बिगड़ना (bigadnaa)

verb One core idea of 'going wrong/spoiling' branches into several everyday senses: things breaking down, food/mood turning bad, and situations or relationships deteriorating.
Sense 1 : to break down, stop working (of machines/devices)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: खराब होना (kharaab honaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly about scooters, ACs, and WiFi routers in Delhi households -- मेरी गाड़ी बिगड़ गई (merii gaadii bigad gaii, 'my car broke down') is a classic line to a mechanic. The perfective with गया/गई (gayaa/gaii) is almost always attached, framing the breakdown as a sudden, complete event.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for खराब होना (kharaab honaa) exclusively and forget बिगड़ना (bigadnaa) is just as natural for a car, TV, or phone that has stopped working -- native speakers use both interchangeably in this sense. 2) Don't confuse with the transitive causative बिगाड़ना (bigaadnaa, 'to spoil/ruin something') -- बिगड़ना (bigadnaa) itself is intransitive; the machine breaks down on its own, you don't 'बिगड़ना' it.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी गाड़ी बिगड़ गई है। My car has broken down.
(merii gaadii bigad gaii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
AC फिर से बिगड़ गया, अब गर्मी में कैसे रहेंगे? The AC broke down again, how will we survive the heat now?
(AC phir se bigad gayaa, ab garmii men kaise rahenge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर रूटर बिगड़ जाए तो मुझे तुरंत बताना। If the router breaks down, tell me right away.
(agar rootar bigad jaae to mujhe turant bataanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पुरानी मशीनें अक्सर बिगड़ जाती हैं। Old machines often break down.
(puraanii mashiinen aksar bigad jaatii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
स्कूटर बिगड़ रहा है, आवाज़ सुनो कैसी आ रही है। The scooter is breaking down, listen to the sound it's making.
(skootar bigad rahaa hai, aavaaz suno kaisii aa rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुमने इसे यूँ ही चलाया तो यह जल्दी बिगड़ जाएगा। If you keep running it like this, it will break down soon.
(agar tumne ise yoon hii chalaayaa to yah jaldii bigad jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
फ्रिज मत खोलो, अभी बिगड़ा नहीं है, ठीक ही चल रहा है। Don't open the fridge, it hasn't broken down yet, it's still running fine.
(phrij mat kholo, abhii bigdaa nahiin hai, thiik hii chal rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर लिफ़्ट न बिगड़ती तो हमें सीढ़ियाँ न चढ़नी पड़तीं। If the lift hadn't broken down, we wouldn't have had to climb the stairs.
(agar lift n bigadtii to hamen siidhiyaan n chadhnii padtiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मशीन को इस तरह पटक-पटक कर चलाओगे तो बिगड़ ही जाएगी। If you keep banging the machine around like this, it's bound to break down.
(mashiin ko is tarah patak-patak kar chalaaoge to bigad hii jaaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
कंपनी की सारी मशीनें एक साथ बिगड़ गई थीं, इसलिए काम रुक गया था। All the company's machines had broken down at once, so the work had come to a halt.
(kampnii kii saarii mashiinen ek saath bigad gaii thiin, islie kaam ruk gayaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वाशिंग मशीन बिगड़ी हुई है, इसलिए कपड़े हाथ से धोने पड़ रहे हैं। The washing machine is broken, so the clothes have to be washed by hand.
(vaashing mashiin bigdii huii hai, islie kapde haath se dhone pad rahe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to spoil, go bad (of food or perishables)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: खराब होना (kharaab honaa), सड़ना (sadnaa, 'to rot')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Said of milk, cooked दाल (daal), or leftovers left out too long -- दूध बिगड़ गया (doodh bigad gayaa, 'the milk went bad') is something every Delhi mother has said at least once about fridge management in the monsoon.
Sample Sentences:
मॉनसून में दूध जल्दी बिगड़ जाता है। Milk goes bad quickly in the monsoon.
(monsoon men doodh jaldii bigad jaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अरे, फ्रिज का दूध बिगड़ गया है, मत पीना! Hey, the milk in the fridge has gone bad, don't drink it!
