टालना (taalnaa)

verb One core sense: to put off, postpone, or avoid dealing with something (a task, decision, or person) -- often with a mild sense of evasion.
Sense 1 : to postpone, put off (a task, decision, event)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: स्थगित करना (sthagit karnaa, formal), आगे बढ़ाना (aage badhaanaa, to push forward/delay)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word your boss uses when a meeting gets pushed, and also the word for the polite dodge when you don't want to answer someone directly -- सवाल टालना (savaal taalnaa, 'to dodge/deflect a question') is a very common phrase in Delhi offices and homes alike. It pairs naturally with the compound verb टाल देना (taal denaa) to add a sense of completion -- 'went ahead and postponed it.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for स्थगित करना (sthagit karnaa) by default, but टालना (taalnaa) is the everyday word used in speech -- स्थगित करना (sthagit karnaa) sounds bureaucratic, fit for meeting notices, not for telling a friend you're pushing off a coffee date. 2) टालना (taalnaa) carries a whiff of reluctance or evasion that plain postponement words in English don't -- मीटिंग टाल दी (miiting taal dii, 'the meeting got postponed') can imply someone didn't really want to have it yet, not just that a date changed.
Sample Sentences:
मैंने मीटिंग कल के लिए टाल दी। I postponed the meeting until tomorrow.
(mainne miiting kal ke lie taal dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बॉस हर बार फैसला टाल देता है। The boss puts off the decision every single time.
(bos har baar phaislaa taal detaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह मेरे सवाल को टाल गया। He dodged my question.
(vah mere savaal ko taal gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काम को इतना मत टालो, वरना बाद में मुश्किल हो जाएगी। Don't keep postponing the work like this, or it'll get difficult later.
(kaam ko itnaa mat taalo, varnaa baad men mushkil ho jaaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
क्या आप यह मुलाक़ात अगले हफ़्ते तक टाल सकते हैं? Could you postpone this meeting until next week?
(kyaa aap yah mulaaqaat agle hafte tak taal sakte hain?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह उस दिन सवाल न टालता, तो शायद बात कहीं और पहुँचती। If he hadn't dodged the question that day, things might have gone differently.
(agar vah us din savaal n taaltaa, to shaayad baat kahiin aur pahunchtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
फ़ैसला अगली बैठक तक टाल दिया गया। The decision was postponed until the next meeting.
(faislaa aglii baithak tak taal diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
मैं यह काम कल तक टालता रहा और आज भी अधूरा है। I kept putting this task off day after day, and it's still unfinished today.
(main yah kaam kal tak taaltaa rahaa aur aaj bhii adhooraa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब भी पैसे माँगो, वह कोई न कोई बहाना बना कर बात टाल देता है। Whenever you ask for money, he makes some excuse and dodges the topic.
(jab bhii paise maango, vah koii n koii bahaanaa banaa kar baat taal detaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया इस मामले को और न टालें, यह ज़रूरी है। Please don't postpone this matter any further, it's important.
(kripyaa is maamle ko aur n taalen, yah zaroorii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उम्मीद है कि वे अब इस प्रोजेक्ट को और न टालें। One hopes that they won't put off this project any further now.
(ummiid hai ki ve ab is projekt ko aur n taalen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to avert, ward off (danger, trouble, a blow)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: बचाना (bachaanaa, to save/protect), रोकना (roknaa, to stop/prevent)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in phrases like टलना मुश्किल था (talnaa mushkil thaa, 'it was hard to avert') or मुसीबत टालना (musiibat taalnaa, 'to ward off trouble') -- it frames misfortune as something that can be nudged aside rather than fought head-on, which fits the gentler, deflecting flavor this verb has throughout its senses.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense (averting a danger) is easy to confuse with बचाना (bachaanaa) -- टालना (taalnaa) specifically suggests something was headed your way and got deflected or made to pass by, rather than general protection or rescue.
Sample Sentences:
उसने अपनी होशियारी से बड़ी मुसीबत टाल दी। He averted a big problem with his cleverness.
(usne apnii hoshiyaarii se badii musiibat taal dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या हम इस खतरे को टाल सकते हैं? Can we avert this danger?
(kyaa ham is khatre ko taal sakte hain?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह दुर्घटना टालना अब मुश्किल था। Averting this accident was now difficult.
(yah durghatnaa taalnaa ab mushkil thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह समय पर चेत जाता तो यह नुकसान टाल सकता था। If he had woken up in time, he could have averted this loss.
(agar vah samay par chet jaataa to yah nuksaan taal saktaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
बड़ों के आशीर्वाद से बड़ी-बड़ी मुसीबतें टल जाती हैं। With the blessings of elders, even great troubles get averted.
(badon ke aashiirvaad se badii-badii musiibten tal jaatii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
भगवान करे कि यह विपत्ति टल जाए। God grant that this calamity be averted.
(bhagvaan kare ki yah vipatti tal jaae।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
समय पर चेतावनी देकर उसने वार टाल दिया। By warning in time, he warded off the blow.
(samay par chetaavnii dekar usne vaar taal diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस संकट को टालने के लिए तुरंत कदम उठाओ। Take immediate steps to avert this crisis.
(is sankat ko taalne ke lie turant kadam uthaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
सरकार की नीतियों से आने वाला संकट टाला जा सकता है। The coming crisis can be averted through the government's policies.
(sarkaar kii niitiyon se aane vaalaa sankat taalaa jaa saktaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काश वह बीमारी टाली जा सकती। If only that illness could have been averted.
(kaash vah biimaarii taalii jaa saktii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: टालना (taalnaa)
infinitive oblique: टालने (taalne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): टालता (taaltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): टालते (taalte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): टालती (taaltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): टालतीं (taaltiin)
continuous (sg.m): टाल रहा (taal rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): टाल रहे (taal rahe)
continuous (sg.f): टाल रही (taal rahii)
continuous (pl.f): टाल रहीं (taal rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): टाला (taalaa)
perfective (pl.m): टाले (taale)
perfective (sg.f): टाली (taalii)
perfective (pl.f): टालीं (taaliin)
imperative (informal): टाल (taal)
imperative (neutral): टालो (taalo)
imperative (formal): टालिए (taalie)
future (1sg.m): टालूँगा (taaloongaa)
future (1sg.f): टालूँगी (taaloongii)
future (1pl.m): टालेंगे (taalenge)
future (1pl.f): टालेंगी (taalengii)
future (2sg.m): टालेगा (taalegaa)
future (2sg.f): टालेगी (taalegii)
future (2pl.m): टालोगे (taaloge)
future (2pl.f): टालोगी (taalogii)
future (3sg.m): टालेगा (taalegaa)
future (3sg.f): टालेगी (taalegii)
future (3pl.m): टालेंगे (taalenge)
future (3pl.f): टालेंगी (taalengii)
subjunctive (1sg): टालूँ (taaloon)
subjunctive (1pl): टालें (taalen)
subjunctive (2sg): टाले (taale)
subjunctive (2pl): टालो (taalo)
subjunctive (3sg): टाले (taale)
subjunctive (3pl): टालें (taalen)