घिरना (ghirnaa)
verb
This verb means 'to be surrounded' or 'to be encircled' -- used for clouds gathering, people being hemmed in by a crowd or trouble, or getting caught in a difficult situation. It is intransitive and pairs naturally with से (se) marking whatever is doing the surrounding.
Sense
1
:
to be surrounded, encircled (by people, crowd, water, etc.)
verb, intransitive Takes से (se) for the surrounding agent: भीड़ से घिरना (bhiid se ghirnaa, to be surrounded by a crowd).
Synonyms: घेरे में आना (ghere men aanaa), लिपटना (lipatnaa, less common for this sense)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture a scooter rider suddenly हॉर्न बजाती भीड़ से घिर जाना (horn bajaatii bhiid se ghir jaanaa, 'to get surrounded by a honking crowd') at a Delhi traffic jam -- this is the everyday feel of the word. It is the passive-flavored partner of घेरना (ghernaa) ('to surround'), and Hindi often prefers this kind of intransitive verb over a true passive construction.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for घेरना (ghernaa) here, but that is the transitive 'to surround' -- घिरना (ghirnaa) is what happens *to* the person or thing being surrounded, not what the crowd does. 2) The agent takes से (se), not को (ko) or ने (ne) -- there is no ने-marking since this verb is intransitive.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी स्कूटी अचानक भीड़ से घिर गई।
My scooter suddenly got surrounded by a crowd.
(merii skootii achaanak bhiid se ghir gaii।)
जैसे ही एक्टर बाहर निकला, वह फैंस से घिर गया।
As soon as the actor stepped outside, he was surrounded by fans.
(jaise hii ektar baahar niklaa, vah phains se ghir gayaa।)
शाम को यह मंदिर हमेशा भक्तों से घिरा रहता है।
In the evening, this temple always remains surrounded by devotees.
(shaam ko yah mandir hameshaa bhakton se ghiraa rahtaa hai।)
गाँव बाढ़ के पानी से घिरा हुआ है।
The village is surrounded by floodwater.
(gaanv baadh ke paanii se ghiraa huaa hai।)
अगर तुम भीड़ से घिर जाओ, तो घबराना मत।
If you get surrounded by a crowd, don't panic.
(agar tum bhiid se ghir jaao, to ghabraanaa mat।)
किला हर तरफ से पहाड़ों से घिरा है।
The fort is surrounded by mountains on every side.
(kilaa har taraph se pahaadon se ghiraa hai।)
पुलिस की गाड़ी देखते ही मुजरिम घिर गया।
The moment he saw the police vehicle, the criminal was surrounded.
(pulis kii gaadii dekhte hii mujrim ghir gayaa।)
अगर मैं उस वक्त बाहर होता, तो शायद मैं भी उसी भीड़ से घिर जाता।
If I had been outside at that time, I might have gotten surrounded by that same crowd too.
(agar main us vakt baahar hotaa, to shaayad main bhii usii bhiid se ghir jaataa।)
जब भी वह क्रिकेटर स्टेडियम में आता है, बच्चों से घिर जाता है।
Whenever that cricketer comes into the stadium, he gets surrounded by children.
(jab bhii vah kriketar stediyam men aataa hai, bachchon se ghir jaataa hai।)
शहर चारों ओर से दुश्मन की सेना से घिर चुका था।
The city had already been encircled by the enemy army on all sides.
(shahar chaaron or se dushman kii senaa se ghir chukaa thaa।)
मंत्री जी जैसे ही मंच से उतरे, पत्रकारों से घिर गए।
As soon as the minister stepped down from the stage, he was surrounded by journalists.
(mantrii jii jaise hii manch se utre, patrkaaron se ghir gae।)
Sense
2
:
to become overcast, to gather (clouds)
verb, intransitive Common subject is बादल (baadal, clouds) or आसमान (aasmaan, sky): आसमान में बादल घिर आए (aasmaan men baadal ghir aae, 'clouds gathered in the sky').
