मोल लेना (mol lenaa)
verb
Literally 'to take/buy at a price'; used mainly in the idiom मुसीबत मोल लेना (musiibat mol lenaa) and similar phrases meaning to knowingly bring trouble on oneself.
Sense
1
:
to knowingly invite trouble/hardship on oneself
verb, transitive Almost always paired with an abstract noun like मुसीबत (musiibat), झगड़ा (jhagdaa), or दुश्मनी (dushmnii) as its object -- the frame is [trouble-word] + मोल लेना (mol lenaa).
Synonyms: बुलाना (bulaanaa, invite/summon, used figuratively of trouble), निमंत्रण देना (nimantran denaa, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture a shopkeeper haggling over मोल (mol, price) -- the idiom borrows that image of deliberately agreeing to pay for something, and applies it to bad outcomes: कहीं मुसीबत मोल ले ली (kahiin musiibat mol le lii, 'you've gone and bought yourself trouble') is the classic scolding tone a parent or friend uses when someone acts recklessly.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes take मोल (mol, price/value) too literally here and expect a real transaction; the sense is fully figurative -- no money changes hands. 2) The verb is transitive and takes ने (ne) marking in the perfective, matching लेना (lenaa) -- easy to forget since the whole phrase feels idiomatic rather than like an ordinary verb.
Sample Sentences:
तुमने खामखाह यह मुसीबत मोल ले ली।
You brought this trouble upon yourself for no reason.
(tumne khaamkhaah yah musiibat mol le lii।)
बॉस से बहस करके तुमने अपने लिए नई मुसीबत मोल ले ली है।
By arguing with the boss, you've invited new trouble upon yourself.
(bos se bahas karke tumne apne lie naii musiibat mol le lii hai।)
कहीं मुसीबत मोल ले ली तो कोई मदद नहीं करेगा।
If you go and bring trouble on yourself, no one will help you.
(kahiin musiibat mol le lii to koii madad nahiin karegaa।)
ऐसी हरकतें मत करो, नाहक दुश्मनी मोल मत लो।
Don't do such things, don't needlessly invite enmity upon yourself.
(aisii harakten mat karo, naahak dushmnii mol mat lo।)
अगर वह चुप रहता तो यह झगड़ा मोल न लेता।
If he had stayed quiet, he wouldn't have brought this quarrel upon himself.
(agar vah chup rahtaa to yah jhagdaa mol n letaa।)
वह जानबूझकर सबकी नाराज़गी मोल लेता है।
He knowingly invites everyone's displeasure upon himself.
(vah jaanboojhkar sabkii naaraazgii mol letaa hai।)
क्यों फालतू में इतनी परेशानी मोल ले रहे हो?
Why are you needlessly bringing so much trouble upon yourself?
(kyon phaaltoo men itnii pareshaanii mol le rahe ho?)
जब उसने सबके सामने सच बोल दिया, तब उसने खुद ही यह आफत मोल ली।
When he spoke the truth in front of everyone, he brought this calamity upon himself.
(jab usne sabke saamne sach bol diyaa, tab usne khud hii yah aaphat mol lii।)
उसे नहीं मालूम था कि अपनी जिद से वह इतनी बड़ी मुसीबत मोल ले लेगी।
She didn't know that her stubbornness would bring such a big trouble upon her.
(use nahiin maaloom thaa ki apnii jid se vah itnii badii musiibat mol le legii।)
Sense
2
:
to purchase, buy at a price (literal)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: खरीदना (khariidnaa)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You may still meet this literal sense in older stories or proverbs about bargaining in the bazaar, but a Delhi shopkeeper today will almost always say खरीदना (khariidnaa) rather than मोल लेना (mol lenaa) for a straightforward purchase.
Common Mistakes: 1) This literal sense is quite rare in modern speech -- खरीदना (khariidnaa) is the everyday word for 'to buy'; मोल लेना (mol lenaa) in this literal meaning sounds slightly old-fashioned or bookish.
Sample Sentences:
पुराने समय में लोग बाज़ार से चीज़ें मोल लेते थे।
In olden times people used to buy things from the bazaar.
(puraane samay men log baazaar se chiizen mol lete the।)
व्यापारी ने गाँव वालों से सारा गेहूँ मोल ले लिया।
The merchant bought all the wheat from the villagers.
(vyaapaarii ne gaanv vaalon se saaraa gehoon mol le liyaa।)
राजा ने उस दुर्लभ रत्न को भारी दाम देकर मोल लिया।
The king bought that rare gem by paying a heavy price.
(raajaa ne us durlabh ratn ko bhaarii daam dekar mol liyaa।)
क्या तुम यह घोड़ा मोल लोगे?
Will you buy this horse?
(kyaa tum yah ghodaa mol loge?)
अगर मेरे पास इतना धन होता, तो मैं वह हवेली मोल ले लेता।
If I had that much wealth, I would have bought that mansion.
(agar mere paas itnaa dhan hotaa, to main vah havelii mol le letaa।)
सेठ जी, यह रेशमी कपड़ा किस भाव मोल लिया जाए?
Sir, at what price should this silk cloth be bought?
(seth jii, yah reshmii kapdaa kis bhaav mol liyaa jaae?)
यह ज़मीन गाँव के मुखिया ने बहुत सस्ते में मोल ली थी।
This land had been bought very cheaply by the village headman.
(yah zamiin gaanv ke mukhiyaa ne bahut saste men mol lii thii।)
कहते हैं कि उसने अपनी आज़ादी सोना देकर मोल ली थी।
It is said that he had bought his freedom by giving gold.
(kahte hain ki usne apnii aazaadii sonaa dekar mol lii thii।)
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive:
मोल लेना
(mol lenaa)
infinitive oblique:
मोल लेने
(mol lene)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
मोल लेता
(mol letaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
मोल लेते
(mol lete)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
मोल लेती
(mol letii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
मोल लेतीं
(mol letiin)
continuous (sg.m):
मोल ले रहा
(mol le rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
मोल ले रहे
(mol le rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
मोल ले रही
(mol le rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
मोल ले रहीं
(mol le rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
मोल लिया
(mol liyaa)
perfective (pl.m):
मोल लिए
(mol lie)
perfective (sg.f):
मोल ली
(mol lii)
perfective (pl.f):
मोल लीं
(mol liin)
imperative (informal):
मोल ले
(mol le)
imperative (neutral):
मोल लो
(mol lo)
imperative (formal):
मोल लीजिए
(mol liijie)
future (1sg.m):
मोल लूँगा
(mol loongaa)
future (1sg.f):
मोल लूँगी
(mol loongii)
future (1pl.m):
मोल लेंगे
(mol lenge)
future (1pl.f):
मोल लेंगी
(mol lengii)
future (2sg.m):
मोल लेगा
(mol legaa)
future (2sg.f):
मोल लेगी
(mol legii)
future (2pl.m):
मोल लोगे
(mol loge)
future (2pl.f):
मोल लोगी
(mol logii)
future (3sg.m):
मोल लेगा
(mol legaa)
future (3sg.f):
मोल लेगी
(mol legii)
future (3pl.m):
मोल लेंगे
(mol lenge)
future (3pl.f):
मोल लेंगी
(mol lengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
मोल लूँ
(mol loon)
subjunctive (1pl):
मोल लें
(mol len)
subjunctive (2sg):
मोल ले
(mol le)
subjunctive (2pl):
मोल लो
(mol lo)
subjunctive (3sg):
मोल ले
(mol le)
subjunctive (3pl):
मोल लें
(mol len)