ले जाना (le jaanaa)

verb A compound verb built from लेना (lenaa, 'to take') + जाना (jaanaa, 'to go'), meaning 'to take (something/someone) away/along.' One core sense, with a common extended use for escorting or carrying off people.
Sense 1 : to take (something) away/along
verb, transitive The vector जाना (jaanaa) adds a sense of motion away from the speaker's current location, contrasting with ले आना (le aanaa) 'to bring,' which moves toward it.
Synonyms: साथ लेना (saath lenaa, 'to take along')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of लेना (lenaa) + जाना (jaanaa) literally: 'take' and then 'go' -- the item or person departs with the subject. You will hear this constantly in everyday requests like इसे ले जाओ (ise le jaao, 'take this away') at a shop counter or when someone is leaving your house with leftovers.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often confuse ले जाना (le jaanaa) with ले आना (le aanaa) -- ले जाना (le jaanaa) means the item ends up away from here, ले आना (le aanaa) means it ends up here. 2) The object takes ने-marking on लेना (lenaa) as expected for a transitive verb, but learners sometimes forget that जाना (jaanaa) as the vector does not itself trigger any additional agreement changes -- the whole compound still agrees with the object via लिया/ली/लिए (liyaa/lii/lie) forms.
Sample Sentences:
कृपया इसे यहाँ से ले जाओ। Please take this away from here.
(kripyaa ise yahaan se le jaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह अपना सामान ले गया। He took his belongings away with him.
(vah apnaa saamaan le gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मैं यह किताबें लाइब्रेरी ले जा रहा हूँ। I am taking these books to the library.
(main yah kitaaben laaibrerii le jaa rahaa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वेटर खाली प्लेटें ले जाता है। The waiter takes away the empty plates.
(vetar khaalii pleten le jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम्हें ज़रूरत नहीं है तो इसे ले जाओ। If you don't need it, take it away.
(agar tumhen zaroorat nahiin hai to ise le jaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
बचा हुआ खाना पैक करके ले जाइए। Please pack up the leftover food and take it along.
(bachaa huaa khaanaa paik karke le jaaie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
यह सामान चोर रात में ले गए थे। The thieves had taken this stuff away at night.
(yah saamaan chor raat men le gae the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर बारिश होती तो हम छत्रियाँ ले जाते। If it had rained, we would have taken umbrellas along.
(agar baarish hotii to ham chhatriyaan le jaate।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मेरा पुराना फ़र्नीचर ले जाओगे? Will you take away my old furniture?
(kyaa tum meraa puraanaa farniichar le jaaoge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
ज़रूरी है कि सारा कचरा आज ही ले जाया जाए। It's necessary that all the garbage be taken away today itself.
(zaroorii hai ki saaraa kachraa aaj hii le jaayaa jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
पुराना फ्रिज कबाड़ी वाला ले गया। The old fridge was taken away by the scrap dealer.
(puraanaa phrij kabaadii vaalaa le gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to take (a person) along, to escort or carry off
verb, transitive
Synonyms: साथ ले जाना (saath le jaanaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This sense covers everything from a mother saying बच्चे को स्कूल ले जाओ (bachche ko skool le jaao, 'take the child to school') to news reports where पुलिस उसे ले गई (pulis use le gaii, 'the police took him away') -- the same verb spans the gentle and the grave.
Common Mistakes: 1) In contexts like arrest or abduction, ले जाना (le jaanaa) can carry a neutral-to-serious tone depending on context ('the police took him away'); learners sometimes miss that the verb itself is neutral and tone comes from context, not word choice.
Sample Sentences:
कृपया बच्चे को स्कूल ले जाओ। Please take the child to school.
(kripyaa bachche ko skool le jaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पुलिस उसे थाने ले गई। The police took him away to the station.
(pulis use thaane le gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मैं हर शाम अपनी दादी को पार्क में सैर के लिए ले जाता हूँ। I take my grandmother to the park for a walk every evening.
(main har shaam apnii daadii ko paark men sair ke lie le jaataa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह अभी मरीज़ को अस्पताल ले जा रहा है। He is taking the patient to the hospital right now.
(vah abhii mariiz ko asptaal le jaa rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल शाम मैं तुम्हें एक शादी में ले जाऊँगा। Tomorrow evening I will take you to a wedding.
(kal shaam main tumhen ek shaadii men le jaaoongaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अपराधी को अदालत में ले जाया गया। The accused was taken to court.
(apraadhii ko adaalat men le jaayaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अगर उसे बुखार होता, तो मैं उसे डॉक्टर के पास ले जाता। If he had had a fever, I would have taken him to the doctor.
(agar use bukhaar hotaa, to main use doktar ke paas le jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मैडम, क्या मैं आपको लिफ़्ट तक ले जा सकता हूँ? Madam, may I escort you to the lift?
(maidam, kyaa main aapko lift tak le jaa saktaa hoon?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उन्होंने ज़बरदस्ती लड़की को अपने साथ ले जाया। They forcibly took the girl away with them.
(unhonne zabardastii ladkii ko apne saath le jaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश कोई मुझे भी उस मेले में ले जाता। If only someone would take me to that fair too.
(kaash koii mujhe bhii us mele men le jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सैनिक घायल साथी को सुरक्षित स्थान पर ले गए। The soldiers carried their wounded comrade to a safe place.
(sainik ghaayal saathii ko surakshit sthaan par le gae।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive: ले जाना (le jaanaa)
infinitive oblique: ले जाने (le jaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m): ले जाता (le jaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): ले जाते (le jaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f): ले जाती (le jaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): ले जातीं (le jaatiin)
continuous (sg.m): ले जा रहा (le jaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): ले जा रहे (le jaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f): ले जा रही (le jaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f): ले जा रहीं (le jaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): ले गया (le gayaa)
perfective (pl.m): ले गए (le gae)
perfective (sg.f): ले गई (le gaii)
perfective (pl.f): ले गईं (le gaiin)
imperative (informal): ले जा (le jaa)
imperative (neutral): ले जाओ (le jaao)
imperative (formal): ले जाइए (le jaaie)
future (1sg.m): ले जाऊँगा (le jaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f): ले जाऊँगी (le jaaoongii)
future (1pl.m): ले जाएँगे (le jaaenge)
future (1pl.f): ले जाएँगी (le jaaengii)
future (2sg.m): ले जाएगा (le jaaegaa)
future (2sg.f): ले जाएगी (le jaaegii)
future (2pl.m): ले जाओगे (le jaaoge)
future (2pl.f): ले जाओगी (le jaaogii)
future (3sg.m): ले जाएगा (le jaaegaa)
future (3sg.f): ले जाएगी (le jaaegii)
future (3pl.m): ले जाएँगे (le jaaenge)
future (3pl.f): ले जाएँगी (le jaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg): ले जाऊँ (le jaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl): ले जाएँ (le jaaen)
subjunctive (2sg): ले जाए (le jaae)
subjunctive (2pl): ले जाओ (le jaao)
subjunctive (3sg): ले जाए (le jaae)
subjunctive (3pl): ले जाएँ (le jaaen)