खोदना (khodnaa)
verb
A single core sense: to dig, physically excavating earth or a surface. Extends naturally into a couple of common figurative/idiomatic uses built on that same digging image.
Sense
1
:
to dig (earth, a hole, a well, etc.)
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of a well being dug in a village, या (yaa) a construction site with a JCB machine -- कुआँ खोदना (kuaan khodnaa, 'to dig a well') is a classic phrase in stories and proverbs about hard, patient labor. The related passive form खुदना (khudnaa) is worth learning alongside this word since the two are constantly paired in real speech.
Common Mistakes: 1) खोदना (khodnaa) is transitive and takes ने (ne) in the perfective -- मज़दूर ने गड्ढा खोदा (mazdoor ne gaddhaa khodaa, 'the laborer dug a pit') -- do not drop ने (ne) the way you might for a related-sounding intransitive verb. 2) Don't confuse with खुदना (khudnaa), the intransitive/passive counterpart meaning 'to be dug' -- गड्ढा खुद गया (gaddhaa khud gayaa, 'the pit got dug') has no agent and no ने (ne).
Sample Sentences:
मज़दूर ज़मीन खोद रहे हैं।
The laborers are digging the ground.
(mazdoor zamiin khod rahe hain।)
गाँव वालों ने मिलकर एक कुआँ खोदा।
The villagers dug a well together.
(gaanv vaalon ne milkar ek kuaan khodaa।)
पहले लोग हाथ से ही कुआँ खोदते थे।
In the old days, people used to dig wells by hand.
(pahle log haath se hii kuaan khodte the।)
यहाँ गड्ढा खोदो, नींव यहीं से शुरू होगी।
Dig a pit here, the foundation will start right from here.
(yahaan gaddhaa khodo, niinv yahiin se shuroo hogii।)
अगर मशीन खराब न होती तो हम आज ही गड्ढा खोद लेते।
If the machine hadn't broken down, we would have dug the pit today itself.
(agar mashiin kharaab n hotii to ham aaj hii gaddhaa khod lete।)
जे.सी.बी. से सड़क के किनारे नाली खोदी जा रही है।
A drain is being dug along the roadside with a JCB machine.
(je.sii.bii. se sadak ke kinaare naalii khodii jaa rahii hai।)
किसान खेत में सिंचाई के लिए गड्ढे खोदेगा।
The farmer will dig pits in the field for irrigation.
(kisaan khet men sinchaaii ke lie gaddhe khodegaa।)
बच्चे रेत में खेल-खेल में गड्ढा खोद रहे थे।
The children were digging a hole in the sand while playing.
(bachche ret men khel-khel men gaddhaa khod rahe the।)
कहानी में एक बूढ़ा आदमी सालों तक अकेला कुआँ खोदता रहा।
In the story, an old man kept digging a well alone for years.
(kahaanii men ek boodhaa aadmii saalon tak akelaa kuaan khodtaa rahaa।)
शायद उन्होंने यहीं कहीं गड्ढा खोदा हो, ज़मीन उलटी-पलटी लग रही है।
Maybe they dug a pit somewhere around here, the ground looks all turned over.
(shaayad unhonne yahiin kahiin gaddhaa khodaa ho, zamiin ultii-paltii lag rahii hai।)
ठेकेदार चाहता है कि नींव कल तक खोद ली जाए।
The contractor wants the foundation to be dug by tomorrow.
(thekedaar chaahtaa hai ki niinv kal tak khod lii jaae।)
Sense
2
:
to pry, dig for (information), rake up (the past)
verb, transitive Commonly appears as the intensified form खोद-खोद कर पूछना (khod-khod kar poochhnaa) -- 'to dig and dig and ask,' i.e. to grill someone with questions.
Synonyms: खोद-खोद कर पूछना (khod-khod kar poochhnaa, to interrogate persistently)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Just like in English 'digging for dirt,' Hindi uses the same earthy image: पुरानी बातें खोदना (puraanii baaten khodnaa, 'to dig up old matters') is what a nosy relative does at a family gathering, dredging up things everyone else wanted to forget.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense almost always shows up with पूछना (poochhnaa) or ऐसी बातें (aisii baaten) attached -- learners sometimes try to use खोदना (khodnaa) alone to mean 'to interrogate,' which sounds incomplete without that frame.
