माँजना (maanjnaa)
verb
A physical verb meaning 'to scrub/scour' (utensils, floors), with a common figurative extension to polishing skill or refining oneself through practice.
Sense
1
:
to scrub or scour (utensils, vessels, floors) clean
verb, transitive
Synonyms: रगड़ना (ragadnaa, to rub/scrub), साफ़ करना (saaf karnaa, broader 'to clean')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: बर्तन माँजना (bartan maanjnaa, 'to scrub the dishes') is a classic household chore phrase in Delhi-NCR homes -- often assigned to whoever's turn it is, or spoken of as the domestic help's (kaam vaalii) daily task. You'll hear mothers say it as a light threat too: 'बर्तन माँजने पड़ेंगे' (bartan maanjne padenge, 'you'll have to scrub the dishes') if a kid misbehaves.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for साफ़ करना (saaf karnaa) for all cleaning tasks, but माँजना (maanjnaa) specifically implies vigorous scrubbing with a scouring agent (ash, soap, a scrubber) -- it would sound odd applied to, say, wiping a table with a cloth. 2) The object is typically the vessel itself, e.g. बर्तन माँजना (bartan maanjnaa, 'to scrub the utensils'), not the dirt or grease being removed.
Sample Sentences:
माँ रोज़ सुबह बर्तन माँजती हैं।
Mom scrubs the dishes every morning.
(maan roz subah bartan maanjtii hain।)
काम वाली अभी रसोई में बर्तन माँज रही है।
The domestic help is scrubbing the dishes in the kitchen right now.
(kaam vaalii abhii rasoii men bartan maanj rahii hai।)
अगर तूने कमरा नहीं साफ किया तो तुझे बर्तन माँजने पड़ेंगे।
If you don't clean your room, you'll have to scrub the dishes.
(agar toone kamraa nahiin saaph kiyaa to tujhe bartan maanjne padenge।)
कल रात मैंने सारे बर्तन माँजे।
Last night I scrubbed all the dishes.
(kal raat mainne saare bartan maanje।)
जरा ये बर्तन माँज दो, मुझे बाहर जाना है।
Please scrub these dishes, I have to go out.
(jaraa ye bartan maanj do, mujhe baahar jaanaa hai।)
अगर उसने बर्तन माँजे होते तो सिंक इतना गंदा नहीं होता।
If he had scrubbed the dishes, the sink wouldn't have been this dirty.
(agar usne bartan maanje hote to sink itnaa gandaa nahiin hotaa।)
इतने बर्तन जमा हो गए हैं, अब तो माँजने ही पड़ेंगे।
So many dishes have piled up, now they'll just have to be scrubbed.
(itne bartan jamaa ho gae hain, ab to maanjne hii padenge।)
पहले बर्तन साबुन से माँजे जाते हैं, फिर पानी से धोए जाते हैं।
First the utensils are scrubbed with soap, then rinsed with water.
(pahle bartan saabun se maanje jaate hain, phir paanii se dhoe jaate hain।)
क्या तुम मेरे लिए बर्तन माँज सकती हो?
Could you scrub the dishes for me?
(kyaa tum mere lie bartan maanj saktii ho?)
पुराने ज़माने में औरतें राख से बर्तन माँजती थीं।
In the old days, women used to scrub utensils with ash.
(puraane zamaane men aurten raakh se bartan maanjtii thiin।)
आज मैंने खुद फर्श और बर्तन दोनों माँजे हैं।
Today I scrubbed both the floor and the dishes myself.
(aaj mainne khud pharsh aur bartan donon maanje hain।)
Sense
2
:
to hone, polish, or refine (a skill, talent, or oneself) through repeated practice
verb, transitive Commonly used reflexively or with abstract nouns like हुनर (hunar, skill) or ख़ुद (khud, oneself) as the object -- e.g. ख़ुद को माँजना (khud ko maanjnaa, 'to polish/refine oneself').
Synonyms: निखारना (nikhaarnaa, to refine/enhance), तराशना (taraashnaa, to carve/sculpt, often for talent or personality)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in the context of sports or arts training -- a coach might say a player's game has been 'माँजा गया है' (maanjaa gayaa hai, 'has been honed') through years of practice. It carries the same 'scrub until it shines' image as the literal sense, just applied to ability rather than a pot.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is easy to miss if you only know the 'scrub dishes' meaning -- context (talent, skill, personality as the object) signals the shift to 'hone/refine.' 2) Do not confuse with तराशना (taraashnaa), which suggests shaping from a raw state; माँजना (maanjnaa) suggests polishing something already formed to make it shine or sharpen further.
