छूटना (chhootnaa)

verb An intransitive verb meaning to be left behind, to get away/escape, or to be missed/skipped; also used for a vehicle departing. Closely related to the transitive causative छोड़ना (chhodnaa, 'to leave/let go') -- छूटना is what happens on its own, छोड़ना is what someone does on purpose.
Sense 1 : to be left behind / to miss (a vehicle, opportunity, etc.)
verb, intransitive The thing missed is the grammatical subject, not an object taken with ने (ne) -- e.g. मेरी बस छूट गई (merii bas chhoot gaii, 'my bus got missed/left without me'), not 'I missed the bus' with a transitive frame.
Synonyms: छूट जाना (chhoot jaanaa, compound variant), निकल जाना (nikal jaanaa, of a vehicle)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is a classic case of Hindi preferring an involuntary/happens-to-you frame over English's agentive 'I missed it.' You'll hear मेरी ट्रेन छूट गई (merii tren chhoot gaii, 'my train got missed') constantly at railway stations and bus stands -- the train is blamed, not the passenger.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often want to say 'I missed the bus' with a transitive structure, but Hindi flips it: बस छूट गई (bas chhoot gaii) puts the bus as subject, and 'I' appears obliquely if at all (मुझसे बस छूट गई (mujhse bas chhoot gaii, 'the bus got missed by me')). 2) Confusing this with छोड़ना (chhodnaa) -- छूटना (chhootnaa) is something that happens to you, not something you do.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी ट्रेन छूट गई। My train got missed.
(merii tren chhoot gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम जल्दी नहीं निकले, तो बस छूट जाएगी। If you don't leave soon, you'll miss the bus.
(agar tum jaldii nahiin nikle, to bas chhoot jaaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
हर बार मेरी फ्लाइट छूट जाती है। My flight gets missed every single time.
(har baar merii phlaait chhoot jaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
देखो, कहीं मौका न छूट जाए। Watch out, the opportunity shouldn't slip away.
(dekho, kahiin maukaa n chhoot jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर मैं थोड़ा और तेज़ चलता, तो शायद ट्रेन नहीं छूटती। If I had walked a bit faster, the train probably wouldn't have been missed.
(agar main thodaa aur tez chaltaa, to shaayad tren nahiin chhoottii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
टिकट बुक करते वक़्त उसका नाम फॉर्म से छूट गया था। While booking the ticket, his name had gotten left out of the form.
(tikat buk karte vaqt uskaa naam phorm se chhoot gayaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जल्दी करो, वरना मीटिंग छूट जाएगी। Hurry up, or else the meeting will be missed.
(jaldii karo, varnaa miiting chhoot jaaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
स्टेशन पर पहुँचते-पहुँचते हमारी गाड़ी छूट चुकी थी। By the time we reached the station, our train had already been missed.
(steshan par pahunchte-pahunchte hamaarii gaadii chhoot chukii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
ऐसा न हो कि आखिरी तारीख छूट जाए। Let it not happen that the deadline gets missed.
(aisaa n ho ki aakhirii taariikh chhoot jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
कहते हैं कि रेलगाड़ी छूट जाए तो अगली का इंतज़ार करना ही पड़ता है। They say that if the train is missed, one simply has to wait for the next one.
(kahte hain ki relgaadii chhoot jaae to aglii kaa intzaar karnaa hii padtaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी वजह से मेरा इंटरव्यू का चांस छूट गया। Because of him, my chance at the interview got missed.
(uskii vajah se meraa intravyoo kaa chaans chhoot gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to be freed, released, or to escape (from captivity, a grip, a habit)
verb, intransitive Often used with से (se) marking what one is freed from: जेल से छूटना (jel se chhootnaa, 'to be released from jail'), आदत छूटना (aadat chhootnaa, 'for a habit to be shed/broken').
Synonyms: आज़ाद होना (aazaad honaa), मुक्त होना (mukt honaa, formal), बच निकलना (bach nikalnaa, to escape)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly around quitting habits -- नशा छूटना (nashaa chhootnaa, 'for an addiction to be shed') or आदत छूटना (aadat chhootnaa) -- again framing the habit as something that lets go of you, which fits the broader Hindi pattern of treating loss of control as happening to the person rather than being an act of will.
Common Mistakes: 1) With habits or addictions, the habit is the subject, not the person: उसकी सिगरेट की आदत छूट गई (uskii sigret kii aadat chhoot gaii, 'his smoking habit got broken') -- the person doesn't grammatically 'quit' it in this construction.
Sample Sentences:
कैदी जेल से छूट गया। The prisoner got free from jail.
(kaidii jel se chhoot gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसकी शराब की आदत बड़ी मुश्किल से छूटी। His drinking habit was shed only with great difficulty.
(uskii sharaab kii aadat badii mushkil se chhootii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे उम्मीद है कि उसका नशा छूट जाएगा। I hope his addiction will be shed.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki uskaa nashaa chhoot jaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर वह पहले डॉक्टर के पास जाता तो उसकी सिगरेट की आदत छूट जाती। If he had gone to the doctor earlier, his smoking habit would have been shed.
