लटकना (lataknaa)
verb
A physical intransitive verb meaning 'to hang, dangle' -- and by extension, to hang around idly or (of a matter) to remain unresolved/pending. Related transitive/causative form is लटकाना (latkaanaa, 'to hang something up').
Sense
1
:
to hang, dangle (physically)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: झूलना (jhoolnaa, to swing/dangle)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture a calendar or a बंदर (bandar, 'monkey') on a branch -- लटकना (lataknaa) is the everyday word Delhi folks use for anything dangling in the air, from earrings to a kid hanging off a bus door.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners reach for लटकाना (latkaanaa) when they mean the thing itself is hanging -- use लटकना (lataknaa) for the intransitive sense ('the picture hangs on the wall') and reserve लटकाना (latkaanaa) for 'to hang something up' (someone doing the hanging).
Sample Sentences:
दीवार पर एक कैलेंडर लटक रहा है।
A calendar is hanging on the wall.
(diivaar par ek kailendar latak rahaa hai।)
बंदर पेड़ की टहनी से लटक रहा था।
The monkey was hanging from the tree branch.
(bandar ped kii tahnii se latak rahaa thaa।)
उसके कानों में लंबे झुमके लटके हुए थे।
Long earrings were hanging from her ears.
(uske kaanon men lambe jhumke latke hue the।)
बस के दरवाज़े पर मत लटको, गिर जाओगे!
Don't hang off the bus door, you'll fall!
(bas ke darvaaze par mat latko, gir jaaoge!)
छत के पंखे से एक तार लटक गया है।
A wire has come to hang loose from the ceiling fan.
(chhat ke pankhe se ek taar latak gayaa hai।)
अगर यह हुक टूट जाए, तो सारा सामान लटक जाएगा।
If this hook breaks, all the stuff will end up dangling.
(agar yah huk toot jaae, to saaraa saamaan latak jaaegaa।)
अगर रस्सी थोड़ी ढीली होती, तो झूला और नीचे लटकता।
If the rope had been a bit looser, the swing would have hung lower.
(agar rassii thodii dhiilii hotii, to jhoolaa aur niiche lataktaa।)
पुल के नीचे लटकती हुई एक रस्सी दिखाई दी।
A rope hanging under the bridge came into view.
(pul ke niiche lataktii huii ek rassii dikhaaii dii।)
मंदिर के द्वार पर घंटियाँ लटकती हैं।
Bells hang at the temple entrance.
(mandir ke dvaar par ghantiyaan lataktii hain।)
बालकनी से कपड़े लटकाए नहीं जा सकते, यह नियम है।
Clothes cannot be hung from the balcony, that's the rule.
(baalaknii se kapde latkaae nahiin jaa sakte, yah niyam hai।)
उसका बैग कंधे से लटक रहा था और वह दौड़ रहा था।
His bag was dangling from his shoulder as he ran.
(uskaa baig kandhe se latak rahaa thaa aur vah daud rahaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
to loiter, hang around aimlessly
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: घूमना (ghoomnaa, to wander/roam), मंडराना (mandraanaa, to hover/loiter)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: A mother scolding her son with बाहर मत लटको (baahar mat latko, 'don't hang around outside') is a classic scene -- the image is of someone dangling without purpose, the same visual root as physical hanging.
Sample Sentences:
बाहर मत लटको, अंदर आ जाओ।
Don't hang around outside, come inside.
(baahar mat latko, andar aa jaao।)
वह पूरे दिन गली में लटकता रहता है।
He hangs around in the lane all day long.
(vah poore din galii men lataktaa rahtaa hai।)
तुम स्कूल के बाद यहाँ-वहाँ मत लटको, सीधे घर आओ।
Don't hang around here and there after school, come straight home.
(tum skool ke baad yahaan-vahaan mat latko, siidhe ghar aao।)
वे लड़के मॉल के बाहर घंटों लटकते रहते हैं।
Those boys keep hanging around outside the mall for hours.
(ve ladke mol ke baahar ghanton latakte rahte hain।)
कल शाम मैं बस दोस्तों के साथ चौराहे पर लटक रहा था।
Yesterday evening I was just hanging around at the crossing with friends.
(kal shaam main bas doston ke saath chauraahe par latak rahaa thaa।)
पढ़ाई के बजाय वह मोहल्ले में लटकता है।
Instead of studying, he hangs around the neighborhood.
(padhaaii ke bajaay vah mohalle men lataktaa hai।)
अगर तुम पूरे दिन बाज़ार में लटकते रहोगे तो कुछ नहीं बन पाओगे।
If you keep hanging around the market all day, you won't amount to anything.
(agar tum poore din baazaar men latakte rahoge to kuchh nahiin ban paaoge।)
माँ हमेशा कहती है कि बेकार में सड़क पर मत लटको।
Mom always says not to hang around on the road for no reason.
(maan hameshaa kahtii hai ki bekaar men sadak par mat latko।)
काश वह इतना यहाँ-वहाँ न लटकता और थोड़ा पढ़ लेता।
If only he didn't hang around so much here and there and studied a little.
