डंक मारना (dank maarnaa)

verb A compound expression literally 'to strike a sting,' used both literally for a bee/scorpion/snake sting and figuratively for a sharp, wounding remark.
Sense 1 : to sting (insect, scorpion, etc.)
verb, transitive डंक (dank) is the noun 'sting' and मारना (maarnaa) here means 'to deliver/inflict,' so the phrase literally means 'to strike a sting' -- the insect or creature is the subject.
Synonyms: काटना (kaatnaa, used for snakes/insects biting)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In everyday Delhi speech, this phrase comes up often in monsoon season when talk turns to मच्छर (machchhar, mosquitoes) and बिच्छू (bichchhoo, scorpions) -- a common household worry, especially in older buildings or during travel to rural areas.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use काटना (kaatnaa) and डंक मारना (dank maarnaa) interchangeably, but डंक मारना (dank maarnaa) is specifically for creatures with a stinger (bee, scorpion, wasp), while snakes are more commonly said to काटना (kaatnaa, to bite) even though they too can be said to डंक मारना (dank maarnaa) in some contexts. 2) As a transitive verb, the past tense takes ने (ne) marking on the subject: मधुमक्खी ने डंक मारा (madhumakkhii ne dank maaraa, 'the bee stung').
Sample Sentences:
मच्छर ने मुझे डंक मारा। The mosquito stung me.
(machchhar ne mujhe dank maaraa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बिच्छू कभी-कभी बिना किसी वजह के डंक मार देता है। Scorpions sometimes sting without any reason.
(bichchhoo kabhii-kabhii binaa kisii vajah ke dank maar detaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
देखना, वो बिच्छू डंक मार सकता है! Watch out, that scorpion might sting!
(dekhnaa, vo bichchhoo dank maar saktaa hai!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम उस मच्छर को छूते, तो वो डंक मार देता। If you had touched that mosquito, it would have stung you.
(agar tum us machchhar ko chhoote, to vo dank maar detaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बच्चे को बिच्छू ने डंक मार दिया था, इसलिए हम उसे अस्पताल ले गए। The scorpion had stung the child, so we took him to the hospital.
(bachche ko bichchhoo ne dank maar diyaa thaa, islie ham use asptaal le gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
सावधान रहो, बारिश के मौसम में मच्छर बहुत डंक मारते हैं। Be careful, mosquitoes sting a lot during the monsoon season.
(saavdhaan raho, baarish ke mausam men machchhar bahut dank maarte hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गाँव में रात को सोते वक़्त कभी-कभी बिच्छू डंक मार जाता है। In the village, a scorpion sometimes stings you while you're sleeping at night.
(gaanv men raat ko sote vaqt kabhii-kabhii bichchhoo dank maar jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुझे डर है कि यह मच्छर कहीं डंक न मार दे। I'm afraid this mosquito might sting me.
(mujhe dar hai ki yah machchhar kahiin dank n maar de।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी उंगली में उस समय डंक मारा गया था जब वह बगीचे में काम कर रही थी। Her finger was stung while she was working in the garden.
(uskii unglii men us samay dank maaraa gayaa thaa jab vah bagiiche men kaam kar rahii thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अगर बिच्छू ने डंक मार दिया होता, तो उसकी हालत और बिगड़ जाती। If the scorpion had stung him, his condition would have gotten even worse.
(agar bichchhoo ne dank maar diyaa hotaa, to uskii haalat aur bigad jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to make a cutting, hurtful remark
verb, transitive Used when someone's words are sharp enough to wound emotionally, often in the pattern X ने Y को डंक मारा (X ne Y ko dank maaraa, 'X stung Y (with words)') or more commonly as a description: उसकी बात डंक मार गई (uskii baat dank maar gaii, 'his words stung').
