पढ़ना (padhnaa)
verb
A core everyday verb covering both 'to read' and 'to study,' plus an extended sense for reciting/chanting. Closely related to the causative पढ़ाना (padhaanaa, 'to teach'), which is a separate lemma.
Sense
1
:
to read
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the first verbs every learner meets, right alongside लिखना (likhnaa, 'to write') -- the two are taught as a pair in every Hindi classroom, much like they are in English.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for देखना (dekhnaa) when they mean 'read,' but देखना (dekhnaa) is only for looking/watching -- पढ़ना (padhnaa) is the verb for reading text. 2) When talking about reading something out loud to someone, the person read to often takes को (ko): माँ बच्चे को कहानी पढ़ती है (maan bachche ko kahaanii padhtii hai, 'the mother reads the story to the child').
Sample Sentences:
मैं हर रोज़ अख़बार पढ़ता हूँ।
I read the newspaper every day.
(main har roz akhbaar padhtaa hoon।)
वह अभी अपने कमरे में किताब पढ़ रही है।
She is reading a book in her room right now.
(vah abhii apne kamre men kitaab padh rahii hai।)
मैंने कल रात वह पूरा उपन्यास पढ़ लिया।
I finished reading that whole novel last night.
(mainne kal raat vah pooraa upanyaas padh liyaa।)
क्या तुमने आज की ख़बर पढ़ी?
Did you read today's news?
(kyaa tumne aaj kii khabar padhii?)
यह चिट्ठी ज़रा ध्यान से पढ़ो।
Read this letter carefully.
(yah chitthii zaraa dhyaan se padho।)
अगर मुझे वक़्त मिलता, तो मैं यह पूरी किताब पढ़ता।
If I had the time, I would read this whole book.
(agar mujhe vaqt miltaa, to main yah poorii kitaab padhtaa।)
शायद वह इस समय कोई कहानी पढ़ रहा हो।
Maybe he is reading some story right now.
(shaayad vah is samay koii kahaanii padh rahaa ho।)
यह उपन्यास जनता द्वारा बहुत पढ़ा जाता है।
This novel is widely read by the public.
(yah upanyaas jantaa dvaaraa bahut padhaa jaataa hai।)
कल तक मैं यह रिपोर्ट पढ़ चुका होऊँगा।
By tomorrow, I will have read this report.
(kal tak main yah riport padh chukaa hooongaa।)
बच्चे स्कूल जाने से पहले अपनी किताबें पढ़ते हैं।
Children read their books before going to school.
(bachche skool jaane se pahle apnii kitaaben padhte hain।)
क्या आप कृपया यह दस्तावेज़ पढ़ेंगे?
Would you please read this document?
(kyaa aap kripyaa yah dastaavez padhenge?)
Sense
2
:
to study
verb, intransitive Used intransitively and without an object when talking about being enrolled in school/studying generally: वह दिल्ली में पढ़ता है (vah dillii men padhtaa hai, 'he studies in Delhi').
Synonyms: पढ़ाई करना (padhaaii karnaa, compound-verb phrase)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any Indian parent and they'll say पढ़ो! (padho!, 'study!') at least once a day -- this verb is the anchor of the whole 'study hard, get good marks' family conversation that looms large in Indian households.
Common Mistakes: 1) 'What do you study?' or 'What class are you in?' both use पढ़ना (padhnaa) -- तुम क्या पढ़ते हो? (tum kyaa padhte ho?, 'what do you study?') is a very common question to ask a student, more natural than asking about their 'subject' directly. 2) Don't confuse this with सीखना (siikhnaa, 'to learn') -- पढ़ना (padhnaa) is the act of studying/going to school, while सीखना (siikhnaa) is about acquiring a skill or knowledge, often outside formal schooling.
Sample Sentences:
मैं रोज़ शाम को पढ़ता हूँ।
I study every evening.
(main roz shaam ko padhtaa hoon।)
पढ़ो! कल परीक्षा है।
Study! There's an exam tomorrow.
(padho! kal pariikshaa hai।)
वह अभी अपने कमरे में पढ़ रही है।
She is studying in her room right now.
(vah abhii apne kamre men padh rahii hai।)
उसने पूरी रात पढ़ा।
He studied all night.
(usne poorii raat padhaa।)
अगर तुम मन लगाकर पढ़ते तो पास हो जाते।
If you had studied wholeheartedly, you would have passed.
(agar tum man lagaakar padhte to paas ho jaate।)
बच्चों को मन लगाकर पढ़ना चाहिए।
Children should study attentively.