Sample Sentences:
वह हमेशा पुरानी बातें खोदता रहता है।
He always keeps digging up old matters.
(vah hameshaa puraanii baaten khodtaa rahtaa hai।)
मेरी मामी को हर शादी में किसी न किसी का पुराना किस्सा खोदना होता है।
My aunt has to dig up somebody's old story at every wedding.
(merii maamii ko har shaadii men kisii n kisii kaa puraanaa kissaa khodnaa hotaa hai।)
प्लीज़ मेरा तलाक़ वाला मामला मत खोदो।
Please don't rake up my divorce case.
(pliiz meraa talaaq vaalaa maamlaa mat khodo।)
पत्रकार ने नेता के कॉलेज के दिनों की बातें खोद निकालीं।
The journalist dug up things from the leader's college days.
(patrkaar ne netaa ke kolej ke dinon kii baaten khod nikaaliin।)
अगर तुम उसकी नौकरी के बारे में खोदोगे तो झगड़ा हो जाएगा।
If you dig into his job situation, there will be a fight.
(agar tum uskii naukrii ke baare men khodoge to jhagdaa ho jaaegaa।)
क्या ज़रूरत है इतने साल पुरानी बात खोदने की?
What's the need to rake up something this many years old?
(kyaa zaroorat hai itne saal puraanii baat khodne kii?)
अगर वह इतनी खोदाई न करती तो घर में शांति रहती।
If she didn't dig up so much stuff, there would be peace at home.
(agar vah itnii khodaaii n kartii to ghar men shaanti rahtii।)
उसका माज़ी मीडिया द्वारा बुरी तरह खोदा गया।
His past was badly dug up by the media.
(uskaa maazii miidiyaa dvaaraa burii tarah khodaa gayaa।)
पड़ोसी हर छोटी बात खोदकर उसे बड़ा बना देते हैं।
The neighbors dig up every little thing and blow it out of proportion.
(padosii har chhotii baat khodkar use badaa banaa dete hain।)
वकील साहब, कृपया इस पुराने केस को दोबारा मत खोदिए।
Sir lawyer, please do not rake up this old case again.
(vakiil saahab, kripyaa is puraane kes ko dobaaraa mat khodie।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
खोदना
(khodnaa)
infinitive oblique:
खोदने
(khodne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
खोदता
(khodtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
खोदते
(khodte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
खोदती
(khodtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
खोदतीं
(khodtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
खोद रहा
(khod rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
खोद रहे
(khod rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
खोद रही
(khod rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
खोद रहीं
(khod rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
खोदा
(khodaa)
perfective (pl.m):
खोदे
(khode)
perfective (sg.f):
खोदी
(khodii)
perfective (pl.f):
खोदीं
(khodiin)
imperative (informal):
खोद
(khod)
imperative (neutral):
खोदो
(khodo)
imperative (formal):
खोदिए
(khodie)
future (1sg.m):
खोदूँगा
(khodoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
खोदूँगी
(khodoongii)
future (1pl.m):
खोदेंगे
(khodenge)
future (1pl.f):
खोदेंगी
(khodengii)
future (2sg.m):
खोदेगा
(khodegaa)
future (2sg.f):
खोदेगी
(khodegii)
future (2pl.m):
खोदोगे
(khodoge)
future (2pl.f):
खोदोगी
(khodogii)
future (3sg.m):
खोदेगा
(khodegaa)
future (3sg.f):
खोदेगी
(khodegii)
future (3pl.m):
खोदेंगे
(khodenge)
future (3pl.f):
खोदेंगी
(khodengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
खोदूँ
(khodoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
खोदें
(khoden)
subjunctive (2sg):
खोदे
(khode)
subjunctive (2pl):
खोदो
(khodo)
subjunctive (3sg):
खोदे
(khode)
subjunctive (3pl):
खोदें
(khoden)