फैलना (phailnaa)
verb
One core intransitive verb meaning 'to spread' or 'to expand' -- covers physical spreading (fire, water, an odor), bodily/spatial stretching out, and the figurative spread of things like news, disease, or rumors.
Sense
1
:
to spread, to extend (physically)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: फैल जाना (phail jaanaa, with completive फैल जाना), विस्तृत होना (vistrit honaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture spilled chai on a tablecloth or smoke drifting through a room -- फैलना (phailnaa) is exactly that visual of something spreading outward from a point. It very often pairs with जाना (jaanaa) as फैल जाना (phail jaanaa) to mark the completed spread, e.g. after a monsoon puddle has covered a whole street.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for बढ़ना (badhnaa) here, but बढ़ना (badhnaa) means to increase/grow in degree or amount, while फैलना (phailnaa) means to spread out over an area or surface -- पानी फैल गया (paanii phail gayaa, 'the water spread out') versus पानी बढ़ गया (paanii badh gayaa, 'the water level rose').
Sample Sentences:
चाय मेज़ पर फैल गई।
The tea spread across the table.
(chaay mez par phail gaii।)
धुआँ पूरे कमरे में फैल रहा था।
Smoke was spreading throughout the room.
(dhuaan poore kamre men phail rahaa thaa।)
बारिश के बाद पानी पूरी सड़क पर फैल जाता है।
After the rain, the water spreads across the whole street.
(baarish ke baad paanii poorii sadak par phail jaataa hai।)
पेड़ की जड़ें ज़मीन के नीचे दूर तक फैल गई हैं।
The tree's roots have spread far under the ground.
(ped kii jaden zamiin ke niiche door tak phail gaii hain।)
आग बहुत तेज़ी से फैलेगी अगर हवा तेज़ रही।
The fire will spread very fast if the wind stays strong.
(aag bahut tezii se phailegii agar havaa tez rahii।)
तेल इतना पतला था कि पानी पर फैलते ही गायब हो गया।
The oil was so thin that it vanished as soon as it spread on the water.
(tel itnaa patlaa thaa ki paanii par phailte hii gaayab ho gayaa।)
अगर यह पेंट फैल जाए तो पूरा फ़र्श ख़राब हो जाएगा।
If this paint spreads, the whole floor will be ruined.
(agar yah pent phail jaae to pooraa farsh kharaab ho jaaegaa।)
इस मिश्रण को समान रूप से फैलने दीजिए।
Let this mixture spread evenly.
(is mishran ko samaan roop se phailne diijie।)
अगर बाँध टूट जाता, तो बाढ़ का पानी पूरे इलाके में फैल जाता।
If the dam had broken, the floodwater would have spread across the whole area.
(agar baandh toot jaataa, to baadh kaa paanii poore ilaake men phail jaataa।)
दीये की रोशनी धीरे-धीरे पूरे आँगन में फैल गई।
The lamp's light gradually spread across the whole courtyard.
(diiye kii roshnii dhiire-dhiire poore aangan men phail gaii।)
बादल आसमान में तेज़ी से फैलते जा रहे थे।
The clouds kept spreading rapidly across the sky.
(baadal aasmaan men tezii se phailte jaa rahe the।)
Sense
2
:
to spread (news, disease, rumor -- figurative)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: फैल जाना (phail jaanaa), प्रसारित होना (prasaarit honaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the verb you hear constantly in news broadcasts and family gossip alike -- अफ़वाह फैल गई (afvaah phail gaii, 'the rumor spread') or बीमारी फैल रही है (biimaarii phail rahii hai, 'the disease is spreading'). It treats news and illness the same way it treats water or fire: as something that expands outward on its own, without anyone actively 'doing' the spreading -- a nice example of Hindi's love of intransitive, agentless framing.
Common Mistakes: 1) With abstract subjects like खबर (khabar, 'news') or बीमारी (biimaarii, 'disease'), फैलना (phailnaa) is the natural native choice; learners sometimes overuse बताना (bataanaa) or a passive construction where Hindi just uses this one intransitive verb.
Sample Sentences:
शहर में एक अफ़वाह फैल गई है।
A rumor has spread in the city.
(shahar men ek afvaah phail gaii hai।)
यह बीमारी बहुत तेज़ी से फैल रही है।
This disease is spreading very fast.
(yah biimaarii bahut tezii se phail rahii hai।)
पहले लोग सच से ज़्यादा अफ़वाहें फैलाते थे, अब भी वैसी ही अफ़वाहें फैलती हैं।
Earlier people used to circulate more rumors than truths, and the same kind of rumors spread even now.
(pahle log sach se zyaadaa afvaahen phailaate the, ab bhii vaisii hii afvaahen phailtii hain।)
अगर तुम यह ख़बर सबको बताओगे तो बात फैल जाएगी।
If you tell everyone this news, the matter will spread.
(agar tum yah khabar sabko bataaoge to baat phail jaaegii।)
कृपया यह ख़बर मत फैलाना, अभी पुष्टि नहीं हुई है।
Please don't spread this news, it hasn't been confirmed yet.
(kripyaa yah khabar mat phailaanaa, abhii pushti nahiin huii hai।)
काश यह डर इतना न फैला होता।
If only this fear hadn't spread so much.
(kaash yah dar itnaa n phailaa hotaa।)
सोशल मीडिया पर झूठी ख़बरें बड़ी आसानी से फैल जाती हैं।
Fake news spreads very easily on social media.
