छिपना (chhipnaa)
verb
A single core sense: to hide or be hidden, used both literally (people, objects) and figuratively (feelings, truths). Closely related to its causative छिपाना (chhipaanaa, 'to hide something'), which is a separate lemma.
Sense
1
:
to hide oneself, be concealed
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: छिप जाना (chhip jaanaa, compound form, common), दुबकना (dubaknaa, to cower/hide by crouching), गुम होना (gum honaa, to disappear from sight)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of children playing छुपन-छुपाई (chhupan-chhupaaii, 'hide and seek') -- छिपना (chhipnaa) is exactly the 'hide' half of that game, the act of making yourself unseen. It extends naturally to emotions and truths: बात छिप नहीं सकती (baat chhip nahiin saktii, 'the matter cannot stay hidden') is a very common way to say the truth always comes out.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for छिपाना (chhipaanaa) when they mean छिपना (chhipnaa) -- छिपना (chhipnaa) is what the subject itself does (intransitive, no object), while छिपाना (chhipaanaa) is what you do to something else (transitive, needs an object). 2) In the perfective, since छिपना (chhipnaa) is intransitive, it agrees with the subject and takes no ने (ne): वह छिपा (vah chhipaa, 'he hid'), not वह ने छिपा।
Sample Sentences:
बच्चा अलमारी के पीछे छिप गया।
The child hid behind the cupboard.
(bachchaa almaarii ke piichhe chhip gayaa।)
वह चोर पुलिस को देखकर एक गली में छिप गया।
That thief hid in an alley when he saw the police.
(vah chor pulis ko dekhkar ek galii men chhip gayaa।)
बादलों के पीछे सूरज छिप रहा है।
The sun is hiding behind the clouds.
(baadlon ke piichhe sooraj chhip rahaa hai।)
जब भी मम्मी डाँटती हैं, मेरी बहन बिस्तर के नीचे छिप जाती है।
Whenever mom scolds her, my sister hides under the bed.
(jab bhii mammii daanttii hain, merii bahan bistar ke niiche chhip jaatii hai।)
तुम यहाँ छिप जाओ, कोई तुम्हें नहीं देखेगा।
Hide here, no one will see you.
(tum yahaan chhip jaao, koii tumhen nahiin dekhegaa।)
अगर वह वहाँ छिप जाता, तो पुलिस उसे कभी न पकड़ती।
If he had hidden there, the police would never have caught him.
(agar vah vahaan chhip jaataa, to pulis use kabhii n pakadtii।)
हो सकता है कि वह डर के मारे किसी कोने में छिप जाए।
It's possible that he might hide in some corner out of fear.
(ho saktaa hai ki vah dar ke maare kisii kone men chhip jaae।)
हम छुपन-छुपाई खेल रहे थे और मैं सबसे अच्छी जगह छिपा था।
We were playing hide and seek, and I was hiding in the best spot.
(ham chhupan-chhupaaii khel rahe the aur main sabse achchhii jagah chhipaa thaa।)
पहाड़ों की चोटी बादलों में छिपी रहती है।
The mountain peak stays hidden in the clouds.
(pahaadon kii chotii baadlon men chhipii rahtii hai।)
वह इतना छोटा था कि आसानी से टेबल के नीचे छिप गया।
He was so small that he easily hid under the table.
(vah itnaa chhotaa thaa ki aasaanii se tebal ke niiche chhip gayaa।)
डर के कारण वह अपने कमरे में छिपा रहा।
Out of fear, he kept hiding in his room.
(dar ke kaaran vah apne kamre men chhipaa rahaa।)
Sense
2
:
to be kept secret, remain undisclosed (of facts, feelings, truths)
verb, intransitive This sense governs abstract subjects like बात (baat, 'matter'), राज़ (raaz, 'secret'), or दर्द (dard, 'pain') rather than physical people or objects.
Synonyms: गुप्त रहना (gupt rahnaa, more formal/written), ढका रहना (dhakaa rahnaa, to stay covered up)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the figurative cousin of the literal 'hiding' sense -- just as a person tucks themselves out of sight, a secret or feeling is imagined as tucking itself away from others' eyes. Elders often warn कुछ छिपा नहीं रहता (kuchh chhipaa nahiin rahtaa, 'nothing stays hidden') as a moral about honesty.
