निगलना (nigalnaa)
verb
A physical verb meaning 'to swallow,' with a common figurative extension to swallowing up money, words, or pride.
Sense
1
:
to swallow (food, liquid, a pill)
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this used very concretely: a mother telling a child दवाई निगल लो (davaaii nigal lo, 'swallow the medicine') or someone struggling to get a big pill down. The compound-verb form निगल लेना (nigal lenaa) with लेना (lenaa) is extremely common and adds a sense of 'getting it down completely.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with पीना (piinaa, 'to drink') when talking about liquids or medicine taken with water -- निगलना (nigalnaa) specifically means the physical act of gulping something down (like a pill or a lump of food), not drinking as an activity.
Sample Sentences:
दवाई निगल लो, वरना ठीक नहीं होगी।
Swallow the medicine, or you won't get better.
(davaaii nigal lo, varnaa thiik nahiin hogii।)
बच्चा गोली निगल नहीं पा रहा था।
The child was not able to swallow the pill.
(bachchaa golii nigal nahiin paa rahaa thaa।)
वह रोज़ सुबह खाली पेट यह कैप्सूल निगलता है।
He swallows this capsule every morning on an empty stomach.
(vah roz subah khaalii pet yah kaipsool nigaltaa hai।)
उसने एक ही सांस में पूरा पानी निगल लिया।
He gulped down the whole water in one breath.
(usne ek hii saans men pooraa paanii nigal liyaa।)
यह गोली इतनी बड़ी है कि मुझसे निगली नहीं जाती।
This pill is so big that I can't manage to swallow it.
(yah golii itnii badii hai ki mujhse niglii nahiin jaatii।)
अगर तुम इतनी जल्दी खाओगे तो खाना बिना चबाए निगल जाओगे।
If you eat this fast, you'll end up swallowing your food without chewing it.
(agar tum itnii jaldii khaaoge to khaanaa binaa chabaae nigal jaaoge।)
मरीज़ को कहा गया कि वह गोली धीरे-धीरे निगले।
The patient was told to swallow the pill slowly.
(mariiz ko kahaa gayaa ki vah golii dhiire-dhiire nigle।)
काश मैं यह कड़वी दवाई इतनी आसानी से निगल पाता।
I wish I could swallow this bitter medicine so easily.
(kaash main yah kadvii davaaii itnii aasaanii se nigal paataa।)
गले में कुछ फंसा हुआ था, इसलिए वह ठीक से निगल नहीं पा रहा था।
Something was stuck in his throat, so he wasn't able to swallow properly.
(gale men kuchh phansaa huaa thaa, islie vah thiik se nigal nahiin paa rahaa thaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि इसे पानी के साथ निगलिए, चबाइए नहीं।
The doctor said to swallow this with water, not chew it.
(doktar ne kahaa ki ise paanii ke saath niglie, chabaaie nahiin।)
इतनी बड़ी गोली एक बार में निगली नहीं जा सकती।
Such a big pill cannot be swallowed in one go.
(itnii badii golii ek baar men niglii nahiin jaa saktii।)
Sense
2
:
to swallow up, embezzle, or absorb (money, resources, someone's share)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: हड़प लेना (hadap lenaa, colloquial, specifically for embezzling money)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you'll hear in conversations about corruption or family property disputes: उसने सारा पैसा निगल लिया (usne saaraa paisaa nigal liyaa, 'he swallowed up all the money'). It paints money or land as something that vanishes into someone's greedy grasp, much like food disappearing down a throat.
Sample Sentences:
ठेकेदार सारा पैसा निगल गया।
The contractor swallowed up all the money.
(thekedaar saaraa paisaa nigal gayaa।)
भाई ने पिता की सारी जमीन निगल ली।
The brother swallowed up all of their father's land.
(bhaaii ne pitaa kii saarii jamiin nigal lii।)
यह कंपनी छोटे व्यापारियों का हिस्सा निगल जाती है।
This company swallows up small traders' shares.
(yah kampnii chhote vyaapaariyon kaa hissaa nigal jaatii hai।)
सरकारी फंड भ्रष्ट अफसरों द्वारा निगल लिया गया।
The government fund was swallowed up by corrupt officers.
(sarkaarii phand bhrasht aphasron dvaaraa nigal liyaa gayaa।)
अगर वह मैनेजर होता, तो पूरा मुनाफा निगल जाता।
If he were the manager, he would have swallowed up the whole profit.
(agar vah mainejar hotaa, to pooraa munaaphaa nigal jaataa।)
देखना, यह प्रोजेक्ट सारा बजट निगल जाएगा।
You'll see, this project will swallow up the entire budget.
(dekhnaa, yah projekt saaraa bajat nigal jaaegaa।)
चाचा को अपने ही भाई की कमाई मत निगलने दो।
Don't let uncle swallow up his own brother's earnings.
(chaachaa ko apne hii bhaaii kii kamaaii mat nigalne do।)
मुझे शक है कि क्लर्क ने विधवा की पेंशन निगल ली हो।
I suspect the clerk may have swallowed up the widow's pension.
