बरसाना (barsaanaa)
verb/noun
The causative of बरसना (barasnaa, 'to rain'), meaning 'to cause to rain' or, figuratively, to shower something (blessings, love, blows) down on someone; also the name of a famous town near Mathura linked to Radha.
Sense
1
:
to shower down (figurative: love, blessings, blows, etc.)
verb, transitive Takes the thing showered as direct object and पर (par) marking the recipient: प्यार बरसाना (pyaar barsaanaa, 'to shower love'), किसी पर गोलियाँ बरसाना (kisii par goliyaan barsaanaa, 'to rain bullets on someone').
Synonyms: बरसना (barasnaa, intransitive base verb, not a true synonym), लुटाना (lutaanaa, to lavish/shower generously)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the verb of choice in devotional and filmi language for describing blessings, love, or grace pouring down from above -- ईश्वर अपनी कृपा बरसाता है (iishvar apnii kripaa barsaataa hai, 'God showers his grace') -- carrying the same top-down, gift-like imagery as actual rain. It pairs naturally with its base verb बरसना (barasnaa), so learning them together helps fix the causative relationship in your mind.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use बरसना (barasnaa) where they mean the causative सक्रिय (barsaanaa); remember बरसना (barasnaa) is what the sky does on its own, while बरसाना (barsaanaa) requires an agent actively showering something down. 2) The recipient of the showering is marked with पर (par), not को (ko) -- दुश्मन पर गोलियाँ बरसाना (dushman par goliyaan barsaanaa, 'to rain bullets on the enemy'), not दुश्मन को (dushman ko).
Sample Sentences:
गुरु अपने शिष्यों पर ज्ञान बरसाते हैं।
The guru showers knowledge on his disciples.
(guru apne shishyon par gyaan barsaate hain।)
माँ ने बच्चे पर ढेर सारा प्यार बरसाया।
The mother showered a ton of love on her child.
(maan ne bachche par dher saaraa pyaar barsaayaa।)
ईश्वर अपनी कृपा बरसाता है।
God showers his grace.
(iishvar apnii kripaa barsaataa hai।)
पुलिस वाले उस पर लाठियाँ बरसा रहे थे।
The policemen were raining blows down on him with their batons.
(pulis vaale us par laathiyaan barsaa rahe the।)
काश तुम मुझ पर इतना गुस्सा न बरसाते।
I wish you hadn't rained down so much anger on me.
(kaash tum mujh par itnaa gussaa n barsaate।)
फूल उस पर बरसाए गए।
Flowers were showered down on him.
(phool us par barsaae gae।)
भगवान करे, वह हम सब पर अपना आशीर्वाद बरसाए।
God grant that he showers his blessings on all of us.
(bhagvaan kare, vah ham sab par apnaa aashiirvaad barsaae।)
अपने प्रशंसकों पर प्यार बरसाओ, वे तुम्हारे लिए बहुत कुछ करते हैं।
Shower love on your fans, they do so much for you.
(apne prashanskon par pyaar barsaao, ve tumhaare lie bahut kuchh karte hain।)
आलोचकों ने फिल्म पर तारीफों की बारिश बरसा दी।
The critics rained a shower of praise down on the film.
(aalochkon ne philm par taariiphon kii baarish barsaa dii।)
जब वह जीतेगा, तो सब उस पर बधाइयाँ बरसाएँगे।
When he wins, everyone will shower congratulations on him.
(jab vah jiitegaa, to sab us par badhaaiyaan barsaaenge।)
Sense
2
:
to cause (rain) to fall; to make it rain
verb, transitive
Synonyms: बरसना (barasnaa, intransitive base verb, not a true synonym)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: Used literally less often than its figurative sense, since Hindi speakers don't usually talk about 'making it rain' in a literal weather-control sense outside of poetry or mythology, where clouds or gods are described as बरसाना (barsaanaa) rain upon the earth.
Sample Sentences:
बादलों ने आज खूब पानी बरसाया।
The clouds poured down plenty of water today.
(baadlon ne aaj khoob paanii barsaayaa।)
इंद्र देव धरती पर जल बरसाते हैं।
Lord Indra rains water down upon the earth.
(indr dev dhartii par jal barsaate hain।)
काले बादल आसमान से बारिश बरसा रहे थे।
The dark clouds were pouring rain down from the sky.
(kaale baadal aasmaan se baarish barsaa rahe the।)
कहते हैं कि यह बादल हर साल इस पहाड़ी पर पानी बरसाता है।
They say this cloud rains water down upon this hill every year.
