सुनना (sunnaa)
verb
The everyday verb for 'to hear' and 'to listen', extending into common senses of 'obeying/heeding' and 'finding out/being told'.
Sense
1
:
to hear / to listen to
verb, transitive
Synonyms: श्रवण करना (shravan karnaa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the first verbs learners meet because of the imperative सुनो (suno, 'listen!') or सुनिए (sunie, 'listen, please') -- used constantly in Delhi markets and homes to get someone's attention, much like 'excuse me' or 'listen' in English.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often add सुन (sun) as though 'listen to' needed a preposition like English 'to' -- the object is simply direct: गाना सुनना (gaanaa sunnaa, 'to listen to a song'), not गाने को सुनना (gaane ko sunnaa). 2) सुनना (sunnaa) covers both passive 'hearing' and active 'listening', where English sometimes wants two different verbs.
Sample Sentences:
सुनो, ज़रा इधर आओ।
Listen, come here for a second.
(suno, zaraa idhar aao।)
सुनिए, क्या यह सीट खाली है?
Excuse me, is this seat empty?
(sunie, kyaa yah siit khaalii hai?)
मैं रोज़ सुबह गाने सुनता हूँ।
I listen to songs every morning.
(main roz subah gaane suntaa hoon।)
वह अभी गाना सुन रही है।
She is listening to a song right now.
(vah abhii gaanaa sun rahii hai।)
मैंने कल रात एक अच्छी कहानी सुनी।
I heard a good story last night.
(mainne kal raat ek achchhii kahaanii sunii।)
क्या तुमने वह आवाज़ सुनी?
Did you hear that sound?
(kyaa tumne vah aavaaz sunii?)
हम कल शाम को संगीत सुनेंगे।
We will listen to music tomorrow evening.
(ham kal shaam ko sangiit sunenge।)
अगर तुम ध्यान से सुनते तो समझ जाते।
If you had listened carefully, you would have understood.
(agar tum dhyaan se sunte to samajh jaate।)
शायद वह हमारी बात सुन ले।
Maybe he will hear what we're saying.
(shaayad vah hamaarii baat sun le।)
यह गीत हर मंदिर में सुना जाता है।
This song is heard in every temple.
(yah giit har mandir men sunaa jaataa hai।)
बचपन में मैं दादी से कहानियाँ सुनता था।
As a child, I used to listen to stories from my grandmother.
(bachpan men main daadii se kahaaniyaan suntaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
to heed / to obey
verb, transitive Typically used with की बात (kii baat, 'someone's word/advice') as in मेरी बात सुनो (merii baat suno, 'listen to what I say' / 'heed me').
Synonyms: मानना (maannaa), बात मानना (baat maannaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This sense is the backbone of countless scoldings in Hindi households: बड़ों की बात सुनो (badon kii baat suno, 'listen to your elders') is practically a cultural instruction in itself, tying respect for age to the act of 'hearing'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Parents and elders say तुम मेरी बात नहीं सुनते (tum merii baat nahiin sunte, 'you don't listen to me') to mean 'you don't obey me', not literally 'you can't hear me' -- learners sometimes miss this figurative shift.
Sample Sentences:
बड़ों की बात सुनो।
Listen to your elders.
(badon kii baat suno।)
वह अपने माँ-बाप की कभी नहीं सुनता।
He never listens to his parents.
(vah apne maan-baap kii kabhii nahiin suntaa।)
काश वह मेरी बात सुन लेता।
I wish he had listened to me.
(kaash vah merii baat sun letaa।)
अगर तुम डॉक्टर की सुनते तो आज बीमार न पड़ते।
If you had listened to the doctor, you wouldn't be sick today.
(agar tum doktar kii sunte to aaj biimaar n padte।)
सैनिकों को अपने अफ़सर की हर बात सुननी होती है।
Soldiers have to obey their officer's every word.
(sainikon ko apne afsar kii har baat sunnii hotii hai।)
क्या तुम कभी किसी की सुनोगे भी?
Will you ever listen to anyone at all?
(kyaa tum kabhii kisii kii sunoge bhii?)
उसने आखिरकार अपने गुरु की सुन ली।
He finally heeded his teacher's advice.
(usne aakhirkaar apne guru kii sun lii।)
ज़रूरी नहीं कि हर कोई बुज़ुर्गों की सुने।
It's not necessary that everyone obeys their elders.
(zaroorii nahiin ki har koii buzurgon kii sune।)
बच्चों से कहा गया कि वे अपने शिक्षकों की सुनें।
The children were told to obey their teachers.
(bachchon se kahaa gayaa ki ve apne shikshkon kii sunen।)
इस घर में मेरी कोई नहीं सुनता।
No one listens to me in this house.
(is ghar men merii koii nahiin suntaa।)
प्राचीन काल में शिष्य गुरु की वाणी अटूट श्रद्धा से सुनते थे।
In ancient times, disciples heeded their guru's word with unwavering devotion.
