मनाना (manaanaa)
verb
The causative of मानना (maannaa, 'to believe/consider/obey'), covering (1) persuading/coaxing someone, (2) celebrating an occasion or festival, and (3) appeasing or placating someone who is upset.
Sense
1
:
to persuade, coax, talk someone into something
verb, transitive Takes a person as object, often with a following infinitive clause expressing what they are being persuaded to do or accept.
Synonyms: राज़ी करना (raazii karnaa), मनवाना (manvaanaa, causative variant, subtly different force)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the classic word for the coaxing that happens when someone is sulking or refusing to budge -- a parent 'मनाता है' (manaataa hai) a child who won't eat, or friends 'मनाते हैं' (manaate hain) someone who is upset and giving silent treatment. It's a very relationship-oriented verb, tied closely to Hindi's rich vocabulary around moods and persuasion.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners confuse मनाना (manaanaa) with मनवाना (manvaanaa): मनाना (manaanaa) means to talk someone into agreeing or coming around, while मनवाना (manvaanaa) means to get your own point/demand accepted by someone else -- the direction of whose will 'wins' is different. 2) Don't mix this up with मानना (maannaa, 'to believe/accept') itself -- मनाना (manaanaa) is specifically the act of working on someone else to bring them to that state.
Sample Sentences:
माँ बच्चे को खाना खाने के लिए मनाती है।
The mother persuades the child to eat food.
(maan bachche ko khaanaa khaane ke lie manaatii hai।)
मैंने उसे पार्टी में आने के लिए बहुत मनाया।
I persuaded him a lot to come to the party.
(mainne use paartii men aane ke lie bahut manaayaa।)
वह अपने दोस्तों को ट्रिप पर चलने के लिए मना रहा है।
He is persuading his friends to go on the trip.
(vah apne doston ko trip par chalne ke lie manaa rahaa hai।)
उसे मनाओ कि वह नौकरी न छोड़े।
Persuade him not to quit his job.
(use manaao ki vah naukrii n chhode।)
काश मैं उसे रुकने के लिए मना पाता।
I wish I could have persuaded him to stay.
(kaash main use rukne ke lie manaa paataa।)
शायद वे उसे शादी के लिए मना लें।
Maybe they will manage to persuade her into the marriage.
(shaayad ve use shaadii ke lie manaa len।)
बड़ी मुश्किल से उसे इलाज कराने के लिए मनाया गया।
He was persuaded to get treatment only with great difficulty.
(badii mushkil se use ilaaj karaane ke lie manaayaa gayaa।)
वह हमेशा सबको अपनी बात मानने के लिए मना लेता है।
He always manages to persuade everyone to agree with him.
(vah hameshaa sabko apnii baat maanne ke lie manaa letaa hai।)
समिति के सदस्यों को इस प्रस्ताव पर सहमत होने के लिए मनाना आसान नहीं होगा।
It will not be easy to persuade the committee members to agree to this proposal.
(samiti ke sadasyon ko is prastaav par sahmat hone ke lie manaanaa aasaan nahiin hogaa।)
अगर तुम उसे थोड़ा प्यार से मनाते तो वह मान जाता।
If you had persuaded him a bit lovingly, he would have agreed.
(agar tum use thodaa pyaar se manaate to vah maan jaataa।)
क्या तुम उसे मुझसे बात करने के लिए मना सकते हो?
Can you persuade her to talk to me?
(kyaa tum use mujhse baat karne ke lie manaa sakte ho?)
Sense
2
:
to celebrate (a festival, occasion, birthday)
verb, transitive Takes the occasion or festival as its direct object: दिवाली मनाना (divaalii manaanaa, 'to celebrate Diwali'), जन्मदिन मनाना (janmdin manaanaa, 'to celebrate a birthday').
Synonyms: जश्न मनाना (jashn manaanaa, compound form, used for festive/joyous celebration specifically), उत्सव मनाना (utsav manaanaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly around festival season -- होली कैसे मनाई? (holii kaise manaaii?, 'how did you celebrate Holi?') is a completely normal way to catch up with someone in March. It's the verb every Hindi speaker reaches for when talking about festivals, weddings, and personal milestones alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for 'celebrate' verbs borrowed loosely from English rather than this native construction -- मनाना (manaanaa) is by far the natural, default way to say 'celebrate X' in Hindi for any festival or occasion.
Sample Sentences:
हम हर साल दिवाली बहुत धूमधाम से मनाते हैं।
We celebrate Diwali with great fanfare every year.
(ham har saal divaalii bahut dhoomdhaam se manaate hain।)
तुमने होली कैसे मनाई?
How did you celebrate Holi?
(tumne holii kaise manaaii?)
इस बार मेरा जन्मदिन दोस्तों के साथ मनाया जाएगा।
This time my birthday will be celebrated with friends.
(is baar meraa janmdin doston ke saath manaayaa jaaegaa।)
चलो, आज की जीत का जश्न मनाते हैं!
Come on, let's celebrate today's victory!
(chalo, aaj kii jiit kaa jashn manaate hain!)
अगर पैसे होते तो हम शादी की सालगिरह ज़्यादा शानदार तरीके से मनाते।
If we had had the money, we would have celebrated our wedding anniversary in a grander way.