Synonyms: ताना मारना (taanaa maarnaa, to taunt), चुभती बात कहना (chubhtii baat kahnaa, to say something piercing)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This figurative extension leans on the same body-as-agent logic Hindi loves elsewhere: just as नींद आना (niind aanaa) frames sleep as something that arrives, a cruel comment here is framed as a physical sting inflicted on the listener, not just an abstract insult.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is less common in casual daily chat than words like ताना (taanaa, taunt) -- learners should recognize it in reading or formal speech more than reach for it actively in conversation. 2) The person being stung is marked with को (ko), not से (se), matching the pattern for other verbs of directed harm.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी बात मुझे डंक मार गई। His remark stung me.
(uskii baat mujhe dank maar gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हमेशा ऐसी बात कहती है जो डंक मारती है। She always says something that stings.
(vah hameshaa aisii baat kahtii hai jo dank maartii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अपने शब्दों से डंक मत मारो, प्यार से समझाओ। Don't sting with your words, explain it lovingly.
(apne shabdon se dank mat maaro, pyaar se samjhaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मीटिंग में उसने एक तंज कसा जो सबको डंक मार गया। In the meeting he made a taunt that stung everyone.
(miiting men usne ek tanj kasaa jo sabko dank maar gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह ऐसे डंक मारती रहेगी तो कोई उससे बात नहीं करेगा। If she keeps making such stinging remarks, no one will talk to her.
(agar vah aise dank maartii rahegii to koii usse baat nahiin karegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश वह इतनी तीखी बात न बोलता जो डंक मारे। I wish he hadn't said something so sharp that it stung.
(kaash vah itnii tiikhii baat n boltaa jo dank maare।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
आलोचकों की कलम कभी-कभी तलवार से ज़्यादा डंक मारती है। The critic's pen sometimes stings more than a sword.
(aalochkon kii kalam kabhii-kabhii talvaar se zyaadaa dank maartii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी चुप्पी में भी एक डंक मारने वाला व्यंग्य छिपा था। Even in his silence there was hidden a stinging sarcasm.
(uskii chuppii men bhii ek dank maarne vaalaa vyangy chhipaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: डंक मारना (dank maarnaa)
infinitive oblique: डंक मारने (dank maarne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): डंक मारता (dank maartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): डंक मारते (dank maarte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): डंक मारती (dank maartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): डंक मारतीं (dank maartiin)
continuous (sg.m): डंक मार रहा (dank maar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): डंक मार रहे (dank maar rahe)
continuous (sg.f): डंक मार रही (dank maar rahii)
continuous (pl.f): डंक मार रहीं (dank maar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): डंक मारा (dank maaraa)
perfective (pl.m): डंक मारे (dank maare)
perfective (sg.f): डंक मारी (dank maarii)
perfective (pl.f): डंक मारीं (dank maariin)
imperative (informal): डंक मार (dank maar)
imperative (neutral): डंक मारो (dank maaro)
imperative (formal): डंक मारिए (dank maarie)
future (1sg.m): डंक मारूँगा (dank maaroongaa)
future (1sg.f): डंक मारूँगी (dank maaroongii)
future (1pl.m): डंक मारेंगे (dank maarenge)
future (1pl.f): डंक मारेंगी (dank maarengii)
future (2sg.m): डंक मारेगा (dank maaregaa)
future (2sg.f): डंक मारेगी (dank maaregii)
future (2pl.m): डंक मारोगे (dank maaroge)
future (2pl.f): डंक मारोगी (dank maarogii)
future (3sg.m): डंक मारेगा (dank maaregaa)
future (3sg.f): डंक मारेगी (dank maaregii)
future (3pl.m): डंक मारेंगे (dank maarenge)
future (3pl.f): डंक मारेंगी (dank maarengii)
subjunctive (1sg): डंक मारूँ (dank maaroon)
subjunctive (1pl): डंक मारें (dank maaren)
subjunctive (2sg): डंक मारे (dank maare)
subjunctive (2pl): डंक मारो (dank maaro)
subjunctive (3sg): डंक मारे (dank maare)
subjunctive (3pl): डंक मारें (dank maaren)