रोना (ronaa)
verb/noun
Mainly the everyday verb 'to cry, weep'; it also has a common noun sense (a complaint, a sob story), especially in the fixed phrase रोना-धोना (ronaa-dhonaa).
Sense
1
:
to cry, weep
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: रुदन करना (rudan karnaa, literary), सिसकना (sisaknaa, to sob/whimper), बिलखना (bilakhnaa, to wail/cry helplessly)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Hindi speakers often soften an admission of crying with a smile, saying things like मैं तो रो पड़ा (main to ro padaa, 'I just burst into tears') -- the compound रो पड़ना (ro padnaa) is how most real crying-in-a-story gets described, not bare रोना (ronaa). It also appears in the everyday scolding रोना बंद करो (ronaa band karo, 'stop crying'), a line most kids in Delhi-NCR have heard from a parent.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for रोना (ronaa) even when सिसकना (sisaknaa) or बिलखना (bilakhnaa) would better capture a quieter sob or a helpless wail -- रोना (ronaa) itself is the neutral, all-purpose 'cry.' 2) The compound रो पड़ना (ro padnaa) ('to suddenly burst into tears') is extremely common in narration; learners tend to default to plain रोना (ronaa) even when describing a sudden onset, where रो पड़ना (ro padnaa) sounds more native.
Sample Sentences:
बच्चा जोर-जोर से रो रहा है।
The child is crying loudly.
(bachchaa jor-jor se ro rahaa hai।)
रोना बंद करो, अब कुछ नहीं होगा।
Stop crying, nothing more will happen now.
(ronaa band karo, ab kuchh nahiin hogaa।)
फिल्म का आखिरी सीन देखकर वह रो पड़ी।
Seeing the last scene of the film, she burst into tears.
(philm kaa aakhirii siin dekhkar vah ro padii।)
जब भी वह अपने पापा को याद करता है, रो देता है।
Whenever he remembers his father, he ends up crying.
(jab bhii vah apne paapaa ko yaad kartaa hai, ro detaa hai।)
अगर तुमने सच बताया होता, तो वह इतना नहीं रोती।
If you had told the truth, she wouldn't have cried so much.
(agar tumne sach bataayaa hotaa, to vah itnaa nahiin rotii।)
मुझे लगा कि वह रोएगी, लेकिन वह चुप रही।
I thought she would cry, but she stayed quiet.
(mujhe lagaa ki vah roegii, lekin vah chup rahii।)
शायद वह अकेले में रोता हो, हमें पता ही नहीं चलता।
Maybe he cries alone; we never even find out.
(shaayad vah akele men rotaa ho, hamen pataa hii nahiin chaltaa।)
मैं तो रो पड़ा जब उसने माफी माँगी।
I just burst into tears when she apologized.
(main to ro padaa jab usne maaphii maangii।)
बिछड़ते समय दोनों दोस्त फूट-फूट कर रोए।
At the time of parting, both friends wept uncontrollably.
(bichhadte samay donon dost phoot-phoot kar roe।)
इतना क्यों रोया जा रहा है इस घर में?
Why is there so much crying happening in this house?
(itnaa kyon royaa jaa rahaa hai is ghar men?)
वह रोए बिना अपनी बात पूरी नहीं कर सकी।
She could not finish what she was saying without crying.
(vah roe binaa apnii baat poorii nahiin kar sakii।)
Sense
2
:
complaint, grievance, sob-story
noun, masculine Almost always heard in the compound रोना-धोना (ronaa-dhonaa, 'complaining and moaning about troubles'), or in phrases like अपना रोना रोना (apnaa ronaa ronaa, 'to go on about one's own troubles').
Synonyms: शिकायत (shikaayat, complaint), गिला (gilaa, grievance)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a lovely case of a Hindi infinitive doing double duty as a noun: रोना (ronaa) 'to cry' becomes रोना (ronaa) 'a crying/complaint' the same way English turns 'to cry' into 'a cry.' The idiom रोना-धोना (ronaa-dhonaa) is the classic way to describe a whole session of family or friends venting about their troubles over chai.