(agar paise hote to ham shaadii kii saalgirah zyaadaa shaandaar tariike se manaate।)
पूरा मोहल्ला मिलकर गणेश चतुर्थी मना रहा है।
The whole neighborhood is celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi together.
(pooraa mohallaa milkar ganesh chaturthii manaa rahaa hai।)
काश हम इस बार ईद अपने गाँव में मना पाते।
I wish we could have celebrated Eid in our village this time.
(kaash ham is baar iid apne gaanv men manaa paate।)
क्रिसमस पूरे शहर में बड़े उत्साह से मनाया जाता है।
Christmas is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the city.
(krismas poore shahar men bade utsaah se manaayaa jaataa hai।)
स्कूल में स्वतंत्रता दिवस बड़े ही सम्मान के साथ मनाया गया।
Independence Day was celebrated at school with great respect.
(skool men svatantrtaa divas bade hii sammaan ke saath manaayaa gayaa।)
आप अपनी सफलता का जश्न मनाइए, यह मौका बार-बार नहीं आता।
Please celebrate your success, this chance does not come again and again.
(aap apnii saphaltaa kaa jashn manaaie, yah maukaa baar-baar nahiin aataa।)
बच्चे अपने-अपने तरीके से त्योहार मनाते हुए बड़े हुए हैं।
The children have grown up celebrating festivals each in their own way.
(bachche apne-apne tariike se tyohaar manaate hue bade hue hain।)
Sense
3
:
to appease, placate, pacify someone who is angry or upset
verb, transitive
Synonyms: शांत करना (shaant karnaa, broader, calming down anger generally), फुसलाना (phuslaanaa, leans more toward cajoling/coaxing with sweet talk)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word behind the common domestic scene of one family member sulking (रूठना, roothnaa) and another going to 'मनाने' (manaane) them -- a whole cultural ritual pair, रूठना-मनाना (roothnaa-manaanaa), that shows up in Hindi film songs and everyday family life alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense overlaps closely with the 'persuade' sense above -- context (someone visibly upset or angry vs. someone simply undecided) is what distinguishes 'appease' from 'persuade' rather than any difference in grammar.
Sample Sentences:
मैं उसे मनाने की कोशिश कर रहा हूँ।
I am trying to appease her.
(main use manaane kii koshish kar rahaa hoon।)
वह रूठी हुई है, जाकर उसे मना लो।
She's sulking, go and appease her.
(vah roothii huii hai, jaakar use manaa lo।)
भाई ने बहन को बहुत मनाया पर वह नहीं पिघली।
The brother tried hard to appease his sister, but she didn't soften.
(bhaaii ne bahan ko bahut manaayaa par vah nahiin pighlii।)
अगर तुम उसे थोड़ा प्यार से मनाते तो वह मान जाती।
If you had appeased her a little lovingly, she would have relented.
(agar tum use thodaa pyaar se manaate to vah maan jaatii।)
रूठना-मनाना तो हर रिश्ते का हिस्सा है।
Sulking and appeasing are just part of every relationship.
(roothnaa-manaanaa to har rishte kaa hissaa hai।)
गुस्से में बैठी माँ को बेटी ने मना लिया।
The daughter managed to appease her mother, who was sitting there angry.
(gusse men baithii maan ko betii ne manaa liyaa।)
क्या तुम मुझे मनाने आए हो?
Have you come to appease me?
(kyaa tum mujhe manaane aae ho?)
उसे मनाना इतना आसान नहीं होगा।
Appeasing him won't be that easy.
(use manaanaa itnaa aasaan nahiin hogaa।)
पत्नी को मनाने के लिए वह फूल लेकर आया।
He brought flowers in order to appease his wife.
(patnii ko manaane ke lie vah phool lekar aayaa।)
नाराज़ ग्राहक को मनाने के लिए कंपनी ने माफ़ी माँगी।
The company apologized in order to appease the upset customer.
(naaraaz graahak ko manaane ke lie kampnii ne maafii maangii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
मनाना
(manaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
मनाने
(manaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
मनाता
(manaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
मनाते
(manaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
मनाती
(manaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
मनातीं
(manaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
मना रहा
(manaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
मना रहे
(manaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
मना रही
(manaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
मना रहीं
(manaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
मनाया
(manaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
मनाए
(manaae)
perfective (sg.f):
मनाई
(manaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
मनाईं
(manaaiin)
imperative (informal):
मना
(manaa)
imperative (neutral):
मनाओ
(manaao)
imperative (formal):
मनाइए
(manaaie)
future (1sg.m):
मनाऊँगा
(manaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
मनाऊँगी
(manaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
मनाएँगे
(manaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
मनाएँगी
(manaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
मनाएगा
(manaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
मनाएगी
(manaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
मनाओगे
(manaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
मनाओगी
(manaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
मनाएगा
(manaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
मनाएगी
(manaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
मनाएँगे
(manaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
मनाएँगी
(manaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
मनाऊँ
(manaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
मनाएँ
(manaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
मनाए
(manaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
मनाओ
(manaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
मनाए
(manaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
मनाएँ
(manaaen)