भागना (bhaagnaa)
verb
The everyday verb for 'to run' or 'to flee' -- movement away from a place, whether athletic running or escaping/fleeing a situation. One core sense, used both literally and figuratively.
Sense
1
:
to run
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: दौड़ना (daudnaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture a kid late for school being yelled at: भागो, भागो! (bhaago, bhaago, 'run, run!') -- this verb is what a mother shouts when there's urgency, not the calm word for a morning jog.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for दौड़ना (daudnaa) in every 'run' context, but भागना (bhaagnaa) carries a stronger sense of urgency or fleeing -- a jogger दौड़ता है (daudtaa hai) for exercise, while someone भागता है (bhaagtaa hai) from danger or in a hurry.
Sample Sentences:
स्कूल के लिए देर हो रही है, भागो!
It's getting late for school, run!
(skool ke lie der ho rahii hai, bhaago!)
बच्चे मैदान में भाग रहे हैं।
The children are running in the field.
(bachche maidaan men bhaag rahe hain।)
वह रोज़ सुबह पार्क में भागता है।
He runs in the park every morning.
(vah roz subah paark men bhaagtaa hai।)
जब बारिश शुरू हुई, तो सब लोग भागे।
When the rain started, everyone ran.
(jab baarish shuroo huii, to sab log bhaage।)
अगर मुझे पता होता कि बस छूट रही है, तो मैं भागता।
If I had known the bus was leaving, I would have run.
(agar mujhe pataa hotaa ki bas chhoot rahii hai, to main bhaagtaa।)
वह इतनी तेज़ भागेगी कि सबको पीछे छोड़ देगी।
She will run so fast that she'll leave everyone behind.
(vah itnii tez bhaagegii ki sabko piichhe chhod degii।)
शायद वह डॉक्टर को दिखाने के लिए भागे।
Maybe he'll run to show the doctor.
(shaayad vah doktar ko dikhaane ke lie bhaage।)
दौड़ में जीतने के लिए उसे और तेज़ भागना चाहिए था।
To win the race, he should have run faster.
(daud men jiitne ke lie use aur tez bhaagnaa chaahie thaa।)
एथलीट अभ्यास के दौरान मैदान में भागता रहा।
The athlete kept running on the field during practice.
(ethliit abhyaas ke dauraan maidaan men bhaagtaa rahaa।)
माँ चिल्लाई, "भागो, भागो, बस निकल जाएगी!"
Mom shouted, "Run, run, the bus will leave!"
(maan chillaaii, "bhaago, bhaago, bas nikal jaaegii!")
सैनिकों को दुश्मन की ओर भागते हुए देखा गया।
The soldiers were seen running toward the enemy.
(sainikon ko dushman kii or bhaagte hue dekhaa gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
to flee, run away, escape
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: फ़रार होना (faraar honaa, formal/legal register), भाग जाना (bhaag jaanaa, compound form with completive sense)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word behind the classic Bollywood elopement plot -- लड़की घर से भाग गई (ladkii ghar se bhaag gaii, 'the girl ran away from home') is a stock dramatic line, since भागना (bhaagnaa) is the go-to verb for eloping or fleeing family/society's expectations.
Common Mistakes: 1) भाग जाना (bhaag jaanaa) is extremely common in this sense and often sounds more natural than the bare verb alone, since the compound emphasizes the completed act of escaping.
Sample Sentences:
चोर पुलिस को देखकर भाग गया।
The thief ran away on seeing the police.
(chor pulis ko dekhkar bhaag gayaa।)
लड़की घर से भाग गई और अपने प्रेमी से शादी कर ली।
The girl ran away from home and married her lover.
(ladkii ghar se bhaag gaii aur apne premii se shaadii kar lii।)
कैदी जेल से भाग रहे हैं।
The prisoners are fleeing from the jail.
(kaidii jel se bhaag rahe hain।)
अगर पुलिस आ जाए तो वह ज़रूर भाग जाएगा।
If the police come, he will definitely run away.
(agar pulis aa jaae to vah zaroor bhaag jaaegaa।)
भाग यहाँ से, वरना पिटेगा!
Run away from here, or you'll get beaten!
(bhaag yahaan se, varnaa pitegaa!)
अगर उसे पहले पता चल जाता, तो वह उसी रात भाग जाता।
If he had found out earlier, he would have fled that very night.
(agar use pahle pataa chal jaataa, to vah usii raat bhaag jaataa।)
बचपन में वह हर बार डाँट पड़ने पर घर से भाग जाता था।
As a child, he would run away from home every time he got scolded.
(bachpan men vah har baar daant padne par ghar se bhaag jaataa thaa।)
दो कैदियों को जेल से भगा दिया गया।
Two prisoners were made to flee from the jail.
(do kaidiyon ko jel se bhagaa diyaa gayaa।)
क्या तुम सच में उसके साथ भागने की सोच रही हो?
