घेरना (ghernaa)
verb
A transitive verb meaning to surround or encircle, physically or figuratively; also used for laying siege to a place.
Sense
1
:
to surround, encircle (physically)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: घेर लेना (gher lenaa, compound verb variant, completed sense)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this in news reports about police or crowds: पुलिस ने इलाके को घेर लिया (pulis ne ilaake ko gher liyaa, 'the police surrounded the area'). It gives a strong visual of people or things closing in from all sides, like a circle tightening.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget the compound form घेर लेना (gher lenaa) is far more common in narration than the bare verb, since it emphasizes the completed encirclement rather than the ongoing act.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस ने इलाके को घेर लिया।
The police surrounded the area.
(pulis ne ilaake ko gher liyaa।)
बच्चे पेड़ के चारों तरफ घेरा बना कर खड़े हो गए।
The children formed a circle and stood around the tree.
(bachche ped ke chaaron taraph gheraa banaa kar khade ho gae।)
बाढ़ का पानी पूरे गाँव को घेर रहा है।
The flood water is surrounding the whole village.
(baadh kaa paanii poore gaanv ko gher rahaa hai।)
मुझे डर है कि कहीं भीड़ हमें घेर न ले।
I'm afraid the crowd might surround us.
(mujhe dar hai ki kahiin bhiid hamen gher n le।)
अगर हम समय पर पहुँच जाते, तो शिकार को घेर लेते।
If we had arrived on time, we would have surrounded the prey.
(agar ham samay par pahunch jaate, to shikaar ko gher lete।)
मकान के चारों ओर एक ऊँची दीवार खेत को घेरती है।
A high wall surrounds the field around the house.
(makaan ke chaaron or ek oonchii diivaar khet ko ghertii hai।)
सैनिकों ने दुश्मन के टुकड़ी को हर तरफ से घेर लिया था।
The soldiers had surrounded the enemy unit from every side.
(sainikon ne dushman ke tukdii ko har taraph se gher liyaa thaa।)
इस मैदान को तार से घेर दिया गया है।
This field has been fenced in with wire.
(is maidaan ko taar se gher diyaa gayaa hai।)
जंगल में शेर को घेरने के लिए शिकारियों ने योजना बनाई।
The hunters made a plan to surround the lion in the forest.
(jangal men sher ko gherne ke lie shikaariyon ne yojnaa banaaii।)
पहले चारों तरफ से रास्ते घेर लो, फिर अंदर घुसो।
First surround all the paths from every side, then go inside.
(pahle chaaron taraph se raaste gher lo, phir andar ghuso।)
Sense
2
:
to besiege, blockade (a place, in a military or political sense)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: घेराव करना (gheraav karnaa, noun+verb phrase, common in protest contexts)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense shows up a lot in Indian political news: किसानों ने संसद को घेर लिया (kisaanon ne sansad ko gher liyaa, 'the farmers surrounded/blockaded the parliament'). The related noun घेराव (gheraav) is the standard word for a protest-blockade you'll see in headlines.
Sample Sentences:
सेना ने शहर को घेर लिया।
The army besieged the city.
(senaa ne shahar ko gher liyaa।)
किसानों ने संसद को घेर लिया।
The farmers blockaded the parliament.
(kisaanon ne sansad ko gher liyaa।)
विरोधी दल विधानसभा घेरने की योजना बना रहे हैं।
The opposition party is planning to blockade the assembly building.
(virodhii dal vidhaanasbhaa gherne kii yojnaa banaa rahe hain।)
अगर सरकार मांगें नहीं मानेगी, तो कर्मचारी दफ्तर घेर लेंगे।
If the government doesn't accept the demands, the employees will lay siege to the office.
(agar sarkaar maangen nahiin maanegii, to karmchaarii daphtar gher lenge।)
प्राचीन काल में सेनाएँ महीनों तक किलों को घेरे रहती थीं।
In ancient times, armies would keep forts under siege for months.
(praachiin kaal men senaaen mahiinon tak kilon ko ghere rahtii thiin।)
पुलिस मुख्यालय आज सुबह से प्रदर्शनकारियों द्वारा घेरा गया है।
The police headquarters has been blockaded by protesters since this morning.
(pulis mukhyaalay aaj subah se pradarshankaariyon dvaaraa gheraa gayaa hai।)
यूनियन ने चेतावनी दी कि वे फैक्ट्री का मुख्य द्वार घेर देंगे।
The union warned that they would blockade the factory's main gate.
(yooniyan ne chetaavnii dii ki ve phaiktrii kaa mukhy dvaar gher denge।)
काश सेना ने शहर को इतनी बुरी तरह न घेरा होता।
If only the army hadn't besieged the city so brutally.
(kaash senaa ne shahar ko itnii burii tarah n gheraa hotaa।)
मजदूरों, चलो मिलकर मंत्री का घर घेर लें!
Workers, let's blockade the minister's house together!
(majdooron, chalo milkar mantrii kaa ghar gher len!)