Common Mistakes: 1) रोना (ronaa) as a noun means griping about one's troubles, not literal tears -- a sentence like उसका रोना सुनो (uskaa ronaa suno, 'listen to his complaining') has nothing to do with actual crying. 2) Learners sometimes miss that this noun sense is masculine and behaves like a normal -आ noun, distinct from the infinitive verb form it looks identical to.
Sample Sentences:
उसका वही पुराना रोना है कि पैसे कम मिलते हैं।
He has the same old complaint that he doesn't get paid enough.
(uskaa vahii puraanaa ronaa hai ki paise kam milte hain।)
शाम को सब इकट्ठे होकर रोना-धोना शुरू कर देते हैं।
In the evening everyone gathers and starts their whole sob-story session.
(shaam ko sab ikatthe hokar ronaa-dhonaa shuroo kar dete hain।)
मुझे तुम्हारा रोना अब और नहीं सुनना।
I don't want to hear your complaining anymore.
(mujhe tumhaaraa ronaa ab aur nahiin sunnaa।)
उसने ऑफिस में अपने बॉस के बारे में वही घिसा-पिटा रोना रोया।
At the office he cried the same tired old complaint about his boss.
(usne ophis men apne bos ke baare men vahii ghisaa-pitaa ronaa royaa।)
अगर तुम्हारा यही रोना है तो मत आओ पार्टी में।
If this is your complaint, then don't come to the party.
(agar tumhaaraa yahii ronaa hai to mat aao paartii men।)
काश उसका रोना कभी खत्म होता।
If only his complaining would ever end.
(kaash uskaa ronaa kabhii khatm hotaa।)
रिश्तेदारों की महफ़िल में अक्सर पैसों का ही रोना-धोना चलता है।
At relatives' gatherings, it's usually just endless griping about money.
(rishtedaaron kii mahfil men aksar paison kaa hii ronaa-dhonaa chaltaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हारा रोना कभी बंद होगा या यह हमेशा ऐसे ही चलेगा?
Will your complaining ever stop, or will it always go on like this?
(kyaa tumhaaraa ronaa kabhii band hogaa yaa yah hameshaa aise hii chalegaa?)
मैनेजर के सामने अपना रोना मत रोओ, काम करके दिखाओ।
Don't cry your sob-story in front of the manager -- show your work instead.
(mainejar ke saamne apnaa ronaa mat roo, kaam karke dikhaao।)
यह सुनकर लगा जैसे उसका रोना कभी सुना ही न गया हो।
Hearing this, it felt as if his complaint had never even been heard.
(yah sunkar lagaa jaise uskaa ronaa kabhii sunaa hii n gayaa ho।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
रोना
(ronaa)
infinitive oblique:
रोने
(rone)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
रोता
(rotaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
रोते
(rote)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
रोती
(rotii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
रोतीं
(rotiin)
continuous (sg.m):
रो रहा
(ro rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
रो रहे
(ro rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
रो रही
(ro rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
रो रहीं
(ro rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
रोया
(royaa)
perfective (pl.m):
रोए
(roe)
perfective (sg.f):
रोई
(roii)
perfective (pl.f):
रोईं
(roiin)
imperative (informal):
रो
(ro)
imperative (neutral):
रोओ
(roo)
imperative (formal):
रोइए
(roie)
future (1sg.m):
रोऊँगा
(rooongaa)
future (1sg.f):
रोऊँगी
(rooongii)
future (1pl.m):
रोएँगे
(roenge)
future (1pl.f):
रोएँगी
(roengii)
future (2sg.m):
रोएगा
(roegaa)
future (2sg.f):
रोएगी
(roegii)
future (2pl.m):
रोओगे
(rooge)
future (2pl.f):
रोओगी
(roogii)
future (3sg.m):
रोएगा
(roegaa)
future (3sg.f):
रोएगी
(roegii)
future (3pl.m):
रोएँगे
(roenge)
future (3pl.f):
रोएँगी
(roengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
रोऊँ
(rooon)
subjunctive (1pl):
रोएँ
(roen)
subjunctive (2sg):
रोए
(roe)
subjunctive (2pl):
रोओ
(roo)
subjunctive (3sg):
रोए
(roe)
subjunctive (3pl):
रोएँ
(roen)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
रोना
(ronaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
रोने
(rone)
(pl.m.direct):
रोने
(rone)
(pl.m.oblique):
रोनों
(ronon)