कहना (kahnaa)
verb/noun
The basic verb 'to say/tell'; also covers 'to call/name something' and appears in a set of very common frozen forms and idioms built on the same root.
Sense
1
:
to say, to tell, to speak (words)
verb, transitive Takes an indirect object with से (se) for the person addressed: उससे कहना (usse kahnaa, to say to him/her) -- not को (ko) as an English speaker might expect from 'tell him'.
Synonyms: बोलना (bolnaa), बताना (bataanaa, to tell/inform)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the first verbs learners meet, and it anchors reported speech: उसने कहा कि... (usne kahaa ki..., 'He said that...') is the standard way to open a quoted or reported sentence in Hindi conversation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often mark the listener with को (ko) by analogy with 'tell him', but कहना (kahnaa) wants से (se): उससे कहो (usse kaho, tell him/her), not उसको कहो. 2) In the past tense this verb is transitive and takes ने (ne): मैंने कहा (mainne kahaa, I said) -- learners sometimes drop ने here by confusing it with intransitive speech-verbs.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी माँ हमेशा कहती है कि सुबह जल्दी उठो।
My mother always says to wake up early in the morning.
(merii maan hameshaa kahtii hai ki subah jaldii utho।)
उसने कहा कि वह कल आएगा।
He said that he would come tomorrow.
(usne kahaa ki vah kal aaegaa।)
मुझे सच बताओ, कुछ मत छिपाओ, जो कहना है साफ़ कहो।
Tell me the truth, don't hide anything, say clearly whatever you have to say.
(mujhe sach bataao, kuchh mat chhipaao, jo kahnaa hai saaf kaho।)
अगर वह सच कहता, तो सब ठीक होता।
If he had told the truth, everything would have been fine.
(agar vah sach kahtaa, to sab thiik hotaa।)
शायद वह यह बात अपने बॉस से कहे।
Maybe he will say this to his boss.
(shaayad vah yah baat apne bos se kahe।)
यह बात सबके सामने कही गई थी।
This was said in front of everyone.
(yah baat sabke saamne kahii gaii thii।)
मैं यही कहना चाहती हूँ कि हमें और मेहनत करनी होगी।
This is exactly what I want to say -- we need to work harder.
(main yahii kahnaa chaahtii hoon ki hamen aur mehnat karnii hogii।)
वह फोन पर कह रहा था कि मीटिंग रद्द हो गई है।
He was saying on the phone that the meeting has been cancelled.
(vah phon par kah rahaa thaa ki miiting radd ho gaii hai।)
क्या आप मुझे अपना नाम कह सकते हैं?
Could you please tell me your name?
(kyaa aap mujhe apnaa naam kah sakte hain?)
बच्चे ने रोते हुए कहा कि उसे डर लग रहा है।
The child said while crying that he was feeling scared.
(bachche ne rote hue kahaa ki use dar lag rahaa hai।)
जो कहा जाएगा, उसे सब मान लेंगे।
Whatever is said, everyone will accept it.
(jo kahaa jaaegaa, use sab maan lenge।)
Sense
2
:
to call, to name, to refer to as
verb, transitive Frame: X को Y कहना (X ko Y kahnaa) = 'to call X Y', e.g. उसे पागल कहना (use paagal kahnaa, to call him crazy).
Synonyms: बुलाना (bulaanaa, to call/summon -- different frame, not interchangeable)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: इसे क्या कहते हैं? (ise kyaa kahte hain?, 'What is this called?') is one of the most useful survival phrases for a learner pointing at objects and asking for vocabulary.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners forget the को (ko) marking on the thing/person being named: इसे हिंदी में क्या कहते हैं? (ise hindii men kyaa kahte hain?, 'What do you call this in Hindi?') is the natural frame, not a direct word-for-word translation from English.
Sample Sentences:
इसे हिंदी में क्या कहते हैं?
What is this called in Hindi?
(ise hindii men kyaa kahte hain?)
लोग उसे शहर का सबसे ईमानदार आदमी कहते हैं।
People call him the most honest man in the city.
(log use shahar kaa sabse iimaandaar aadmii kahte hain।)
इस फूल को हिंदी में गुलाब कहा जाता है।
This flower is called 'gulaab' in Hindi.
(is phool ko hindii men gulaab kahaa jaataa hai।)
उसने अपनी बेटी का नाम प्रिया रखा और सब उसे प्यार से 'पिंकी' कहते थे।
She named her daughter Priya, and everyone affectionately called her 'Pinky'.
(usne apnii betii kaa naam priyaa rakhaa aur sab use pyaar se 'pinkii' kahte the।)
इसे तुम क्या कहोगे, अगर यह प्यार नहीं है?
What will you call this, if it isn't love?
(ise tum kyaa kahoge, agar yah pyaar nahiin hai?)
उसे मूर्ख मत कहो, वह सिर्फ भोला है।
Don't call him foolish, he's just naive.
(use moorkh mat kaho, vah sirph bholaa hai।)
यदि तुम इस काम को कला कहो, तो कला की परिभाषा बदलनी होगी।
If you were to call this work art, the definition of art would need to change.
