फँसना (phansnaa)
verb
Basic sense is physical: to get caught, trapped, or stuck (in a net, in mud, in a door). From there it extends naturally to being caught in a difficult situation, and to getting entangled emotionally or in a scam/trap.
Sense
1
:
to get caught in a difficult or troublesome situation
verb, intransitive Commonly used with में (men) marking the situation: झगड़े में फँसना (jhagde men phansnaa, 'to get caught up in a quarrel').
Synonyms: उलझना (ulajhnaa), मुसीबत में पड़ना (musiibat men padnaa, phrase meaning 'to fall into trouble')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Delhi's traffic jams are practically the textbook example every local reaches for: ट्रैफिक में फँस गया (traiphik men phans gayaa) is something you will hear constantly as an excuse for being late.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is often paired with जाना (jaanaa) as a compound -- फँस जाना (phans jaanaa) -- to emphasize the suddenness of getting trapped, e.g. मैं ट्रैफिक में फँस गया (main traiphik men phans gayaa, 'I got stuck in traffic'). Learners who only know the plain verb miss how natural this compound sounds in speech.
Sample Sentences:
मैं ट्रैफिक में फँस गया, इसलिए देर हो गई।
I got stuck in traffic, that's why I'm late.
(main traiphik men phans gayaa, islie der ho gaii।)
अगर तुम इस काम में हाथ डालोगे तो बुरी तरह फँस जाओगे।
If you get involved in this matter, you'll get badly trapped in it.
(agar tum is kaam men haath daaloge to burii tarah phans jaaoge।)
वह कर्ज के जाल में ऐसा फँसा कि निकल ही नहीं पाया।
He got so caught up in the web of debt that he just couldn't get out.
(vah karj ke jaal men aisaa phansaa ki nikal hii nahiin paayaa।)
कहीं ऐसा न हो कि हम दोनों कानूनी पचड़े में फँस जाएँ।
Let's hope it doesn't happen that both of us end up stuck in a legal mess.
(kahiin aisaa n ho ki ham donon kaanoonii pachde men phans jaaen।)
अगर मैं उस डील में फँस जाता, तो अब तक बर्बाद हो गया होता।
If I had gotten stuck in that deal, I would have been ruined by now.
(agar main us diil men phans jaataa, to ab tak barbaad ho gayaa hotaa।)
इस पेचीदा मुकदमे में मत फँसो, वकील साहब ने साफ मना किया है।
Don't get tangled up in this complicated lawsuit, the lawyer has clearly advised against it.
(is pechiidaa mukadme men mat phanso, vakiil saahab ne saaph manaa kiyaa hai।)
बेचारा हर बार किसी न किसी झमेले में फँस जाता है।
Poor guy gets caught up in some mess or another every single time.
(bechaaraa har baar kisii n kisii jhamele men phans jaataa hai।)
सरकारी दफ्तरों की लालफीताशाही में फँसकर हमारा प्रोजेक्ट महीनों से रुका हुआ है।
Caught in the red tape of government offices, our project has been stalled for months.
(sarkaarii daphtron kii laalphiitaashaahii men phanskar hamaaraa projekt mahiinon se rukaa huaa hai।)
जब मैं वहाँ पहुँचा, तो पता चला कि पूरा दफ्तर किसी बड़े विवाद में फँसा हुआ था।
When I got there, I found out the whole office was caught up in some big controversy.
(jab main vahaan pahunchaa, to pataa chalaa ki pooraa daphtar kisii bade vivaad men phansaa huaa thaa।)
अफसरशाही और कागज़ी कार्रवाई में फँसकर आम आदमी की जान निकल जाती है।
Getting trapped in bureaucracy and paperwork takes the life out of the common man.
(aphsarshaahii aur kaagzii kaarrvaaii men phanskar aam aadmii kii jaan nikal jaatii hai।)
उसे षड्यंत्र में इस तरह फँसाया गया कि वह बच ही नहीं सका।
He was trapped in the conspiracy in such a way that he simply couldn't escape.