(soshal miidiyaa par jhoothii khabren badii aasaanii se phail jaatii hain।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि अगर सावधानी न रखी जाए तो संक्रमण और फैल सकता है।
The doctor said that if precautions aren't taken, the infection could spread further.
(doktar ne kahaa ki agar saavdhaanii n rakhii jaae to sankrman aur phail saktaa hai।)
मुझे डर है कि यह बात दफ़्तर में फैल न जाए।
I'm afraid this matter might spread around the office.
(mujhe dar hai ki yah baat daftar men phail n jaae।)
उस युग में महामारियाँ पूरे देश में फैल जाती थीं और लाखों जीवन लील जाती थीं।
In that era, epidemics would spread across the whole country and consume millions of lives.
(us yug men mahaamaariyaan poore desh men phail jaatii thiin aur laakhon jiivan liil jaatii thiin।)
यह ख़बर देखते ही देखते पूरे मुहल्ले में फैल गई।
This news spread throughout the whole neighborhood in no time.
(yah khabar dekhte hii dekhte poore muhalle men phail gaii।)
Sense
3
:
to stretch out, sprawl (limbs, body)
verb, intransitive Commonly used with body parts as subject: हाथ फैलाना (haath phailaanaa) is the causative counterpart 'to stretch out one's arms/hands', while पैर फैलाकर सोना (pair phailaakar sonaa, 'to sleep with legs sprawled out') shows this intransitive sense in a common idiom.
Synonyms: पसरना (pasarnaa, less common), फैल जाना (phail jaanaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of someone flopping onto a charpai after a long day and letting their arms and legs go loose and wide -- that relaxed, unfolding motion is what फैलना (phailnaa) captures here. It is the intransitive twin of the causative फैलाना (phailaanaa, 'to spread/stretch something out'), which a learner will meet as its own separate lemma.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often only know the 'spread of news' sense and are surprised फैलना (phailnaa) also describes a person's body relaxing or sprawling across a bed or sofa -- टाँगें फैलाकर बैठना (taangen phailaakar baithnaa, 'to sit with legs stretched out') is a very ordinary everyday image.
Sample Sentences:
थककर वह चारपाई पर फैल गया।
Tired, he sprawled out on the charpai.
(thakkar vah chaarpaaii par phail gayaa।)
वह सोफे पर फैला हुआ है।
He is sprawled out on the sofa.
(vah sophe par phailaa huaa hai।)
छुट्टी के दिन मैं बस बिस्तर पर फैल जाता हूँ।
On holidays I just sprawl out on the bed.
(chhuttii ke din main bas bistar par phail jaataa hoon।)
बच्चा फर्श पर फैलकर खेल रहा था।
The child was sprawled on the floor, playing.
(bachchaa pharsh par phailkar khel rahaa thaa।)
थोड़ा फैलकर बैठो, तुम्हें आराम मिलेगा।
Sit sprawled out a bit, you'll feel more comfortable.
(thodaa phailkar baitho, tumhen aaraam milegaa।)
अगर कुर्सी बड़ी होती, तो वह और आराम से फैल पाता।
If the chair were bigger, he would have been able to sprawl out more comfortably.
(agar kursii badii hotii, to vah aur aaraam se phail paataa।)
पूरे दिन की थकान के बाद वह ज़मीन पर फैल जाएगा।
After a whole day's exhaustion, he will just sprawl out on the ground.
(poore din kii thakaan ke baad vah zamiin par phail jaaegaa।)
कुत्ता धूप में फैलकर सो रहा है।
The dog is sprawled out asleep in the sunshine.
(kuttaa dhoop men phailkar so rahaa hai।)
काश मैं भी यूँ ही फैलकर लेट पाता।
I wish I too could just lie there sprawled out like that.
(kaash main bhii yoon hii phailkar let paataa।)
पहले वह सीधा बैठता था, अब सोफे पर फैल जाता है।
Earlier he used to sit up straight, now he just sprawls out on the sofa.
(pahle vah siidhaa baithtaa thaa, ab sophe par phail jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
फैलना
(phailnaa)
infinitive oblique:
फैलने
(phailne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
फैलता
(phailtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
फैलते
(phailte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
फैलती
(phailtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
फैलतीं
(phailtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
फैल रहा
(phail rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
फैल रहे
(phail rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
फैल रही
(phail rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
फैल रहीं
(phail rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
फैला
(phailaa)
perfective (pl.m):
फैले
(phaile)
perfective (sg.f):
फैली
(phailii)
perfective (pl.f):
फैलीं
(phailiin)
imperative (informal):
फैल
(phail)
imperative (neutral):
फैलो
(phailo)
imperative (formal):
फैलिए
(phailie)
future (1sg.m):
फैलूँगा
(phailoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
फैलूँगी
(phailoongii)
future (1pl.m):
फैलेंगे
(phailenge)
future (1pl.f):
फैलेंगी
(phailengii)
future (2sg.m):
फैलेगा
(phailegaa)
future (2sg.f):
फैलेगी
(phailegii)
future (2pl.m):
फैलोगे
(phailoge)
future (2pl.f):
फैलोगी
(phailogii)
future (3sg.m):
फैलेगा
(phailegaa)
future (3sg.f):
फैलेगी
(phailegii)
future (3pl.m):
फैलेंगे
(phailenge)
future (3pl.f):
फैलेंगी
(phailengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
फैलूँ
(phailoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
फैलें
(phailen)
subjunctive (2sg):
फैले
(phaile)
subjunctive (2pl):
फैलो
(phailo)
subjunctive (3sg):
फैले
(phaile)
subjunctive (3pl):
फैलें
(phailen)