छिड़ना (chhidnaa)

verb An intransitive verb meaning 'to break out' or 'to start up' -- used for things like arguments, conversations, wars, or epidemics suddenly beginning, often on their own without a clear agent. Related to the transitive छेड़ना (chhednaa, 'to start/tease/provoke'), which is what causes something to छिड़ना (chhidnaa).
Sense 1 : to break out, start up (of a topic, argument, event)
verb, intransitive Takes a subject like बात (baat, 'topic'), बहस (bahas, 'argument'), जंग (jang, 'war'), or गाना (gaanaa, 'song') -- the thing that starts is the grammatical subject, not an object being acted on.
Synonyms: शुरू होना (shuroo honaa), भड़कना (bhadaknaa, for conflict/fire), उठना (uthnaa, for a topic/discussion)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the verb you'll hear when a casual get-together suddenly turns into something more: बातों का सिलसिला छिड़ गया (baaton kaa silsilaa chhid gayaa, 'a whole conversation broke out'), or when old friends start reminiscing and गाना छिड़ जाता है (gaanaa chhid jaataa hai, 'a song breaks out'). It captures that lovely Hindi idea of things happening almost on their own momentum, without anyone deliberately starting them.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for शुरू होना (shuroo honaa) by default, but छिड़ना (chhidnaa) specifically carries a sense of suddenness or spontaneity -- a fight or topic that 'flares up' rather than one that begins in an orderly, planned way. 2) Because छिड़ना (chhidnaa) looks similar to छेड़ना (chhednaa), learners sometimes confuse the two -- छेड़ना (chhednaa) is transitive ('to provoke/start something'), while छिड़ना (chhidnaa) is what happens as a result, intransitively.
Sample Sentences:
अचानक दोनों के बीच बहस छिड़ गई। Suddenly an argument broke out between the two of them.
(achaanak donon ke biich bahas chhid gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब भी वे मिलते हैं, पुरानी यादों पर बातें छिड़ जाती हैं। Whenever they meet, talk about old memories breaks out.
(jab bhii ve milte hain, puraanii yaadon par baaten chhid jaatii hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
महफ़िल में कोई पुराना गाना छिड़ जाता है और सब झूमने लगते हैं। An old song breaks out at the gathering and everyone starts swaying along.
(mahfil men koii puraanaa gaanaa chhid jaataa hai aur sab jhoomne lagte hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दो देशों के बीच सीमा को लेकर युद्ध छिड़ गया था। A war had broken out between the two countries over the border.
(do deshon ke biich siimaa ko lekar yuddh chhid gayaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
चाय पीते-पीते राजनीति पर बहस छिड़ रही थी। While drinking tea, a debate over politics was breaking out.
(chaay piite-piite raajniiti par bahas chhid rahii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर कोई फ़िल्मों की बात करे, तो घंटों चर्चा छिड़ जाएगी। If someone brings up movies, a discussion lasting hours will break out.
(agar koii filmon kii baat kare, to ghanton charchaa chhid jaaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश उस पार्टी में ऐसी कोई बहस न छिड़ती। If only such an argument hadn't broken out at that party.
(kaash us paartii men aisii koii bahas n chhidtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
डर है कि दोनों गुटों में फिर से झगड़ा छिड़ जाए। There is a fear that a quarrel might break out again between the two factions.
(dar hai ki donon guton men phir se jhagdaa chhid jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
किसी पुराने मुद्दे को लेकर संसद में हंगामा छिड़ गया है। A ruckus has broken out in parliament over some old issue.
(kisii puraane mudde ko lekar sansad men hangaamaa chhid gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बचपन के दोस्तों के मिलने पर मस्ती का दौर छिड़ गया। When childhood friends met, a round of fun and laughter broke out.
(bachpan ke doston ke milne par mastii kaa daur chhid gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: छिड़ना (chhidnaa)
infinitive oblique: छिड़ने (chhidne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): छिड़ता (chhidtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): छिड़ते (chhidte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): छिड़ती (chhidtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): छिड़तीं (chhidtiin)
continuous (sg.m): छिड़ रहा (chhid rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): छिड़ रहे (chhid rahe)
continuous (sg.f): छिड़ रही (chhid rahii)
continuous (pl.f): छिड़ रहीं (chhid rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): छिड़ा (chhidaa)
perfective (pl.m): छिड़े (chhide)
perfective (sg.f): छिड़ी (chhidii)
perfective (pl.f): छिड़ीं (chhidiin)
imperative (informal): छिड़ (chhid)
imperative (neutral): छिड़ो (chhido)
imperative (formal): छिड़िए (chhidie)
future (1sg.m): छिड़ूँगा (chhidoongaa)
future (1sg.f): छिड़ूँगी (chhidoongii)
future (1pl.m): छिड़ेंगे (chhidenge)
future (1pl.f): छिड़ेंगी (chhidengii)
future (2sg.m): छिड़ेगा (chhidegaa)
future (2sg.f): छिड़ेगी (chhidegii)
future (2pl.m): छिड़ोगे (chhidoge)
future (2pl.f): छिड़ोगी (chhidogii)
future (3sg.m): छिड़ेगा (chhidegaa)
future (3sg.f): छिड़ेगी (chhidegii)
future (3pl.m): छिड़ेंगे (chhidenge)
future (3pl.f): छिड़ेंगी (chhidengii)
subjunctive (1sg): छिड़ूँ (chhidoon)
subjunctive (1pl): छिड़ें (chhiden)
subjunctive (2sg): छिड़े (chhide)
subjunctive (2pl): छिड़ो (chhido)
subjunctive (3sg): छिड़े (chhide)
subjunctive (3pl): छिड़ें (chhiden)