उबालना (ubaalnaa)

verb A single-sense transitive verb meaning 'to boil (something)' -- taking milk, water, eggs, vegetables etc. as the object. Related to the intransitive उबलना (ubalnaa, 'to boil/seethe on its own'), which the learner may encounter as a separate lemma.
Sense 1 : to boil (something)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: खौलाना (khaulaanaa, less common)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any Delhi household how they start the morning and चाय (chaay) making begins with दूध उबालना (doodh ubaalnaa, 'boiling the milk') -- this verb is deeply tied to kitchen routine, from boiling milk for tea to boiling eggs or water for safety. Note the neat transitive/intransitive pair with उबलना (ubalnaa): the causative-feeling आ (aa) suffix turns 'to boil (on its own)' into 'to cause to boil.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often mix this up with उबलना (ubalnaa) -- उबालना (ubaalnaa) is what *you* do to the water (transitive, needs an object and takes ने (ne) in the past: उसने पानी उबाला (usne paanii ubaalaa, 'she boiled the water')), while उबलना (ubalnaa) is what the water does by itself (intransitive: पानी उबल रहा है (paanii ubal rahaa hai, 'the water is boiling')). 2) In recipes and instructions, it is common to hear the passive-feeling but active-form construction दूध उबाल लें (doodh ubaal len, 'boil the milk') using the compound with लेना (lenaa), which softens the command into a suggestion rather than a blunt order.
Sample Sentences:
माँ सुबह सबसे पहले दूध उबालती है। Mom boils the milk first thing in the morning.
(maan subah sabse pahle doodh ubaaltii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह अभी चाय के लिए पानी उबाल रही है। She is boiling water for tea right now.
(vah abhii chaay ke lie paanii ubaal rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मैंने कल रात अंडे उबाले थे। I had boiled eggs last night.
(mainne kal raat ande ubaale the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पानी को पीने से पहले उबाल लो। Boil the water before drinking it.
(paanii ko piine se pahle ubaal lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि बच्चे का दूध हमेशा उबालना चाहिए। The doctor said that the baby's milk should always be boiled.
(doktar ne kahaa ki bachche kaa doodh hameshaa ubaalnaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर बिजली न गई होती तो मैं अभी तक दूध उबाल रही होती। If the power hadn't gone out, I would still be boiling the milk.
(agar bijlii n gaii hotii to main abhii tak doodh ubaal rahii hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Continuous -- Voice: Active
शादी के खाने के लिए इतने सारे आलू कौन उबालेगा? Who will boil so many potatoes for the wedding food?
(shaadii ke khaane ke lie itne saare aaloo kaun ubaalegaa?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
जब तक चाय के लिए दूध उबाला जाए, तुम बर्तन धो लो। While the milk is boiled for the tea, you wash the utensils.
(jab tak chaay ke lie doodh ubaalaa jaae, tum bartan dho lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
यह पानी फ़िल्टर से गुज़रने के बाद उबाला जाता है ताकि वह पूरी तरह सुरक्षित हो जाए। This water is boiled after passing through the filter so that it becomes completely safe.
(yah paanii filtar se guzarne ke baad ubaalaa jaataa hai taaki vah poorii tarah surakshit ho jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
नानी हमेशा कहती थीं, "दूध को धीरे-धीरे उबालो, उबाल पर मत छोड़ो।" Grandma always used to say, "Boil the milk slowly, don't leave it unattended while it boils."
(naanii hameshaa kahtii thiin, "doodh ko dhiire-dhiire ubaalo, ubaal par mat chhodo।")
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
इतनी गर्मी में भी वह चूल्हे पर पानी उबालती रहती है ताकि सब कुछ साफ़ रहे। Even in this heat, she keeps boiling water on the stove so that everything stays clean.
(itnii garmii men bhii vah choolhe par paanii ubaaltii rahtii hai taaki sab kuchh saaf rahe।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: उबालना (ubaalnaa)
infinitive oblique: उबालने (ubaalne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): उबालता (ubaaltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): उबालते (ubaalte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): उबालती (ubaaltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): उबालतीं (ubaaltiin)
continuous (sg.m): उबाल रहा (ubaal rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): उबाल रहे (ubaal rahe)
continuous (sg.f): उबाल रही (ubaal rahii)
continuous (pl.f): उबाल रहीं (ubaal rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): उबाला (ubaalaa)
perfective (pl.m): उबाले (ubaale)
perfective (sg.f): उबाली (ubaalii)
perfective (pl.f): उबालीं (ubaaliin)
imperative (informal): उबाल (ubaal)
imperative (neutral): उबालो (ubaalo)
imperative (formal): उबालिए (ubaalie)
future (1sg.m): उबालूँगा (ubaaloongaa)
future (1sg.f): उबालूँगी (ubaaloongii)
future (1pl.m): उबालेंगे (ubaalenge)
future (1pl.f): उबालेंगी (ubaalengii)
future (2sg.m): उबालेगा (ubaalegaa)
future (2sg.f): उबालेगी (ubaalegii)
future (2pl.m): उबालोगे (ubaaloge)
future (2pl.f): उबालोगी (ubaalogii)
future (3sg.m): उबालेगा (ubaalegaa)
future (3sg.f): उबालेगी (ubaalegii)
future (3pl.m): उबालेंगे (ubaalenge)
future (3pl.f): उबालेंगी (ubaalengii)
subjunctive (1sg): उबालूँ (ubaaloon)
subjunctive (1pl): उबालें (ubaalen)
subjunctive (2sg): उबाले (ubaale)
subjunctive (2pl): उबालो (ubaalo)
subjunctive (3sg): उबाले (ubaale)
subjunctive (3pl): उबालें (ubaalen)