छलकाना (chhalkaanaa)
verb
The causative of छलकना (chhalaknaa, 'to overflow/spill'), so छलकाना (chhalkaanaa) means to make a liquid spill or overflow -- literally, or figuratively for emotions and eyes brimming over.
Sense
1
:
to spill/slosh a liquid (by causing it to overflow)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: गिराना (giraanaa, spilling by dropping/tipping), बहाना (bahaanaa, to make flow)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture carrying a lassi (lassii, 'buttermilk drink') glass filled right to the brim through a crowded market -- if you jostle it, you'll छलकाना (chhalkaanaa) it. It's the everyday word for that small domestic mishap.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners confuse this with गिराना (giraanaa): गिराना (giraanaa) is spilling by knocking something over or dropping it, while छलकाना (chhalkaanaa) specifically means liquid brimming over the edge of its container, often just from movement or being too full -- like carrying a too-full glass. 2) The base verb छलकना (chhalaknaa) is intransitive ('the tea overflowed on its own'), while छलकाना (chhalkaanaa) is the transitive causative ('I spilled the tea') -- mixing these up is the most common error.
Sample Sentences:
जरा धीरे चलो, गिलास से पानी छलकाओगे।
Walk a bit slower, you'll spill water out of the glass.
(jaraa dhiire chalo, gilaas se paanii chhalkaaoge।)
बच्चे ने दूध का कटोरा छलका दिया।
The child spilled the bowl of milk.
(bachche ne doodh kaa katoraa chhalkaa diyaa।)
भीड़ भरे बाज़ार में वह लस्सी का गिलास लिए हुए बार-बार छलका रहा था।
Carrying the glass of lassi through the crowded market, he kept sloshing it over again and again.
(bhiid bhare baazaar men vah lassii kaa gilaas lie hue baar-baar chhalkaa rahaa thaa।)
गिलास भरा हुआ है, इसे मत छलकाना।
The glass is full, don't spill it.
(gilaas bharaa huaa hai, ise mat chhalkaanaa।)
ट्रे इतनी भरी थी कि चाय छलक ही जाती।
The tray was so full that the tea would surely have spilled over.
(tre itnii bharii thii ki chaay chhalak hii jaatii।)
अगर ट्रे थोड़ी और झुक जाती, तो सूप छलक जाता।
If the tray had tilted a little more, the soup would have spilled.
(agar tre thodii aur jhuk jaatii, to soop chhalak jaataa।)
वेटर से डर लगता है कि वह सूप की कटोरी न छलका दे।
There's a fear that the waiter might spill the bowl of soup.
(vetar se dar lagtaa hai ki vah soop kii katorii n chhalkaa de।)
गिलास को इतना भरा जाता है कि हल्के से हाथ लगते ही पानी छलक जाता है।
The glass gets filled so much that the water spills over at the slightest touch.
(gilaas ko itnaa bharaa jaataa hai ki halke se haath lagte hii paanii chhalak jaataa hai।)
मेज़ पर रखा दूध किसी के धक्के से छलक गया।
The milk kept on the table spilled over from someone's jostle.
(mez par rakhaa doodh kisii ke dhakke se chhalak gayaa।)
कृपया गिलास सावधानी से उठाएँ, दूध छलक सकता है।
Please lift the glass carefully, the milk might spill.
(kripyaa gilaas saavdhaanii se uthaaen, doodh chhalak saktaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to let emotion/tears well up and show (figurative overflow)
verb, transitive Commonly used with आँसू (aansoo, 'tears') or आँखें (aankhen, 'eyes') as the object, e.g. आँसू छलकाना (aansoo chhalkaanaa, 'to let tears well up') -- the eyes or tears are treated as a liquid that brims over, echoing the literal sense.
