पुकारना (pukaarnaa)
verb
A transitive verb meaning 'to call out to' someone, usually to get their attention or summon them, and by extension 'to call someone by (a name/title)'.
Sense
1
:
to call out to (someone), to summon by voice
verb, transitive
Synonyms: बुलाना (bulaanaa), आवाज़ देना (aavaaz denaa, phrase: 'to give a voice/call')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture a mother standing at the door shouting her child's name into the gali (galii, lane) at dusk -- that is the classic पुकारना (pukaarnaa) scene. It carries a slight sense of distance and volume that बुलाना (bulaanaa) does not, since बुलाना (bulaanaa) is the more neutral, everyday 'to call/invite'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बुलाना (bulaanaa) in every 'call' context, but पुकारना (pukaarnaa) specifically evokes raising one's voice across a distance -- calling from a doorway, across a field, or after someone walking away -- rather than simply inviting or summoning someone to come. 2) The person being called takes को (ko): उसने मुझे पुकारा (usne mujhe pukaaraa, 'he called out to me'), not से (se).
Sample Sentences:
माँ छत से उसका नाम पुकार रही थी।
Mother was calling out his name from the roof.
(maan chhat se uskaa naam pukaar rahii thii।)
गली में खड़े होकर उसने अपने दोस्त को पुकारा।
Standing in the lane, he called out to his friend.
(galii men khade hokar usne apne dost ko pukaaraa।)
अगर तुम खो जाओ, तो जोर से पुकारना।
If you get lost, call out loudly.
(agar tum kho jaao, to jor se pukaarnaa।)
वह हर शाम अपने बच्चों को खाने के लिए पुकारती है।
She calls out to her children for dinner every evening.
(vah har shaam apne bachchon ko khaane ke lie pukaartii hai।)
दूर खेत से किसान अपने साथी को पुकार रहा है।
From the distant field, the farmer is calling out to his companion.
(door khet se kisaan apne saathii ko pukaar rahaa hai।)
अगर वह पास होता, तो मैं उसे इतनी दूर से न पुकारता।
If he were nearby, I would not have called out to him from so far.
(agar vah paas hotaa, to main use itnii door se n pukaartaa।)
भीड़ में उसकी आवाज़ किसी ने नहीं सुनी, फिर भी वह पुकारता रहा।
No one heard his voice in the crowd, yet he kept calling out.
(bhiid men uskii aavaaz kisii ne nahiin sunii, phir bhii vah pukaartaa rahaa।)
शायद वह पहाड़ी से हमें पुकार रहा हो।
Perhaps he is calling out to us from the hill.
(shaayad vah pahaadii se hamen pukaar rahaa ho।)
जब वह डूबने लगा, तो उसने मदद के लिए पुकारा।
When he started drowning, he called out for help.
(jab vah doobne lagaa, to usne madad ke lie pukaaraa।)
दूर से पुकारा गया नाम हवा में ही खो गया।
The name called out from afar was lost in the wind itself.
(door se pukaaraa gayaa naam havaa men hii kho gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
to call/address someone by a particular name or title
verb, transitive Takes the frame X ko Y (se/kar ke) pukaarnaa -- 'to call X (by) Y', e.g. sab use netaajii kah kar pukaarte hain (sab use netaajii kahkar pukaarte hain, 'everyone calls him netaji').
Synonyms: कहना (kahnaa, overlaps loosely), संबोधित करना (sambodhit karnaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the verb behind nicknames and pet names in a Hindi household -- a grandmother might say ham use pyaar se 'guddu' kah kar pukaarte hain (ham use pyaar se 'guddoo' kahkar pukaarte hain, 'we affectionately call him Guddu'), tying the word to the warmth of family nicknames rather than formal naming.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense often needs the helper कहकर (kahkar) or से (se) before पुकारना (pukaarnaa) when introducing the name/title, which learners frequently drop: सब उसे शेरू कहकर पुकारते हैं (sab use sheroo kahkar pukaarte hain, 'everyone calls him Sheru'), not just सब उसे शेरू पुकारते हैं.
Sample Sentences:
हम उसे प्यार से 'गुड्डू' कहकर पुकारते हैं।
We affectionately call him 'Guddu'.
