पूछना (poochhnaa)
verb
A single core meaning: 'to ask' (a question, or after someone/something) -- the sense splits below only by grammatical frame and by a common idiomatic extension.
Sense
1
:
to ask (a question, or ask about/after someone)
verb, transitive Takes से (se) for the person asked: राम से पूछना (raam se poochhnaa, 'to ask Ram'), not को (ko) -- a frequent learner slip since English 'ask him' suggests a direct object.
Synonyms: सवाल करना (savaal karnaa), प्रश्न करना (prashn karnaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi households, हाल पूछना (haal poochhnaa, 'to ask after someone's well-being') is a small ritual of politeness -- elders often expect you to पूछना before anything else when you visit, and skipping straight to business can seem abrupt.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often mark the person asked with को (ko) on the English model of 'ask him,' but Hindi wants से (se): राम से पूछो (raam se poochho, 'ask Ram'), not राम को पूछो। 2) पूछना (poochhnaa) means 'to ask a question,' not 'to ask for/request' something -- that's माँगना (maangnaa); mixing the two is a common error.
Sample Sentences:
क्या मैं आपसे एक सवाल पूछ सकता हूँ?
Can I ask you a question?
(kyaa main aapse ek savaal poochh saktaa hoon?)
उसने मुझसे मेरा नाम पूछा।
He asked me my name.
(usne mujhse meraa naam poochhaa।)
जब भी वह घर आती है, सबसे पहले दादी का हाल पूछती है।
Whenever she comes home, she asks after grandmother's well-being first.
(jab bhii vah ghar aatii hai, sabse pahle daadii kaa haal poochhtii hai।)
पहले दरवाजे पर आकर हाल तो पूछ लो, फिर बात करो।
First come to the door and ask after us, then talk business.
(pahle darvaaje par aakar haal to poochh lo, phir baat karo।)
मैं रास्ता पूछ रहा था तभी बस आ गई।
I was asking for directions when the bus arrived.
(main raastaa poochh rahaa thaa tabhii bas aa gaii।)
अगर तुम्हें कुछ समझ न आए तो पूछ लेना।
If you don't understand something, do ask.
(agar tumhen kuchh samajh n aae to poochh lenaa।)
क्या आपने डॉक्टर से उसकी तबीयत के बारे में पूछा?
Did you ask the doctor about his health?
(kyaa aapne doktar se uskii tabiiyat ke baare men poochhaa?)
मुझसे पता पूछा जाता है और मैं भूल जाता हूँ।
I get asked for the address, and I forget it.
(mujhse pataa poochhaa jaataa hai aur main bhool jaataa hoon।)
काश मैं उससे उसका हाल पूछ पाता, इतने साल हो गए बात नहीं हुई।
If only I could have asked after him, it's been so many years since we talked.
(kaash main usse uskaa haal poochh paataa, itne saal ho gae baat nahiin huii।)
गुरुजी से विनम्रता से पूछिए कि क्या यह मार्ग सही है।
Please humbly ask the teacher whether this path is correct.
(gurujii se vinamrtaa se poochhie ki kyaa yah maarg sahii hai।)
वह इतनी शर्मीली है कि किसी से रास्ता भी नहीं पूछती।
She's so shy that she doesn't even ask anyone for directions.
(vah itnii sharmiilii hai ki kisii se raastaa bhii nahiin poochhtii।)
Sense
2
:
to care about, pay heed to (usually in negative constructions)
verb, transitive Almost always appears negated: कोई नहीं पूछता (koii nahiin poochhtaa, 'nobody bothers/cares') -- the literal 'ask' sense shades into 'take notice of, value.'
Synonyms: ध्यान देना (dhyaan denaa), फ़िक्र करना (fikr karnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in complaints about being ignored or undervalued: कोई भाव नहीं पूछता (koii bhaav nahiin poochhtaa, 'nobody gives [me/it] any regard') -- a classic Hindi way of expressing wounded pride or neglect, especially about status or attention.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense only really surfaces in the negative; learners sometimes try to use it affirmatively to mean 'to care,' which sounds odd -- affirmative 'to care' is better served by ख्याल रखना (khyaal rakhnaa) or फ़िक्र करना (fikr karnaa).