(kahte hain ki yah baadal har saal is pahaadii par paanii barsaataa hai।)
देवता चाहें तो एक ही रात में सारा जल बरसा दें।
If the gods wished, they could pour down all the water in a single night.
(devtaa chaahen to ek hii raat men saaraa jal barsaa den।)
अगर बादल इतनी बारिश न बरसाते तो नदी न बढ़ती।
If the clouds hadn't poured down so much rain, the river wouldn't have risen.
(agar baadal itnii baarish n barsaate to nadii n badhtii।)
हे मेघ, इस सूखी धरती पर जल बरसा दो।
O cloud, pour down water upon this dry earth.
(he megh, is sookhii dhartii par jal barsaa do।)
प्राचीन कथाओं में कहा गया है कि आकाश से अमृत बरसाया गया था।
In ancient tales it is said that nectar was made to rain down from the sky.
(praachiin kathaaon men kahaa gayaa hai ki aakaash se amrit barsaayaa gayaa thaa।)
Sense
3
:
Barsana, a town near Mathura associated with Radha
noun, masculine
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: बरसाना (barsaanaa) is Radha's legendary hometown in the Braj region near Mathura, famous for the boisterous Holi tradition called लठमार होली (lathmaar holii, 'stick-beating Holi'), where women playfully beat men with sticks in a re-enactment of local legend. This sense is unrelated in meaning to the verb, though a folk-etymological pun between 'showering' and this rain-soaked festival is often enjoyed rather than taken seriously.
Sample Sentences:
बरसाना राधा का जन्मस्थान माना जाता है।
Barsana is believed to be Radha's birthplace.
(barsaanaa raadhaa kaa janmasthaan maanaa jaataa hai।)
हर साल होली पर बरसाना में लठमार होली होती है।
Every year at Holi, the stick-beating Holi festival takes place in Barsana.
(har saal holii par barsaanaa men lathmaar holii hotii hai।)
हम पिछले साल बरसाना गए थे।
We went to Barsana last year.
(ham pichhle saal barsaanaa gae the।)
बरसाना मथुरा से कुछ ही किलोमीटर दूर है।
Barsana is just a few kilometers from Mathura.
(barsaanaa mathuraa se kuchh hii kilomiitar door hai।)
अगर तुम कभी बरसाना जाओ, तो वहाँ का मंदिर ज़रूर देखना।
If you ever go to Barsana, be sure to see the temple there.
(agar tum kabhii barsaanaa jaao, to vahaan kaa mandir zaroor dekhnaa।)
काश हम इस बार होली पर बरसाना जा पाते।
I wish we could have gone to Barsana for Holi this time.
(kaash ham is baar holii par barsaanaa jaa paate।)
बरसाना में राधा रानी का प्रसिद्ध मंदिर स्थित है।
The famous temple of Radha Rani is located in Barsana.
(barsaanaa men raadhaa raanii kaa prasiddh mandir sthit hai।)
बरसाना की गलियों में आज भी राधा-कृष्ण की कथाएँ गूँजती हैं।
Even today, tales of Radha and Krishna echo through the lanes of Barsana.
(barsaanaa kii galiyon men aaj bhii raadhaa-krishn kii kathaaen goonjtii hain।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बरसाना
(barsaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
बरसाने
(barsaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बरसाता
(barsaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बरसाते
(barsaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बरसाती
(barsaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बरसातीं
(barsaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बरसा रहा
(barsaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बरसा रहे
(barsaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बरसा रही
(barsaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बरसा रहीं
(barsaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बरसाया
(barsaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बरसाए
(barsaae)
perfective (sg.f):
बरसाई
(barsaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
बरसाईं
(barsaaiin)
imperative (informal):
बरसा
(barsaa)
imperative (neutral):
बरसाओ
(barsaao)
imperative (formal):
बरसाइए
(barsaaie)
future (1sg.m):
बरसाऊँगा
(barsaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बरसाऊँगी
(barsaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बरसाएँगे
(barsaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
बरसाएँगी
(barsaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
बरसाएगा
(barsaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बरसाएगी
(barsaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
बरसाओगे
(barsaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
बरसाओगी
(barsaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
बरसाएगा
(barsaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बरसाएगी
(barsaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
बरसाएँगे
(barsaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
बरसाएँगी
(barsaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बरसाऊँ
(barsaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बरसाएँ
(barsaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बरसाए
(barsaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
बरसाओ
(barsaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
बरसाए
(barsaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
बरसाएँ
(barsaaen)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
बरसाना
(barsaanaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
बरसाने
(barsaane)
(pl.m.direct):
बरसाने
(barsaane)
(pl.m.oblique):
बरसानों
(barsaanon)