सुनाना (sunaanaa)
verb
The causative of सुनना (sunnaa, 'to hear/listen') -- means 'to tell/narrate/recite' (to make someone hear something), with an extended sense of 'to give someone a piece of one's mind.'
Sense
1
:
to narrate, recite, or tell (a story, song, poem, news)
verb, transitive Takes an indirect object marked with को (ko) for the listener: उसे कहानी सुनाना (use kahaanii sunaanaa, 'to tell him/her a story').
Synonyms: कहना (kahnaa, to say/tell, narrower), बताना (bataanaa, to inform, narrower)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the classic verb for bedtime stories -- दादी कहानी सुनाती थी (daadii kahaanii sunaatii thii, 'grandma used to tell a story') is a phrase almost every Hindi-speaking kid grew up hearing. It literally means 'to make someone hear,' capturing how Hindi treats storytelling as an act done to an audience's ears rather than just 'telling.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बताना (bataanaa) when सुनाना (sunaanaa) is more natural -- सुनाना (sunaanaa) is used specifically for stories, poems, songs, jokes, and news meant to be performed or narrated aloud, while बताना (bataanaa) is for plain information. 2) The listener takes को (ko), not से (se): मुझे कहानी सुनाओ (mujhe kahaanii sunaao, 'tell me a story'), not मुझसे (mujhse).
Sample Sentences:
दादी हर रात बच्चों को कहानी सुनाती थी।
Grandma used to tell the children a story every night.
(daadii har raat bachchon ko kahaanii sunaatii thii।)
वह अभी अपनी यात्रा का किस्सा सुना रहा है।
He is narrating the story of his trip right now.
(vah abhii apnii yaatraa kaa kissaa sunaa rahaa hai।)
मुझे अपनी पूरी कहानी सुनाओ।
Tell me your whole story.
(mujhe apnii poorii kahaanii sunaao।)
उसने हमें अपने बचपन की एक याद सुनाई।
She narrated a memory from her childhood to us.
(usne hamen apne bachpan kii ek yaad sunaaii।)
अगर वह यहाँ होता, तो वह भी हमें कोई कहानी सुनाता।
If he were here, he would have narrated some story to us too.
(agar vah yahaan hotaa, to vah bhii hamen koii kahaanii sunaataa।)
कल शाम को मैं तुम्हें एक नई कहानी सुनाऊँगा।
Tomorrow evening I will tell you a new story.
(kal shaam ko main tumhen ek naii kahaanii sunaaoongaa।)
यह किस्सा सबको सुनाया जाना चाहिए।
This story should be told to everyone.
(yah kissaa sabko sunaayaa jaanaa chaahie।)
क्या तुम मुझे वह मज़ेदार किस्सा सुना सकते हो?
Can you tell me that funny story?
(kyaa tum mujhe vah mazedaar kissaa sunaa sakte ho?)
गुरुजी ने शिष्यों को गीता की कथा सुनाई।
The guru narrated the story of the Gita to his disciples.
(gurujii ne shishyon ko giitaa kii kathaa sunaaii।)
इतिहास की यह कथा पीढ़ियों से सुनाई जाती रही है।
This tale of history has been narrated for generations.
(itihaas kii yah kathaa piidhiyon se sunaaii jaatii rahii hai।)
काश कोई मुझे भी इतनी अच्छी कहानियाँ सुनाता।
I wish someone told me such good stories too.
(kaash koii mujhe bhii itnii achchhii kahaaniyaan sunaataa।)
Sense
2
:
to sing or perform (a song, ghazal) for listeners
verb, transitive Emphasizes performing for someone's benefit, as opposed to गाना (gaanaa) which can be sung alone or for no one in particular.
Synonyms: गाना (gaanaa, to sing, broader/neutral)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this at gatherings when someone is coaxed to perform: एक गाना सुनाओ (ek gaanaa sunaao, 'sing us a song') -- a common, warm request at Indian family functions and antakshari sessions.
Common Mistakes: 1) गाना (gaanaa) and सुनाना (sunaanaa) overlap for songs, but सुनाना (sunaanaa) specifically frames it as a performance for listeners: उसने गाना सुनाया (usne gaanaa sunaayaa, 'he sang a song (for us)') implies an audience in a way गाना (gaanaa) alone doesn't.
Sample Sentences:
एक गाना सुनाओ।
Sing us a song.
(ek gaanaa sunaao।)
शादी में उसने सबको एक ग़ज़ल सुनाई।
At the wedding, she sang a ghazal for everyone.
(shaadii men usne sabko ek ghazal sunaaii।)
वह हर महफ़िल में एक गीत सुनाता है।
He sings a song at every gathering.
(vah har mahfil men ek giit sunaataa hai।)
गायक मंच पर अपनी नई ग़ज़ल सुना रहा है।
The singer is performing his new ghazal on stage.
(gaayak manch par apnii naii ghazal sunaa rahaa hai।)
अंताक्षरी में बारी आने पर उसे एक फ़िल्मी गाना सुनाना पड़ा।
When his turn came in antakshari, he had to sing a film song.
(antaakshrii men baarii aane par use ek filmii gaanaa sunaanaa padaa।)
काश वह आज हमें अपनी आवाज़ में यह ग़ज़ल सुनाता।
If only he would sing this ghazal for us today in his own voice.
(kaash vah aaj hamen apnii aavaaz men yah ghazal sunaataa।)
क्या आप हमें अपनी मशहूर ग़ज़ल सुनाएँगे?