संभव है कि विरोधी दल कल विधानसभा घेर लें।
It's possible that the opposition party will blockade the assembly tomorrow.
(sambhav hai ki virodhii dal kal vidhaanasbhaa gher len।)
Sense
3
:
to corner, trap someone (figuratively, e.g. with questions or arguments)
verb, transitive Often used with words like सवालों (savaalon, 'with questions') or बहस में (bahas men, 'in an argument') to show what someone is being cornered by.
Synonyms: फँसाना (phansaanaa, to trap, slightly different shade of trickery)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you will hear constantly on Hindi news channels during a heated debate -- नेता को सवालों में घेर लिया (netaa ko savaalon men gher liyaa, 'they cornered the leader with questions'). It captures the feeling of being boxed in verbally, the same circle-closing image as the physical sense.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes miss this figurative sense entirely and only know the physical 'surround' meaning, but it is very common in political and debate contexts: विपक्ष ने मंत्री को घेर लिया (vipaksh ne mantrii ko gher liyaa, 'the opposition cornered the minister').
Sample Sentences:
पत्रकारों ने मंत्री को सवालों में घेर लिया।
The journalists cornered the minister with questions.
(patrkaaron ne mantrii ko savaalon men gher liyaa।)
विपक्ष हर बहस में सरकार को घेरने की कोशिश करता है।
The opposition tries to corner the government in every debate.
(vipaksh har bahas men sarkaar ko gherne kii koshish kartaa hai।)
वकील गवाह को अपने सवालों से घेर रहा था।
The lawyer was cornering the witness with his questions.
(vakiil gavaah ko apne savaalon se gher rahaa thaa।)
अगर तुम झूठ बोलोगे तो लोग तुम्हें अपने ही तर्कों में घेर लेंगे।
If you lie, people will corner you with your own arguments.
(agar tum jhooth bologe to log tumhen apne hii tarkon men gher lenge।)
बहस में उसे इस तरह घेरो कि वह जवाब ही न दे पाए।
Corner him in the debate in such a way that he can't even answer.
(bahas men use is tarah ghero ki vah javaab hii n de paae।)
नेता को उसके ही बयानों में घेर लिया गया।
The leader was cornered with his own statements.
(netaa ko uske hii bayaanon men gher liyaa gayaa।)
काश कोई उसे तर्कों में घेर पाता, तब उसकी असलियत सामने आती।
If only someone could have cornered him with arguments, his true face would have come out.
(kaash koii use tarkon men gher paataa, tab uskii asliyat saamne aatii।)
हो सकता है कि विरोधी दल उसे संसद में घेरे।
It's possible the opposition party might corner him in parliament.
(ho saktaa hai ki virodhii dal use sansad men ghere।)
एंकर ने अपने चुभते सवालों से मुझे पूरी तरह घेर लिया।
The anchor completely cornered me with his piercing questions.
(enkar ne apne chubhte savaalon se mujhe poorii tarah gher liyaa।)
टीचर बच्चों को उनके ही झूठ में घेरकर सच निकाल लेती है।
The teacher gets the truth out by cornering the kids with their own lies.
(tiichar bachchon ko unke hii jhooth men gherkar sach nikaal letii hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
घेरना
(ghernaa)
infinitive oblique:
घेरने
(gherne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
घेरता
(ghertaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
घेरते
(gherte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
घेरती
(ghertii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
घेरतीं
(ghertiin)
continuous (sg.m):
घेर रहा
(gher rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
घेर रहे
(gher rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
घेर रही
(gher rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
घेर रहीं
(gher rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
घेरा
(gheraa)
perfective (pl.m):
घेरे
(ghere)
perfective (sg.f):
घेरी
(gherii)
perfective (pl.f):
घेरीं
(gheriin)
imperative (informal):
घेर
(gher)
imperative (neutral):
घेरो
(ghero)
imperative (formal):
घेरिए
(gherie)
future (1sg.m):
घेरूँगा
(gheroongaa)
future (1sg.f):
घेरूँगी
(gheroongii)
future (1pl.m):
घेरेंगे
(gherenge)
future (1pl.f):
घेरेंगी
(gherengii)
future (2sg.m):
घेरेगा
(gheregaa)
future (2sg.f):
घेरेगी
(gheregii)
future (2pl.m):
घेरोगे
(gheroge)
future (2pl.f):
घेरोगी
(gherogii)
future (3sg.m):
घेरेगा
(gheregaa)
future (3sg.f):
घेरेगी
(gheregii)
future (3pl.m):
घेरेंगे
(gherenge)
future (3pl.f):
घेरेंगी
(gherengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
घेरूँ
(gheroon)
subjunctive (1pl):
घेरें
(gheren)
subjunctive (2sg):
घेरे
(ghere)
subjunctive (2pl):
घेरो
(ghero)
subjunctive (3sg):
घेरे
(ghere)
subjunctive (3pl):
घेरें
(gheren)