कहलाना (kahlaanaa)
verb
A causative-flavored verb built on कहना (kahnaa, 'to say'), meaning 'to be called/known as' -- it describes how something or someone is named or reputed, not the act of naming itself.
Sense
1
:
to be called/known as (name, title, identity)
verb, intransitive Takes a complement noun/adjective directly, without a postposition: X कहलाता है (X kahlaataa hai) = 'X is called...'.
Synonyms: कहा जाना (kahaa jaanaa, passive-construction alternative)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word carries a nice cultural flavor of reputation and standing: कहलाना (kahlaanaa) is what you use when something has earned or acquired a name over time, like शेर को जंगल का राजा कहलाया जाता है (sher ko jangal kaa raajaa kahlaayaa jaataa hai, 'the lion is called the king of the forest'). It pairs naturally with words about titles, fame, and social identity -- मशहूर (mashahoor, 'famous'), प्रसिद्ध (prasiddh, 'renowned') -- and often shows up in proverbs and general statements about how the world labels people and things.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for the passive कहा जाना (kahaa jaanaa) by default, but कहलाना (kahlaanaa) is the more natural, idiomatic choice when talking about names, titles, or reputations -- e.g. दिल्ली भारत की राजधानी कहलाती है (dillii bhaarat kii raajdhaanii kahlaatii hai, 'Delhi is called the capital of India'). 2) Because it looks causative in form, learners sometimes expect an agent marked with से (se) doing the naming, but the sentence usually has no explicit namer at all -- the focus is on the label sticking to the subject, not on who assigned it.
Sample Sentences:
दिल्ली भारत की राजधानी कहलाती है।
Delhi is called the capital of India.
(dillii bhaarat kii raajdhaanii kahlaatii hai।)
शेर को जंगल का राजा कहलाया जाता है।
The lion is called the king of the forest.
(sher ko jangal kaa raajaa kahlaayaa jaataa hai।)
गांधी जी को राष्ट्रपिता कहलाया जाता है।
Gandhi ji is called the father of the nation.
(gaandhii jii ko raashtrpitaa kahlaayaa jaataa hai।)
बरसों की मेहनत के बाद वह मशहूर कलाकार कहलाया।
After years of hard work, he came to be called a famous artist.
(barson kii mehnat ke baad vah mashahoor kalaakaar kahlaayaa।)
अगर तुम सच बोलते रहे, तो एक दिन ईमानदार कहलाओगे।
If you keep telling the truth, you will one day be called honest.
(agar tum sach bolte rahe, to ek din iimaandaar kahlaaoge।)
काश मैं भी इस शहर में प्रसिद्ध कहलाता।
I wish I too were called renowned in this city.
(kaash main bhii is shahar men prasiddh kahlaataa।)
अच्छे कर्मों से ही इंसान महान कहलाता है।
It is only through good deeds that a person is called great.
(achchhe karmon se hii insaan mahaan kahlaataa hai।)
क्या तुम्हें पता है कि यह जगह किसके नाम से कहलाती है?
Do you know by whose name this place is called?
(kyaa tumhen pataa hai ki yah jagah kiske naam se kahlaatii hai?)
उस समय यह इलाका पुराना बाज़ार कहलाता था।
At that time, this area used to be called the old market.
(us samay yah ilaakaa puraanaa baazaar kahlaataa thaa।)
सच्चा दोस्त वही कहलाता है जो मुसीबत में साथ दे।
Only he is called a true friend who stands by you in trouble.
(sachchaa dost vahii kahlaataa hai jo musiibat men saath de।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
कहलाना
(kahlaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
कहलाने
(kahlaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
कहलाता
(kahlaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
कहलाते
(kahlaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
कहलाती
(kahlaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
कहलातीं
(kahlaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
कहला रहा
(kahlaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
कहला रहे
(kahlaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
कहला रही
(kahlaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
कहला रहीं
(kahlaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
कहलाया
(kahlaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
कहलाए
(kahlaae)
perfective (sg.f):
कहलाई
(kahlaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
कहलाईं
(kahlaaiin)
imperative (informal):
कहला
(kahlaa)
imperative (neutral):
कहलाओ
(kahlaao)
imperative (formal):
कहलाइए
(kahlaaie)
future (1sg.m):
कहलाऊँगा
(kahlaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
कहलाऊँगी
(kahlaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
कहलाएँगे
(kahlaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
कहलाएँगी
(kahlaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
कहलाएगा
(kahlaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
कहलाएगी
(kahlaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
कहलाओगे
(kahlaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
कहलाओगी
(kahlaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
कहलाएगा
(kahlaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
कहलाएगी
(kahlaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
कहलाएँगे
(kahlaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
कहलाएँगी
(kahlaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
कहलाऊँ
(kahlaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
कहलाएँ
(kahlaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
कहलाए
(kahlaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
कहलाओ
(kahlaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
कहलाए
(kahlaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
कहलाएँ
(kahlaaen)