मार खाना (maar khaanaa)

verb A compound verb meaning 'to get beaten/take a beating,' built from मार (maar, 'a hit/blow') plus खाना (khaanaa, 'to eat'), the same 'eat' construction used in धोखा खाना (dhokhaa khaanaa, 'to be deceived') and मात खाना (maat khaanaa, 'to be defeated'). It extends naturally from literal physical beating to figurative defeat or failure.
Sense 1 : to get beaten, take a physical beating
verb, transitive
Synonyms: पिटना (pitnaa), पीटा जाना (piitaa jaanaa, passive phrasing)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the classic phrase for describing childhood spankings: बचपन में बहुत मार खाई (bachpan men bahut maar khaaii, 'I took a lot of beatings as a kid') is something almost every Delhi kid has said about school or home discipline. The 'eat' framing treats the blows as something absorbed by the body, much like धोखा खाना (dhokhaa khaanaa) treats deception as something 'consumed.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to construct a literal 'eat' sentence around this phrase, forgetting खाना (khaanaa) here has lost its literal sense entirely and just marks receiving/undergoing something unpleasant. 2) The person who does the beating is marked with से (se), not को (ko): पिता से मार खाई (pitaa se maar khaaii, 'got beaten by father').
Sample Sentences:
बचपन में मैंने बहुत मार खाई है। I've taken a lot of beatings in my childhood.
(bachpan men mainne bahut maar khaaii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तूने फिर झूठ बोला तो मार खाएगा। If you lie again, you're going to get beaten.
(agar toone phir jhooth bolaa to maar khaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
स्कूल में मास्टर जी से बच्चे रोज़ मार खाते थे। The kids used to get beaten by the teacher every day at school.
(skool men maastar jii se bachche roz maar khaate the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह गली में लड़कों से मार खा रहा था जब मैंने उसे देखा। He was getting beaten by the boys in the lane when I saw him.
(vah galii men ladkon se maar khaa rahaa thaa jab mainne use dekhaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इतनी बदतमीज़ी करेगा तो मार खा जाएगा एक दिन। If you keep being this rude, you're going to get a beating one day.
(itnii badatmiizii karegaa to maar khaa jaaegaa ek din।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर पापा को पता चल जाता तो आज मार खाता। If dad had found out, I would have gotten beaten today.
(agar paapaa ko pataa chal jaataa to aaj maar khaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
चुपचाप बैठ, नहीं तो मार खाएगा। Sit quietly, or you'll get a beating.
(chupchaap baith, nahiin to maar khaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उसने चोरी की तो भीड़ के हाथों बुरी तरह मार खाई। He stole something, so he got badly beaten by the mob.
(usne chorii kii to bhiid ke haathon burii tarah maar khaaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बचपन में बहुत मार खाई तब जाकर आदमी बना। I took a lot of beatings as a kid, and only then did I turn into a decent man.
(bachpan men bahut maar khaaii tab jaakar aadmii banaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पिटाई का नाम सुनकर वह डर गया कि आज मार खाएगा। Hearing about the thrashing, he got scared that he'd be beaten today.
(pitaaii kaa naam sunkar vah dar gayaa ki aaj maar khaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to suffer defeat, take a hit (figurative -- in an argument, market, competition, etc.)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: मात खाना (maat khaanaa), हारना (haarnaa, simpler and more neutral)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this in everyday commentary on cricket ('टीम मार खा गई', tiim maar khaa gaii, 'the team got thrashed') or business talk ('बाज़ार में मार खा गया', baazaar men maar khaa gayaa, 'he took a beating in the market'), extending the physical sense of the first meaning onto contests and setbacks.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners tend to reach for हारना (haarnaa) in every losing situation, but मार खाना (maar khaanaa) is used when the loss feels like a blow or a hard hit -- a business taking a loss, a team getting thrashed, a plan backfiring -- carrying more sting than plain हारना (haarnaa).
