बात करना (baat karnaa)

verb A compound built from बात (baat, 'talk/matter') plus करना (karnaa, 'to do'); it means 'to talk, to converse' and is one of the most common everyday verbs for speaking with someone.
Sense 1 : to talk, to converse (with someone)
verb, transitive Person spoken with is marked with से (se): मैं उससे बात करता हूँ (main usse baat kartaa hoon, 'I talk to him/her').
Synonyms: बातें करना (baaten karnaa, plural form, very common), गपशप करना (gapshap karnaa, casual chit-chat), बातचीत करना (baatchiit karnaa, slightly more formal/neutral)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the everyday go-to verb for 'talk' in Hindi -- on the phone, in person, about anything. Delhi folks use it constantly: फ़ोन पर बात करना (fon par baat karnaa, 'to talk on the phone') is a phrase you'll hear all day, every day.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try को (ko) for the person being spoken to, but बात करना (baat karnaa) takes से (se): बात करना is 'to talk with', not 'to talk to' in the direct-object sense. 2) In the perfective, this behaves like a normal transitive-with-ने pattern: उसने बात की (usne baat kii, 'she talked'), agreeing with बात (baat) (feminine) rather than the subject -- learners sometimes default to -ा here.
Sample Sentences:
मैं रोज़ अपनी माँ से फ़ोन पर बात करता हूँ। I talk to my mother on the phone every day.
(main roz apnii maan se fon par baat kartaa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल रात हम दोनों घंटों बात करते रहे। Last night the two of us kept talking for hours.
(kal raat ham donon ghanton baat karte rahe।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसने मुझसे इतने प्यार से बात की कि मैं भूल ही गया कि वह नाराज़ था। He talked to me so lovingly that I completely forgot he was upset.
(usne mujhse itne pyaar se baat kii ki main bhool hii gayaa ki vah naaraaz thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
प्लीज़ थोड़ा धीरे बात करो, बच्चा सो रहा है। Please talk a little quietly, the baby is sleeping.
(pliiz thodaa dhiire baat karo, bachchaa so rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम मुझसे पहले बात करते तो शायद यह गलतफ़हमी नहीं होती। If you had talked to me earlier, maybe this misunderstanding wouldn't have happened.
(agar tum mujhse pahle baat karte to shaayad yah galatfahmii nahiin hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम कभी अपने पापा से दिल की बात करते हो? Do you ever talk to your dad about what's really on your mind?
(kyaa tum kabhii apne paapaa se dil kii baat karte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सर, क्या मैं आपसे एक मिनट बात कर सकता हूँ? Sir, may I talk to you for a minute?
(sar, kyaa main aapse ek minat baat kar saktaa hoon?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह इतना शरमाया हुआ था कि लड़की से बात करना उसके लिए मुश्किल हो गया। He was so shy that talking to the girl became difficult for him.
(vah itnaa sharmaayaa huaa thaa ki ladkii se baat karnaa uske lie mushkil ho gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मीटिंग में जब सब लोग बात कर रहे थे, तो वह बस खामोश बैठा था। In the meeting, while everyone was talking, he just sat there in silence.
(miiting men jab sab log baat kar rahe the, to vah bas khaamosh baithaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मेहमानों से इतनी रुखाई से बात नहीं की जाती। Guests aren't supposed to be talked to so rudely.
(mehmaanon se itnii rukhaaii se baat nahiin kii jaatii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काश हम आमने-सामने बैठकर बात कर पाते, फ़ोन पर सब कुछ ठीक से समझ नहीं आता। I wish we could sit face to face and talk, one doesn't quite understand everything over the phone.
(kaash ham aamne-saamne baithkar baat kar paate, fon par sab kuchh thiik se samajh nahiin aataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to discuss, to negotiate/take up a matter
verb, transitive Here बात (baat) functions more like 'the matter/issue' than 'a chat' -- used when raising or settling something specific, e.g. तनख़्वाह के बारे में बात करना (tanakhvaah ke baare men baat karnaa, 'to discuss/take up the matter of salary').
