दबना (dabnaa)
verb
The intransitive partner of दबाना (dabaanaa, 'to press'): the core sense is 'to get pressed/crushed,' extending to being suppressed or intimidated by someone else's pressure.
Sense
1
:
to be pressed, get crushed
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: कुचलना (kuchalnaa, transitive, contrast), पिचकना (pichaknaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of a foot getting stepped on in a crowded Metro coach: पैर दब गया (pair dab gayaa, 'my foot got crushed') -- the foot is the grammatical subject, and no one is blamed, which is very typical of how Hindi handles this kind of physical mishap.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners reach for दबाना (dabaanaa) when the subject is the thing undergoing the pressing rather than the one applying it -- e.g. a foot getting crushed under a bag takes दबना (dabnaa), not दबाना (dabaanaa).
Sample Sentences:
भीड़ में मेरा पैर दब गया।
My foot got crushed in the crowd.
(bhiid men meraa pair dab gayaa।)
मेट्रो में इतनी भीड़ थी कि मेरी उंगली दरवाज़े में दब गई।
There was so much crowd in the Metro that my finger got crushed in the door.
(metro men itnii bhiid thii ki merii unglii darvaaze men dab gaii।)
कुर्सी के नीचे उसकी चप्पल दब गई है।
Her slipper has got crushed under the chair.
(kursii ke niiche uskii chappal dab gaii hai।)
अगर तुम सावधान न रहे तो दरवाज़े में हाथ दब जाएगा।
If you're not careful, your hand will get crushed in the door.
(agar tum saavdhaan n rahe to darvaaze men haath dab jaaegaa।)
मलबे के नीचे कई लोग दब गए थे।
Many people had been crushed under the debris.
(malbe ke niiche kaii log dab gae the।)
बर्फ़ीले तूफ़ान में उसकी झोपड़ी दब गई।
His hut got crushed in the snowstorm.
(barfiile toofaan men uskii jhopdii dab gaii।)
बच्चे को उठाओ, नहीं तो झूले के नीचे उसका पैर दब जाएगा!
Pick up the child, or his foot will get crushed under the swing!
(bachche ko uthaao, nahiin to jhoole ke niiche uskaa pair dab jaaegaa!)
अलमारी हटाते वक़्त ध्यान रखना, हाथ दब सकता है।
Be careful while moving the cupboard, your hand could get crushed.
(almaarii hataate vaqt dhyaan rakhnaa, haath dab saktaa hai।)
अगर वह वहाँ रुका होता तो चट्टान के नीचे दब जाता।
If he had stopped there, he would have gotten crushed under the rock.
(agar vah vahaan rukaa hotaa to chattaan ke niiche dab jaataa।)
भारी बक्सा गिरने से मेज़ की टाँग दब गई।
The table's leg got crushed when the heavy box fell on it.
(bhaarii baksaa girne se mez kii taang dab gaii।)
Sense
2
:
to be suppressed, intimidated, cowed
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: झुकना (jhuknaa, close in meaning), डरना (darnaa, narrower, fear-specific)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the verb behind the common complaint किसी के दबाव में दबना (kisii ke dabaav men dabnaa, 'to buckle under someone's pressure') -- useful for describing office politics, family hierarchy, or anyone who caves rather than argues back.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is often used with से (se) marking the person or thing one is intimidated by, e.g. वह अपने बॉस से दब जाता है (vah apne bos se dab jaataa hai, 'he gets cowed by his boss') -- learners sometimes reach for the wrong postposition here, expecting को (ko).
Sample Sentences:
वह हमेशा अपने बॉस के सामने दब जाता है।
He always backs down in front of his boss.
(vah hameshaa apne bos ke saamne dab jaataa hai।)
मैं किसी के दबाव में नहीं दबूँगा।
I will not buckle under anyone's pressure.
(main kisii ke dabaav men nahiin daboongaa।)
बहस के दौरान वह दब गया और माफी माँग ली।
During the argument he backed down and apologized.
(bahas ke dauraan vah dab gayaa aur maaphii maang lii।)
मत दबो, अपनी बात साफ़ कहो।
Don't be intimidated, say what you mean clearly.
(mat dabo, apnii baat saaf kaho।)
अगर वह थोड़ा भी दबता, तो लोग उसका फायदा उठा लेते।
If he had backed down even a little, people would have taken advantage of him.
(agar vah thodaa bhii dabtaa, to log uskaa phaaydaa uthaa lete।)
घर में सबसे छोटा होने की वजह से वह हमेशा दब जाती है।
Being the youngest at home, she always ends up caving in.
(ghar men sabse chhotaa hone kii vajah se vah hameshaa dab jaatii hai।)
मुझे डर है कि नए मैनेजर के दबाव में मैं दब जाऊँगा।
I fear I will buckle under the new manager's pressure.
