उधार लेना (udhaar lenaa)

verb A compound expression meaning 'to borrow' -- literally 'to take on credit/loan'; pairs with उधार देना (udhaar denaa), 'to lend', the mirror-image transaction.
Sense 1 : to borrow (money or an object)
verb, transitive उधार (udhaar) is the noun 'loan/credit' and लेना (lenaa) is 'to take'; the person lent from is marked with से (se), e.g. दोस्त से उधार लेना (dost se udhaar lenaa, 'to borrow from a friend').
Synonyms: कर्ज़ लेना (karz lenaa, specifically money), उधार माँगना (udhaar maangnaa, to ask to borrow)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Borrowing small sums from neighbors or shopkeepers -- especially at the local kirana store, where a running udhaar tab is common -- is a normal, low-stakes part of daily life in Delhi-NCR, quite unlike the more formal, paperwork-heavy sense 'borrowing' can carry in English. The same word उधार (udhaar) covers both a two-rupee sugar loan from a neighbor and a bank loan, so context does a lot of work.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes mark the lender with को (ko) instead of से (se) -- it is always X से उधार लेना (X se udhaar lenaa), not X को उधार लेना (X ko udhaar lenaa), which would flip the meaning toward lending. 2) In the perfective, this is a transitive compound and takes ने (ne) with the object उधार, as expected from लेना (lenaa) itself being transitive -- e.g. मैंने उधार लिया (mainne udhaar liyaa, 'I borrowed').
Sample Sentences:
मुझे कल किराने वाले से चीनी उधार लेनी पड़ी। I had to borrow sugar from the kirana shopkeeper yesterday.
(mujhe kal kiraane vaale se chiinii udhaar lenii padii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर महीने पड़ोसी से कुछ पैसे उधार लेता है। He borrows some money from the neighbor every month.
(vah har mahiine padosii se kuchh paise udhaar letaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मुझसे पाँच सौ रुपये उधार ले सकते हो? Can you borrow five hundred rupees from me?
(kyaa tum mujhse paanch sau rupye udhaar le sakte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर पैसे कम पड़ें तो दुकानदार से उधार ले लेना। If the money falls short, just borrow some from the shopkeeper.
(agar paise kam paden to dukaandaar se udhaar le lenaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उसने बैंक से घर बनाने के लिए बड़ी रकम उधार ली। He borrowed a large sum from the bank to build the house.
(usne baink se ghar banaane ke lie badii rakam udhaar lii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मैं कभी किसी से उधार नहीं लेता। I never borrow from anyone.
(main kabhii kisii se udhaar nahiin letaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे नौकरी न मिली होती, तो मुझे और उधार लेना पड़ता। If I hadn't gotten the job, I would have had to borrow even more.
(agar mujhe naukrii n milii hotii, to mujhe aur udhaar lenaa padtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
जब मुझे पैसों की जरूरत थी, मैं अपने भाई से उधार ले रहा था। When I needed money, I was borrowing from my brother.
(jab mujhe paison kii jaroorat thii, main apne bhaaii se udhaar le rahaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस कर्मचारी को कंपनी के नाम पर उधार लेने की अनुमति नहीं है। This employee does not have permission to borrow in the company's name.
(is karmchaarii ko kampnii ke naam par udhaar lene kii anumti nahiin hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
जरूरत पड़ने पर उधार लिया जा सकता है, पर समय पर लौटाना भी जरूरी है। One can borrow when needed, but returning it on time is also important.
(jaroorat padne par udhaar liyaa jaa saktaa hai, par samay par lautaanaa bhii jaroorii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काश मुझे किसी से उधार न लेना पड़े। I wish I didn't have to borrow from anyone.
(kaash mujhe kisii se udhaar n lenaa pade।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उधार लेने से पहले सोच लो, चुकाना तुम्हें ही होगा। Think before you borrow, you're the one who will have to pay it back.
(udhaar lene se pahle soch lo, chukaanaa tumhen hii hogaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive: उधार लेना (udhaar lenaa)
infinitive oblique: उधार लेने (udhaar lene)
habitual/simple (sg.m): उधार लेता (udhaar letaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): उधार लेते (udhaar lete)
habitual/simple (sg.f): उधार लेती (udhaar letii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): उधार लेतीं (udhaar letiin)
continuous (sg.m): उधार ले रहा (udhaar le rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): उधार ले रहे (udhaar le rahe)
continuous (sg.f): उधार ले रही (udhaar le rahii)
continuous (pl.f): उधार ले रहीं (udhaar le rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): उधार लिया (udhaar liyaa)
perfective (pl.m): उधार लिए (udhaar lie)
perfective (sg.f): उधार ली (udhaar lii)
perfective (pl.f): उधार लीं (udhaar liin)
imperative (informal): उधार ले (udhaar le)
imperative (neutral): उधार लो (udhaar lo)
imperative (formal): उधार लीजिए (udhaar liijie)
future (1sg.m): उधार लूँगा (udhaar loongaa)
future (1sg.f): उधार लूँगी (udhaar loongii)
future (1pl.m): उधार लेंगे (udhaar lenge)
future (1pl.f): उधार लेंगी (udhaar lengii)
future (2sg.m): उधार लेगा (udhaar legaa)
future (2sg.f): उधार लेगी (udhaar legii)
future (2pl.m): उधार लोगे (udhaar loge)
future (2pl.f): उधार लोगी (udhaar logii)
future (3sg.m): उधार लेगा (udhaar legaa)
future (3sg.f): उधार लेगी (udhaar legii)
future (3pl.m): उधार लेंगे (udhaar lenge)
future (3pl.f): उधार लेंगी (udhaar lengii)
subjunctive (1sg): उधार लूँ (udhaar loon)
subjunctive (1pl): उधार लें (udhaar len)
subjunctive (2sg): उधार ले (udhaar le)
subjunctive (2pl): उधार लो (udhaar lo)
subjunctive (3sg): उधार ले (udhaar le)
subjunctive (3pl): उधार लें (udhaar len)