बनाना (banaanaa)
verb
The main transitive verb 'to make/build/prepare/form,' with extended senses covering cooking, constructing relationships or things, and figurative uses like 'to fool someone.' Related to the intransitive बनना (bannaa, 'to be made/become').
Sense
1
:
to make, create, build
verb, transitive
Synonyms: तैयार करना (taiyaar karnaa, 'to prepare')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the most useful verbs in the language -- you will use it for everything from making chai to building a career. Note the neat pair बनना (bannaa) / बनाना (banaanaa) mirrors the English intransitive/transitive pair 'to become' / 'to make.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use बनना (bannaa) when they mean the transitive act of making something -- remember बनाना (banaanaa) needs an agent doing the making, while बनना (bannaa) describes the thing coming into being on its own. 2) In the perfective, this verb takes ने (ne) marking on the subject since it is transitive: उसने घर बनाया (usne ghar banaayaa, 'he built a house').
Sample Sentences:
मैं रोज़ सुबह चाय बनाता हूँ।
I make tea every morning.
(main roz subah chaay banaataa hoon।)
उसने पिछले साल एक नया घर बनाया।
He built a new house last year.
(usne pichhle saal ek nayaa ghar banaayaa।)
सरकार यहाँ एक नया पुल बना रही है।
The government is building a new bridge here.
(sarkaar yahaan ek nayaa pul banaa rahii hai।)
अगर मुझे मौका मिलता तो मैं अपना घर खुद बनाता।
If I got the chance, I would build my own house myself.
(agar mujhe maukaa miltaa to main apnaa ghar khud banaataa।)
यह मंदिर सौ साल पहले बनाया गया था।
This temple was built a hundred years ago.
(yah mandir sau saal pahle banaayaa gayaa thaa।)
कृपया इस डिज़ाइन के हिसाब से मॉडल बनाइए।
Please build the model according to this design.
(kripyaa is dizaain ke hisaab se modal banaaie।)
हो सकता है वह इस बार कोई नई फ़िल्म बनाए।
It's possible he makes some new film this time.
(ho saktaa hai vah is baar koii naii film banaae।)
हम अगले महीने तक यह प्रोजेक्ट बना चुके होंगे।
We will have finished building this project by next month.
(ham agle mahiine tak yah projekt banaa chuke honge।)
ईश्वर ने इस सृष्टि को बनाया है।
God has created this universe.
(iishvar ne is srishti ko banaayaa hai।)
क्या तुम मेरे लिए एक छोटा-सा बॉक्स बना सकते हो?
Can you make a small box for me?
(kyaa tum mere lie ek chhotaa-saa boks banaa sakte ho?)
इस फैक्ट्री में हर दिन हज़ारों कारें बनाई जाती हैं।
Thousands of cars are made in this factory every day.
(is phaiktrii men har din hazaaron kaaren banaaii jaatii hain।)
Sense
2
:
to cook, prepare food
verb, transitive
Synonyms: पकाना (pakaanaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any Delhi mother क्या बना है? (kyaa banaa hai, 'what's been made?') at lunchtime and she means what's cooking. Hindi treats a finished dish the same way it treats a finished house -- both are 'made,' बनाया (banaayaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) For food, बनाना (banaanaa) is far more common in everyday speech than पकाना (pakaanaa), which can sound slightly more formal or technical (e.g. describing the cooking process itself rather than 'making' a dish).
Sample Sentences:
माँ रोज़ सुबह नाश्ता बनाती है।
Mom cooks breakfast every morning.
(maan roz subah naashtaa banaatii hai।)
आज क्या बना है?
What's been cooked today?
(aaj kyaa banaa hai?)
कल रात मैंने राजमा-चावल बनाया था।
Last night I had cooked rajma-chawal.
(kal raat mainne raajmaa-chaaval banaayaa thaa।)
वह रसोई में खाना बना रही है।
She's cooking food in the kitchen.
(vah rasoii men khaanaa banaa rahii hai।)
कृपया मेरे लिए एक कप चाय बना दीजिए।
Please make me a cup of tea.