Sample Sentences:
अब कोई उसे भाव नहीं पूछता।
Nobody bothers about him now.
(ab koii use bhaav nahiin poochhtaa।)
रिटायर होने के बाद उसे दफ़्तर में कोई नहीं पूछता था।
After retiring, nobody in the office paid any heed to him.
(ritaayar hone ke baad use daftar men koii nahiin poochhtaa thaa।)
जब पैसा नहीं होता, तो घरवाले भी नहीं पूछते।
When you don't have money, even your family doesn't care about you.
(jab paisaa nahiin hotaa, to gharvaale bhii nahiin poochhte।)
कोई तुम्हें क्यों नहीं पूछता, यह तो सोचो।
Just think about why nobody bothers about you.
(koii tumhen kyon nahiin poochhtaa, yah to socho।)
अगर मैं इतना बड़ा आदमी नहीं होता, तो कोई मुझे नहीं पूछता।
If I weren't such an important man, nobody would give me any regard.
(agar main itnaa badaa aadmii nahiin hotaa, to koii mujhe nahiin poochhtaa।)
उस पार्टी में मुझे किसी ने नहीं पूछा।
Nobody took any notice of me at that party.
(us paartii men mujhe kisii ne nahiin poochhaa।)
बड़े अफ़सर बनने के बाद वह छोटे कर्मचारियों को भाव नहीं पूछता।
After becoming a senior officer, he doesn't give any regard to junior employees.
(bade afsar banne ke baad vah chhote karmchaariyon ko bhaav nahiin poochhtaa।)
काश कोई तो मुझे पूछता।
If only someone would care about me.
(kaash koii to mujhe poochhtaa।)
इस शहर में गरीबों को कोई नहीं पूछता।
Nobody pays any heed to the poor in this city.
(is shahar men gariibon ko koii nahiin poochhtaa।)
जब तक तुम कामयाब नहीं होते, कोई तुम्हें नहीं पूछेगा।
Until you succeed, nobody will bother about you.
(jab tak tum kaamyaab nahiin hote, koii tumhen nahiin poochhegaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
पूछना
(poochhnaa)
infinitive oblique:
पूछने
(poochhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पूछता
(poochhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पूछते
(poochhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पूछती
(poochhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पूछतीं
(poochhtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पूछ रहा
(poochh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पूछ रहे
(poochh rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पूछ रही
(poochh rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पूछ रहीं
(poochh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पूछा
(poochhaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पूछे
(poochhe)
perfective (sg.f):
पूछी
(poochhii)
perfective (pl.f):
पूछीं
(poochhiin)
imperative (informal):
पूछ
(poochh)
imperative (neutral):
पूछो
(poochho)
imperative (formal):
पूछिए
(poochhie)
future (1sg.m):
पूछूँगा
(poochhoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पूछूँगी
(poochhoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पूछेंगे
(poochhenge)
future (1pl.f):
पूछेंगी
(poochhengii)
future (2sg.m):
पूछेगा
(poochhegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पूछेगी
(poochhegii)
future (2pl.m):
पूछोगे
(poochhoge)
future (2pl.f):
पूछोगी
(poochhogii)
future (3sg.m):
पूछेगा
(poochhegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पूछेगी
(poochhegii)
future (3pl.m):
पूछेंगे
(poochhenge)
future (3pl.f):
पूछेंगी
(poochhengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पूछूँ
(poochhoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पूछें
(poochhen)
subjunctive (2sg):
पूछे
(poochhe)
subjunctive (2pl):
पूछो
(poochho)
subjunctive (3sg):
पूछे
(poochhe)
subjunctive (3pl):
पूछें
(poochhen)