Are you seriously thinking of running away with him?
(kyaa tum sach men uske saath bhaagne kii soch rahii ho?)
शायद वह डर के मारे भाग गया हो।
Perhaps he fled out of fear.
(shaayad vah dar ke maare bhaag gayaa ho।)
युद्ध के दौरान हज़ारों लोग अपने गाँव छोड़कर भाग गए।
During the war, thousands of people fled, leaving their villages.
(yuddh ke dauraan hazaaron log apne gaanv chhodkar bhaag gae।)
Sense
3
:
to avoid, shy away from (responsibility, work, a person)
verb, intransitive Used with से (se) marking the thing avoided: काम से भागना (kaam se bhaagnaa, 'to shirk work').
Synonyms: कतराना (katraanaa, to shy away, dodge), टालना (taalnaa, transitive: to postpone/avoid a task)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Said of someone dodging responsibility: वह ज़िम्मेदारी से भागता है (vah zimmedaarii se bhaagtaa hai, 'he runs from responsibility') -- a common scolding line from elders about a lazy or irresponsible person.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense always takes से (se) on the avoided thing -- लोग मेहनत से भागते हैं (log mehnat se bhaagte hain, 'people shy away from hard work') -- learners sometimes drop the postposition since English 'avoid' takes a direct object.
Sample Sentences:
वह ज़िम्मेदारी से भागता है।
He shirks his responsibility.
(vah zimmedaarii se bhaagtaa hai।)
तुम हर बार काम से क्यों भागते हो?
Why do you shy away from work every single time?
(tum har baar kaam se kyon bhaagte ho?)
वह अपनी गलती स्वीकार करने से भाग रहा है।
He is avoiding admitting his mistake.
(vah apnii galtii sviikaar karne se bhaag rahaa hai।)
मत भागो अपनी जिम्मेदारियों से, उनका सामना करो।
Don't run from your responsibilities, face them.
(mat bhaago apnii jimmedaariyon se, unkaa saamnaa karo।)
अगर वह इस काम से भागता, तो सब उसे कायर कहते।
If he had shied away from this work, everyone would have called him a coward.
(agar vah is kaam se bhaagtaa, to sab use kaayar kahte।)
वह बचपन से ही मुश्किल फैसलों से भागता रहा है।
He has always shied away from difficult decisions since childhood.
(vah bachpan se hii mushkil phaislon se bhaagtaa rahaa hai।)
शायद वह अपने पिता के सवालों से भाग रहा हो।
Maybe he is avoiding his father's questions.
(shaayad vah apne pitaa ke savaalon se bhaag rahaa ho।)
क्या तुम अब भी उससे बात करने से भागोगे?
Will you still avoid talking to him?
(kyaa tum ab bhii usse baat karne se bhaagoge?)
जिम्मेदारी से भागने वालों का कभी सम्मान नहीं होता।
Those who shirk responsibility are never respected.
(jimmedaarii se bhaagne vaalon kaa kabhii sammaan nahiin hotaa।)
इतनी आसानी से अपने कर्तव्य से नहीं भागा जाता।
One does not get to shirk one's duty so easily.
(itnii aasaanii se apne kartavy se nahiin bhaagaa jaataa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
भागना
(bhaagnaa)
infinitive oblique:
भागने
(bhaagne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
भागता
(bhaagtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
भागते
(bhaagte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
भागती
(bhaagtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
भागतीं
(bhaagtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
भाग रहा
(bhaag rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
भाग रहे
(bhaag rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
भाग रही
(bhaag rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
भाग रहीं
(bhaag rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
भागा
(bhaagaa)
perfective (pl.m):
भागे
(bhaage)
perfective (sg.f):
भागी
(bhaagii)
perfective (pl.f):
भागीं
(bhaagiin)
imperative (informal):
भाग
(bhaag)
imperative (neutral):
भागो
(bhaago)
imperative (formal):
भागिए
(bhaagie)
future (1sg.m):
भागूँगा
(bhaagoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
भागूँगी
(bhaagoongii)
future (1pl.m):
भागेंगे
(bhaagenge)
future (1pl.f):
भागेंगी
(bhaagengii)
future (2sg.m):
भागेगा
(bhaagegaa)
future (2sg.f):
भागेगी
(bhaagegii)
future (2pl.m):
भागोगे
(bhaagoge)
future (2pl.f):
भागोगी
(bhaagogii)
future (3sg.m):
भागेगा
(bhaagegaa)
future (3sg.f):
भागेगी
(bhaagegii)
future (3pl.m):
भागेंगे
(bhaagenge)
future (3pl.f):
भागेंगी
(bhaagengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
भागूँ
(bhaagoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
भागें
(bhaagen)
subjunctive (2sg):
भागे
(bhaage)
subjunctive (2pl):
भागो
(bhaago)
subjunctive (3sg):
भागे
(bhaage)
subjunctive (3pl):
भागें
(bhaagen)