चलाना (chalaanaa)
verb
The causative of चलना (chalnaa, 'to move/walk'). Core senses: to drive/operate a vehicle or machine, to run/manage something (a business, a household), and to wield/use a tool or weapon.
Sense
1
:
to drive or operate (a vehicle, machine)
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the classic causative pairing: चलना (chalnaa) 'to move' becomes चलाना (chalaanaa) 'to make move/drive' -- the agent causes the vehicle to do what it would otherwise do on its own. You'll hear गाड़ी चलाना (gaadii chalaanaa) for driving a car, स्कूटर चलाना (skootar chalaanaa) for riding a scooter, and even कंप्यूटर चलाना (kampyootar chalaanaa) for operating a computer.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use चलना (chalnaa) when they mean चलाना (chalaanaa) -- गाड़ी चलती है (gaadii chaltii hai, 'the car moves/runs') describes the vehicle moving on its own, while गाड़ी चलाना (gaadii chalaanaa, 'to drive the car') requires an agent doing the driving. 2) For vehicles you 'know how to drive,' Hindi says गाड़ी चलाना आता है (gaadii chalaanaa aataa hai) using आना (aanaa), not सकना (saknaa) -- सकना is about momentary ability, आना is about a learned skill.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे गाड़ी चलानी नहीं आती।
I don't know how to drive a car.
(mujhe gaadii chalaanii nahiin aatii।)
वह बहुत तेज़ स्कूटर चला रहा है।
He is driving the scooter very fast.
(vah bahut tez skootar chalaa rahaa hai।)
क्या तुम कल मेरी गाड़ी चलाओगे?
Will you drive my car tomorrow?
(kyaa tum kal merii gaadii chalaaoge?)
गाड़ी धीरे चलाओ, बर्फ़ है सड़क पर।
Drive slowly, there's ice on the road.
(gaadii dhiire chalaao, barf hai sadak par।)
अगर मुझे लाइसेंस मिल जाता तो मैं भी गाड़ी चलाता।
If I had gotten a license, I would drive too.
(agar mujhe laaisens mil jaataa to main bhii gaadii chalaataa।)
इस कंप्यूटर को चलाना बहुत आसान है।
Operating this computer is very easy.
(is kampyootar ko chalaanaa bahut aasaan hai।)
जब तक लाइसेंस न मिले, तुम्हें गाड़ी नहीं चलानी चाहिए।
Until you get a license, you shouldn't drive.
(jab tak laaisens n mile, tumhen gaadii nahiin chalaanii chaahie।)
उसने पंद्रह साल तक ट्रक चलाया।
He drove a truck for fifteen years.
(usne pandrah saal tak trak chalaayaa।)
शराब पीकर गाड़ी नहीं चलानी चाहिए।
One shouldn't drink and drive.
(sharaab piikar gaadii nahiin chalaanii chaahie।)
यह मशीन बिजली से चलाई जाती है।
This machine is operated by electricity.
(yah mashiin bijlii se chalaaii jaatii hai।)
पिताजी ने बरसों तक यह पुरानी मोटरसाइकिल चलाई।
Father drove this old motorcycle for years.
(pitaajii ne barson tak yah puraanii motarsaaikil chalaaii।)
Sense
2
:
to run or manage (a business, household, organization)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: संचालित करना (sanchaalit karnaa, formal), चलाना (chalaanaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every shopkeeper who दुकान चलाता है (dukaan chalaataa hai, 'runs a shop') and every mother who घर चलाती है (ghar chalaatii hai, 'runs the household') is using this same extended sense -- keeping something moving forward through your own effort and management, just like keeping a vehicle in motion.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पिता जी पिछले बीस साल से यह दुकान चला रहे हैं।
My father has been running this shop for the last twenty years.
(mere pitaa jii pichhle biis saal se yah dukaan chalaa rahe hain।)
उसकी माँ अकेले ही पूरा घर चलाती है।
Her mother runs the entire household all by herself.
(uskii maan akele hii pooraa ghar chalaatii hai।)
पिछले साल उन्होंने अपनी बचत से एक छोटा कारखाना चलाया था।
Last year he ran a small factory with his savings.
(pichhle saal unhonne apnii bachat se ek chhotaa kaarkhaanaa chalaayaa thaa।)
अगर सब मिलकर काम करेंगे तो कंपनी अच्छे से चलेगी।
If everyone works together, the company will run well.
(agar sab milkar kaam karenge to kampnii achchhe se chalegii।)
इतने कम मुनाफे में यह होटल कैसे चलाया जा सकता है?
How can this hotel be run on such little profit?
(itne kam munaaphe men yah hotal kaise chalaayaa jaa saktaa hai?)
अपना खुद का व्यवसाय चलाना आसान काम नहीं है।
Running your own business is not an easy job.
(apnaa khud kaa vyavsaay chalaanaa aasaan kaam nahiin hai।)
अगर मुझे मौका मिले तो मैं भी अपना एनजीओ चलाऊँ।
If I got the chance, I would run my own NGO too.
(agar mujhe maukaa mile to main bhii apnaa enjiio chalaaoon।)
काश उसके पास इतनी पूँजी होती कि वह यह प्रोजेक्ट खुद चलाता।
If only he had had enough capital, he would have run this project himself.