Sample Sentences:
इस बार हमारी टीम मार खा गई। Our team got thrashed this time.
(is baar hamaarii tiim maar khaa gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह बाज़ार में बुरी तरह मार खा गया। He took a real beating in the market.
(vah baazaar men burii tarah maar khaa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर हमने रणनीति नहीं बदली, तो हम फिर मार खाएँगे। If we don't change our strategy, we'll get thrashed again.
(agar hamne ranniiti nahiin badlii, to ham phir maar khaaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
बहस में वह हर बार मार खा जाता है। He gets beaten in every argument, every single time.
(bahas men vah har baar maar khaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
छोटी कंपनियाँ अक्सर बड़ी कंपनियों के आगे मार खा जाती हैं। Small companies often take a hit in front of the big ones.
(chhotii kampniyaan aksar badii kampniyon ke aage maar khaa jaatii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह ज़्यादा सावधान रहता, तो चुनाव में मार न खाता। If he had been more careful, he wouldn't have taken a beating in the election.
(agar vah zyaadaa saavdhaan rahtaa, to chunaav men maar n khaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
देखना, कल के मैच में विरोधी टीम मार खा जाएगी। Watch, the opposing team is going to get thrashed in tomorrow's match.
(dekhnaa, kal ke maich men virodhii tiim maar khaa jaaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
इस बार शेयर बाज़ार में निवेशक बुरी तरह मार खा गए। This time investors took a severe hit in the stock market.
(is baar sheyar baazaar men niveshak burii tarah maar khaa gae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या पता, बातचीत में तुम मार खा जाओ, इसलिए तैयारी करके जाओ। Who knows, you might end up losing the argument, so go prepared.
(kyaa pataa, baatchiit men tum maar khaa jaao, islie taiyaarii karke jaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
प्रतिस्पर्धा में कमज़ोर योजना वालों को मार खानी ही पड़ती है। Those with a weak plan are bound to take a hit in the competition.
(pratispardhaa men kamzor yojnaa vaalon ko maar khaanii hii padtii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: मार खाना (maar khaanaa)
infinitive oblique: मार खाने (maar khaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m): मार खाता (maar khaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): मार खाते (maar khaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f): मार खाती (maar khaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): मार खातीं (maar khaatiin)
continuous (sg.m): मार खा रहा (maar khaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): मार खा रहे (maar khaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f): मार खा रही (maar khaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f): मार खा रहीं (maar khaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): मार खाया (maar khaayaa)
perfective (pl.m): मार खाए (maar khaae)
perfective (sg.f): मार खाई (maar khaaii)
perfective (pl.f): मार खाईं (maar khaaiin)
imperative (informal): मार खा (maar khaa)
imperative (neutral): मार खाओ (maar khaao)
imperative (formal): मार खाइए (maar khaaie)
future (1sg.m): मार खाऊँगा (maar khaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f): मार खाऊँगी (maar khaaoongii)
future (1pl.m): मार खाएँगे (maar khaaenge)
future (1pl.f): मार खाएँगी (maar khaaengii)
future (2sg.m): मार खाएगा (maar khaaegaa)
future (2sg.f): मार खाएगी (maar khaaegii)
future (2pl.m): मार खाओगे (maar khaaoge)
future (2pl.f): मार खाओगी (maar khaaogii)
future (3sg.m): मार खाएगा (maar khaaegaa)
future (3sg.f): मार खाएगी (maar khaaegii)
future (3pl.m): मार खाएँगे (maar khaaenge)
future (3pl.f): मार खाएँगी (maar khaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg): मार खाऊँ (maar khaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl): मार खाएँ (maar khaaen)
subjunctive (2sg): मार खाए (maar khaae)
subjunctive (2pl): मार खाओ (maar khaao)
subjunctive (3sg): मार खाए (maar khaae)
subjunctive (3pl): मार खाएँ (maar khaaen)