न रहना (n rahnaa)
verb
A euphemistic phrase built from न (n, 'not') plus रहना (rahnaa, 'to stay/remain'), used mainly to say that someone has passed away, i.e. is 'no longer' with us.
Sense
1
:
to pass away, to no longer be alive (euphemism for dying)
verb, intransitive Almost always used in a completed/perfective form about a person, typically with an oblique possessor construction: किसी के न रहने पर (kisii ke n rahne par, 'when someone is no longer [with us]') or वे अब नहीं रहे (ve ab nahiin rahe, 'he/she is no more'), where नहीं rather than न often appears in the finite past tense, with न reserved more for infinitival/subordinate uses.
Synonyms: गुजर जाना (gujar jaanaa), चल बसना (chal basnaa, gentle/literary), मर जाना (mar jaanaa, direct, less euphemistic), गुज़र जाना (guzar jaanaa, spelling variant)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the phrase you will hear when someone gently breaks the news of a death: वे अब नहीं रहे (ve ab nahiin rahe, 'he is no longer with us'). It softens the blow compared to मर गया (mar gayaa), much like English speakers prefer 'passed away' over 'died' in polite company. You will often hear it paired with respectful plural verb agreement even for one person, as a mark of respect for the deceased.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to मर गया (mar gayaa) in all contexts; न रहना (n rahnaa) is the softer, more respectful way to announce a death, especially to family or in formal settings. 2) The negator shifts: in the actual finite past tense Hindi speakers usually say नहीं रहे (nahiin rahe) rather than न रहे (n rahe), even though the dictionary/infinitive form of this phrase is written with न. 3) This phrase is almost never used for objects or animals in casual speech; use it primarily for people.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे दादाजी अब नहीं रहे।
My grandfather is no longer with us.
(mere daadaajii ab nahiin rahe।)
सुनकर बहुत दुख हुआ कि शर्मा जी नहीं रहे।
I was very saddened to hear that Mr. Sharma has passed away.
(sunkar bahut dukh huaa ki sharmaa jii nahiin rahe।)
उनकी माँ पिछले साल नहीं रहीं।
His mother passed away last year.
(unkii maan pichhle saal nahiin rahiin।)
अगर वे आज नहीं रहते, तो सब कुछ बदल जाता।
If he were to pass away today, everything would change.
(agar ve aaj nahiin rahte, to sab kuchh badal jaataa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि मरीज़ अब नहीं रहा।
The doctor said that the patient is no more.
(doktar ne kahaa ki mariiz ab nahiin rahaa।)
काश वे अभी कुछ साल और रहते, नहीं रहते तो इतना अफ़सोस न होता।
I wish he had lived a few more years; if he weren't to pass away, there wouldn't be so much regret.
(kaash ve abhii kuchh saal aur rahte, nahiin rahte to itnaa afsos n hotaa।)
पिताजी के नहीं रहने से पूरा घर सूना हो गया है।
Since father's passing, the whole house has become empty.
(pitaajii ke nahiin rahne se pooraa ghar soonaa ho gayaa hai।)
भगवान न करे कि वे नहीं रहें।
God forbid that he should pass away.
(bhagvaan n kare ki ve nahiin rahen।)
जब वे नहीं रहेंगे, तो यह घर किसे मिलेगा?
When he is no longer alive, who will get this house?
(jab ve nahiin rahenge, to yah ghar kise milegaa?)
उसके पापा बचपन में ही नहीं रहे थे।
Her father had passed away already when she was a child.
(uske paapaa bachpan men hii nahiin rahe the।)
यह सुनकर सब स्तब्ध रह गए कि नेताजी अब नहीं रहे।
Everyone was stunned to hear that the leader had passed away.
(yah sunkar sab stabdh rah gae ki netaajii ab nahiin rahe।)
Sense
2
:
to no longer exist, remain, or be present (of things, situations, relationships)
verb, intransitive Used for abstract or inanimate subjects -- a relationship, a system, a feeling -- that has ceased to exist or continue, e.g. अब वह रिश्ता नहीं रहा (ab vah rishtaa nahiin rahaa, 'that relationship no longer exists').