Synonyms: बहाना (bahaanaa, for tears specifically)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Hindi poetry and film dialogue love this image: आँखों में आँसू छलकाना (aankhon men aansoo chhalkaanaa, 'to let tears well up in the eyes') treats sorrow or joy as a liquid held just below the rim, about to spill. It's a favorite move in emotional scenes and ghazals (ghazal).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for रोना (ronaa, 'to cry') when they mean the subtler image of eyes glistening or brimming without a full cry -- छलकाना (chhalkaanaa) captures that in-between moment. 2) This sense is almost always paired with आँख (aankh) or आँसू (aansoo) as object; using it alone with a person as subject and no liquid-word nearby can sound odd.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी आँखों में आँसू छलक आए।
Tears welled up in her eyes.
(uskii aankhon men aansoo chhalak aae।)
माँ को याद करके वह अपनी आँखों में आँसू छलका देती है।
Remembering her mother, she lets tears well up in her eyes.
(maan ko yaad karke vah apnii aankhon men aansoo chhalkaa detii hai।)
इस गाने में गायिका दर्द को अपनी आवाज़ में छलका रही है।
In this song the singer is letting the pain well up in her voice.
(is gaane men gaayikaa dard ko apnii aavaaz men chhalkaa rahii hai।)
फिल्म के आखिरी सीन में नायिका आँखों में आँसू छलका देगी।
In the film's final scene, the heroine will let tears well up in her eyes.
(philm ke aakhirii siin men naayikaa aankhon men aansoo chhalkaa degii।)
अपने दर्द को यूँ मत छलकाओ, लोग देख रहे हैं।
Don't let your pain show like that, people are watching.
(apne dard ko yoon mat chhalkaao, log dekh rahe hain।)
शायर अपनी ग़ज़ल में विरह की पीड़ा छलकाता है।
The poet lets the anguish of separation well up in his ghazal.
(shaayar apnii ghazal men virah kii piidaa chhalkaataa hai।)
काश वह अपनी खुशी इतनी खुलकर छलका पाती।
If only she could let her joy well up so openly.
(kaash vah apnii khushii itnii khulkar chhalkaa paatii।)
अगर वह इतना दुखी न होता, तो उसकी आँखों में आँसू न छलकते।
If he hadn't been so sad, tears wouldn't have welled up in his eyes.
(agar vah itnaa dukhii n hotaa, to uskii aankhon men aansoo n chhalakte।)
उसकी बातों में उसका गुस्सा साफ़ छलक रहा था।
His anger was clearly welling up in his words.
(uskii baaton men uskaa gussaa saaf chhalak rahaa thaa।)
कवि सम्मेलन में उनके शब्दों से देशभक्ति छलक उठी।
At the poets' gathering, patriotism welled up and burst forth in his words.
(kavi sammelan men unke shabdon se deshbhakti chhalak uthii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
छलकाना
(chhalkaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
छलकाने
(chhalkaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
छलकाता
(chhalkaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
छलकाते
(chhalkaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
छलकाती
(chhalkaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
छलकातीं
(chhalkaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
छलका रहा
(chhalkaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
छलका रहे
(chhalkaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
छलका रही
(chhalkaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
छलका रहीं
(chhalkaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
छलकाया
(chhalkaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
छलकाए
(chhalkaae)
perfective (sg.f):
छलकाई
(chhalkaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
छलकाईं
(chhalkaaiin)
imperative (informal):
छलका
(chhalkaa)
imperative (neutral):
छलकाओ
(chhalkaao)
imperative (formal):
छलकाइए
(chhalkaaie)
future (1sg.m):
छलकाऊँगा
(chhalkaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
छलकाऊँगी
(chhalkaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
छलकाएँगे
(chhalkaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
छलकाएँगी
(chhalkaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
छलकाएगा
(chhalkaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
छलकाएगी
(chhalkaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
छलकाओगे
(chhalkaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
छलकाओगी
(chhalkaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
छलकाएगा
(chhalkaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
छलकाएगी
(chhalkaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
छलकाएँगे
(chhalkaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
छलकाएँगी
(chhalkaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
छलकाऊँ
(chhalkaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
छलकाएँ
(chhalkaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
छलकाए
(chhalkaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
छलकाओ
(chhalkaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
छलकाए
(chhalkaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
छलकाएँ
(chhalkaaen)