(kripyaa mere lie ek kap chaay banaa diijie।)
अगर मेरे पास समय होता तो मैं तुम्हारे लिए बिरयानी बनाता।
If I had time, I would cook biryani for you.
(agar mere paas samay hotaa to main tumhaare lie biryaanii banaataa।)
इस होटल में खाना बहुत स्वादिष्ट बनाया जाता है।
The food is cooked very deliciously at this hotel.
(is hotal men khaanaa bahut svaadisht banaayaa jaataa hai।)
शायद वह आज खिचड़ी बनाए।
Maybe she'll cook khichdi today.
(shaayad vah aaj khichdii banaae।)
मैं कल पार्टी के लिए मिठाई बनाऊँगी।
I will cook sweets for the party tomorrow.
(main kal paartii ke lie mithaaii banaaoongii।)
दादी हमेशा त्योहारों पर पूरे परिवार के लिए हलवा बनाती थीं।
Grandmother always used to cook halwa for the whole family on festivals.
(daadii hameshaa tyohaaron par poore parivaar ke lie halvaa banaatii thiin।)
इतने मेहमानों के लिए खाना बनाना कोई आसान काम नहीं है।
Cooking food for so many guests is no easy task.
(itne mehmaanon ke lie khaanaa banaanaa koii aasaan kaam nahiin hai।)
Sense
3
:
to form or establish a relationship, plan, or opinion
verb, transitive Common collocations: दोस्ती बनाना (dostii banaanaa, 'to make friendship'), योजना बनाना (yojnaa banaanaa, 'to make a plan'), राय बनाना (raay banaanaa, 'to form an opinion').
Synonyms: स्थापित करना (sthaapit karnaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This extended, abstract use of बनाना (banaanaa) shows how flexible the verb is -- Hindi speakers 'make' friendships, plans, and opinions just as naturally as they make food or furniture.
Sample Sentences:
मैंने कॉलेज में कई अच्छे दोस्त बनाए।
I made several good friends in college.
(mainne kolej men kaii achchhe dost banaae।)
हम अगले हफ्ते की छुट्टियों के लिए योजना बना रहे हैं।
We are making plans for next week's vacation.
(ham agle haphte kii chhuttiyon ke lie yojnaa banaa rahe hain।)
बिना पूरी जानकारी के किसी के बारे में राय मत बनाओ।
Don't form an opinion about someone without complete information.
(binaa poorii jaankaarii ke kisii ke baare men raay mat banaao।)
अगर हम अभी से रणनीति बनाएँ तो बेहतर होगा।
It would be better if we formed a strategy starting now.
(agar ham abhii se ranniiti banaaen to behtar hogaa।)
अगर उसने पहले ही रिश्ते बना लिए होते तो उसे इतनी मुश्किल न होती।
If he had already formed relationships, he wouldn't have had so much trouble.
(agar usne pahle hii rishte banaa lie hote to use itnii mushkil n hotii।)
कंपनी ने नए बाज़ार में प्रवेश करने की योजना बनाई है।
The company has formed a plan to enter the new market.
(kampnii ne nae baazaar men pravesh karne kii yojnaa banaaii hai।)
पड़ोसियों के साथ अच्छे संबंध बनाना ज़रूरी है।
It's important to form good relations with neighbors.
(padosiyon ke saath achchhe sambandh banaanaa zaroorii hai।)
इस मुद्दे पर अंतिम राय बनाने से पहले सारे पहलुओं पर विचार किया जाना चाहिए।
All aspects should be considered before forming a final opinion on this issue.
(is mudde par antim raay banaane se pahle saare pahluon par vichaar kiyaa jaanaa chaahie।)
सरकार ने नई शिक्षा नीति के लिए एक रूपरेखा बनाई थी।
The government had formed a framework for the new education policy.
(sarkaar ne naii shikshaa niiti ke lie ek rooprekhaa banaaii thii।)
वह हर किसी से जल्दी दोस्ती बना लेता है।
He quickly forms friendships with everyone.
(vah har kisii se jaldii dostii banaa letaa hai।)
आगे की योजना अगले हफ्ते बनाई जाएगी।
The future plan will be formed next week.