(yadi tum is kaam ko kalaa kaho, to kalaa kii paribhaashaa badalnii hogii।)
काश हमारे समाज में हर औरत को बराबर कहा जाता।
If only every woman in our society were called equal.
(kaash hamaare samaaj men har aurat ko baraabar kahaa jaataa।)
पुराने समय में इस जगह को स्वर्ग कहा जाता था।
In olden times, this place used to be called heaven.
(puraane samay men is jagah ko svarg kahaa jaataa thaa।)
इस उपकरण को अंग्रेज़ी में क्या कहते हैं, मुझे नहीं पता।
I don't know what this tool is called in English.
(is upakran ko angrezii men kyaa kahte hain, mujhe nahiin pataa।)
बच्चे उसे 'मास्टरजी' कहकर बुलाते थे, हालाँकि वह कभी स्कूल में नहीं पढ़ाया।
The children used to call him 'Masterji', even though he never taught at a school.
(bachche use 'maastarjii' kahkar bulaate the, haalaanki vah kabhii skool men nahiin padhaayaa।)
Sense
3
:
word, saying (as in 'a saying goes')
noun, feminine Appears mainly in the fixed idiom कहने को (kahne ko, 'so to speak' / 'in name only') and in किसी की कहनी (kisii kii kahnii) type literary usage; the everyday idiomatic form is what learners will actually encounter.
Synonyms: बात (baat, broader meaning: talk/matter)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: कहने को तो... (kahne ko to..., 'Nominally/supposedly...') is a common hedge in spoken Hindi, e.g. introducing a claim the speaker doesn't fully buy: कहने को तो वह डॉक्टर है (kahne ko to vah doktar hai, 'He's supposedly a doctor').
Sample Sentences:
बड़ों का कहना मान लेना चाहिए।
One should heed the word of elders.
(badon kaa kahnaa maan lenaa chaahie।)
मेरा कहना बस इतना है कि जल्दबाज़ी मत करो।
My word is just this -- don't be hasty.
(meraa kahnaa bas itnaa hai ki jaldbaazii mat karo।)
कहने को तो वह डॉक्टर है, पर उसने कभी किसी मरीज़ को नहीं देखा।
Supposedly he's a doctor, but he has never seen a single patient.
(kahne ko to vah doktar hai, par usne kabhii kisii mariiz ko nahiin dekhaa।)
उसका कहना था कि सच्चाई हमेशा सामने आती है।
His saying was that the truth always comes out.
(uskaa kahnaa thaa ki sachchaaii hameshaa saamne aatii hai।)
बड़ों का कहना है कि धैर्य ही सफलता की कुंजी है।
The elders' saying is that patience is the key to success.
(badon kaa kahnaa hai ki dhairy hii saphaltaa kii kunjii hai।)
कहने को तो यह छोटी बात है, लेकिन इसके नतीजे बड़े हो सकते हैं।
Supposedly it's a small matter, but its consequences could be big.
(kahne ko to yah chhotii baat hai, lekin iske natiije bade ho sakte hain।)
अगर उसका कहना सुना जाता, तो शायद यह मुसीबत न आती।
If his word had been heeded, perhaps this trouble wouldn't have come.
(agar uskaa kahnaa sunaa jaataa, to shaayad yah musiibat n aatii।)
गुरु का कहना शिष्य के लिए आदेश के समान होता है।
A guru's word is like a command for the disciple.
(guru kaa kahnaa shishy ke lie aadesh ke samaan hotaa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
कहना
(kahnaa)
infinitive oblique:
कहने
(kahne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
कहता
(kahtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
कहते
(kahte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
कहती
(kahtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
कहतीं
(kahtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
कह रहा
(kah rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
कह रहे
(kah rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
कह रही
(kah rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
कह रहीं
(kah rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
कहा
(kahaa)
perfective (pl.m):
कहे
(kahe)
perfective (sg.f):
कही
(kahii)
perfective (pl.f):
कहीं
(kahiin)
imperative (informal):
कह
(kah)
imperative (neutral):
कहो
(kaho)
imperative (formal):
कहिए
(kahie)
future (1sg.m):
कहूँगा
(kahoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
कहूँगी
(kahoongii)
future (1pl.m):
कहेंगे
(kahenge)
future (1pl.f):
कहेंगी
(kahengii)
future (2sg.m):
कहेगा
(kahegaa)
future (2sg.f):
कहेगी
(kahegii)
future (2pl.m):
कहोगे
(kahoge)
future (2pl.f):
कहोगी
(kahogii)
future (3sg.m):
कहेगा
(kahegaa)
future (3sg.f):
कहेगी
(kahegii)
future (3pl.m):
कहेंगे
(kahenge)
future (3pl.f):
कहेंगी
(kahengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
कहूँ
(kahoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
कहें
(kahen)
subjunctive (2sg):
कहे
(kahe)
subjunctive (2pl):
कहो
(kaho)
subjunctive (3sg):
कहे
(kahe)
subjunctive (3pl):
कहें
(kahen)
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
कहना
(kahnaa)
(sg.f.oblique):
कहना
(kahnaa)
(pl.f.direct):
कहनाएँ
(kahnaaen)
(pl.f.oblique):
कहनाओं
(kahnaaon)