(are, phrij kaa doodh bigad gayaa hai, mat piinaa!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल की दाल बिगड़ गई थी, इसलिए फेंक दी। Yesterday's dal had gone bad, so I threw it away.
(kal kii daal bigad gaii thii, islie phenk dii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इतनी गर्मी में खाना जल्दी बिगड़ जाएगा, फ्रिज में रख दो। In this heat the food will spoil quickly, put it in the fridge.
(itnii garmii men khaanaa jaldii bigad jaaegaa, phrij men rakh do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर तूने दूध बाहर छोड़ दिया तो वो बिगड़ जाएगा। If you leave the milk out, it will spoil.
(agar toone doodh baahar chhod diyaa to vo bigad jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर बिजली न जाती तो दूध नहीं बिगड़ता। If the power hadn't gone out, the milk wouldn't have spoiled.
(agar bijlii n jaatii to doodh nahiin bigadtaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
खुला रखा हुआ खाना जल्दी बिगड़ सकता है। Food left uncovered can spoil quickly.
(khulaa rakhaa huaa khaanaa jaldii bigad saktaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सब्ज़ी को ढककर रखो ताकि वह बिगड़े नहीं। Keep the vegetables covered so they don't spoil.
(sabzii ko dhakkar rakho taaki vah bigde nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उचित तापमान पर न रखे जाने की स्थिति में खाद्य पदार्थ जल्दी बिगड़ जाते हैं। If not kept at the proper temperature, food items spoil quickly.
(uchit taapmaan par n rakhe jaane kii sthiti men khaady padaarth jaldii bigad jaate hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गरमी में मिठाई भी दो दिन में बिगड़ जाती है। In summer even sweets go bad within two days.
(garmii men mithaaii bhii do din men bigad jaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दूध को उबाल लो, वरना बिगड़ जाएगा। Boil the milk, otherwise it will spoil.
(doodh ko ubaal lo, varnaa bigad jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : to turn sour, deteriorate (of a situation, plan, or relationship)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: गड़बड़ होना (gadbad honaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the sense behind the common warning काम बिगड़ जाएगा (kaam bigad jaaegaa, 'the work/plan will go wrong') -- Hindi frames a spoiled plan the same way as spoiled milk, which is a nice window into how the language treats abstract failure as a kind of decay.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense extends easily to abstract nouns as subject -- बात बिगड़ गई (baat bigad gaii, 'things went wrong') or रिश्ता बिगड़ गया (rishtaa bigad gayaa, 'the relationship soured') -- learners sometimes limit बिगड़ना (bigadnaa) mentally to physical objects and miss this very common figurative use.
Sample Sentences:
अगर तुम देर से पहुँचे तो सारा काम बिगड़ जाएगा। If you arrive late, the whole plan will go wrong.
(agar tum der se pahunche to saaraa kaam bigad jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उनकी दोस्ती पिछले साल से बिगड़ रही है। Their friendship has been deteriorating since last year.
(unkii dostii pichhle saal se bigad rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बात इतनी बिगड़ गई कि दोनों परिवारों ने बोलना बंद कर दिया। Matters deteriorated so much that both families stopped speaking to each other.
(baat itnii bigad gaii ki donon parivaaron ne bolnaa band kar diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
देखो, कहीं मामला और न बिगड़ जाए। Watch out, lest the situation get even worse.
(dekho, kahiin maamlaa aur n bigad jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर वह वहाँ नहीं जाता तो शायद हालात न बिगड़ते। If he hadn't gone there, maybe things wouldn't have gone wrong.
(agar vah vahaan nahiin jaataa to shaayad haalaat n bigadte।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
छोटी-छोटी गलतफ़हमियों से रिश्ते धीरे-धीरे बिगड़ते हैं। Relationships gradually go bad because of small misunderstandings.
(chhotii-chhotii galatfahmiyon se rishte dhiire-dhiire bigadte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बात बिगड़ने से पहले उसे संभाल लो। Handle it before things go wrong.
(baat bigadne se pahle use sambhaal lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
जब भी वे मिलते हैं, बात किसी न किसी वजह से बिगड़ जाती है। Whenever they meet, things go sour for one reason or another.
