झूलना (jhoolnaa)
verb
One core physical sense -- to swing or sway -- with a natural figurative extension to being emotionally suspended or torn between options. Related noun: झूला (jhoolaa, 'swing').
Sense
1
:
to swing, sway (on a swing, in the wind, etc.)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: लहराना (lahraanaa, to sway/wave), हिलना (hilnaa, to move/shake)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Swings ( झूला jhoolaa ) are a beloved fixture of Indian summers and monsoon festivals -- think of Krishna and Radha depicted swinging in miniature paintings, or the झूला (jhoolaa) hung from a mango tree during Teej and Sawan, when women sing and swing together. The verb carries that same festive, leisurely image.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for हिलना (hilnaa) for any swaying motion, but झूलना (jhoolnaa) specifically evokes a pendulum-like back-and-forth arc -- a swing, a hammock, a rope bridge, hair, or a pendant -- rather than a general shake or wobble.
2) This verb is intransitive; the person doing the swinging is the subject, not marked with ने (ne) even in the perfective (बच्चा झूला (bachchaa jhoolaa, 'the child swung')).
Sample Sentences:
बच्चे बगीचे में झूल रहे हैं।
The children are swinging in the garden.
(bachche bagiiche men jhool rahe hain।)
सावन में लड़कियाँ आम के पेड़ पर झूला डालकर झूलती हैं।
In the month of Sawan, girls hang a swing on the mango tree and swing on it.
(saavan men ladkiyaan aam ke ped par jhoolaa daalkar jhooltii hain।)
कल हम पार्क में बहुत झूले थे।
Yesterday we swung a lot in the park.
(kal ham paark men bahut jhoole the।)
तेज़ हवा में डाल पर लगा झूला अपने आप झूल रहा था।
In the strong wind, the swing hanging on the branch was swaying on its own.
(tez havaa men daal par lagaa jhoolaa apne aap jhool rahaa thaa।)
थोड़ा धीरे झूलो, गिर जाओगे!
Swing a little more slowly, you'll fall!
(thodaa dhiire jhoolo, gir jaaoge!)
अगर बगीचे में झूला होता तो मैं रोज़ झूलता।
If there were a swing in the garden, I would swing every day.
(agar bagiiche men jhoolaa hotaa to main roz jhooltaa।)
मंदिर में राधा-कृष्ण की मूर्तियाँ झूले पर झुलाई जाती हैं।
In the temple, the idols of Radha and Krishna are swung on a swing.
(mandir men raadhaa-krishn kii moortiyaan jhoole par jhulaaii jaatii hain।)
क्या तुम मेरे साथ झूलोगी?
Will you swing with me?
(kyaa tum mere saath jhoologii?)
पीपल की शाखा पर बंधा झूला हल्के-हल्के झूल रहा है।
The swing tied to the peepal branch is gently swaying.
(piipal kii shaakhaa par bandhaa jhoolaa halke-halke jhool rahaa hai।)
शायद वह अपनी बेटी के साथ झूलती हुई मिले।
Perhaps you'll find her swinging with her daughter.
(shaayad vah apnii betii ke saath jhooltii huii mile।)
तीज के मेले में हर तरफ लड़कियाँ झूल रही थीं और गीत गा रही थीं।
At the Teej fair, girls were swinging everywhere and singing songs.
(tiij ke mele men har taraph ladkiyaan jhool rahii thiin aur giit gaa rahii thiin।)
Sense
2
:
to be suspended between, torn between (emotionally or mentally)
verb, intransitive Common in the frame X और Y के बीच झूलना (X aur Y ke biich jhoolnaa) -- 'to swing/be suspended between X and Y' -- for indecision or mixed emotional states, e.g. आशा और निराशा के बीच झूलना (aashaa aur niraashaa ke biich jhoolnaa, 'to swing between hope and despair').
Synonyms: डगमगाना (dagamgaanaa, to waver/totter), भटकना (bhataknaa, to wander, looser fit)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a lovely example of Hindi turning a physical image into an emotional one: instead of saying someone 'is torn' between two feelings, Hindi pictures them literally swinging back and forth like on a झूला (jhoolaa) -- a very visual, almost cinematic way to describe mental limbo.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense almost always needs the बीच (biich, 'between') frame with two contrasting nouns; used alone without that frame, झूलना (jhoolnaa) reverts to its literal swinging meaning and sounds odd for indecision.