Sample Sentences:
सच कभी नहीं छिपता।
The truth never stays hidden.
(sach kabhii nahiin chhiptaa।)
कुछ भी छिपा नहीं रहता, एक दिन सब सामने आ जाता है।
Nothing stays hidden -- one day everything comes out.
(kuchh bhii chhipaa nahiin rahtaa, ek din sab saamne aa jaataa hai।)
उसकी आँखों में जो दर्द था, वह छिप नहीं सका।
The pain in her eyes could not stay hidden.
(uskii aankhon men jo dard thaa, vah chhip nahiin sakaa।)
इतने बड़े झूठ को छिपाना मुश्किल था, आखिर वह छिप ही नहीं पाया।
It was hard to hide such a big lie -- in the end it just couldn't stay concealed.
(itne bade jhooth ko chhipaanaa mushkil thaa, aakhir vah chhip hii nahiin paayaa।)
अगर तुमने पहले ही बता दिया होता तो बात इतने दिन नहीं छिपी रहती।
If you had told me earlier, the matter wouldn't have stayed hidden for so many days.
(agar tumne pahle hii bataa diyaa hotaa to baat itne din nahiin chhipii rahtii।)
क्या इतने बड़े राज़ छिप सकते हैं?
Can such big secrets really stay hidden?
(kyaa itne bade raaz chhip sakte hain?)
शायद उसकी नाराज़गी थोड़े दिन छिपी रहे, फिर सामने आ ही जाएगी।
Perhaps her displeasure will remain hidden for a few days, but it will surface eventually.
(shaayad uskii naaraazgii thode din chhipii rahe, phir saamne aa hii jaaegii।)
परमात्मा की माया किसी से छिपी नहीं है।
The divine's illusion is not hidden from anyone.
(parmaatmaa kii maayaa kisii se chhipii nahiin hai।)
अदालत में यह बात छिपाई नहीं जा सकी।
This fact could not be kept hidden in court.
(adaalat men yah baat chhipaaii nahiin jaa sakii।)
माँ से बच्चों की कोई बात छिपी नहीं रहती।
No matter of the children stays hidden from their mother.
(maan se bachchon kii koii baat chhipii nahiin rahtii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
छिपना
(chhipnaa)
infinitive oblique:
छिपने
(chhipne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
छिपता
(chhiptaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
छिपते
(chhipte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
छिपती
(chhiptii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
छिपतीं
(chhiptiin)
continuous (sg.m):
छिप रहा
(chhip rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
छिप रहे
(chhip rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
छिप रही
(chhip rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
छिप रहीं
(chhip rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
छिपा
(chhipaa)
perfective (pl.m):
छिपे
(chhipe)
perfective (sg.f):
छिपी
(chhipii)
perfective (pl.f):
छिपीं
(chhipiin)
imperative (informal):
छिप
(chhip)
imperative (neutral):
छिपो
(chhipo)
imperative (formal):
छिपिए
(chhipie)
future (1sg.m):
छिपूँगा
(chhipoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
छिपूँगी
(chhipoongii)
future (1pl.m):
छिपेंगे
(chhipenge)
future (1pl.f):
छिपेंगी
(chhipengii)
future (2sg.m):
छिपेगा
(chhipegaa)
future (2sg.f):
छिपेगी
(chhipegii)
future (2pl.m):
छिपोगे
(chhipoge)
future (2pl.f):
छिपोगी
(chhipogii)
future (3sg.m):
छिपेगा
(chhipegaa)
future (3sg.f):
छिपेगी
(chhipegii)
future (3pl.m):
छिपेंगे
(chhipenge)
future (3pl.f):
छिपेंगी
(chhipengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
छिपूँ
(chhipoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
छिपें
(chhipen)
subjunctive (2sg):
छिपे
(chhipe)
subjunctive (2pl):
छिपो
(chhipo)
subjunctive (3sg):
छिपे
(chhipe)
subjunctive (3pl):
छिपें
(chhipen)