कसना (kasnaa)
verb
A verb built around the idea of tightening -- literally cinching a belt or rope, and figuratively tightening one's grip, a taunt, or a schedule. Has both intransitive (to become tight) and transitive (to tighten something) uses.
Sense
1
:
to tighten, cinch (something)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: जकड़ना (jakadnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture someone tightening the strap on a bed frame or a cot (chaarpaaii) with rope -- कसना (kasnaa) is exactly that everyday tightening motion. You will also hear it about tightening a belt (पेटी कसना (petii kasnaa, to tighten one's belt)) when someone is cutting costs, much like the English idiom.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for कसना (kasnaa) when they mean 'to tie' -- but it specifically means to pull something tight or snug, not to tie it in the first place; use बाँधना (baandhnaa) for the act of tying. 2) कसना (kasnaa) is used with objects like पेटी (petii, belt) or पेंच (pench, screw) -- the sense is mechanical/physical tightening, not emotional tension, which uses other words.
Sample Sentences:
मजदूर रस्सी को कस रहा है।
The laborer is tightening the rope.
(majdoor rassii ko kas rahaa hai।)
पहले चारपाई की बुनाई कस लो, फिर उस पर लेटना।
First tighten the cot's weaving, then lie down on it.
(pahle chaarpaaii kii bunaaii kas lo, phir us par letnaa।)
उसने साइकिल की चेन कस दी।
He tightened the bicycle chain.
(usne saaikil kii chen kas dii।)
इस महीने खर्चे बहुत बढ़ गए हैं, अब पेटी कसनी पड़ेगी।
Expenses have shot up this month, now we'll have to tighten our belt.
(is mahiine kharche bahut badh gae hain, ab petii kasnii padegii।)
मैकेनिक हर पेंच को ध्यान से कसता है।
The mechanic carefully tightens every screw.
(maikenik har pench ko dhyaan se kastaa hai।)
अगर पट्टा ठीक से कसा जाए तो कुत्ता भाग नहीं पाएगा।
If the leash is tightened properly, the dog will not be able to run away.
(agar pattaa thiik se kasaa jaae to kuttaa bhaag nahiin paaegaa।)
काश मैंने टेंट की रस्सियाँ पहले ही कस दी होतीं, तूफान में यह गिर न जाता।
I wish I had tightened the tent's ropes beforehand, it wouldn't have fallen in the storm.
(kaash mainne tent kii rassiyaan pahle hii kas dii hotiin, toophaan men yah gir n jaataa।)
बढ़ई ने कुर्सी के जोड़ को मजबूती से कसा।
The carpenter tightened the chair's joint firmly.
(badhaii ne kursii ke jod ko majbootii se kasaa।)
कृपया वॉल्व को हल्के हाथ से कसिए, ज़्यादा ज़ोर मत लगाइए।
Please tighten the valve gently, don't apply too much force.
(kripyaa volv ko halke haath se kasie, zyaadaa zor mat lagaaie।)
जब तक सारे नट-बोल्ट न कस दिए जाएँ, मशीन नहीं चलेगी।
Until all the nuts and bolts are tightened, the machine won't run.
(jab tak saare nat-bolt n kas die jaaen, mashiin nahiin chalegii।)
Sense
2
:
to taunt, jibe at, needle (someone)
verb, transitive Almost always appears in the fixed collocation ताना कसना (taanaa kasnaa, 'to throw a taunt') -- कसना (kasnaa) rarely carries this meaning alone without ताना (taanaa).
Synonyms: ताना कसना (taanaa kasnaa, set phrase), चुटकी लेना (chutkii lenaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Family gatherings in India run on this phrase -- a rishtedaar (rishtedaar, relative) who just cannot resist a dig about your job or your weight is कसना (kasnaa)-ing a ताना (taanaa) at you, often with a smile that makes it worse.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense essentially never occurs without its partner noun ताना (taanaa) -- saying just उसने मुझे कसा (usne mujhe kasaa) will not land as 'he taunted me'; you need उसने मुझ पर ताना कसा (usne mujh par taanaa kasaa, 'he taunted me').
Sample Sentences:
मामी हर बार मेरी नौकरी पर ताना कसती हैं।
My aunt taunts me about my job every time.
(maamii har baar merii naukrii par taanaa kastii hain।)
पार्टी में सबके सामने उसने मुझ पर ताना कस दिया।
He taunted me in front of everyone at the party.
(paartii men sabke saamne usne mujh par taanaa kas diyaa।)
वह मुस्कुराते हुए मुझ पर ताने कस रही थी।
She was needling me with taunts while smiling.
