रिश्वत देना (rishvat denaa)

verb A fixed collocation meaning 'to give a bribe' -- रिश्वत (rishvat, 'bribe') is a noun that almost always shows up paired with देना (denaa, 'to give') or लेना (lenaa, 'to take'). This entry covers the giving side.
Sense 1 : to give a bribe
verb, transitive The recipient of the bribe is marked with को (ko): रिश्वत देना (rishvat denaa) takes a pattern like किसी को रिश्वत देना (kisii ko rishvat denaa, 'to give someone a bribe').
Synonyms: घूस देना (ghoos denaa, more colloquial), रिश्वत खिलाना (rishvat khilaanaa, vivid/colloquial, lit. 'to feed a bribe')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase comes up constantly in conversations about Indian bureaucracy -- getting a license, clearing customs, avoiding a traffic fine -- and often appears alongside its mirror-image counterpart, रिश्वत लेना (rishvat lenaa, 'to take a bribe'), since one person's देना (denaa) is another's लेना (lenaa). In everyday speech people often reach for the earthier घूस (ghoos) instead of रिश्वत (rishvat), which feels slightly more formal or written, like something you'd see in a newspaper headline about corruption.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop the को (ko) marking on the person receiving the bribe, saying just अफ़सर रिश्वत दिया (afsar rishvat diyaa) instead of अफ़सर को रिश्वत दी (afsar ko rishvat dii, 'gave a bribe to the officer') -- the officer needs को (ko) since they're the indirect object, not the thing given. 2) Since रिश्वत (rishvat) is feminine, the verb agrees with it, not with the giver or receiver: रिश्वत दी (rishvat dii), not रिश्वत दिया (rishvat diyaa).
Sample Sentences:
उसने पुलिस वाले को रिश्वत दी। He bribed the policeman.
(usne pulis vaale ko rishvat dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बहुत लोग लाइसेंस बनवाने के लिए रिश्वत देते हैं। Many people give bribes to get a license made.
(bahut log laaisens banvaane ke lie rishvat dete hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रिश्वत मत दो, शिकायत दर्ज करो। Don't give a bribe, file a complaint.
(rishvat mat do, shikaayat darj karo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर उसने रिश्वत न दी होती, तो उसका सामान कस्टम्स में अटक जाता। If he hadn't given a bribe, his goods would have gotten stuck in customs.
(agar usne rishvat n dii hotii, to uskaa saamaan kastams men atak jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम सच में ट्रैफिक पुलिस को रिश्वत दे रहे थे? Were you really bribing the traffic police?
(kyaa tum sach men traiphik pulis ko rishvat de rahe the?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अफ़सर को रिश्वत दी गई थी ताकि फ़ाइल जल्दी पास हो जाए। A bribe had been given to the officer so that the file would be passed quickly.
(afsar ko rishvat dii gaii thii taaki faail jaldii paas ho jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
मैं कभी रिश्वत नहीं दूँगा, चाहे कितना भी समय लगे। I will never give a bribe, no matter how much time it takes.
(main kabhii rishvat nahiin doongaa, chaahe kitnaa bhii samay lage।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
हो सकता है उसने ठेका पाने के लिए रिश्वत दी हो। It's possible he gave a bribe to get the contract.
(ho saktaa hai usne thekaa paane ke lie rishvat dii ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
भ्रष्टाचार की जड़ें इसी बात में हैं कि लोग बेधड़क रिश्वत देते हैं और अफ़सर भी बेशर्मी से लेते हैं। The roots of corruption lie in the fact that people brazenly give bribes and officers shamelessly take them too.
(bhrashtaachaar kii jaden isii baat men hain ki log bedhdak rishvat dete hain aur afsar bhii besharmii se lete hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कंपनी पर आरोप है कि उसने ठेका जीतने के लिए कई अधिकारियों को रिश्वत दी। The company is accused of having bribed several officials to win the contract.
(kampnii par aarop hai ki usne thekaa jiitne ke lie kaii adhikaariyon ko rishvat dii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive: रिश्वत देना (rishvat denaa)
infinitive oblique: रिश्वत देने (rishvat dene)
habitual/simple (sg.m): रिश्वत देता (rishvat detaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): रिश्वत देते (rishvat dete)
habitual/simple (sg.f): रिश्वत देती (rishvat detii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): रिश्वत देतीं (rishvat detiin)
continuous (sg.m): रिश्वत दे रहा (rishvat de rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): रिश्वत दे रहे (rishvat de rahe)
continuous (sg.f): रिश्वत दे रही (rishvat de rahii)
continuous (pl.f): रिश्वत दे रहीं (rishvat de rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): रिश्वत दिया (rishvat diyaa)
perfective (pl.m): रिश्वत दिए (rishvat die)
perfective (sg.f): रिश्वत दी (rishvat dii)
perfective (pl.f): रिश्वत दीं (rishvat diin)
imperative (informal): रिश्वत दे (rishvat de)
imperative (neutral): रिश्वत दो (rishvat do)
imperative (formal): रिश्वत दीजिए (rishvat diijie)
future (1sg.m): रिश्वत दूँगा (rishvat doongaa)
future (1sg.f): रिश्वत दूँगी (rishvat doongii)
future (1pl.m): रिश्वत देंगे (rishvat denge)
future (1pl.f): रिश्वत देंगी (rishvat dengii)
future (2sg.m): रिश्वत देगा (rishvat degaa)
future (2sg.f): रिश्वत देगी (rishvat degii)
future (2pl.m): रिश्वत दोगे (rishvat doge)
future (2pl.f): रिश्वत दोगी (rishvat dogii)
future (3sg.m): रिश्वत देगा (rishvat degaa)
future (3sg.f): रिश्वत देगी (rishvat degii)
future (3pl.m): रिश्वत देंगे (rishvat denge)
future (3pl.f): रिश्वत देंगी (rishvat dengii)
subjunctive (1sg): रिश्वत दूँ (rishvat doon)
subjunctive (1pl): रिश्वत दें (rishvat den)
subjunctive (2sg): रिश्वत दे (rishvat de)
subjunctive (2pl): रिश्वत दो (rishvat do)
subjunctive (3sg): रिश्वत दे (rishvat de)
subjunctive (3pl): रिश्वत दें (rishvat den)