(use shadyantr men is tarah phansaayaa gayaa ki vah bach hii nahiin sakaa।)
Sense
2
:
to get physically caught or stuck
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: अटकना (ataknaa), उलझना (ulajhnaa, often used for threads/hair getting tangled)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of a kite string catching on a tree branch, or a scooter's wheel getting stuck in mud after monsoon rain -- these everyday Delhi scenes are exactly where फँसना (phansnaa) lives.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for पकड़ना (pakadnaa) which means 'to catch (something)' -- फँसना (phansnaa) is intransitive and describes the thing itself getting caught, not an agent catching it. 2) The object/location is marked with में (men): दुपट्टा दरवाज़े में फँस गया (dupattaa darvaaze men phans gayaa, 'the scarf got caught in the door').
Sample Sentences:
मेरी पतंग पेड़ की डाल में फँस गई।
My kite got caught in the tree branch.
(merii patang ped kii daal men phans gaii।)
बारिश के बाद स्कूटर का पहिया कीचड़ में फँस जाता है।
After the rain, the scooter's wheel gets stuck in the mud.
(baarish ke baad skootar kaa pahiyaa kiichad men phans jaataa hai।)
देखो, तुम्हारा दुपट्टा दरवाज़े में फँस रहा है।
Look, your dupatta is getting caught in the door.
(dekho, tumhaaraa dupattaa darvaaze men phans rahaa hai।)
बच्ची का पैर सीढ़ी की रेलिंग में फँस गया था।
The little girl's foot had gotten stuck in the staircase railing.
(bachchii kaa pair siidhii kii reling men phans gayaa thaa।)
अगर चाबी ताले में फँस जाए तो ज़ोर से मत खींचना।
If the key gets stuck in the lock, don't yank it hard.
(agar chaabii taale men phans jaae to zor se mat khiinchnaa।)
मछली जाल में फँस गई और निकल नहीं पाई।
The fish got caught in the net and couldn't get out.
(machhlii jaal men phans gaii aur nikal nahiin paaii।)
अपने बाल कंघी में फँसाकर मत बैठो, आराम से सुलझाओ।
Don't sit there letting your hair get stuck in the comb -- untangle it gently.
(apne baal kanghii men phansaakar mat baitho, aaraam se suljhaao।)
अगर हवा तेज़ होती तो पतंग तार में नहीं फँसती।
If the wind had been strong, the kite wouldn't have gotten caught in the wire.
(agar havaa tez hotii to patang taar men nahiin phanstii।)
गली में इतना कीचड़ है कि हर गाड़ी का टायर फँस जाता है।
There's so much mud in the lane that every vehicle's tire gets stuck.
(galii men itnaa kiichad hai ki har gaadii kaa taayar phans jaataa hai।)
उसकी अंगूठी नाली की जाली में फँस गई थी, बड़ी मुश्किल से निकाली।
Her ring had gotten stuck in the drain grating, and it was pulled out with great difficulty.
(uskii angoothii naalii kii jaalii men phans gaii thii, badii mushkil se nikaalii।)
दरवाज़े में हाथ फँस जाए तो तुरंत डॉक्टर को दिखाना चाहिए।
If a hand gets caught in the door, one should see a doctor immediately.
(darvaaze men haath phans jaae to turant doktar ko dikhaanaa chaahie।)
Sense
3
:
to be duped, scammed, or emotionally entangled
verb, intransitive Frequently used reflexively about emotional entanglement, as in किसी के प्यार में फँसना (kisii ke pyaar men phansnaa, 'to fall into someone's love/get caught up in love with someone') -- carrying a slight connotation of being trapped rather than freely choosing.
Synonyms: ठगा जाना (thagaa jaanaa, passive construction, 'to be cheated'), जाल में आना (jaal men aanaa, 'to fall into a trap')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in warnings about online fraud -- ऑनलाइन ठगी में फँस गया (onlaain thagii men phans gayaa, 'got caught in an online scam') -- and also in filmi dialogue about love as a trap, where फँसना (phansnaa) casts romance as something you fall into rather than pursue.