Synonyms: छाना (chhaanaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly around monsoon talk -- बादल घिरना (baadal ghirnaa) is the standard way to say clouds are gathering before rain, often paired with the compound verb घिर आना (ghir aanaa) to add a sense of clouds 'rolling in.'
Sample Sentences:
आसमान में बादल घिर रहे हैं।
Clouds are gathering in the sky.
(aasmaan men baadal ghir rahe hain।)
शाम होते ही आसमान में बादल घिर आए।
As soon as evening fell, clouds rolled in over the sky.
(shaam hote hii aasmaan men baadal ghir aae।)
मानसून से पहले हर साल यहाँ घने बादल घिरते हैं।
Every year before the monsoon, thick clouds gather here.
(maansoon se pahle har saal yahaan ghane baadal ghirte hain।)
कल दोपहर तक आसमान बादलों से घिर जाएगा।
By tomorrow afternoon the sky will be overcast with clouds.
(kal dopahar tak aasmaan baadlon se ghir jaaegaa।)
अगर बादल घिर आएँ तो छत पर सूख रहे कपड़े उतार लेना।
If clouds roll in, take down the clothes drying on the roof.
(agar baadal ghir aaen to chhat par sookh rahe kapde utaar lenaa।)
जब हम पहाड़ की चोटी पर पहुँचे, तब तक बादल घिर चुके थे।
By the time we reached the mountain top, the clouds had already gathered.
(jab ham pahaad kii chotii par pahunche, tab tak baadal ghir chuke the।)
अगर आसमान इतनी बुरी तरह घिरा होता, तो हम पिकनिक रद्द कर देते।
If the sky had become this badly overcast, we would have cancelled the picnic.
(agar aasmaan itnii burii tarah ghiraa hotaa, to ham piknik radd kar dete।)
देखो, कैसे काले बादल घिर आए हैं!
Look how dark clouds have rolled in!
(dekho, kaise kaale baadal ghir aae hain!)
संध्या के समय क्षितिज पर स्याह बादल घिर आते हैं और वातावरण गंभीर हो उठता है।
At dusk, dark clouds gather on the horizon and the atmosphere turns solemn.
(sandhyaa ke samay kshitij par syaah baadal ghir aate hain aur vaataavran gambhiir ho uthtaa hai।)
बारिश से पहले आसमान बादलों से इस तरह घिर जाता है कि दिन में भी अंधेरा लगने लगता है।
Before the rain, the sky becomes so overcast with clouds that even the daytime starts to feel dark.
(baarish se pahle aasmaan baadlon se is tarah ghir jaataa hai ki din men bhii andheraa lagne lagtaa hai।)
Sense
3
:
to be caught up in, entangled in (trouble, worry, debt, etc.) -- figurative
verb, intransitive Used with में (men) for the trouble one is caught in: मुसीबत में घिरना (musiibat men ghirnaa, 'to be caught up in trouble').
Synonyms: फँसना (phansnaa), उलझना (ulajhnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same mental image as sense 1 -- being physically hemmed in -- extended to abstract situations, much like English 'surrounded by problems.' You will often hear मुसीबतों से घिरा हुआ (musiibton se ghiraa huaa, 'beset by troubles') in everyday complaints or in news reports about people in crisis.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is easy to miss -- learners sometimes only learn the literal 'surrounded by people' meaning and are surprised to see घिरना (ghirnaa) used for abstract things like कर्ज़ (karz, debt) or समस्याएँ (samasyaaen, problems).
Sample Sentences:
वह कर्ज़ में बुरी तरह घिर गया है।
He has gotten badly entangled in debt.
(vah karz men burii tarah ghir gayaa hai।)
पूरा परिवार मुसीबतों से घिरा हुआ है।
The whole family is beset by troubles.