(vah muskuraate hue mujh par taane kas rahii thii।)
बेवजह किसी पर ताना मत कसो।
Don't taunt someone for no reason.
(bevjah kisii par taanaa mat kaso।)
अगर वह फिर मेरे वज़न पर ताना कसेगा, तो मैं जवाब दूँगी।
If he taunts me about my weight again, I will answer back.
(agar vah phir mere vazan par taanaa kasegaa, to main javaab doongii।)
शादी में रिश्तेदारों ने उसकी नौकरी को लेकर खूब ताने कसे।
At the wedding, the relatives really taunted him about his job.
(shaadii men rishtedaaron ne uskii naukrii ko lekar khoob taane kase।)
मुझे नहीं लगता कि उसे इस तरह ताना कसना चाहिए था।
I don't think he should have taunted like that.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki use is tarah taanaa kasnaa chaahie thaa।)
यदि वह मुझ पर हर बार ताना न कसता, तो हम अच्छे दोस्त होते।
If he didn't taunt me every time, we would be good friends.
(yadi vah mujh par har baar taanaa n kastaa, to ham achchhe dost hote।)
उस पर उसकी शक्ल को लेकर इतना ताना कसा गया कि वह रोने लगी।
She was taunted so much about her looks that she started crying.
(us par uskii shakl ko lekar itnaa taanaa kasaa gayaa ki vah rone lagii।)
क्या आप हमेशा दूसरों पर ऐसे ताने कसते हैं?
Do you always taunt others like this?
(kyaa aap hameshaa doosron par aise taane kaste hain?)
Sense
3
:
to become tight, taut
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: तनना (tannaa)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is the intransitive twin of the transitive sense -- a rope or a muscle कसना (kasnaa) on its own, without anyone acting on it, the same way a rope tightens in the sun.
Sample Sentences:
धूप में रस्सी कस जाती है।
The rope tightens in the sun.
(dhoop men rassii kas jaatii hai।)
बारिश के बाद रस्सी कस गई थी।
The rope had tightened after the rain.
(baarish ke baad rassii kas gaii thii।)
देर तक दौड़ने से उसकी पिंडलियों की नसें कस गईं।
From running for a long time, the muscles in his calves tightened up.
(der tak daudne se uskii pindliyon kii nasen kas gaiin।)
ठंड में मेरी गर्दन की नस कस जाती है।
In the cold, the muscle in my neck goes taut.
(thand men merii gardan kii nas kas jaatii hai।)
अगर धागा भीग जाए तो कस जाएगा।
If the thread gets wet, it will tighten.
(agar dhaagaa bhiig jaae to kas jaaegaa।)
तार धीरे-धीरे कस रहा है।
The wire is slowly tightening.
(taar dhiire-dhiire kas rahaa hai।)
अगर सूत गीला होता तो और कसता।
If the yarn had been wet, it would have tightened more.
(agar soot giilaa hotaa to aur kastaa।)
जैसे-जैसे लकड़ी सूखती है, रस्सी उस पर कसती जाती है।
As the wood dries, the rope keeps getting tighter around it.
(jaise-jaise lakdii sookhtii hai, rassii us par kastii jaatii hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
कसना
(kasnaa)
infinitive oblique:
कसने
(kasne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
कसता
(kastaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
कसते
(kaste)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
कसती
(kastii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
कसतीं
(kastiin)
continuous (sg.m):
कस रहा
(kas rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
कस रहे
(kas rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
कस रही
(kas rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
कस रहीं
(kas rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
कसा
(kasaa)
perfective (pl.m):
कसे
(kase)
perfective (sg.f):
कसी
(kasii)
perfective (pl.f):
कसीं
(kasiin)
imperative (informal):
कस
(kas)
imperative (neutral):
कसो
(kaso)
imperative (formal):
कसिए
(kasie)
future (1sg.m):
कसूँगा
(kasoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
कसूँगी
(kasoongii)
future (1pl.m):
कसेंगे
(kasenge)
future (1pl.f):
कसेंगी
(kasengii)
future (2sg.m):
कसेगा
(kasegaa)
future (2sg.f):
कसेगी
(kasegii)
future (2pl.m):
कसोगे
(kasoge)
future (2pl.f):
कसोगी
(kasogii)
future (3sg.m):
कसेगा
(kasegaa)
future (3sg.f):
कसेगी
(kasegii)
future (3pl.m):
कसेंगे
(kasenge)
future (3pl.f):
कसेंगी
(kasengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
कसूँ
(kasoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
कसें
(kasen)
subjunctive (2sg):
कसे
(kase)
subjunctive (2pl):
कसो
(kaso)
subjunctive (3sg):
कसे
(kase)
subjunctive (3pl):
कसें
(kasen)