(praachiin kaal men shishy guru kii vaanii atoot shraddhaa se sunte the।)
Sense
3
:
to find out / to be told (news, information)
verb, transitive Common in reported-speech frames like सुना है कि... (sunaa hai ki..., 'I've heard that...') using the perfective passive-like सुना है (sunaa hai) construction.
Synonyms: पता चलना (pataa chalnaa, different construction, dative-subject)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: सुना है (sunaa hai, 'I hear...' / 'rumor has it...') is the classic opener for gossip or secondhand news in Hindi conversation, much like English 'I heard that...' -- it distances the speaker slightly from vouching for the claim.
Common Mistakes: 1) मैंने सुना है (mainne sunaa hai, 'I have heard') keeps ने (ne) even though it feels like a stative report, because सुनना (sunnaa) is a regular transitive verb -- learners sometimes drop ने (ne) by analogy with dative-subject verbs like लगना (lagnaa).
Sample Sentences:
सुना है इस बार बोनस नहीं मिलेगा।
I hear that there won't be any bonus this time.
(sunaa hai is baar bonas nahiin milegaa।)
सुना है उसकी शादी टूट गई।
I heard her marriage broke off.
(sunaa hai uskii shaadii toot gaii।)
मैंने सुना है कि नई मेट्रो लाइन अगले साल शुरू होगी।
I've learned that the new metro line will start next year.
(mainne sunaa hai ki naii metro laain agle saal shuroo hogii।)
क्या तुमने सुना कि दफ्तर कल बंद रहेगा?
Did you hear that the office will be closed tomorrow?
(kyaa tumne sunaa ki daphtar kal band rahegaa?)
मुझे कल पता चला और आज सुबह सुना कि कंपनी बिक गई है।
I found out yesterday and heard this morning that the company has been sold.
(mujhe kal pataa chalaa aur aaj subah sunaa ki kampnii bik gaii hai।)
अगर तुमने भी वही खबर सुनी होती तो तुम भी हैरान रह जाते।
If you too had heard that same news, you would have been shocked as well.
(agar tumne bhii vahii khabar sunii hotii to tum bhii hairaan rah jaate।)
इससे पहले कि तुम कुछ और सुनो, मैं तुम्हें सच बता दूँ।
Before you hear anything else, let me tell you the truth.
(isse pahle ki tum kuchh aur suno, main tumhen sach bataa doon।)
यह सुनकर वह बहुत परेशान हो गई कि उसका तबादला हो गया है।
On hearing that her transfer had gone through, she became very upset.
(yah sunkar vah bahut pareshaan ho gaii ki uskaa tabaadlaa ho gayaa hai।)
यह खबर सुनी जा चुकी है कि सरकार नया कानून ला रही है।
It's already known that the government is bringing a new law.
(yah khabar sunii jaa chukii hai ki sarkaar nayaa kaanoon laa rahii hai।)
गाँव भर में यह बात सुनी जाती है कि उस हवेली में भूत रहते हैं।
It is heard throughout the village that ghosts live in that mansion.
(gaanv bhar men yah baat sunii jaatii hai ki us havelii men bhoot rahte hain।)
मैंने ऐसा सुना तो है, पर यकीन नहीं होता।
I have indeed heard something like that, but I can't quite believe it.
(mainne aisaa sunaa to hai, par yakiin nahiin hotaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
सुनना
(sunnaa)
infinitive oblique:
सुनने
(sunne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
सुनता
(suntaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
सुनते
(sunte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
सुनती
(suntii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
सुनतीं
(suntiin)
continuous (sg.m):
सुन रहा
(sun rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
सुन रहे
(sun rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
सुन रही
(sun rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
सुन रहीं
(sun rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
सुना
(sunaa)
perfective (pl.m):
सुने
(sune)
perfective (sg.f):
सुनी
(sunii)
perfective (pl.f):
सुनीं
(suniin)
imperative (informal):
सुन
(sun)
imperative (neutral):
सुनो
(suno)
imperative (formal):
सुनिए
(sunie)
future (1sg.m):
सुनूँगा
(sunoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
सुनूँगी
(sunoongii)
future (1pl.m):
सुनेंगे
(sunenge)
future (1pl.f):
सुनेंगी
(sunengii)
future (2sg.m):
सुनेगा
(sunegaa)
future (2sg.f):
सुनेगी
(sunegii)
future (2pl.m):
सुनोगे
(sunoge)
future (2pl.f):
सुनोगी
(sunogii)
future (3sg.m):
सुनेगा
(sunegaa)
future (3sg.f):
सुनेगी
(sunegii)
future (3pl.m):
सुनेंगे
(sunenge)
future (3pl.f):
सुनेंगी
(sunengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
सुनूँ
(sunoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
सुनें
(sunen)
subjunctive (2sg):
सुने
(sune)
subjunctive (2pl):
सुनो
(suno)
subjunctive (3sg):
सुने
(sune)
subjunctive (3pl):
सुनें
(sunen)