(pooraa parivaar musiibton se ghiraa huaa hai।)
पिछले साल हमारी कंपनी घोटाले के आरोपों में घिर गई थी।
Last year our company got caught up in allegations of scandal.
(pichhle saal hamaarii kampnii ghotaale ke aaropon men ghir gaii thii।)
अगर तुम इस काम में हाथ डालोगे तो झगड़ों में घिर जाओगे।
If you get involved in this matter, you'll end up entangled in disputes.
(agar tum is kaam men haath daaloge to jhagdon men ghir jaaoge।)
मंत्री जी विवाद में घिरते ही इस्तीफ़ा दे बैठे।
As soon as the minister got entangled in controversy, he ended up resigning.
(mantrii jii vivaad men ghirte hii istiifaa de baithe।)
काश मैं इस झमेले में न घिरा होता।
I wish I hadn't gotten entangled in this hassle.
(kaash main is jhamele men n ghiraa hotaa।)
व्यापारी क़ानूनी उलझनों में घिरता जा रहा है।
The businessman is increasingly getting entangled in legal complications.
(vyaapaarii qaanoonii ulajhnon men ghirtaa jaa rahaa hai।)
अफ़वाहों के कारण उनका नाम बदनामी में घेर दिया गया।
Because of rumors, his name was dragged into disgrace.
(afvaahon ke kaaran unkaa naam badnaamii men gher diyaa gayaa।)
इतने कर्ज़ों में मत घिरो, वरना बाद में परेशान होगे।
Don't get entangled in so much debt, or you'll suffer later.
(itne karzon men mat ghiro, varnaa baad men pareshaan hoge।)
हो सकता है कि वह फिर किसी नई मुसीबत में घिर जाए।
It's possible he might get caught up in some new trouble again.
(ho saktaa hai ki vah phir kisii naii musiibat men ghir jaae।)
जब पूरा गाँव सूखे की मार से घिरा था, तब सरकार ने मदद भेजी।
When the whole village was gripped by the ravages of drought, the government sent help.
(jab pooraa gaanv sookhe kii maar se ghiraa thaa, tab sarkaar ne madad bhejii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
घिरना
(ghirnaa)
infinitive oblique:
घिरने
(ghirne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
घिरता
(ghirtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
घिरते
(ghirte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
घिरती
(ghirtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
घिरतीं
(ghirtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
घिर रहा
(ghir rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
घिर रहे
(ghir rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
घिर रही
(ghir rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
घिर रहीं
(ghir rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
घिरा
(ghiraa)
perfective (pl.m):
घिरे
(ghire)
perfective (sg.f):
घिरी
(ghirii)
perfective (pl.f):
घिरीं
(ghiriin)
imperative (informal):
घिर
(ghir)
imperative (neutral):
घिरो
(ghiro)
imperative (formal):
घिरिए
(ghirie)
future (1sg.m):
घिरूँगा
(ghiroongaa)
future (1sg.f):
घिरूँगी
(ghiroongii)
future (1pl.m):
घिरेंगे
(ghirenge)
future (1pl.f):
घिरेंगी
(ghirengii)
future (2sg.m):
घिरेगा
(ghiregaa)
future (2sg.f):
घिरेगी
(ghiregii)
future (2pl.m):
घिरोगे
(ghiroge)
future (2pl.f):
घिरोगी
(ghirogii)
future (3sg.m):
घिरेगा
(ghiregaa)
future (3sg.f):
घिरेगी
(ghiregii)
future (3pl.m):
घिरेंगे
(ghirenge)
future (3pl.f):
घिरेंगी
(ghirengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
घिरूँ
(ghiroon)
subjunctive (1pl):
घिरें
(ghiren)
subjunctive (2sg):
घिरे
(ghire)
subjunctive (2pl):
घिरो
(ghiro)
subjunctive (3sg):
घिरे
(ghire)
subjunctive (3pl):
घिरें
(ghiren)