Sample Sentences:
सालों की मेहनत ने उसके खेल को माँज दिया है।
Years of hard work have honed his game.
(saalon kii mehnat ne uske khel ko maanj diyaa hai।)
कोच रोज़ अभ्यास से खिलाड़ियों की तकनीक माँजता है।
The coach hones the players' technique every day through practice.
(koch roz abhyaas se khilaadiyon kii takniik maanjtaa hai।)
उसकी आवाज़ बरसों की रियाज़ से माँजी गई है।
Her voice has been honed by years of practice.
(uskii aavaaz barson kii riyaaz se maanjii gaii hai।)
अगर तुम अपनी लेखनी को माँजते रहोगे, तो एक दिन बड़े लेखक बनोगे।
If you keep honing your writing, one day you will become a great writer.
(agar tum apnii lekhnii ko maanjte rahoge, to ek din bade lekhak banoge।)
अपनी कला को माँजो, वरना भीड़ में खो जाओगे।
Hone your craft, or you'll get lost in the crowd.
(apnii kalaa ko maanjo, varnaa bhiid men kho jaaoge।)
गुरु चाहते थे कि शिष्य अपनी कला को माँजे।
The guru wished that the disciple would hone his art.
(guru chaahte the ki shishy apnii kalaa ko maanje।)
अगर उसने अपनी प्रतिभा को समय पर माँजा होता, तो वह आज चैंपियन होता।
If he had honed his talent in time, he would be a champion today.
(agar usne apnii pratibhaa ko samay par maanjaa hotaa, to vah aaj chaimpiyan hotaa।)
टीम की रणनीति महीनों के अभ्यास से माँजी गई थी।
The team's strategy had been honed through months of practice.
(tiim kii ranniiti mahiinon ke abhyaas se maanjii gaii thii।)
कड़ी प्रतिस्पर्धा में ही असली हुनर माँजा जाता है।
True skill is honed only in tough competition.
(kadii pratispardhaa men hii aslii hunar maanjaa jaataa hai।)
वह अपनी बोलने की कला को सालों से माँज रही है।
She has been honing her speaking skills for years.
(vah apnii bolne kii kalaa ko saalon se maanj rahii hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
माँजना
(maanjnaa)
infinitive oblique:
माँजने
(maanjne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
माँजता
(maanjtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
माँजते
(maanjte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
माँजती
(maanjtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
माँजतीं
(maanjtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
माँज रहा
(maanj rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
माँज रहे
(maanj rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
माँज रही
(maanj rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
माँज रहीं
(maanj rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
माँजा
(maanjaa)
perfective (pl.m):
माँजे
(maanje)
perfective (sg.f):
माँजी
(maanjii)
perfective (pl.f):
माँजीं
(maanjiin)
imperative (informal):
माँज
(maanj)
imperative (neutral):
माँजो
(maanjo)
imperative (formal):
माँजिए
(maanjie)
future (1sg.m):
माँजूँगा
(maanjoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
माँजूँगी
(maanjoongii)
future (1pl.m):
माँजेंगे
(maanjenge)
future (1pl.f):
माँजेंगी
(maanjengii)
future (2sg.m):
माँजेगा
(maanjegaa)
future (2sg.f):
माँजेगी
(maanjegii)
future (2pl.m):
माँजोगे
(maanjoge)
future (2pl.f):
माँजोगी
(maanjogii)
future (3sg.m):
माँजेगा
(maanjegaa)
future (3sg.f):
माँजेगी
(maanjegii)
future (3pl.m):
माँजेंगे
(maanjenge)
future (3pl.f):
माँजेंगी
(maanjengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
माँजूँ
(maanjoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
माँजें
(maanjen)
subjunctive (2sg):
माँजे
(maanje)
subjunctive (2pl):
माँजो
(maanjo)
subjunctive (3sg):
माँजे
(maanje)
subjunctive (3pl):
माँजें
(maanjen)