Will you sing your famous ghazal for us?
(kyaa aap hamen apnii mashahoor ghazal sunaaenge?)
अगर मौका मिले तो मैं आपको एक भजन सुनाऊँ।
If I get the chance, let me sing a devotional song for you.
(agar maukaa mile to main aapko ek bhajan sunaaoon।)
समारोह में उस्ताद जी द्वारा एक क्लासिकल राग सुनाया गया।
A classical raga was performed by the ustad at the ceremony.
(samaaroh men ustaad jii dvaaraa ek klaasikal raag sunaayaa gayaa।)
बचपन में दादी हमें सोने से पहले लोरी सुनाती थीं।
In childhood, grandmother used to sing us a lullaby before bed.
(bachpan men daadii hamen sone se pahle lorii sunaatii thiin।)
Sense
3
:
to scold or give someone a piece of one's mind
verb, transitive Common in the idiom खरी-खोटी सुनाना (kharii-khotii sunaanaa, 'to tell off'), and also used alone: मैंने उसे सुना दी (mainne use sunaa dii, 'I gave him an earful') using the compound verb form.
Synonyms: डांटना (daantnaa, to scold, more direct/harsher), खरी-खोटी सुनाना (kharii-khotii sunaanaa, idiom, to give a strong tongue-lashing)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a wonderfully Hindi twist: the same verb used for a loving bedtime story can also mean 'to tell someone off,' as in जाकर उसे खरी-खोटी सुना आया (jaakar use kharii-khotii sunaa aayaa, 'went and gave him a piece of my mind'). Context and tone are everything here.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense flips the literal meaning ironically -- 'making someone hear' becomes 'making someone hear what they don't want to.' Learners who only know the storytelling sense may miss this negative meaning entirely in context. 2) Often appears as a compound verb, सुना देना (sunaa denaa), which adds a sense of decisiveness or finality to the scolding.
Sample Sentences:
माँ ने बेटे को उसकी लापरवाही पर खूब सुनाई।
Mom gave her son a real earful over his carelessness.
(maan ne bete ko uskii laaparvaahii par khoob sunaaii।)
वह जाकर उसे खरी-खोटी सुना आया।
He went and gave him a piece of his mind.
(vah jaakar use kharii-khotii sunaa aayaa।)
अगर तुमने फिर झूठ बोला तो मैं तुम्हें सुनाऊँगी।
If you lie again, I'll give you an earful.
(agar tumne phir jhooth bolaa to main tumhen sunaaoongii।)
बॉस रोज़ किसी न किसी को सुनाता रहता है।
The boss keeps giving somebody or the other an earful every day.
(bos roz kisii n kisii ko sunaataa rahtaa hai।)
पड़ोसी को उसकी बदतमीज़ी पर सुना दो, वरना वह ऐसे ही करता रहेगा।
Give the neighbor an earful for his rudeness, or he'll keep doing this.
(padosii ko uskii badatmiizii par sunaa do, varnaa vah aise hii kartaa rahegaa।)
अगर वह मेरा सामान तोड़ता तो मैं उसे सुना देती।
If he had broken my things, I would have given him an earful.
(agar vah meraa saamaan todtaa to main use sunaa detii।)
टीचर ने उसे क्लास के सामने ऐसी सुनाई कि वह शर्म से लाल हो गया।
The teacher gave him such an earful in front of the class that he turned red with embarrassment.
(tiichar ne use klaas ke saamne aisii sunaaii ki vah sharm se laal ho gayaa।)
मुझे डर है कि पापा आज सुनाएँगे।
I'm afraid Dad will give me an earful today.
(mujhe dar hai ki paapaa aaj sunaaenge।)
उसे इतना सुनाया गया कि वह दोबारा वहाँ गया ही नहीं।
He was given such an earful that he never went there again.
(use itnaa sunaayaa gayaa ki vah dobaaraa vahaan gayaa hii nahiin।)
क्या तुम उसे सुनाने से पहले एक बार सोचोगे नहीं?
Won't you think once before you give him an earful?
(kyaa tum use sunaane se pahle ek baar sochoge nahiin?)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
सुनाना
(sunaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
सुनाने
(sunaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
सुनाता
(sunaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
सुनाते
(sunaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
सुनाती
(sunaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
सुनातीं
(sunaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
सुना रहा
(sunaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
सुना रहे
(sunaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
सुना रही
(sunaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
सुना रहीं
(sunaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
सुनाया
(sunaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
सुनाए
(sunaae)
perfective (sg.f):
सुनाई
(sunaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
सुनाईं
(sunaaiin)
imperative (informal):
सुना
(sunaa)
imperative (neutral):
सुनाओ
(sunaao)
imperative (formal):
सुनाइए
(sunaaie)
future (1sg.m):
सुनाऊँगा
(sunaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
सुनाऊँगी
(sunaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
सुनाएँगे
(sunaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
सुनाएँगी
(sunaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
सुनाएगा
(sunaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
सुनाएगी
(sunaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
सुनाओगे
(sunaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
सुनाओगी
(sunaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
सुनाएगा
(sunaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
सुनाएगी
(sunaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
सुनाएँगे
(sunaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
सुनाएँगी
(sunaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
सुनाऊँ
(sunaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
सुनाएँ
(sunaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
सुनाए
(sunaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
सुनाओ
(sunaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
सुनाए
(sunaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
सुनाएँ
(sunaaen)