रिश्वत लेना (rishvat lenaa)

verb A common collocation meaning 'to take a bribe' -- रिश्वत (rishvat) is the noun 'bribe' and लेना (lenaa) is the ordinary verb 'to take'; together they form the everyday phrase for accepting a bribe.
Sense 1 : to accept a bribe
verb, transitive रिश्वत (rishvat) is the object of लेना (lenaa); in the past perfective the subject takes ने (ne) since लेना (lenaa) is transitive, e.g. उसने रिश्वत ली (usne rishvat lii, 'he/she took a bribe').
Synonyms: घूस लेना (ghoos lenaa, more colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase comes up constantly in Indian conversations about bureaucracy, traffic police, and government offices -- talk of a peon or babu (baaboo) who 'रिश्वत लेता है' (rishvat letaa hai, 'takes bribes') is practically a genre of its own in everyday complaint conversations. The counterpart रिश्वत देना (rishvat denaa) is just as common, since one person's लेना (lenaa) is another's देना (denaa) in the same story.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes say रिश्वत करना (rishvat karnaa) by analogy with other noun+करना collocations, but this collocation always uses लेना (lenaa), not करना (karnaa). 2) The giving side of the transaction is a different phrase, रिश्वत देना (rishvat denaa, 'to give a bribe') -- learners sometimes mix up लेना (lenaa) and देना (denaa) here since both sides of the exchange are common in the same conversations.
Sample Sentences:
वो पुलिसवाला हर चौराहे पर रिश्वत लेता है। That policeman takes bribes at every intersection.
(vo pulisvaalaa har chauraahe par rishvat letaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्लर्क ने फाइल पास करने के लिए रिश्वत ली। The clerk took a bribe to pass the file.
(klark ne phaail paas karne ke lie rishvat lii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुमने रिश्वत ली तो नौकरी से निकाल दिए जाओगे। If you take a bribe, you'll be fired from the job.
(agar tumne rishvat lii to naukrii se nikaal die jaaoge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
रिश्वत मत लो, चाहे कितना भी दबाव क्यों न हो। Don't take a bribe, no matter how much pressure there is.
(rishvat mat lo, chaahe kitnaa bhii dabaav kyon n ho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वो रिश्वत लेता तो अब तक जेल में होता। If he had taken a bribe, he'd be in jail by now.
(agar vo rishvat letaa to ab tak jel men hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सुना है वो बाबू खुलेआम रिश्वत ले रहा था जब विजिलेंस टीम पहुँची। I've heard that clerk was openly taking a bribe when the vigilance team arrived.
(sunaa hai vo baaboo khuleaam rishvat le rahaa thaa jab vijilens tiim pahunchii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
सरकारी दफ्तरों में इतनी रिश्वत ली जाती है कि लोग शिकायत करते-करते थक चुके हैं। So many bribes are taken in government offices that people are tired of complaining.
(sarkaarii daphtron men itnii rishvat lii jaatii hai ki log shikaayat karte-karte thak chuke hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम सच में सोचते हो कि इंस्पेक्टर ने रिश्वत ली होगी? Do you really think the inspector must have taken a bribe?
(kyaa tum sach men sochte ho ki inspektar ne rishvat lii hogii?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उम्मीद है कि नया अफसर रिश्वत न ले। Hopefully the new officer won't take bribes.
(ummiid hai ki nayaa aphsar rishvat n le।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसे रिश्वत लेते हुए रंगे हाथों पकड़ा गया। He was caught red-handed taking a bribe.
(use rishvat lete hue range haathon pakdaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive: रिश्वत लेना (rishvat lenaa)
infinitive oblique: रिश्वत लेने (rishvat lene)
habitual/simple (sg.m): रिश्वत लेता (rishvat letaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): रिश्वत लेते (rishvat lete)
habitual/simple (sg.f): रिश्वत लेती (rishvat letii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): रिश्वत लेतीं (rishvat letiin)
continuous (sg.m): रिश्वत ले रहा (rishvat le rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): रिश्वत ले रहे (rishvat le rahe)
continuous (sg.f): रिश्वत ले रही (rishvat le rahii)
continuous (pl.f): रिश्वत ले रहीं (rishvat le rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): रिश्वत लिया (rishvat liyaa)
perfective (pl.m): रिश्वत लिए (rishvat lie)
perfective (sg.f): रिश्वत ली (rishvat lii)
perfective (pl.f): रिश्वत लीं (rishvat liin)
imperative (informal): रिश्वत ले (rishvat le)
imperative (neutral): रिश्वत लो (rishvat lo)
imperative (formal): रिश्वत लीजिए (rishvat liijie)
future (1sg.m): रिश्वत लूँगा (rishvat loongaa)
future (1sg.f): रिश्वत लूँगी (rishvat loongii)
future (1pl.m): रिश्वत लेंगे (rishvat lenge)
future (1pl.f): रिश्वत लेंगी (rishvat lengii)
future (2sg.m): रिश्वत लेगा (rishvat legaa)
future (2sg.f): रिश्वत लेगी (rishvat legii)
future (2pl.m): रिश्वत लोगे (rishvat loge)
future (2pl.f): रिश्वत लोगी (rishvat logii)
future (3sg.m): रिश्वत लेगा (rishvat legaa)
future (3sg.f): रिश्वत लेगी (rishvat legii)
future (3pl.m): रिश्वत लेंगे (rishvat lenge)
future (3pl.f): रिश्वत लेंगी (rishvat lengii)
subjunctive (1sg): रिश्वत लूँ (rishvat loon)
subjunctive (1pl): रिश्वत लें (rishvat len)
subjunctive (2sg): रिश्वत ले (rishvat le)
subjunctive (2pl): रिश्वत लो (rishvat lo)
subjunctive (3sg): रिश्वत ले (rishvat le)
subjunctive (3pl): रिश्वत लें (rishvat len)