(aage kii yojnaa agle haphte banaaii jaaegii।)
Sense
4
:
to fool, deceive, or tease someone
verb, transitive Usually appears as the compound बेवकूफ़ बनाना (bevkoof banaanaa) or with an object plus बनाना (banaanaa) alone in context, e.g. तुम मुझे बना रहे हो? (tum mujhe banaa rahe ho, 'are you fooling me?').
Synonyms: बेवकूफ़ बनाना (bevkoof banaanaa, 'to make a fool of'), मूर्ख बनाना (moorkh banaanaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is a favorite in banter among friends -- मुझे मत बनाओ! (mujhe mat banaao, 'don't fool me!') is something you will hear constantly in casual Delhi conversations when someone suspects they're being teased or misled.
Common Mistakes: 1) Used alone with a person as object, बनाना (banaanaa) can mean 'to fool/tease' rather than 'to make' -- context (a person, not an object, being 'made') signals this figurative sense.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे मत बनाओ!
Don't fool me!
(mujhe mat banaao!)
वह हमेशा दोस्तों को बनाता रहता है।
He is always teasing his friends.
(vah hameshaa doston ko banaataa rahtaa hai।)
तू मुझे बना रहा है क्या?
Are you messing with me?
(too mujhe banaa rahaa hai kyaa?)
उसने मुझे पूरे दफ्तर के सामने बना दिया।
He made a fool of me in front of the whole office.
(usne mujhe poore daphtar ke saamne banaa diyaa।)
अगर उसने मुझे बनाया होता, तो मैं गुस्सा हो जाता।
If he had fooled me, I would have gotten angry.
(agar usne mujhe banaayaa hotaa, to main gussaa ho jaataa।)
क्या तुम मुझे बना रहे हो या सच में यही हुआ था?
Are you pulling my leg, or did this really happen?
(kyaa tum mujhe banaa rahe ho yaa sach men yahii huaa thaa?)
मुझे लगता है कि वह हमें बना रहा हो।
I think he might be pulling our leg.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki vah hamen banaa rahaa ho।)
यार, मुझे बनाना बंद कर, मैं सच में परेशान हूँ।
Dude, stop messing with me, I'm actually worried.
(yaar, mujhe banaanaa band kar, main sach men pareshaan hoon।)
उसे इस तरह बनाया गया कि उसे पता ही नहीं चला।
He was fooled in such a way that he didn't even realize it.
(use is tarah banaayaa gayaa ki use pataa hii nahiin chalaa।)
बच्चे अक्सर एक-दूसरे को बनाकर हँसते हैं।
Kids often laugh after teasing each other like that.
(bachche aksar ek-doosre ko banaakar hanste hain।)
इतनी आसानी से मुझे मत बनाइए, मुझे सब समझ आता है।
Please don't fool me so easily, I understand everything.
(itnii aasaanii se mujhe mat banaaie, mujhe sab samajh aataa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बनाना
(banaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
बनाने
(banaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बनाता
(banaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बनाते
(banaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बनाती
(banaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बनातीं
(banaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बना रहा
(banaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बना रहे
(banaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बना रही
(banaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बना रहीं
(banaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बनाया
(banaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बनाए
(banaae)
perfective (sg.f):
बनाई
(banaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
बनाईं
(banaaiin)
imperative (informal):
बना
(banaa)
imperative (neutral):
बनाओ
(banaao)
imperative (formal):
बनाइए
(banaaie)
future (1sg.m):
बनाऊँगा
(banaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बनाऊँगी
(banaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बनाएँगे
(banaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
बनाएँगी
(banaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
बनाएगा
(banaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बनाएगी
(banaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
बनाओगे
(banaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
बनाओगी
(banaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
बनाएगा
(banaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बनाएगी
(banaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
बनाएँगे
(banaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
बनाएँगी
(banaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बनाऊँ
(banaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बनाएँ
(banaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बनाए
(banaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
बनाओ
(banaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
बनाए
(banaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
बनाएँ
(banaaen)