (1sg.f): छलाँग मारूँगी (chhalaang maaroongii)
future (1pl.m): छलाँग मारेंगे (chhalaang maarenge)
future (1pl.f): छलाँग मारेंगी (chhalaang maarengii)
future (2sg.m): छलाँग मारेगा (chhalaang maaregaa)
future (2sg.f): छलाँग मारेगी (chhalaang maaregii)
future (2pl.m): छलाँग मारोगे (chhalaang maaroge)
future (2pl.f): छलाँग मारोगी (chhalaang maarogii)
future (3sg.m): छलाँग मारेगा (chhalaang maaregaa)
future (3sg.f): छलाँग मारेगी (chhalaang maaregii)
future (3pl.m): छलाँग मारेंगे (chhalaang maarenge)
future (3pl.f): छलाँग मारेंगी (chhalaang maarengii)
subjunctive (1sg): छलाँग मारूँ (chhalaang maaroon)
subjunctive (1pl): छलाँग मारें (chhalaang maaren)
subjunctive (2sg): छलाँग मारे (chhalaang maare)
subjunctive (2pl): छलाँग मारो (chhalaang maaro)
subjunctive (3sg): छलाँग मारे (chhalaang maare)
subjunctive (3pl): छलाँग मारें (chhalaang maaren)