टपकना (tapaknaa)
verb
A concrete, everyday verb meaning 'to drip/leak' (of liquids) that extends naturally to 'to show up unannounced' when used of people. Both senses are intransitive.
Sense
1
:
to drip, to leak, to trickle down
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: चूना (choonaa), रिसना (risnaa, to seep/ooze, slower and less droplet-like)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word for a leaky tap dripping through the night (नल टपक रहा है, nal tapak rahaa hai, 'the tap is dripping') or for sweat running down someone's face in the Delhi summer (पसीना टपकना, pasiinaa tapaknaa). Very much a kitchen-and-monsoon-season word.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for चूना (choonaa) and टपकना (tapaknaa) as fully interchangeable -- टपकना (tapaknaa) specifically evokes drop-by-drop falling (a tap, a wet umbrella, sweat), while चूना (choonaa) is the more general word for a roof or vessel leaking.
Sample Sentences:
रातभर नल टपकता रहा।
The tap kept dripping all night.
(raatbhar nal tapaktaa rahaa।)
छत से पानी टपक रहा है।
Water is dripping from the ceiling.
(chhat se paanii tapak rahaa hai।)
गर्मी में उसके माथे से पसीना टपकने लगा।
In the heat, sweat started dripping from his forehead.
(garmii men uske maathe se pasiinaa tapakne lagaa।)
यह नल हमेशा टपकता है, कोई इसे ठीक क्यों नहीं करता?
This tap always drips, why doesn't anyone fix it?
(yah nal hameshaa tapaktaa hai, koii ise thiik kyon nahiin kartaa?)
अगर पाइप में दरार होती, तो पानी यूँ ही टपकता रहता।
If there were a crack in the pipe, water would keep dripping like this.
(agar paaip men daraar hotii, to paanii yoon hii tapaktaa rahtaa।)
प्लम्बर बुलाओ, वरना नल टपकता रहेगा।
Call the plumber, otherwise the tap will keep dripping.
(plambar bulaao, varnaa nal tapaktaa rahegaa।)
पहले नल बंद कर दो, टपकने मत दो।
First turn off the tap, don't let it drip.
(pahle nal band kar do, tapakne mat do।)
मुमकिन है कि बारिश में छत से पानी टपके।
It's possible that water might drip from the ceiling in the rain.
(mumkin hai ki baarish men chhat se paanii tapke।)
टपकते हुए नल की आवाज़ पूरी रात सुनाई देती रही।
The sound of the dripping tap could be heard all night long.
(tapakte hue nal kii aavaaz poorii raat sunaaii detii rahii।)
उसकी आँखों से आँसू टपक पड़े।
Tears dripped down from her eyes.
(uskii aankhon se aansoo tapak pade।)
मॉनसून में अक्सर पुरानी छतों से पानी टपकता है।
During the monsoon, water often drips from old ceilings.
(monsoon men aksar puraanii chhaton se paanii tapaktaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to turn up unannounced or suddenly (of a person)
verb, intransitive Almost always used with a locative or temporal phrase implying surprise, e.g. अचानक टपक पड़ना (achaanak tapak padnaa, 'to suddenly turn up') -- often paired with पड़ना as a compound verb to sharpen the suddenness.
Synonyms: आ धमकना (aa dhamaknaa, compound verb, slightly more forceful/intrusive), प्रकट होना (prakat honaa, more formal/dramatic)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Very much a chatty, informal usage -- friends tease each other with lines like तुम कहाँ से टपक पड़े? (tum kahaan se tapak pade?, 'where did you spring from?'). The image is the same as sense one: a person 'dripping in' as if from nowhere, which is exactly the wit behind the extension.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense carries a mildly humorous or faintly disapproving tone -- it is not neutral like 'to arrive.' Using it about an expected, welcome guest sounds off; it fits best for someone who appears uninvited or at an odd moment.
Sample Sentences:
तुम कहाँ से टपक पड़े?
Where did you spring from?
(tum kahaan se tapak pade?)
वो अचानक पार्टी में टपक पड़ा।
He showed up out of nowhere at the party.
(vo achaanak paartii men tapak padaa।)
देखना, वो ठीक खाने के वक्त टपक जाएगा।
Watch, he'll show up out of nowhere right at meal time.
(dekhnaa, vo thiik khaane ke vakt tapak jaaegaa।)
वो हफ़्तों गायब रहने के बाद कभी भी टपक जाता है।
He shows up out of nowhere anytime, after staying vanished for weeks.
(vo hafton gaayab rahne ke baad kabhii bhii tapak jaataa hai।)
अभी मैं सो ही रहा था कि वो टपक पड़ा।
I was just about to sleep when he turned up out of the blue.
(abhii main so hii rahaa thaa ki vo tapak padaa।)
अरे भाई, बिना बताए मत टपक जाना अगली बार।
Hey man, don't just show up unannounced next time.
(are bhaaii, binaa bataae mat tapak jaanaa aglii baar।)
अगर वो अभी टपक पड़े तो मुझे कोई हैरानी नहीं होगी।
If he shows up out of nowhere right now, I wouldn't be surprised at all.
(agar vo abhii tapak pade to mujhe koii hairaanii nahiin hogii।)
काश वो इतनी बेवक्त न टपकता।
I wish he wouldn't show up out of nowhere at such odd times.
(kaash vo itnii bevakt n tapaktaa।)
पिछली शादी में भी वो बिन बुलाए मेहमान की तरह टपक पड़ा था।
At the last wedding too, he showed up out of nowhere like an uninvited guest.
(pichhlii shaadii men bhii vo bin bulaae mehmaan kii tarah tapak padaa thaa।)
इतने सालों बाद तू यहाँ कैसे टपक गया?
After so many years, how did you just turn up here?
(itne saalon baad too yahaan kaise tapak gayaa?)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
टपकना
(tapaknaa)
infinitive oblique:
टपकने
(tapakne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
टपकता
(tapaktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
टपकते
(tapakte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
टपकती
(tapaktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
टपकतीं
(tapaktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
टपक रहा
(tapak rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
टपक रहे
(tapak rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
टपक रही
(tapak rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
टपक रहीं
(tapak rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
टपका
(tapkaa)
perfective (pl.m):
टपके
(tapke)
perfective (sg.f):
टपकी
(tapkii)
perfective (pl.f):
टपकीं
(tapkiin)
imperative (informal):
टपक
(tapak)
imperative (neutral):
टपको
(tapko)
imperative (formal):
टपकिए
(tapkie)
future (1sg.m):
टपकूँगा
(tapkoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
टपकूँगी
(tapkoongii)
future (1pl.m):
टपकेंगे
(tapkenge)
future (1pl.f):
टपकेंगी
(tapkengii)
future (2sg.m):
टपकेगा
(tapkegaa)
future (2sg.f):
टपकेगी
(tapkegii)
future (2pl.m):
टपकोगे
(tapkoge)
future (2pl.f):
टपकोगी
(tapkogii)
future (3sg.m):
टपकेगा
(tapkegaa)
future (3sg.f):
टपकेगी
(tapkegii)
future (3pl.m):
टपकेंगे
(tapkenge)
future (3pl.f):
टपकेंगी
(tapkengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
टपकूँ
(tapkoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
टपकें
(tapken)
subjunctive (2sg):
टपके
(tapke)
subjunctive (2pl):
टपको
(tapko)
subjunctive (3sg):
टपके
(tapke)
subjunctive (3pl):
टपकें
(tapken)