फूँकना (phoonknaa)
verb
Basic meaning is 'to blow' (air from the mouth, as on a fire or a musical instrument), with extended senses covering smoking and, colloquially, squandering money.
Sense
1
:
to blow (air from the mouth)
verb, transitive
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture someone crouched over a chulha (choolhaa) blowing on the coals through a hollow pipe (फूँकनी, phoonknii) to get the fire going -- this is the classic mental image for फूँकना (phoonknaa). It is also the verb for blowing into a conch shell or bugle, so आग फूँकना (aag phoonknaa, 'to blow on the fire') and शंख फूँकना (shankh phoonknaa, 'to blow a conch') sit naturally side by side.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with बहना (bahnaa, 'to flow, blow' as wind does) -- फूँकना (phoonknaa) is specifically air blown from the mouth or lungs, like blowing on embers or into a pipe, whereas wind blowing outside uses चलना (chalnaa) (हवा चल रही है, havaa chal rahii hai, 'the wind is blowing').
Sample Sentences:
वह हर सुबह चूल्हे की आग फूँकता है।
He blows on the stove's fire every morning.
(vah har subah choolhe kii aag phoonktaa hai।)
दादी फूँकनी से चूल्हे में फूँक रही थी।
Grandmother was blowing into the stove with the blowpipe.
(daadii phoonknii se choolhe men phoonk rahii thii।)
पंडित जी ने पूजा शुरू करने से पहले शंख फूँका।
The priest blew the conch shell before starting the worship.
(pandit jii ne poojaa shuroo karne se pahle shankh phoonkaa।)
जरा इधर आकर आग फूँक दो, चूल्हा बुझ रहा है।
Come here and blow on the fire for a second, the stove is going out.
(jaraa idhar aakar aag phoonk do, choolhaa bujh rahaa hai।)
अगर तुम फूँकते तो आग तेज़ी से जल उठती।
If you had blown on it, the fire would have caught quickly.
(agar tum phoonkte to aag tezii se jal uthtii।)
बच्चा गुब्बारा फूँक-फूँक कर बड़ा कर रहा था।
The child was blowing the balloon bigger and bigger.
(bachchaa gubbaaraa phoonk-phoonk kar badaa kar rahaa thaa।)
शायद हवा तेज़ हो तो दीया फूँकने से बुझ जाए।
If the wind is strong, blowing on the lamp might put it out.
(shaayad havaa tez ho to diiyaa phoonkne se bujh jaae।)
युद्ध शुरू होने का संकेत देने के लिए रणसिंगा फूँका गया।
The battle-horn was blown to signal the start of the war.
(yuddh shuroo hone kaa sanket dene ke lie ransingaa phoonkaa gayaa।)
मैं कल सुबह अलाव जलाने के लिए उसमें फूँक मारूँगा।
I will blow on it tomorrow morning to light the bonfire.
(main kal subah alaav jalaane ke lie usmen phoonk maaroongaa।)
Sense
2
:
to smoke (a cigarette, etc.)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: पीना (piinaa, the everyday neutral verb for smoking)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense rides on the image of exhaling smoke like blown breath -- a mother scolding her son might say सिगरेट फूँकता रहता है (sigret phoonktaa rahtaa hai, 'he just keeps puffing away at cigarettes'), with a disapproving tone that पीना (piinaa) alone would not carry.
Common Mistakes: 1) The standard neutral verb for smoking a cigarette is पीना (piinaa) (सिगरेट पीना, sigret piinaa), not फूँकना (phoonknaa) -- using फूँकना (phoonknaa) for smoking has a mildly dismissive or disapproving edge, as if commenting on someone's bad habit, so learners should not swap it in as a plain synonym for पीना (piinaa).
Sample Sentences:
वह दिन भर सिगरेट फूँकता रहता है।
He keeps puffing away at cigarettes all day long.
(vah din bhar sigret phoonktaa rahtaa hai।)
मेरा बेटा अब बीड़ी फूँकने लगा है।
My son has started smoking bidis now.
(meraa betaa ab biidii phoonkne lagaa hai।)
छत पर जाकर सिगरेट मत फूँको।
Don't go up to the terrace to smoke a cigarette.
(chhat par jaakar sigret mat phoonko।)
अगर वह इतनी सिगरेट न फूँकता तो उसकी खांसी न बढ़ती।
If he didn't smoke so many cigarettes, his cough wouldn't have worsened.
(agar vah itnii sigret n phoonktaa to uskii khaansii n badhtii।)
पार्टी में सब लोग बाहर जाकर सिगरेट फूँक रहे थे।
At the party everyone went outside and was smoking cigarettes.
(paartii men sab log baahar jaakar sigret phoonk rahe the।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि अगर वह सिगरेट फूँकता रहा तो फेफड़े खराब हो जाएँगे।
The doctor said that if he keeps smoking cigarettes, his lungs will get ruined.
(doktar ne kahaa ki agar vah sigret phoonktaa rahaa to phephde kharaab ho jaaenge।)
क्या तुमने आज कोई सिगरेट फूँकी?
Did you smoke any cigarette today?
(kyaa tumne aaj koii sigret phoonkii?)
स्टेशन पर सिगरेट फूँकना मनाही है।
Smoking cigarettes at the station is prohibited.
