सज़ा देना (sazaa denaa)
verb
A compound expression built from सज़ा (sazaa, 'punishment') plus देना (denaa, 'to give'), meaning 'to punish' or 'to inflict punishment on someone.' It patterns like other noun+देना constructions (e.g. सज़ा देना sazaa denaa alongside सज़ा मिलना sazaa milnaa for the receiving end).
Sense
1
:
to punish, to give punishment
verb, transitive The person being punished is marked with को (ko): उसे सज़ा दी (use sazaa dii, 'punished him/her'). The kind of punishment (जेल की सज़ा jel kii sazaa, 'jail punishment', मौत की सज़ा maut kii sazaa, 'death penalty') attaches with की (kii).
Synonyms: दंड देना (dand denaa, formal), सजा देना (sajaa denaa, variant spelling without nuqta)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This phrase shows up constantly in courtroom dramas, school discipline talk, and even parenting -- a teacher might say बच्चे को सज़ा दी (bachche ko sazaa dii, 'punished the child') for something as minor as not doing homework. It pairs naturally with सज़ा मिलना (sazaa milnaa, 'to receive punishment'), which frames the same event from the receiver's side using a dative-subject-like construction familiar from लगना (lagnaa) patterns.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes say सज़ा करना (sazaa karnaa) by analogy with other noun+करना pairs, but the fixed idiom is सज़ा देना (sazaa denaa) -- देना (denaa) is the only natural partner here. 2) Since सज़ा (sazaa) is feminine, past-tense agreement goes with सज़ा (sazaa), not with the subject or the person punished: उसने सज़ा दी (usne sazaa dii, 'he/she gave punishment'), not दिया (diyaa).
Sample Sentences:
जज ने मुजरिम को कड़ी सज़ा दी।
The judge gave the criminal a harsh punishment.
(jaj ne mujrim ko kadii sazaa dii।)
टीचर होमवर्क न करने पर बच्चों को सज़ा देती है।
The teacher punishes the children for not doing their homework.
(tiichar homvark n karne par bachchon ko sazaa detii hai।)
अगर तुमने फिर झूठ बोला तो मैं तुम्हें सज़ा दूँगा।
If you lie again, I will punish you.
(agar tumne phir jhooth bolaa to main tumhen sazaa doongaa।)
अदालत मुजरिम को उम्रकैद की सज़ा दे रही है।
The court is giving the criminal a life sentence.
(adaalat mujrim ko umrkaid kii sazaa de rahii hai।)
उसे इस गलती की सज़ा मिली।
He received punishment for this mistake.
(use is galtii kii sazaa milii।)
बेटा, शरारत करने की सज़ा तो मिलेगी ही।
Son, you will definitely get punished for misbehaving.
(betaa, sharaarat karne kii sazaa to milegii hii।)
उसे बेकसूर होते हुए भी सज़ा दी गई।
He was punished even though he was innocent.
(use beksoor hote hue bhii sazaa dii gaii।)
काश उसे इतनी कड़ी सज़ा न दी जाती।
If only such a harsh punishment hadn't been given to him.
(kaash use itnii kadii sazaa n dii jaatii।)
उसकी हरकतों को देखकर लगा जैसे वह सज़ा माँग रहा हो।
Watching his antics, it seemed as if he were asking to be punished.
(uskii harakton ko dekhkar lagaa jaise vah sazaa maang rahaa ho।)
गुनहगारों को सज़ा दो, वरना समाज में अन्याय बढ़ेगा।
Punish the wrongdoers, or else injustice will grow in society.
(gunahgaaron ko sazaa do, varnaa samaaj men anyaay badhegaa।)
अगर वह वहाँ होता, तो उसे भी सज़ा मिलती।
If he had been there, he would have been punished too.
(agar vah vahaan hotaa, to use bhii sazaa miltii।)
पाप की सज़ा तो देर-सवेर मिल ही जाती है।
Punishment for sin comes sooner or later, one way or another.
(paap kii sazaa to der-saver mil hii jaatii hai।)
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive:
सज़ा देना
(sazaa denaa)
infinitive oblique:
सज़ा देने
(sazaa dene)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
सज़ा देता
(sazaa detaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
सज़ा देते
(sazaa dete)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
सज़ा देती
(sazaa detii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
सज़ा देतीं
(sazaa detiin)
continuous (sg.m):
सज़ा दे रहा
(sazaa de rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
सज़ा दे रहे
(sazaa de rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
सज़ा दे रही
(sazaa de rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
सज़ा दे रहीं
(sazaa de rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
सज़ा दिया
(sazaa diyaa)
perfective (pl.m):
सज़ा दिए
(sazaa die)
perfective (sg.f):
सज़ा दी
(sazaa dii)
perfective (pl.f):
सज़ा दीं
(sazaa diin)
imperative (informal):
सज़ा दे
(sazaa de)
imperative (neutral):
सज़ा दो
(sazaa do)
imperative (formal):
सज़ा दीजिए
(sazaa diijie)
future (1sg.m):
सज़ा दूँगा
(sazaa doongaa)
future (1sg.f):
सज़ा दूँगी
(sazaa doongii)
future (1pl.m):
सज़ा देंगे
(sazaa denge)
future (1pl.f):
सज़ा देंगी
(sazaa dengii)
future (2sg.m):
सज़ा देगा
(sazaa degaa)
future (2sg.f):
सज़ा देगी
(sazaa degii)
future (2pl.m):
सज़ा दोगे
(sazaa doge)
future (2pl.f):
सज़ा दोगी
(sazaa dogii)
future (3sg.m):
सज़ा देगा
(sazaa degaa)
future (3sg.f):
सज़ा देगी
(sazaa degii)
future (3pl.m):
सज़ा देंगे
(sazaa denge)
future (3pl.f):
सज़ा देंगी
(sazaa dengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
सज़ा दूँ
(sazaa doon)
subjunctive (1pl):
सज़ा दें
(sazaa den)
subjunctive (2sg):
सज़ा दे
(sazaa de)
subjunctive (2pl):
सज़ा दो
(sazaa do)
subjunctive (3sg):
सज़ा दे
(sazaa de)
subjunctive (3pl):
सज़ा दें
(sazaa den)