Synonyms: चर्चा करना (charchaa karnaa, more formal, for discussion/debate), बात चलाना (baat chalaanaa, to bring up a topic)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in slightly more serious contexts -- negotiating a price with a shopkeeper, or parents discussing a marriage proposal: बात करने आए हैं (baat karne aae hain, 'they've come to talk/negotiate') carries a sense of a specific matter being addressed, not just idle chatting.
Sample Sentences:
हमें दुकानदार से दाम को लेकर बात करनी है। We need to negotiate with the shopkeeper about the price.
(hamen dukaandaar se daam ko lekar baat karnii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वे रिश्ते की बात करने आए हैं। They have come to discuss the marriage proposal.
(ve rishte kii baat karne aae hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिता जी ने लड़के के परिवार से बात की। Father discussed the matter with the boy's family.
(pitaa jii ne ladke ke parivaar se baat kii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया इस मुद्दे पर मैनेजर से बात कीजिए। Please take up this matter with the manager.
(kripyaa is mudde par mainejar se baat kiijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वे तनख्वाह बढ़ाने की बात न करें, तो मैं नौकरी छोड़ दूँगा। If they don't negotiate a raise in salary, I'll quit the job.
(agar ve tanakhvaah badhaane kii baat n karen, to main naukrii chhod doongaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
काश हम इस सौदे पर पहले ही बात कर लेते। If only we had negotiated this deal earlier.
(kaash ham is saude par pahle hii baat kar lete।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
दोनों पक्षों के बीच सीमा विवाद पर बात की जा रही है। The border dispute is being discussed between both sides.
(donon pakshon ke biich siimaa vivaad par baat kii jaa rahii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगली बैठक में तनख्वाह की बात होगी। The salary matter will be discussed in the next meeting.
(aglii baithak men tanakhvaah kii baat hogii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
वकील अदालत के बाहर समझौते की बात कर रहे थे। The lawyers were negotiating a settlement outside the court.
(vakiil adaalat ke baahar samjhaute kii baat kar rahe the।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब तक हम किराए की बात नहीं करते, मकान मालिक कुछ तय नहीं करेगा। Until we discuss the rent, the landlord won't decide anything.
(jab tak ham kiraae kii baat nahiin karte, makaan maalik kuchh tay nahiin karegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive: बात करना (baat karnaa)
infinitive oblique: बात करने (baat karne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): बात करता (baat kartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): बात करते (baat karte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): बात करती (baat kartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): बात करतीं (baat kartiin)
continuous (sg.m): बात कर रहा (baat kar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): बात कर रहे (baat kar rahe)
continuous (sg.f): बात कर रही (baat kar rahii)
continuous (pl.f): बात कर रहीं (baat kar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): बात किया (baat kiyaa)
perfective (pl.m): बात किए (baat kie)
perfective (sg.f): बात की (baat kii)
perfective (pl.f): बात कीं (baat kiin)
imperative (informal): बात कर (baat kar)
imperative (neutral): बात करो (baat karo)
imperative (formal): बात कीजिए (baat kiijie)
future (1sg.m): बात करूँगा (baat karoongaa)
future (1sg.f): बात करूँगी (baat karoongii)
future (1pl.m): बात करेंगे (baat karenge)
future (1pl.f): बात करेंगी (baat karengii)
future (2sg.m): बात करेगा (baat karegaa)
future (2sg.f): बात करेगी (baat karegii)
future (2pl.m): बात करोगे (baat karoge)
future (2pl.f): बात करोगी (baat karogii)
future (3sg.m): बात करेगा (baat karegaa)
future (3sg.f): बात करेगी (baat karegii)
future (3pl.m): बात करेंगे (baat karenge)
future (3pl.f): बात करेंगी (baat karengii)
subjunctive (1sg): बात करूँ (baat karoon)
subjunctive (1pl): बात करें (baat karen)
subjunctive (2sg): बात करे (baat kare)
subjunctive (2pl): बात करो (baat karo)
subjunctive (3sg): बात करे (baat kare)
subjunctive (3pl): बात करें (baat karen)