(steshan par sigret phoonknaa manaahii hai।)
यह मुमकिन है कि वह तनाव में सिगरेट फूँकता हो।
It's possible that he smokes cigarettes when he's stressed.
(yah mumkin hai ki vah tanaav men sigret phoonktaa ho।)
यहाँ इतनी सिगरेटें फूँकी जाती हैं कि कमरा धुएँ से भर जाता है।
So many cigarettes are smoked here that the room fills up with smoke.
(yahaan itnii sigreten phoonkii jaatii hain ki kamraa dhuen se bhar jaataa hai।)
Sense
3
:
to squander, blow (money)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: उड़ाना (udaanaa, very common near-synonym for squandering money), बर्बाद करना (barbaad karnaa, more general 'to waste/ruin')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The image is money going up in smoke, literally 'blown away' like breath -- a friend might tease you with पूरी सैलरी फूँक दी क्या? (poorii sailrii phoonk dii kyaa?, 'did you blow your whole salary or what?') after a big shopping spree, and the compound verb with देना (denaa) (फूँक देना, phoonk denaa) is very common here, underlining that it's all gone at once.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is colloquial and almost always used about money -- पूरी तनख्वाह फूँक दी (poorii tanakhvaah phoonk dii, 'blew the whole salary') -- so learners should not extend it to other resources like time, for which उड़ाना (udaanaa) or बर्बाद करना (barbaad karnaa) are used instead.
Sample Sentences:
उसने पूरी सैलरी फूँक दी।
He blew his whole salary.
(usne poorii sailrii phoonk dii।)
पूरी सैलरी फूँक दी क्या?
Did you blow your whole salary or what?
(poorii sailrii phoonk dii kyaa?)
वह हर महीने अपनी कमाई ताश में फूँक देता है।
He blows his earnings on cards every month.
(vah har mahiine apnii kamaaii taash men phoonk detaa hai।)
इतने पैसे मत फूँको, कुछ बचाकर रखो।
Don't blow so much money, save some.
(itne paise mat phoonko, kuchh bachaakar rakho।)
अगर वह इतना पैसा शादी में न फूँकता तो आज उसके पास घर होता।
If he hadn't blown so much money on the wedding, he'd have a house today.
(agar vah itnaa paisaa shaadii men n phoonktaa to aaj uske paas ghar hotaa।)
लगता है इसने बोनस का पूरा पैसा फूँक दिया है।
Looks like he's blown his entire bonus.
(lagtaa hai isne bonas kaa pooraa paisaa phoonk diyaa hai।)
क्या तुम अगले हफ्ते फिर सारा पैसा फूँक दोगे?
Will you blow all your money again next week?
(kyaa tum agle haphte phir saaraa paisaa phoonk doge?)
मत कर ऐसा, वरना अपनी सारी बचत फूँक बैठेगा।
Don't do that, or you'll end up blowing all your savings.
(mat kar aisaa, varnaa apnii saarii bachat phoonk baithegaa।)
पिता जी को डर है कि बेटा जुए में जमीन का सारा पैसा फूँक देगा।
Father fears that his son will blow all the money from the land in gambling.
(pitaa jii ko dar hai ki betaa jue men jamiin kaa saaraa paisaa phoonk degaa।)
उसकी सारी दौलत ऐशो-आराम में फूँक दी गई।
All his wealth was squandered on luxury and comfort.
(uskii saarii daulat aisho-aaraam men phoonk dii gaii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
फूँकना
(phoonknaa)
infinitive oblique:
फूँकने
(phoonkne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
फूँकता
(phoonktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
फूँकते
(phoonkte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
फूँकती
(phoonktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
फूँकतीं
(phoonktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
फूँक रहा
(phoonk rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
फूँक रहे
(phoonk rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
फूँक रही
(phoonk rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
फूँक रहीं
(phoonk rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
फूँका
(phoonkaa)
perfective (pl.m):
फूँके
(phoonke)
perfective (sg.f):
फूँकी
(phoonkii)
perfective (pl.f):
फूँकीं
(phoonkiin)
imperative (informal):
फूँक
(phoonk)
imperative (neutral):
फूँको
(phoonko)
imperative (formal):
फूँकिए
(phoonkie)
future (1sg.m):
फूँकूँगा
(phoonkoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
फूँकूँगी
(phoonkoongii)
future (1pl.m):
फूँकेंगे
(phoonkenge)
future (1pl.f):
फूँकेंगी
(phoonkengii)
future (2sg.m):
फूँकेगा
(phoonkegaa)
future (2sg.f):
फूँकेगी
(phoonkegii)
future (2pl.m):
फूँकोगे
(phoonkoge)
future (2pl.f):
फूँकोगी
(phoonkogii)
future (3sg.m):
फूँकेगा
(phoonkegaa)
future (3sg.f):
फूँकेगी
(phoonkegii)
future (3pl.m):
फूँकेंगे
(phoonkenge)
future (3pl.f):
फूँकेंगी
(phoonkengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
फूँकूँ
(phoonkoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
फूँकें
(phoonken)
subjunctive (2sg):
फूँके
(phoonke)
subjunctive (2pl):
फूँको
(phoonko)
subjunctive (3sg):
फूँके
(phoonke)
subjunctive (3pl):
फूँकें
(phoonken)