हाथ बँटाना (haath bantaanaa)
verb
A compound verb phrase meaning 'to lend a hand, help out with a task' -- literally 'to divide/share the hand.' One core sense, always used with a person marked by का/की/के to show whose work is being shared.
Sense
1
:
to help, to lend a hand (with work)
verb, intransitive Takes the person being helped in the genitive: X का/की/के हाथ बँटाना (X kaa haath bantaanaa, 'to help X'). The genitive agrees with हाथ (haath), so it is always के हाथ बँटाना (ke haath bantaanaa) regardless of the gender of X, since हाथ is masculine.
Synonyms: मदद करना (madad karnaa), सहायता करना (sahaaytaa karnaa, slightly more formal), सहयोग देना (sahyog denaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This phrase paints a very concrete household image: think of a daughter-in-law stepping into the kitchen to help her mother-in-law with the rotis, or neighbors pitching in to move furniture during a wedding. It's warm and communal in flavor, evoking shared labor rather than formal assistance, and you'll hear it constantly in family and neighborhood contexts across Delhi-NCR.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say किसी की मदद बँटाना (kisii kii madad bantaanaa) by mixing this idiom with मदद करना (madad karnaa) -- the verb बँटाना (bantaanaa) only pairs with हाथ (haath) here, not with मदद (madad). 2) The genitive marker before हाथ is always के (ke), never का/की, because हाथ is masculine -- so it is माँ के हाथ बँटाना (maan ke haath bantaanaa, 'to help mother'), not माँ की हाथ बँटाना. 3) This phrase implies chipping in on physical or domestic work (cooking, chores, moving things) -- for helping with abstract matters like advice or money, मदद करना (madad karnaa) is more natural.
Sample Sentences:
क्या तुम मेरा हाथ बँटा सकते हो?
Can you lend me a hand?
(kyaa tum meraa haath bantaa sakte ho?)
बहू रोज़ सुबह रसोई में सास का हाथ बँटाती है।
The daughter-in-law helps her mother-in-law in the kitchen every morning.
(bahoo roz subah rasoii men saas kaa haath bantaatii hai।)
शादी की तैयारियों में सारे पड़ोसी हाथ बँटा रहे थे।
All the neighbors were pitching in with the wedding preparations.
(shaadii kii taiyaariyon men saare padosii haath bantaa rahe the।)
भई, थोड़ा हाथ बँटा दे, सामान भारी है।
Come on man, help out a bit, the stuff is heavy.
(bhaii, thodaa haath bantaa de, saamaan bhaarii hai।)
अगर तुम हाथ बँटाते तो काम जल्दी खत्म हो जाता।
If you had helped out, the work would have finished sooner.
(agar tum haath bantaate to kaam jaldii khatm ho jaataa।)
उसने खाना बनाने में माँ का हाथ बँटाया।
She helped her mother with cooking.
(usne khaanaa banaane men maan kaa haath bantaayaa।)
काश कोई मेरा हाथ बँटा देता, अकेले तो यह काम नहीं हो पाएगा।
I wish someone would lend me a hand -- this work won't get done alone.
(kaash koii meraa haath bantaa detaa, akele to yah kaam nahiin ho paaegaa।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि तुम फ़र्नीचर उठाने में हाथ बँटाओगे।
I hope you'll help move the furniture.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki tum farniichar uthaane men haath bantaaoge।)
संकट की इस घड़ी में हर नागरिक को एक-दूसरे का हाथ बँटाना चाहिए।
In this hour of crisis, every citizen should lend a hand to one another.
(sankat kii is ghadii men har naagrik ko ek-doosre kaa haath bantaanaa chaahie।)
फसल कटाई के समय गाँव में सब मिलकर एक-दूसरे का हाथ बँटाते हैं।
At harvest time, everyone in the village comes together to help each other out.
(phasal kataaii ke samay gaanv men sab milkar ek-doosre kaa haath bantaate hain।)
अगर हर कोई ऐसे ही एक-दूसरे का हाथ बँटाए, तो मुहल्ले की आधी परेशानियाँ खत्म हो जाएँ।
If everyone helped each other out like this, half the neighborhood's troubles would disappear.
(agar har koii aise hii ek-doosre kaa haath bantaae, to muhalle kii aadhii pareshaaniyaan khatm ho jaaen।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
हाथ बँटाना
(haath bantaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
हाथ बँटाने
(haath bantaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
हाथ बँटाता
(haath bantaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
हाथ बँटाते
(haath bantaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
हाथ बँटाती
(haath bantaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
हाथ बँटातीं
(haath bantaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
हाथ बँटा रहा
(haath bantaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
हाथ बँटा रहे
(haath bantaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
हाथ बँटा रही
(haath bantaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
हाथ बँटा रहीं
(haath bantaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
हाथ बँटाया
(haath bantaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
हाथ बँटाए
(haath bantaae)
perfective (sg.f):
हाथ बँटाई
(haath bantaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
हाथ बँटाईं
(haath bantaaiin)
imperative (informal):
हाथ बँटा
(haath bantaa)
imperative (neutral):
हाथ बँटाओ
(haath bantaao)
imperative (formal):
हाथ बँटाइए
(haath bantaaie)
future (1sg.m):
हाथ बँटाऊँगा
(haath bantaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
हाथ बँटाऊँगी
(haath bantaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
हाथ बँटाएँगे
(haath bantaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
हाथ बँटाएँगी
(haath bantaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
हाथ बँटाएगा
(haath bantaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
हाथ बँटाएगी
(haath bantaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
हाथ बँटाओगे
(haath bantaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
हाथ बँटाओगी
(haath bantaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
हाथ बँटाएगा
(haath bantaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
हाथ बँटाएगी
(haath bantaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
हाथ बँटाएँगे
(haath bantaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
हाथ बँटाएँगी
(haath bantaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
हाथ बँटाऊँ
(haath bantaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
हाथ बँटाएँ
(haath bantaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
हाथ बँटाए
(haath bantaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
हाथ बँटाओ
(haath bantaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
हाथ बँटाए
(haath bantaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
हाथ बँटाएँ
(haath bantaaen)