Common Mistakes: 1) In the context of scams, फँसना (phansnaa) describes the victim's state ('I got scammed') while फँसाना (phansaanaa), the causative, describes the scammer's action ('he scammed me') -- learners often confuse which one takes the subject role.
Sample Sentences:
वह ऑनलाइन ठगी में फँस गया।
He got caught in an online scam.
(vah onlaain thagii men phans gayaa।)
जरा सावधान रहना, ऐसे फर्जी कॉल्स में मत फँसना।
Be careful, don't get duped by calls like this.
(jaraa saavdhaan rahnaa, aise pharjii kols men mat phansnaa।)
वह उसकी बातों में फँसती चली गई।
She kept getting drawn in by his sweet talk.
(vah uskii baaton men phanstii chalii gaii।)
लड़कियाँ अक्सर ऐसे स्मार्ट लड़कों के प्यार में फँस जाती हैं।
Girls often fall for smooth guys like that.
(ladkiyaan aksar aise smaart ladkon ke pyaar men phans jaatii hain।)
अगर तुम इस स्कीम में फँस गए, तो सारा पैसा डूब जाएगा।
If you get suckered into this scheme, all your money will go down the drain.
(agar tum is skiim men phans gae, to saaraa paisaa doob jaaegaa।)
मुझे अभी पता चला कि मैं एक जाल में फँस रहा हूँ।
I just realized I'm getting caught in a trap.
(mujhe abhii pataa chalaa ki main ek jaal men phans rahaa hoon।)
काश मैं उसकी मीठी बातों में न फँसता।
I wish I hadn't fallen for his sweet talk.
(kaash main uskii miithii baaton men n phanstaa।)
फिल्म में हीरो प्यार के जाल में ऐसे फँसता है कि निकल ही नहीं पाता।
In the movie, the hero gets so trapped in the snare of love that he simply can't escape.
(philm men hiiro pyaar ke jaal men aise phanstaa hai ki nikal hii nahiin paataa।)
ठगों द्वारा लोग नकली निवेश योजनाओं में फँसाए जाते हैं।
People are lured into fake investment schemes by fraudsters.
(thagon dvaaraa log naklii nivesh yojnaaon men phansaae jaate hain।)
पहले भी कई बार ऐसे लालच में फँस चुका हूँ, अब समझदार हो गया हूँ।
I've already been duped by such greed several times before; now I've become wiser.
(pahle bhii kaii baar aise laalach men phans chukaa hoon, ab samajhdaar ho gayaa hoon।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
फँसना
(phansnaa)
infinitive oblique:
फँसने
(phansne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
फँसता
(phanstaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
फँसते
(phanste)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
फँसती
(phanstii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
फँसतीं
(phanstiin)
continuous (sg.m):
फँस रहा
(phans rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
फँस रहे
(phans rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
फँस रही
(phans rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
फँस रहीं
(phans rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
फँसा
(phansaa)
perfective (pl.m):
फँसे
(phanse)
perfective (sg.f):
फँसी
(phansii)
perfective (pl.f):
फँसीं
(phansiin)
imperative (informal):
फँस
(phans)
imperative (neutral):
फँसो
(phanso)
imperative (formal):
फँसिए
(phansie)
future (1sg.m):
फँसूँगा
(phansoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
फँसूँगी
(phansoongii)
future (1pl.m):
फँसेंगे
(phansenge)
future (1pl.f):
फँसेंगी
(phansengii)
future (2sg.m):
फँसेगा
(phansegaa)
future (2sg.f):
फँसेगी
(phansegii)
future (2pl.m):
फँसोगे
(phansoge)
future (2pl.f):
फँसोगी
(phansogii)
future (3sg.m):
फँसेगा
(phansegaa)
future (3sg.f):
फँसेगी
(phansegii)
future (3pl.m):
फँसेंगे
(phansenge)
future (3pl.f):
फँसेंगी
(phansengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
फँसूँ
(phansoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
फँसें
(phansen)
subjunctive (2sg):
फँसे
(phanse)
subjunctive (2pl):
फँसो
(phanso)
subjunctive (3sg):
फँसे
(phanse)
subjunctive (3pl):
फँसें
(phansen)