इच्छा रखना (ichchhaa rakhnaa)

verb A compound phrase meaning 'to hold/harbor a desire' -- built from the noun इच्छा (ichchhaa, 'desire, wish') plus रखना (rakhnaa, 'to keep/hold'), used to express having a wish or aspiration in a somewhat formal register.
Sense 1 : to have/harbor a desire or wish
verb, transitive The desired thing or action is usually expressed with की (kii) plus an oblique infinitive or a noun, e.g. 'X की इच्छा रखना' (X kii ichchhaa rakhnaa, 'to wish for X'/'to wish to X').
Synonyms: चाहना (chaahnaa), आकांक्षा रखना (aakaankshaa rakhnaa, formal), कामना करना (kaamnaa karnaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase has a slightly bookish, formal flavor compared to the everyday चाहना (chaahnaa) -- you'll hear it in job interviews, formal letters, or someone politely stating an aspiration ('मैं आगे पढ़ने की इच्छा रखता हूँ', main aage padhne kii ichchhaa rakhtaa hoon, 'I wish to study further'), rather than in casual requests like wanting tea.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for चाहना (chaahnaa) in every context, but इच्छा रखना (ichchhaa rakhnaa) sits at a more formal, almost written register -- it is common in essays, speeches, and polite requests, less so in casual chat. 2) The verb रखना (rakhnaa) here behaves as an ordinary transitive verb taking ने (ne) in the perfective (उसने इच्छा रखी, usne ichchhaa rakhii, 'she harbored a wish'), which surprises learners used to thinking of it as just 'to keep/place.'
Sample Sentences:
मैं आगे पढ़ने की इच्छा रखता हूँ। I wish to study further.
(main aage padhne kii ichchhaa rakhtaa hoon।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह विदेश में नौकरी करने की इच्छा रखती है। She wishes to work abroad.
(vah videsh men naukrii karne kii ichchhaa rakhtii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उम्मीदवार ने कंपनी में लंबे समय तक काम करने की इच्छा रखी। The candidate expressed a wish to work at the company for a long time.
(ummiidvaar ne kampnii men lambe samay tak kaam karne kii ichchhaa rakhii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया अपने आवेदन में स्पष्ट करें कि आप किस पद पर काम करने की इच्छा रखते हैं। Please clarify in your application which position you wish to work in.
(kripyaa apne aavedan men spasht karen ki aap kis pad par kaam karne kii ichchhaa rakhte hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर आप शोध करने की इच्छा रखते हों, तो कृपया प्रोफेसर से संपर्क करें। If you wish to do research, please contact the professor.
(agar aap shodh karne kii ichchhaa rakhte hon, to kripyaa prophesar se sampark karen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
समिति के सभी सदस्य देश की उन्नति की इच्छा रखते हैं। All members of the committee wish for the nation's progress.
(samiti ke sabhii sadasy desh kii unnti kii ichchhaa rakhte hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यदि उसने ऊँचे पद पर पहुँचने की इच्छा न रखी होती, तो वह इतनी मेहनत क्यों करता? If he hadn't harbored the desire to reach a high position, why would he have worked so hard?
(yadi usne oonche pad par pahunchne kii ichchhaa n rakhii hotii, to vah itnii mehnat kyon kartaa?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
निदेशक महोदय ने इस परियोजना को समय पर पूरा करने की इच्छा रखी है। The director has expressed a wish to complete this project on time.
(nideshak mahoday ne is pariyojnaa ko samay par pooraa karne kii ichchhaa rakhii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
छात्रों को यह इच्छा रखनी चाहिए कि वे समाज के लिए कुछ योगदान दें। Students should harbor the wish to contribute something to society.
(chhaatron ko yah ichchhaa rakhnii chaahie ki ve samaaj ke lie kuchh yogdaan den।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: इच्छा रखना (ichchhaa rakhnaa)
infinitive oblique: इच्छा रखने (ichchhaa rakhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): इच्छा रखता (ichchhaa rakhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): इच्छा रखते (ichchhaa rakhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): इच्छा रखती (ichchhaa rakhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): इच्छा रखतीं (ichchhaa rakhtiin)
continuous (sg.m): इच्छा रख रहा (ichchhaa rakh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): इच्छा रख रहे (ichchhaa rakh rahe)
continuous (sg.f): इच्छा रख रही (ichchhaa rakh rahii)
continuous (pl.f): इच्छा रख रहीं (ichchhaa rakh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): इच्छा रखा (ichchhaa rakhaa)
perfective (pl.m): इच्छा रखे (ichchhaa rakhe)
perfective (sg.f): इच्छा रखी (ichchhaa rakhii)
perfective (pl.f): इच्छा रखीं (ichchhaa rakhiin)
imperative (informal): इच्छा रख (ichchhaa rakh)
imperative (neutral): इच्छा रखो (ichchhaa rakho)
imperative (formal): इच्छा रखिए (ichchhaa rakhie)
future (1sg.m): इच्छा रखूँगा (ichchhaa rakhoongaa)
future (1sg.f): इच्छा रखूँगी (ichchhaa rakhoongii)
future (1pl.m): इच्छा रखेंगे (ichchhaa rakhenge)
future (1pl.f): इच्छा रखेंगी (ichchhaa rakhengii)
future (2sg.m): इच्छा रखेगा (ichchhaa rakhegaa)
future (2sg.f): इच्छा रखेगी (ichchhaa rakhegii)
future (2pl.m): इच्छा रखोगे (ichchhaa rakhoge)
future (2pl.f): इच्छा रखोगी (ichchhaa rakhogii)
future (3sg.m): इच्छा रखेगा (ichchhaa rakhegaa)
future (3sg.f): इच्छा रखेगी (ichchhaa rakhegii)
future (3pl.m): इच्छा रखेंगे (ichchhaa rakhenge)
future (3pl.f): इच्छा रखेंगी (ichchhaa rakhengii)
subjunctive (1sg): इच्छा रखूँ (ichchhaa rakhoon)
subjunctive (1pl): इच्छा रखें (ichchhaa rakhen)
subjunctive (2sg): इच्छा रखे (ichchhaa rakhe)
subjunctive (2pl): इच्छा रखो (ichchhaa rakho)
subjunctive (3sg): इच्छा रखे (ichchhaa rakhe)
subjunctive (3pl): इच्छा रखें (ichchhaa rakhen)