(kaash uske paas itnii poonjii hotii ki vah yah projekt khud chalaataa।)
यह संस्था कई दशकों से गरीब बच्चों के लिए स्कूल चला रही है।
This organization has been running a school for poor children for several decades.
(yah sansthaa kaii dashkon se gariib bachchon ke lie skool chalaa rahii hai।)
सरकार इस योजना के तहत कई अस्पताल चलाती है।
The government runs several hospitals under this scheme.
(sarkaar is yojnaa ke tahat kaii asptaal chalaatii hai।)
अरे भाई, ज़रा समझदारी से पैसा खर्च करो, वरना घर कैसे चलाओगे?
Hey man, spend your money sensibly, or how will you run the household?
(are bhaaii, zaraa samajhdaarii se paisaa kharch karo, varnaa ghar kaise chalaaoge?)
इस मंत्रालय को दक्षता से चलाना सरकार की सबसे बड़ी ज़िम्मेदारी है।
Running this ministry efficiently is the government's greatest responsibility.
(is mantraalay ko dakshtaa se chalaanaa sarkaar kii sabse badii zimmedaarii hai।)
Sense
3
:
to wield or use (a tool, weapon, or limb)
verb, transitive Common objects include चाकू (chaakoo, 'knife'), तलवार (talvaar, 'sword'), कलम (kalam, 'pen'), and हाथ (haath, 'hand') in idiomatic phrases like हाथ चलाना (haath chalaanaa, 'to raise a hand/strike').
Synonyms: इस्तेमाल करना (istemaal karnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense extends the 'making something move' idea to tools and body parts under your control -- कलम चलाना (kalam chalaanaa, 'to wield the pen') is a common way to talk about writing as a craft, almost like saying someone 'has a way with words.'
Common Mistakes: 1) हाथ चलाना (haath chalaanaa) idiomatically means 'to hit/strike someone,' not literally 'to move one's hand' -- learners sometimes miss the aggressive connotation.
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत अच्छी कलम चलाता है।
He wields a very good pen (he writes beautifully).
(vah bahut achchhii kalam chalaataa hai।)
सैनिक ने बड़ी फुर्ती से तलवार चलाई।
The soldier wielded the sword with great agility.
(sainik ne badii phurtii se talvaar chalaaii।)
अगर वह हाथ ठीक से न चलाए, तो चोट लग सकती है।
If he doesn't move his hand properly, he could get hurt.
(agar vah haath thiik se n chalaae, to chot lag saktii hai।)
छुरी सावधानी से चलाओ, वरना उँगली कट जाएगी।
Use the knife carefully, or your finger will get cut.
(chhurii saavdhaanii se chalaao, varnaa unglii kat jaaegii।)
उस समय पहलवान लाठी चला रहा था।
At that moment, the wrestler was wielding a staff.
(us samay pahalvaan laathii chalaa rahaa thaa।)
यदि वह तलवार चलाता, तो दुश्मन भाग जाता।
If he had wielded the sword, the enemy would have fled.
(yadi vah talvaar chalaataa, to dushman bhaag jaataa।)
बुढ़ापे में उससे हाथ-पैर चलाना भी मुश्किल हो गया है।
In old age, even moving his hands and feet has become difficult for him.
(budhaape men usse haath-pair chalaanaa bhii mushkil ho gayaa hai।)
कवि ने अपनी कलम इतनी बेबाकी से चलाई कि सत्ता हिल गई।
The poet wielded his pen so boldly that the government was shaken.
(kavi ne apnii kalam itnii bebaakii se chalaaii ki sattaa hil gaii।)
युद्ध में भाला इस तरह चलाया गया कि दुश्मन संभल ही न सके।
In the battle, the spear was wielded in such a way that the enemy couldn't even recover.
(yuddh men bhaalaa is tarah chalaayaa gayaa ki dushman sambhal hii n sake।)
डॉक्टर बड़ी सफ़ाई से छुरी चलाता है।
The doctor wields the scalpel with great precision.
(doktar badii safaaii se chhurii chalaataa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
चलाना
(chalaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
चलाने
(chalaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
चलाता
(chalaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
चलाते
(chalaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
चलाती
(chalaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
चलातीं
(chalaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
चला रहा
(chalaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
चला रहे
(chalaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
चला रही
(chalaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
चला रहीं
(chalaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
चलाया
(chalaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
चलाए
(chalaae)
perfective (sg.f):
चलाई
(chalaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
चलाईं
(chalaaiin)
imperative (informal):
चला
(chalaa)
imperative (neutral):
चलाओ
(chalaao)
imperative (formal):
चलाइए
(chalaaie)
future (1sg.m):
चलाऊँगा
(chalaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
चलाऊँगी
(chalaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
चलाएँगे
(chalaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
चलाएँगी
(chalaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
चलाएगा
(chalaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
चलाएगी
(chalaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
चलाओगे
(chalaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
चलाओगी
(chalaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
चलाएगा
(chalaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
चलाएगी
(chalaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
चलाएँगे
(chalaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
चलाएँगी
(chalaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
चलाऊँ
(chalaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
चलाएँ
(chalaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
चलाए
(chalaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
चलाओ
(chalaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
चलाए
(chalaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
चलाएँ
(chalaaen)