(mujhe shak hai ki klark ne vidhvaa kii penshan nigal lii ho।)
बड़ी मछली हमेशा छोटी मछली को निगल जाती है, बाज़ार में भी यही चलता है।
The big fish always swallows up the small fish, and it's the same in the market.
(badii machhlii hameshaa chhotii machhlii ko nigal jaatii hai, baazaar men bhii yahii chaltaa hai।)
उस साझेदारी में उसने अकेले सारा लाभ निगल लिया।
In that partnership, he alone swallowed up the entire profit.
(us saajhedaarii men usne akele saaraa laabh nigal liyaa।)
Sense
3
:
to swallow (words, a retort, one's pride/anger, to hold back and not say something)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: दबा लेना (dabaa lenaa, for suppressing feelings)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Just like in English, Hindi speakers 'swallow' their words or anger to keep the peace: अपना गुस्सा निगल लिया (apnaa gussaa nigal liyaa, 'swallowed his own anger'). It's a nice example of a physical verb doing double duty for emotional restraint, mirroring the English idiom closely enough that it feels intuitive.
Sample Sentences:
उसने अपना गुस्सा निगल लिया।
He swallowed his anger.
(usne apnaa gussaa nigal liyaa।)
बॉस के सामने मैं अपनी बात निगल जाता हूँ।
In front of my boss, I swallow my words.
(bos ke saamne main apnii baat nigal jaataa hoon।)
वह अपने आँसू निगलकर मुस्कुरा रही थी।
She was smiling while swallowing her tears.
(vah apne aansoo nigalkar muskuraa rahii thii।)
अपना अपमान निगल जाओ, अभी कुछ मत कहो।
Swallow your humiliation, don't say anything right now.
(apnaa apmaan nigal jaao, abhii kuchh mat kaho।)
अगर वह अपना अहंकार निगल लेता, तो रिश्ता टूटता नहीं।
If he had swallowed his ego, the relationship wouldn't have broken.
(agar vah apnaa ahankaar nigal letaa, to rishtaa toottaa nahiin।)
मुझे लगता है उसे यह बात निगल लेनी चाहिए थी।
I think he should have swallowed this remark.
(mujhe lagtaa hai use yah baat nigal lenii chaahie thii।)
शायद वह अपनी नाराज़गी निगल जाए, इसी में सबकी भलाई है।
Maybe he'll swallow his resentment, that's for everyone's good.
(shaayad vah apnii naaraazgii nigal jaae, isii men sabkii bhalaaii hai।)
बड़ों के सामने अपनी तीखी बातें निगल लेनी पड़ती हैं।
One has to swallow one's sharp remarks in front of elders.
(badon ke saamne apnii tiikhii baaten nigal lenii padtii hain।)
उसने अपमान का घूँट निगल लिया मगर चेहरे पर शिकन न आने दी।
He swallowed the bitter pill of insult but didn't let his face show it.
(usne apmaan kaa ghoont nigal liyaa magar chehre par shikan n aane dii।)
क्या तुम हर बार अपनी शिकायतें निगल जाओगी?
Will you swallow your complaints every single time?
(kyaa tum har baar apnii shikaayten nigal jaaogii?)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
निगलना
(nigalnaa)
infinitive oblique:
निगलने
(nigalne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
निगलता
(nigaltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
निगलते
(nigalte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
निगलती
(nigaltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
निगलतीं
(nigaltiin)
continuous (sg.m):
निगल रहा
(nigal rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
निगल रहे
(nigal rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
निगल रही
(nigal rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
निगल रहीं
(nigal rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
निगला
(niglaa)
perfective (pl.m):
निगले
(nigle)
perfective (sg.f):
निगली
(niglii)
perfective (pl.f):
निगलीं
(nigliin)
imperative (informal):
निगल
(nigal)
imperative (neutral):
निगलो
(niglo)
imperative (formal):
निगलिए
(niglie)
future (1sg.m):
निगलूँगा
(nigloongaa)
future (1sg.f):
निगलूँगी
(nigloongii)
future (1pl.m):
निगलेंगे
(niglenge)
future (1pl.f):
निगलेंगी
(niglengii)
future (2sg.m):
निगलेगा
(niglegaa)
future (2sg.f):
निगलेगी
(niglegii)
future (2pl.m):
निगलोगे
(nigloge)
future (2pl.f):
निगलोगी
(niglogii)
future (3sg.m):
निगलेगा
(niglegaa)
future (3sg.f):
निगलेगी
(niglegii)
future (3pl.m):
निगलेंगे
(niglenge)
future (3pl.f):
निगलेंगी
(niglengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
निगलूँ
(nigloon)
subjunctive (1pl):
निगलें
(niglen)
subjunctive (2sg):
निगले
(nigle)
subjunctive (2pl):
निगलो
(niglo)
subjunctive (3sg):
निगले
(nigle)
subjunctive (3pl):
निगलें
(niglen)