(mujhe dar hai ki nae mainejar ke dabaav men main dab jaaoongaa।)
कर्मचारी अक्सर वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों के दबाव में दब जाते हैं।
Employees often cave in under the pressure of senior officials.
(karmchaarii aksar varishth adhikaariyon ke dabaav men dab jaate hain।)
क्या तुम सचमुच उसकी धमकियों से दब गए?
Did you really get intimidated by his threats?
(kyaa tum sachmuch uskii dhamkiyon se dab gae?)
शायद वह अपने पिता के सामने कभी न दबे।
Perhaps he will never back down in front of his father.
(shaayad vah apne pitaa ke saamne kabhii n dabe।)
Sense
3
:
to be suppressed or hushed up (of a matter, scandal, sound)
verb, intransitive Common with abstract subjects like बात (baat, 'matter'), मामला (maamlaa, 'case'), or आवाज़ (aavaaz, 'voice/sound').
Synonyms: छिपना (chhipnaa, close but broader, 'to be hidden')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in news chatter about scandals: मामला दब गया (maamlaa dab gayaa, 'the case got hushed up') -- a very Indian bureaucratic image of a file quietly buried under paperwork rather than resolved.
Sample Sentences:
भ्रष्टाचार का मामला दब गया।
The corruption case got hushed up.
(bhrashtaachaar kaa maamlaa dab gayaa।)
पैसे देकर पूरी बात दबा दी गई।
By paying money, the whole matter was suppressed.
(paise dekar poorii baat dabaa dii gaii।)
इतने बड़े घोटाले की खबर कैसे दब गई?
How did the news of such a huge scam get hushed up?
(itne bade ghotaale kii khabar kaise dab gaii?)
पुलिस थाने में कई मामले ऐसे ही दब जाते हैं।
Many cases get hushed up just like this at the police station.
(pulis thaane men kaii maamle aise hii dab jaate hain।)
अगर मीडिया न आती, तो यह घटना भी दब जाती।
If the media hadn't come, this incident too would have been hushed up.
(agar miidiyaa n aatii, to yah ghatnaa bhii dab jaatii।)
सच्चाई को दबाया नहीं जा सकता, देर-सवेर वह सामने आती है।
The truth cannot be suppressed, sooner or later it comes out.
(sachchaaii ko dabaayaa nahiin jaa saktaa, der-saver vah saamne aatii hai।)
उम्मीद है कि यह मुद्दा अब और न दबे।
It is hoped that this issue won't be hushed up any further now.
(ummiid hai ki yah muddaa ab aur n dabe।)
जांच रिपोर्ट को दबा दिया जाएगा, ऐसा शक है।
There is a suspicion that the investigation report will be suppressed.
(jaanch riport ko dabaa diyaa jaaegaa, aisaa shak hai।)
इस तरह की स्कैंडल की खबरें अक्सर ऊँची पहुँच वालों के दबाव से दब जाती हैं।
News of such scandals often gets hushed up under pressure from the well-connected.
(is tarah kii skaindal kii khabren aksar oonchii pahunch vaalon ke dabaav se dab jaatii hain।)
उसकी शिकायत फाइलों के नीचे दब गई।
His complaint got buried under files (hushed up).
(uskii shikaayat phaailon ke niiche dab gaii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
दबना
(dabnaa)
infinitive oblique:
दबने
(dabne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
दबता
(dabtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
दबते
(dabte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
दबती
(dabtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
दबतीं
(dabtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
दब रहा
(dab rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
दब रहे
(dab rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
दब रही
(dab rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
दब रहीं
(dab rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
दबा
(dabaa)
perfective (pl.m):
दबे
(dabe)
perfective (sg.f):
दबी
(dabii)
perfective (pl.f):
दबीं
(dabiin)
imperative (informal):
दब
(dab)
imperative (neutral):
दबो
(dabo)
imperative (formal):
दबिए
(dabie)
future (1sg.m):
दबूँगा
(daboongaa)
future (1sg.f):
दबूँगी
(daboongii)
future (1pl.m):
दबेंगे
(dabenge)
future (1pl.f):
दबेंगी
(dabengii)
future (2sg.m):
दबेगा
(dabegaa)
future (2sg.f):
दबेगी
(dabegii)
future (2pl.m):
दबोगे
(daboge)
future (2pl.f):
दबोगी
(dabogii)
future (3sg.m):
दबेगा
(dabegaa)
future (3sg.f):
दबेगी
(dabegii)
future (3pl.m):
दबेंगे
(dabenge)
future (3pl.f):
दबेंगी
(dabengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
दबूँ
(daboon)
subjunctive (1pl):
दबें
(daben)
subjunctive (2sg):
दबे
(dabe)
subjunctive (2pl):
दबो
(dabo)
subjunctive (3sg):
दबे
(dabe)
subjunctive (3pl):
दबें
(daben)