Synonyms: खत्म हो जाना (khatm ho jaanaa), बचना नहीं (bachnaa nahiin)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same underlying phrase as the 'passing away' sense, just applied to things instead of people -- Hindi treats a relationship, a job, or an era 'ceasing to remain' with the same verb used for a life ending, which gives the phrase a slightly wistful, reflective color even when talking about non-human subjects.
Sample Sentences:
अब वो बात नहीं रही जो पहले हुआ करती थी।
That thing is no longer the way it used to be.
(ab vo baat nahiin rahii jo pahle huaa kartii thii।)
उनकी दोस्ती अब पहले जैसी नहीं रही।
Their friendship is not what it used to be anymore.
(unkii dostii ab pahle jaisii nahiin rahii।)
जब से फैक्ट्री बंद हुई है, यहाँ पहले वाली रौनक नहीं रही।
Ever since the factory closed, the old liveliness here is gone.
(jab se phaiktrii band huii hai, yahaan pahle vaalii raunak nahiin rahii।)
उसकी नौकरी अब नहीं रही, कंपनी ने छँटनी कर दी।
His job is no longer there; the company laid people off.
(uskii naukrii ab nahiin rahii, kampnii ne chhantnii kar dii।)
पुराने दिल्ली की वो गलियाँ अब वैसी नहीं रहीं।
Those lanes of old Delhi are no longer like they used to be.
(puraane dillii kii vo galiyaan ab vaisii nahiin rahiin।)
अगर यह परंपरा नहीं रहेगी, तो हमारी पहचान भी खो जाएगी।
If this tradition no longer exists, our identity will be lost too.
(agar yah parampraa nahiin rahegii, to hamaarii pahchaan bhii kho jaaegii।)
काश वो पुराना रिश्ता न रहता, तो इतना दर्द न होता।
If only that old relationship no longer existed, there wouldn't be so much pain.
(kaash vo puraanaa rishtaa n rahtaa, to itnaa dard n hotaa।)
समय के साथ उनके बीच का वो प्यार नहीं रहा।
With time, that love between them ceased to exist.
(samay ke saath unke biich kaa vo pyaar nahiin rahaa।)
देश में अब वो पुरानी व्यवस्था नहीं रही, सब कुछ बदल गया है।
That old system no longer exists in the country; everything has changed.
(desh men ab vo puraanii vyavasthaa nahiin rahii, sab kuchh badal gayaa hai।)
क्या पहले जैसा भरोसा अब भी बाकी है, या वो भी नहीं रहा?
Does that old trust still remain, or has that too ceased to exist?
(kyaa pahle jaisaa bharosaa ab bhii baakii hai, yaa vo bhii nahiin rahaa?)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
न रहना
(n rahnaa)
infinitive oblique:
न रहने
(n rahne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
न रहता
(n rahtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
न रहते
(n rahte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
न रहती
(n rahtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
न रहतीं
(n rahtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
न रह रहा
(n rah rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
न रह रहे
(n rah rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
न रह रही
(n rah rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
न रह रहीं
(n rah rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
न रहा
(n rahaa)
perfective (pl.m):
न रहे
(n rahe)
perfective (sg.f):
न रही
(n rahii)
perfective (pl.f):
न रहीं
(n rahiin)
imperative (informal):
न रह
(n rah)
imperative (neutral):
न रहो
(n raho)
imperative (formal):
न रहिए
(n rahie)
future (1sg.m):
न रहूँगा
(n rahoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
न रहूँगी
(n rahoongii)
future (1pl.m):
न रहेंगे
(n rahenge)
future (1pl.f):
न रहेंगी
(n rahengii)
future (2sg.m):
न रहेगा
(n rahegaa)
future (2sg.f):
न रहेगी
(n rahegii)
future (2pl.m):
न रहोगे
(n rahoge)
future (2pl.f):
न रहोगी
(n rahogii)
future (3sg.m):
न रहेगा
(n rahegaa)
future (3sg.f):
न रहेगी
(n rahegii)
future (3pl.m):
न रहेंगे
(n rahenge)
future (3pl.f):
न रहेंगी
(n rahengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
न रहूँ
(n rahoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
न रहें
(n rahen)
subjunctive (2sg):
न रहे
(n rahe)
subjunctive (2pl):
न रहो
(n raho)
subjunctive (3sg):
न रहे
(n rahe)
subjunctive (3pl):
न रहें
(n rahen)