(jab bhii ve milte hain, baat kisii n kisii vajah se bigad jaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
व्यापार में साझेदारी अक्सर पैसों के मसले पर बिगड़ जाती है। Business partnerships often sour over money matters.
(vyaapaar men saajhedaarii aksar paison ke masle par bigad jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
एक गलत फ़ैसले से पूरी योजना बिगड़ गई थी। One wrong decision had ruined the entire plan.
(ek galat faisle se poorii yojnaa bigad gaii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अफ़सोस है कि इतनी अच्छी योजना बिगड़ गई। It's a shame that such a good plan fell apart.
(afsos hai ki itnii achchhii yojnaa bigad gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 4 : to become spoiled/undisciplined in character or behavior (of a person, often a child)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: बदचलन होना (badachlan honaa, 'to become morally wayward')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: बिगड़ा हुआ बच्चा (bigdaa huaa bachchaa, 'a spoiled/wayward child') is a stock phrase Indian parents and elders use, often with a worried shake of the head about bad company (बुरी संगत, burii sangat) leading a child astray.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners familiar with English 'spoiled child' sometimes reach for खराब (kharaab) as an adjective instead; बिगड़ना (bigadnaa) as a verb -- often as बिगड़ जाना (bigad jaanaa) or the adjective बिगड़ा हुआ (bigdaa huaa, 'spoiled/wayward') -- is the natural native phrasing for a child or youth who has 'gone bad.'
Sample Sentences:
बुरी संगत में पड़कर वह लड़का बिगड़ गया। Falling into bad company, that boy went astray.
(burii sangat men padkar vah ladkaa bigad gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
माँ-बाप की ज़्यादा लाड़-प्यार से बच्चे बिगड़ जाते हैं। Children get spoiled from too much pampering by their parents.
(maan-baap kii zyaadaa laad-pyaar se bachche bigad jaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह बिगड़ा हुआ बच्चा किसी की बात नहीं सुनता। That spoiled child doesn't listen to anyone.
(vah bigdaa huaa bachchaa kisii kii baat nahiin suntaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम उसे यूँ ही छूट देते रहे, तो वह बिगड़ जाएगा। If you keep giving him this much freedom, he will go astray.
(agar tum use yoon hii chhoot dete rahe, to vah bigad jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर उसके पिता समय पर ध्यान देते, तो वह इतना न बिगड़ता। If his father had paid attention in time, he wouldn't have gone so astray.
(agar uske pitaa samay par dhyaan dete, to vah itnaa n bigadtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उसकी बेटी हॉस्टल जाकर बिगड़ गई है, ऐसा सब कहते हैं। Everyone says his daughter has gone astray since going to the hostel.
(uskii betii hostal jaakar bigad gaii hai, aisaa sab kahte hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेटा, बुरी संगत में मत पड़ना, कहीं बिगड़ मत जाना। Son, don't fall into bad company, don't go astray somehow.
(betaa, burii sangat men mat padnaa, kahiin bigad mat jaanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
दादी को डर है कि पोता शहर जाकर बिगड़ न जाए। Grandmother is afraid that the grandson might go astray after going to the city.
(daadii ko dar hai ki potaa shahar jaakar bigad n jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अनुशासन की कमी से आज के कई बच्चे बिगड़ रहे हैं। Many of today's children are going astray due to a lack of discipline.
(anushaasan kii kamii se aaj ke kaii bachche bigad rahe hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अत्यधिक स्वतंत्रता और उचित मार्गदर्शन के अभाव में युवा पीढ़ी बिगड़ सकती है। In the absence of excessive freedom and proper guidance, the younger generation can go astray.
(atydhik svatantrtaa aur uchit maargdarshan ke abhaav men yuvaa piidhii bigad saktii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 5 : to lose one's temper, get angry (colloquial, of a person's mood/face)
verb, intransitive Often used with पर (par) marking the target of anger: वह मुझ पर बिगड़ गया (vah mujh par bigad gayaa, 'he flared up at me').