(kaash vah itnaa yahaan-vahaan n lataktaa aur thodaa padh letaa।)
उसे डर है कि बेटा बुरे लड़कों के साथ लटकने लगेगा।
She's afraid her son will start hanging around with bad boys.
(use dar hai ki betaa bure ladkon ke saath latakne lagegaa।)
Sense
3
:
to remain pending, unresolved (of a matter, decision, work)
verb, intransitive Often used with काम (kaam, 'work') or मामला (maamlaa, 'matter') as subject -- the issue itself is described as 'hanging' rather than someone hanging it.
Synonyms: अटकना (ataknaa, to get stuck), लंबित रहना (lambit rahnaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly about sarkaari kaam (sarkaarii kaam, 'government work') or file-work stuck in an office: फ़ाइल लटकी हुई है (faail latkii huii hai, 'the file is hanging/pending') -- a very Indian-bureaucracy image of paperwork dangling in limbo.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense overlaps with अटकना (ataknaa) but लटकना (lataknaa) specifically evokes something left dangling/unfinished rather than jammed or blocked -- native speakers pick between them by feel, not by strict rule.
Sample Sentences:
यह फ़ाइल पिछले तीन महीनों से लटकी हुई है।
This file has been hanging pending for the last three months.
(yah faail pichhle tiin mahiinon se latkii huii hai।)
मेरा प्रमोशन का मामला कई सालों से लटका हुआ है।
My promotion matter has been left hanging for several years.
(meraa pramoshan kaa maamlaa kaii saalon se latkaa huaa hai।)
अगर हम अभी फ़ैसला नहीं लेंगे, तो यह काम और लटकता चला जाएगा।
If we don't decide now, this work will just keep getting left hanging.
(agar ham abhii faislaa nahiin lenge, to yah kaam aur lataktaa chalaa jaaegaa।)
सरकारी दफ़्तरों में अक्सर काम इसी तरह लटकता रहता है।
In government offices, work often stays hanging like this all the time.
(sarkaarii daftron men aksar kaam isii tarah lataktaa rahtaa hai।)
उसकी शादी की बात दोनों परिवारों की खींचतान में लटक गई।
The talk of his marriage got left hanging in the tug-of-war between the two families.
(uskii shaadii kii baat donon parivaaron kii khiinchtaan men latak gaii।)
कृपया इस मुद्दे को मत लटकने दें, जल्दी निर्णय लीजिए।
Please don't let this issue be left hanging, take a decision quickly.
(kripyaa is mudde ko mat latakne den, jaldii nirnay liijie।)
यदि दोनों पक्ष सहमत न होते, तो समझौता ऐसे ही लटका रह जाता।
If the two parties hadn't agreed, the settlement would have just stayed left hanging like this.
(yadi donon paksh sahmat n hote, to samjhautaa aise hii latkaa rah jaataa।)
यह मुक़दमा अदालत में बरसों से लटका पड़ा है।
This lawsuit has been lying pending in court for years.
(yah muqadmaa adaalat men barson se latkaa padaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हारा वीज़ा अभी भी लटका हुआ है, या मंज़ूर हो गया?
Is your visa still hanging pending, or has it been approved?
(kyaa tumhaaraa viizaa abhii bhii latkaa huaa hai, yaa manzoor ho gayaa?)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
लटकना
(lataknaa)
infinitive oblique:
लटकने
(latakne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
लटकता
(lataktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
लटकते
(latakte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
लटकती
(lataktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
लटकतीं
(lataktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
लटक रहा
(latak rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
लटक रहे
(latak rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
लटक रही
(latak rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
लटक रहीं
(latak rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
लटका
(latkaa)
perfective (pl.m):
लटके
(latke)
perfective (sg.f):
लटकी
(latkii)
perfective (pl.f):
लटकीं
(latkiin)
imperative (informal):
लटक
(latak)
imperative (neutral):
लटको
(latko)
imperative (formal):
लटकिए
(latkie)
future (1sg.m):
लटकूँगा
(latkoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
लटकूँगी
(latkoongii)
future (1pl.m):
लटकेंगे
(latkenge)
future (1pl.f):
लटकेंगी
(latkengii)
future (2sg.m):
लटकेगा
(latkegaa)
future (2sg.f):
लटकेगी
(latkegii)
future (2pl.m):
लटकोगे
(latkoge)
future (2pl.f):
लटकोगी
(latkogii)
future (3sg.m):
लटकेगा
(latkegaa)
future (3sg.f):
लटकेगी
(latkegii)
future (3pl.m):
लटकेंगे
(latkenge)
future (3pl.f):
लटकेंगी
(latkengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
लटकूँ
(latkoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
लटकें
(latken)
subjunctive (2sg):
लटके
(latke)
subjunctive (2pl):
लटको
(latko)
subjunctive (3sg):
लटके
(latke)
subjunctive (3pl):
लटकें
(latken)