पहचानना (pahchaannaa)

verb A single-sense verb meaning 'to recognize' -- someone's face, voice, handwriting, or a situation you've encountered before. The noun पहचान (pahchaan, 'identity/recognition') is a close relative worth knowing alongside it.
Sense 1 : to recognize, identify
verb, transitive
Synonyms: जानना (jaannaa, to know, meaning overlaps only loosely), शिनाख्त करना (shinaakht karnaa, formal/legal register)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the verb behind पहचान (pahchaan), the everyday noun for 'identity' -- as in पहचान पत्र (pahchaan patr, 'ID card'), something every Indian carries and talks about constantly for banks, trains, and government offices. There's also a lovely emotional use: कोई किसी को दिल से पहचानता है (koii kisii ko dil se pahchaantaa hai, 'someone recognizes/understands another person deep down') -- Hindi extends 'recognizing a face' to 'truly knowing someone's character,' a metaphor that shows up often in songs and conversation about friendship or love.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for जानना (jaannaa) when they mean पहचानना (pahchaannaa) -- जानना (jaannaa) is 'to know' (facts, people in the abstract), while पहचानना (pahchaannaa) is specifically about identifying something/someone by sight, sound, or memory: मैं उसे आवाज़ से पहचान गया (main use aavaaz se pahchaan gayaa, 'I recognized him by his voice') would sound odd with जानना (jaannaa). 2) The compound पहचान लेना (pahchaan lenaa) or पहचान जाना (pahchaan jaanaa) is very common in speech to mark the completed, successful moment of recognition -- plain पहचानना (pahchaannaa) alone can sound flatter or more habitual/general.
Sample Sentences:
मैं तुम्हें आवाज़ से पहचान गया। I recognized you by your voice.
(main tumhen aavaaz se pahchaan gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मुझे पहचानते हो? Do you recognize me?
(kyaa tum mujhe pahchaante ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह इतने अंधेरे में मुझे नहीं पहचान पाएगी। She won't be able to recognize me in such darkness.
(vah itne andhere men mujhe nahiin pahchaan paaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
कृपया अपना पहचान पत्र दिखाइए। Please show your ID card.
(kripyaa apnaa pahchaan patr dikhaaie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह मुझे उस दिन पहचान लेता तो शायद बात ही कर लेता। If he had recognized me that day, he probably would have talked to me.
(agar vah mujhe us din pahchaan letaa to shaayad baat hii kar letaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
पुलिस ने चोर की तस्वीर से उसे पहचान लिया। The police identified the thief from his photo.
(pulis ne chor kii tasviir se use pahchaan liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे उम्मीद है कि वह अपनी गलती पहचाने और सुधर जाए। I hope that he recognizes his mistake and reforms.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki vah apnii galtii pahchaane aur sudhar jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
जो सच्चा दोस्त होता है, वह तुम्हें दिल से पहचानता है। A true friend recognizes you deep down, in his heart.
(jo sachchaa dost hotaa hai, vah tumhen dil se pahchaantaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बिना पहचान पत्र के यहाँ किसी को अंदर नहीं जाने दिया जाता। Without an ID card, no one is allowed inside here.
(binaa pahchaan patr ke yahaan kisii ko andar nahiin jaane diyaa jaataa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
भगवान अपने भक्तों को उनकी सच्ची भक्ति से पहचानते हैं। God recognizes His devotees by their true devotion.
(bhagvaan apne bhakton ko unkii sachchii bhakti se pahchaante hain।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इतने सालों बाद भी वह अपने पुराने दोस्तों को पहचान रही थी। Even after so many years, she was recognizing her old friends.
(itne saalon baad bhii vah apne puraane doston ko pahchaan rahii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब तक कोई अपनी असली पहचान नहीं पहचानता, वह खुश नहीं रह सकता। Until one recognizes one's true identity, one cannot remain happy.
(jab tak koii apnii aslii pahchaan nahiin pahchaantaa, vah khush nahiin rah saktaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: पहचानना (pahchaannaa)
infinitive oblique: पहचानने (pahchaanne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): पहचानता (pahchaantaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): पहचानते (pahchaante)
habitual/simple (sg.f): पहचानती (pahchaantii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): पहचानतीं (pahchaantiin)
continuous (sg.m): पहचान रहा (pahchaan rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): पहचान रहे (pahchaan rahe)
continuous (sg.f): पहचान रही (pahchaan rahii)
continuous (pl.f): पहचान रहीं (pahchaan rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): पहचाना (pahchaanaa)
perfective (pl.m): पहचाने (pahchaane)
perfective (sg.f): पहचानी (pahchaanii)
perfective (pl.f): पहचानीं (pahchaaniin)
imperative (informal): पहचान (pahchaan)
imperative (neutral): पहचानो (pahchaano)
imperative (formal): पहचानिए (pahchaanie)
future (1sg.m): पहचानूँगा (pahchaanoongaa)
future (1sg.f): पहचानूँगी (pahchaanoongii)
future (1pl.m): पहचानेंगे (pahchaanenge)
future (1pl.f): पहचानेंगी (pahchaanengii)
future (2sg.m): पहचानेगा (pahchaanegaa)
future (2sg.f): पहचानेगी (pahchaanegii)
future (2pl.m): पहचानोगे (pahchaanoge)
future (2pl.f): पहचानोगी (pahchaanogii)
future (3sg.m): पहचानेगा (pahchaanegaa)
future (3sg.f): पहचानेगी (pahchaanegii)
future (3pl.m): पहचानेंगे (pahchaanenge)
future (3pl.f): पहचानेंगी (pahchaanengii)
subjunctive (1sg): पहचानूँ (pahchaanoon)
subjunctive (1pl): पहचानें (pahchaanen)
subjunctive (2sg): पहचाने (pahchaane)
subjunctive (2pl): पहचानो (pahchaano)
subjunctive (3sg): पहचाने (pahchaane)
subjunctive (3pl): पहचानें (pahchaanen)