(ham use pyaar se 'guddoo' kahkar pukaarte hain।)
दादी उसे बचपन से 'मुनिया' कहकर पुकारती थीं।
Grandmother used to call her 'Muniya' since childhood.
(daadii use bachpan se 'muniyaa' kahkar pukaartii thiin।)
लोग उसे उसके असली नाम से नहीं, बल्कि 'नेताजी' कहकर पुकारते हैं।
People don't call him by his real name, but address him as 'Netaji'.
(log use uske aslii naam se nahiin, balki 'netaajii' kahkar pukaarte hain।)
उसे इस नए ओहदे के बाद 'सर' कहकर पुकारा जाने लगा।
After this new position, he started being addressed as 'sir'.
(use is nae ohde ke baad 'sar' kahkar pukaaraa jaane lagaa।)
उसे 'चिंटू' मत पुकारो, अब वह बड़ा हो गया है।
Don't call him 'Chintu', he's grown up now.
(use 'chintoo' mat pukaaro, ab vah badaa ho gayaa hai।)
काश वे मुझे मेरे असली नाम से पुकारते, न कि किसी उपनाम से।
I wish they called me by my real name, not by some nickname.
(kaash ve mujhe mere aslii naam se pukaarte, n ki kisii upnaam se।)
शायद वे उसे 'डॉक्टर साहब' कहकर पुकारें, क्योंकि वह गाँव का इलाज करता है।
Perhaps they address him as 'Doctor Sahab', since he treats the village.
(shaayad ve use 'doktar saahab' kahkar pukaaren, kyonki vah gaanv kaa ilaaj kartaa hai।)
इस उपन्यास में नायिका को हमेशा 'बिट्टो' कहकर पुकारा जाता है।
In this novel, the heroine is always addressed as 'Bittoo'.
(is upanyaas men naayikaa ko hameshaa 'bitto' kahkar pukaaraa jaataa hai।)
क्या तुम उसे अभी भी उसके बचपन के नाम से पुकारोगे?
Will you still call him by his childhood name?
(kyaa tum use abhii bhii uske bachpan ke naam se pukaaroge?)
मुझे अच्छा नहीं लगता जब मुझे मेरे पूरे नाम से पुकारा जाता है।
I don't like it when I'm addressed by my full name.
(mujhe achchhaa nahiin lagtaa jab mujhe mere poore naam se pukaaraa jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
पुकारना
(pukaarnaa)
infinitive oblique:
पुकारने
(pukaarne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पुकारता
(pukaartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पुकारते
(pukaarte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पुकारती
(pukaartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पुकारतीं
(pukaartiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पुकार रहा
(pukaar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पुकार रहे
(pukaar rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पुकार रही
(pukaar rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पुकार रहीं
(pukaar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पुकारा
(pukaaraa)
perfective (pl.m):
पुकारे
(pukaare)
perfective (sg.f):
पुकारी
(pukaarii)
perfective (pl.f):
पुकारीं
(pukaariin)
imperative (informal):
पुकार
(pukaar)
imperative (neutral):
पुकारो
(pukaaro)
imperative (formal):
पुकारिए
(pukaarie)
future (1sg.m):
पुकारूँगा
(pukaaroongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पुकारूँगी
(pukaaroongii)
future (1pl.m):
पुकारेंगे
(pukaarenge)
future (1pl.f):
पुकारेंगी
(pukaarengii)
future (2sg.m):
पुकारेगा
(pukaaregaa)
future (2sg.f):
पुकारेगी
(pukaaregii)
future (2pl.m):
पुकारोगे
(pukaaroge)
future (2pl.f):
पुकारोगी
(pukaarogii)
future (3sg.m):
पुकारेगा
(pukaaregaa)
future (3sg.f):
पुकारेगी
(pukaaregii)
future (3pl.m):
पुकारेंगे
(pukaarenge)
future (3pl.f):
पुकारेंगी
(pukaarengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पुकारूँ
(pukaaroon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पुकारें
(pukaaren)
subjunctive (2sg):
पुकारे
(pukaare)
subjunctive (2pl):
पुकारो
(pukaaro)
subjunctive (3sg):
पुकारे
(pukaare)
subjunctive (3pl):
पुकारें
(pukaaren)