(agar vah pahle doktar ke paas jaataa to uskii sigret kii aadat chhoot jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
बचपन की बहुत-सी आदतें बड़े होते-होते खुद ही छूट जाती हैं। Many childhood habits get shed on their own as one grows up.
(bachpan kii bahut-sii aadten bade hote-hote khud hii chhoot jaatii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसका हाथ मेरी पकड़ से छूट गया और वह गिर पड़ा। His hand slipped free from my grip and he fell.
(uskaa haath merii pakad se chhoot gayaa aur vah gir padaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बंधक कई हफ्तों बाद छूटे। The hostages were released after several weeks.
(bandhak kaii haphton baad chhoote।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश यह लत छूट जाए। If only this addiction would be shed.
(kaash yah lat chhoot jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अच्छे आचरण के आधार पर उसे जल्दी छोड़ दिया जाए। May he be released early on grounds of good conduct.
(achchhe aachran ke aadhaar par use jaldii chhod diyaa jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
मेरा पीछा छोड़ो! Let go of my trail!
(meraa piichhaa chhodo!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
जब से इलाज शुरू हुआ है, उसकी पुरानी आदतें एक-एक करके छूट रही हैं। Ever since the treatment began, his old habits have been getting shed one by one.
(jab se ilaaj shuroo huaa hai, uskii puraanii aadten ek-ek karke chhoot rahii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : to be fired or discharged (a gun, an arrow, a firework)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: चलना (chalnaa, of a gun/vehicle)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Heard especially around Diwali and weddings: पटाखे छूटना (pataakhe chhootnaa, 'for firecrackers to go off') and गोली छूटना (golii chhootnaa, 'for a bullet/shot to be fired') both use this same 'happens on its own' verb.
Sample Sentences:
दिवाली पर हर तरफ पटाखे छूटते हैं। On Diwali, firecrackers go off everywhere.
(divaalii par har taraph pataakhe chhootte hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अचानक एक गोली छूटी और सब लोग भाग गए। Suddenly a shot went off and everyone ran away.
(achaanak ek golii chhootii aur sab log bhaag gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शादी में जैसे ही बाराती पहुँचे, पटाखे छूटने लगे। At the wedding, as soon as the groom's procession arrived, firecrackers started going off.
(shaadii men jaise hii baaraatii pahunche, pataakhe chhootne lage।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बंदूक से गोली छूट रही थी, फिर भी वह डटा रहा। Bullets were being fired from the gun, and yet he stood his ground.
(bandook se golii chhoot rahii thii, phir bhii vah dataa rahaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पुलिस की तरफ से एक भी गोली नहीं छूटी। Not even a single bullet was fired from the police's side.
(pulis kii taraph se ek bhii golii nahiin chhootii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर बारूद गीला न होता, तो रॉकेट ठीक से छूटता। If the gunpowder hadn't been wet, the rocket would have fired properly.
(agar baarood giilaa n hotaa, to roket thiik se chhoottaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
देखना, इस बार पटाखे बहुत तेज़ छूटेंगे। You'll see, this time the firecrackers will go off really loudly.
(dekhnaa, is baar pataakhe bahut tez chhootenge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
हो सकता है छत से भी कुछ पटाखे छूटें। It's possible some firecrackers might go off from the roof too.
(ho saktaa hai chhat se bhii kuchh pataakhe chhooten।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
समारोह में तोप से सलामी की गोली छूटी। At the ceremony, a salute shot was fired from the cannon.
(samaaroh men top se salaamii kii golii chhootii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: छूटना (chhootnaa)
infinitive oblique: छूटने (chhootne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): छूटता (chhoottaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): छूटते (chhootte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): छूटती (chhoottii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): छूटतीं (chhoottiin)
continuous (sg.m): छूट रहा (chhoot rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): छूट रहे (chhoot rahe)
continuous (sg.f): छूट रही (chhoot rahii)
continuous (pl.f): छूट रहीं (chhoot rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): छूटा (chhootaa)
perfective (pl.m): छूटे (chhoote)
perfective (sg.f): छूटी (chhootii)
perfective (pl.f): छूटीं (chhootiin)
imperative (informal): छूट (chhoot)
imperative (neutral): छूटो (chhooto)
imperative (formal): छूटिए (chhootie)
future (1sg.m): छूटूँगा (chhootoongaa)
future (1sg.f): छूटूँगी (chhootoongii)
future (1pl.m): छूटेंगे (chhootenge)
future (1pl.f): छूटेंगी (chhootengii)
future (2sg.m): छूटेगा (chhootegaa)
future (2sg.f): छूटेगी (chhootegii)
future (2pl.m): छूटोगे (chhootoge)
future (2pl.f): छूटोगी (chhootogii)
future (3sg.m): छूटेगा (chhootegaa)
future (3sg.f): छूटेगी (chhootegii)
future (3pl.m): छूटेंगे (chhootenge)
future (3pl.f): छूटेंगी (chhootengii)
subjunctive (1sg): छूटूँ (chhootoon)
subjunctive (1pl): छूटें (chhooten)
subjunctive (2sg): छूटे (chhoote)
subjunctive (2pl): छूटो (chhooto)
subjunctive (3sg): छूटे (chhoote)
subjunctive (3pl): छूटें (chhooten)