(bachchon ko man lagaakar padhnaa chaahie।)
मैं चाहता हूँ कि वह मेडिकल के लिए पढ़े।
I want him to study for medicine.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki vah medikal ke lie padhe।)
वह इस समय लंदन में कानून पढ़ रहा है।
He is studying law in London these days.
(vah is samay landan men kaanoon padh rahaa hai।)
इस स्कूल में हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी दोनों पढ़ाई जाती हैं।
Both Hindi and English are taught (studied) at this school.
(is skool men hindii aur angrezii donon padhaaii jaatii hain।)
वह इंजीनियरिंग पढ़ने के बाद विदेश चली जाएगी।
She will go abroad after studying engineering.
(vah injiiniyring padhne ke baad videsh chalii jaaegii।)
अरे यार, थोड़ा तो पढ़ लिया कर, फेल हो जाएगा।
Come on man, at least study a little, you'll fail.
(are yaar, thodaa to padh liyaa kar, phel ho jaaegaa।)
Sense
3
:
to recite, chant (prayers, verses)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: जपना (japnaa, for mantras/repeated chanting)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in a devotional context, e.g. नमाज़ पढ़ना (namaaz padhnaa, 'to offer/recite namaz') or मंत्र पढ़ना (mantr padhnaa, 'to recite a mantra') -- here पढ़ना (padhnaa) means reciting from memory or ritual text rather than 'reading' in the everyday sense.
Sample Sentences:
वह रोज़ पाँच बार नमाज़ पढ़ता है।
He offers namaz five times a day.
(vah roz paanch baar namaaz padhtaa hai।)
पंडित जी मंत्र पढ़ रहे हैं।
The priest is reciting mantras.
(pandit jii mantr padh rahe hain।)
उसने सुबह उठकर कलमा पढ़ा।
He recited the kalma after waking up in the morning.
(usne subah uthkar kalmaa padhaa।)
नमाज़ पढ़ने से पहले हाथ-मुँह धो लो।
Wash your hands and face before offering namaz.
(namaaz padhne se pahle haath-munh dho lo।)
अगर वह रोज़ मंत्र पढ़ता तो उसे शांति मिलती।
If he recited mantras every day, he would find peace.
(agar vah roz mantr padhtaa to use shaanti miltii।)
मस्जिद में सैकड़ों लोग जुमे की नमाज़ पढ़ रहे थे।
Hundreds of people were offering the Friday prayer in the mosque.
(masjid men saikdon log jume kii namaaz padh rahe the।)
क्या तुम्हें गायत्री मंत्र पढ़ना आता है?
Do you know how to recite the Gayatri mantra?
(kyaa tumhen gaayatrii mantr padhnaa aataa hai?)
शायद वह भी यह मंत्र पढ़ता हो।
Perhaps he too recites this mantra.
(shaayad vah bhii yah mantr padhtaa ho।)
मंदिर में आरती के बाद स्तुति पढ़ी जाती है।
After the aarti, hymns of praise are recited in the temple.
(mandir men aartii ke baad stuti padhii jaatii hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
पढ़ना
(padhnaa)
infinitive oblique:
पढ़ने
(padhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पढ़ता
(padhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पढ़ते
(padhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पढ़ती
(padhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पढ़तीं
(padhtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पढ़ रहा
(padh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पढ़ रहे
(padh rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पढ़ रही
(padh rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पढ़ रहीं
(padh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पढ़ा
(padhaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पढ़े
(padhe)
perfective (sg.f):
पढ़ी
(padhii)
perfective (pl.f):
पढ़ीं
(padhiin)
imperative (informal):
पढ़
(padh)
imperative (neutral):
पढ़ो
(padho)
imperative (formal):
पढ़िए
(padhie)
future (1sg.m):
पढ़ूँगा
(padhoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पढ़ूँगी
(padhoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पढ़ेंगे
(padhenge)
future (1pl.f):
पढ़ेंगी
(padhengii)
future (2sg.m):
पढ़ेगा
(padhegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पढ़ेगी
(padhegii)
future (2pl.m):
पढ़ोगे
(padhoge)
future (2pl.f):
पढ़ोगी
(padhogii)
future (3sg.m):
पढ़ेगा
(padhegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पढ़ेगी
(padhegii)
future (3pl.m):
पढ़ेंगे
(padhenge)
future (3pl.f):
पढ़ेंगी
(padhengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पढ़ूँ
(padhoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पढ़ें
(padhen)
subjunctive (2sg):
पढ़े
(padhe)
subjunctive (2pl):
पढ़ो
(padho)
subjunctive (3sg):
पढ़े
(padhe)
subjunctive (3pl):
पढ़ें
(padhen)