Synonyms: गुस्सा होना (gussaa honaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the sense you hear when someone's boss or parent snaps: वह बिगड़ गए (vah bigad gae, 'he/she flared up') -- it's a slightly more vivid, colloquial alternative to गुस्सा होना (gussaa honaa), evoking a mood that has 'gone bad' on the spot.
Common Mistakes: 1) The target of the anger is marked with पर (par), not से (se) or को (ko) -- learners sometimes default to से (se) by analogy with 'angry with someone.'
Sample Sentences:
मेरी एक बात पर पापा बिगड़ गए। Dad flared up over just one thing I said.
(merii ek baat par paapaa bigad gae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जरा सी देर होने पर बॉस बिगड़ जाते हैं। The boss flares up if there's even the slightest delay.
(jaraa sii der hone par bos bigad jaate hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मत बिगड़ो, मैं समझा रहा हूँ। Don't lose your temper, I'm explaining it to you.
(mat bigdo, main samjhaa rahaa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह अभी बिगड़ रही है, बाद में बात करना। She's getting angry right now, talk to her later.
(vah abhii bigad rahii hai, baad men baat karnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर सच बता देता तो वह बिगड़ जाता। If I had told the truth, he would have flared up.
(agar sach bataa detaa to vah bigad jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
डर है कि मेरी बात सुनकर मैडम बिगड़ जाएँ। I'm afraid madam might flare up on hearing what I have to say.
(dar hai ki merii baat sunkar maidam bigad jaaen।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
थोड़ी सी बात पर वह क्यों बिगड़ जाता है? Why does he flare up over such a small thing?
(thodii sii baat par vah kyon bigad jaataa hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मैंने जब देर से फोन किया, तो वह बिगड़ गई। When I called late, she got angry.
(mainne jab der se phon kiyaa, to vah bigad gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे लगता है वो कल की बात पर अब भी बिगड़े हुए हैं। I think he's still worked up about what happened yesterday.
(mujhe lagtaa hai vo kal kii baat par ab bhii bigde hue hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्लाइंट के सामने वह इस तरह बिगड़ जाएँगे, यह किसी को उम्मीद नहीं थी। No one expected that he would flare up like this in front of the client.
(klaaint ke saamne vah is tarah bigad jaaenge, yah kisii ko ummiid nahiin thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: बिगड़ना (bigadnaa)
infinitive oblique: बिगड़ने (bigadne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): बिगड़ता (bigadtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): बिगड़ते (bigadte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): बिगड़ती (bigadtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): बिगड़तीं (bigadtiin)
continuous (sg.m): बिगड़ रहा (bigad rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): बिगड़ रहे (bigad rahe)
continuous (sg.f): बिगड़ रही (bigad rahii)
continuous (pl.f): बिगड़ रहीं (bigad rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): बिगड़ा (bigdaa)
perfective (pl.m): बिगड़े (bigde)
perfective (sg.f): बिगड़ी (bigdii)
perfective (pl.f): बिगड़ीं (bigdiin)
imperative (informal): बिगड़ (bigad)
imperative (neutral): बिगड़ो (bigdo)
imperative (formal): बिगड़िए (bigdie)
future (1sg.m): बिगड़ूँगा (bigdoongaa)
future (1sg.f): बिगड़ूँगी (bigdoongii)
future (1pl.m): बिगड़ेंगे (bigdenge)
future (1pl.f): बिगड़ेंगी (bigdengii)
future (2sg.m): बिगड़ेगा (bigdegaa)
future (2sg.f): बिगड़ेगी (bigdegii)
future (2pl.m): बिगड़ोगे (bigdoge)
future (2pl.f): बिगड़ोगी (bigdogii)
future (3sg.m): बिगड़ेगा (bigdegaa)
future (3sg.f): बिगड़ेगी (bigdegii)
future (3pl.m): बिगड़ेंगे (bigdenge)
future (3pl.f): बिगड़ेंगी (bigdengii)
subjunctive (1sg): बिगड़ूँ (bigdoon)
subjunctive (1pl): बिगड़ें (bigden)
subjunctive (2sg): बिगड़े (bigde)
subjunctive (2pl): बिगड़ो (bigdo)
subjunctive (3sg): बिगड़े (bigde)
subjunctive (3pl): बिगड़ें (bigden)