लाना (laanaa)

verb The everyday verb 'to bring.' It is the transitive counterpart to आना (aanaa, 'to come'), formed as a causative-style pairing, and also shows up as a compound-verb helper meaning 'to bring about' an abstract state.
Sense 1 : to bring (a physical object or person)
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of लाना (laanaa) and आना (aanaa) as a matched pair: आना (aanaa) is 'come' from the subject's own point of view, लाना (laanaa) is 'bring' -- literally 'cause to come' -- with an object in tow. You will hear it constantly in daily requests like पानी लाओ (paanii laao, 'bring water') at home or in a dhaba.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for ले आना (le aanaa, 'to bring/fetch and come') in casual speech instead of the plain लाना (laanaa) -- both are correct, but the compound form is extremely common in conversation and shouldn't be treated as a mistake if heard. 2) लाना (laanaa) is transitive, so it takes ने (ne) marking in the perfective past like any other transitive verb -- learners sometimes forget this because its partner आना (aanaa) is intransitive and takes no ने (ne).
Sample Sentences:
ज़रा पानी लाओ। Please bring some water.
(zaraa paanii laao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह बाज़ार से सब्ज़ी लाया है। He has brought vegetables from the market.
(vah baazaar se sabzii laayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मैं कल अपनी किताबें लाऊँगा। I will bring my books tomorrow.
(main kal apnii kitaaben laaoongaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
वह रोज़ अपने बच्चे के लिए दूध लाती है। She brings milk for her child every day.
(vah roz apne bachche ke lie doodh laatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वेटर हमारे लिए खाना ला रहा है। The waiter is bringing food for us.
(vetar hamaare lie khaanaa laa rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम समय पर पहुँचते, तो अपनी दोस्त को भी ला सकते थे। If you had arrived on time, you could have brought your friend too.
(agar tum samay par pahunchte, to apnii dost ko bhii laa sakte the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मेहमानों के लिए कुर्सियाँ लाई गई हैं। Chairs have been brought for the guests.
(mehmaanon ke lie kursiyaan laaii gaii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम मेरे लिए एक कप चाय ला सकते हो? Can you bring me a cup of tea?
(kyaa tum mere lie ek kap chaay laa sakte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने कहा कि वह अपनी बहन को शादी में लाएगा। He said that he would bring his sister to the wedding.
(usne kahaa ki vah apnii bahan ko shaadii men laaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश वह अपना गिटार भी लाता। I wish he had brought his guitar too.
(kaash vah apnaa gitaar bhii laataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कृपया अपने साथ पहचान पत्र लाइए। Please bring your identity card with you.
(kripyaa apne saath pahchaan patr laaie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to bring about, produce (an abstract change or result)
verb, transitive Common in fixed collocations with abstract nouns as object, e.g. बदलाव लाना (badlaav laanaa, 'to bring about change'), सुधार लाना (sudhaar laanaa, 'to bring about improvement').
Synonyms: पैदा करना (paidaa karnaa, 'to create/produce'), उत्पन्न करना (utpann karnaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the लाना (laanaa) you hear in news and speeches -- नेता ने बदलाव लाने का वादा किया (netaa ne badlaav laane kaa vaadaa kiyaa, 'the leader promised to bring about change') -- a slightly more formal, figurative extension of the same 'bring' idea.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes translate 'bring change' word-for-word with a literal object but forget this idiomatic pairing exists as a set phrase -- बदलाव लाना (badlaav laanaa) sounds natural, while other abstract nouns may need a different verb.
Sample Sentences:
सरकार को शिक्षा व्यवस्था में सुधार लाना चाहिए। The government should bring about reform in the education system.
(sarkaar ko shikshaa vyavasthaa men sudhaar laanaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नेता ने अपने भाषण में देश में बदलाव लाने का वादा किया। The leader promised in his speech to bring about change in the country.
(netaa ne apne bhaashan men desh men badlaav laane kaa vaadaa kiyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस नई नीति से अर्थव्यवस्था में स्थिरता आएगी। This new policy will bring stability to the economy.
(is naii niiti se arthavyvasthaa men sthirtaa aaegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
अगर हम मिलकर काम करें तो हम बड़ा परिवर्तन ला सकते हैं। If we work together, we can bring about big change.
(agar ham milkar kaam karen to ham badaa parivartan laa sakte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसके सुझावों से टीम के काम करने के तरीके में काफी सुधार आया। His suggestions brought about a lot of improvement in the team's way of working.
(uske sujhaavon se tiim ke kaam karne ke tariike men kaaphii sudhaar aayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश हम शहर में कुछ ठोस बदलाव ला पाते। If only we could have brought about some concrete change in the city.
(kaash ham shahar men kuchh thos badlaav laa paate।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस योजना का उद्देश्य समाज में जागरूकता लाना है। The purpose of this scheme is to bring about awareness in society.
(is yojnaa kaa uddeshy samaaj men jaagrooktaa laanaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्रांतिकारियों ने देश की सोच में एक नई क्रांति ला दी। The revolutionaries brought about a new revolution in the country's thinking.
(kraantikaariyon ne desh kii soch men ek naii kraanti laa dii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बिना मेहनत के जीवन में कोई बड़ा बदलाव नहीं लाया जा सकता। Without hard work, no big change can be brought about in life.
(binaa mehnat ke jiivan men koii badaa badlaav nahiin laayaa jaa saktaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
कृपया इस प्रस्ताव पर विचार करें और शीघ्र निर्णय पर स्पष्टता लाएँ। Please consider this proposal and bring clarity to the decision soon.
(kripyaa is prastaav par vichaar karen aur shiighr nirnay par spashttaa laaen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: लाना (laanaa)
infinitive oblique: लाने (laane)
habitual/simple (sg.m): लाता (laataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): लाते (laate)
habitual/simple (sg.f): लाती (laatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): लातीं (laatiin)
continuous (sg.m): ला रहा (laa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): ला रहे (laa rahe)
continuous (sg.f): ला रही (laa rahii)
continuous (pl.f): ला रहीं (laa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): लाया (laayaa)
perfective (pl.m): लाए (laae)
perfective (sg.f): लाई (laaii)
perfective (pl.f): लाईं (laaiin)
imperative (informal): ला (laa)
imperative (neutral): लाओ (laao)
imperative (formal): लाइए (laaie)
future (1sg.m): लाऊँगा (laaoongaa)
future (1sg.f): लाऊँगी (laaoongii)
future (1pl.m): लाएँगे (laaenge)
future (1pl.f): लाएँगी (laaengii)
future (2sg.m): लाएगा (laaegaa)
future (2sg.f): लाएगी (laaegii)
future (2pl.m): लाओगे (laaoge)
future (2pl.f): लाओगी (laaogii)
future (3sg.m): लाएगा (laaegaa)
future (3sg.f): लाएगी (laaegii)
future (3pl.m): लाएँगे (laaenge)
future (3pl.f): लाएँगी (laaengii)
subjunctive (1sg): लाऊँ (laaoon)
subjunctive (1pl): लाएँ (laaen)
subjunctive (2sg): लाए (laae)
subjunctive (2pl): लाओ (laao)
subjunctive (3sg): लाए (laae)
subjunctive (3pl): लाएँ (laaen)