Sample Sentences:
उसका मन दो फैसलों के बीच झूल रहा है।
His mind is wavering between two decisions.
(uskaa man do phaislon ke biich jhool rahaa hai।)
वह प्यार और नफरत के बीच झूलती रही।
She kept wavering between love and hate.
(vah pyaar aur naphrat ke biich jhooltii rahii।)
मरीज़ की जान अभी भी जीवन और मृत्यु के बीच झूल रही है।
The patient's life is still hanging in the balance between life and death.
(mariiz kii jaan abhii bhii jiivan aur mrityu ke biich jhool rahii hai।)
मत झूलो, कोई एक रास्ता चुन लो।
Don't waver, just pick one path.
(mat jhoolo, koii ek raastaa chun lo।)
अगर वह इतना झूलता नहीं तो अब तक फैसला हो गया होता।
If he hadn't wavered so much, the decision would have been made by now.
(agar vah itnaa jhooltaa nahiin to ab tak phaislaa ho gayaa hotaa।)
कंपनी दिवालिया होने और बच जाने के बीच झूल रही थी।
The company was hanging in the balance between going bankrupt and surviving.
(kampnii divaaliyaa hone aur bach jaane ke biich jhool rahii thii।)
जब भी उसे बड़ा फैसला लेना होता है, वह हफ्तों झूलता रहता है।
Whenever he has to make a big decision, he keeps wavering for weeks.
(jab bhii use badaa phaislaa lenaa hotaa hai, vah haphton jhooltaa rahtaa hai।)
शायद उसका दिल अभी भी दोनों के बीच झूल रहा हो।
Perhaps her heart is still wavering between the two of them.
(shaayad uskaa dil abhii bhii donon ke biich jhool rahaa ho।)
देश की राजनीति दो विचारधाराओं के बीच झूलती रही है।
The country's politics has kept wavering between two ideologies.
(desh kii raajniiti do vichaardhaaraaon ke biich jhooltii rahii hai।)
उसकी किस्मत बरसों तक अच्छे और बुरे दिनों के बीच झूलती रही।
For years his fortune kept swinging between good days and bad.
(uskii kismat barson tak achchhe aur bure dinon ke biich jhooltii rahii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
झूलना
(jhoolnaa)
infinitive oblique:
झूलने
(jhoolne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
झूलता
(jhooltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
झूलते
(jhoolte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
झूलती
(jhooltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
झूलतीं
(jhooltiin)
continuous (sg.m):
झूल रहा
(jhool rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
झूल रहे
(jhool rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
झूल रही
(jhool rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
झूल रहीं
(jhool rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
झूला
(jhoolaa)
perfective (pl.m):
झूले
(jhoole)
perfective (sg.f):
झूली
(jhoolii)
perfective (pl.f):
झूलीं
(jhooliin)
imperative (informal):
झूल
(jhool)
imperative (neutral):
झूलो
(jhoolo)
imperative (formal):
झूलिए
(jhoolie)
future (1sg.m):
झूलूँगा
(jhooloongaa)
future (1sg.f):
झूलूँगी
(jhooloongii)
future (1pl.m):
झूलेंगे
(jhoolenge)
future (1pl.f):
झूलेंगी
(jhoolengii)
future (2sg.m):
झूलेगा
(jhoolegaa)
future (2sg.f):
झूलेगी
(jhoolegii)
future (2pl.m):
झूलोगे
(jhoologe)
future (2pl.f):
झूलोगी
(jhoologii)
future (3sg.m):
झूलेगा
(jhoolegaa)
future (3sg.f):
झूलेगी
(jhoolegii)
future (3pl.m):
झूलेंगे
(jhoolenge)
future (3pl.f):
झूलेंगी
(jhoolengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
झूलूँ
(jhooloon)
subjunctive (1pl):
झूलें
(jhoolen)
subjunctive (2sg):
झूले
(jhoole)
subjunctive (2pl):
झूलो
(jhoolo)
subjunctive (3sg):
झूले
(jhoole)
subjunctive (3pl):
झूलें
(jhoolen)