खोलना (kholnaa)
verb
Basic transitive verb meaning 'to open' -- covers physical opening (doors, bottles, eyes), undoing/untying (knots, buttons, hair), and extended senses like opening a business or revealing a secret.
Sense
1
:
to open (a physical thing)
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the first action verbs learners meet, and it is genuinely everyday: खिड़की खोलो (khidkii kholo, 'open the window') is something you hear in almost every Indian household, especially as the weather turns and families like fresh air circulating. Pair it mentally with its intransitive twin खुलना (khulnaa) -- the two form one of Hindi's classic transitive/intransitive pairs.
Common Mistakes: 1) खोलना (kholnaa) is transitive and pairs with the intransitive खुलना (khulnaa, 'to become open/to open by itself') -- learners often reach for खोलना (kholnaa) when describing a door that opens on its own, where खुलना (khulnaa) is correct. 2) In the past tense this verb takes ने (ne) since it is transitive: उसने दरवाज़ा खोला (usne darvaazaa kholaa, 'he opened the door').
Sample Sentences:
कृपया खिड़की खोल दो, यहाँ बहुत गर्मी है।
Please open the window, it's very hot here.
(kripyaa khidkii khol do, yahaan bahut garmii hai।)
वह हर सुबह दरवाज़ा खोलता है और अखबार उठाता है।
He opens the door every morning and picks up the newspaper.
(vah har subah darvaazaa kholtaa hai aur akhbaar uthaataa hai।)
माँ रसोई में डिब्बा खोल रही है।
Mom is opening the container in the kitchen.
(maan rasoii men dibbaa khol rahii hai।)
उसने बोतल का ढक्कन खोला और पानी पिया।
He opened the bottle cap and drank water.
(usne botal kaa dhakkan kholaa aur paanii piyaa।)
क्या तुम खिड़की खोल सकते हो? कमरे में हवा नहीं आ रही।
Can you open the window? There's no air coming into the room.
(kyaa tum khidkii khol sakte ho? kamre men havaa nahiin aa rahii।)
अगर चाबी होती तो मैं यह ताला खोल देता।
If I had the key, I would open this lock.
(agar chaabii hotii to main yah taalaa khol detaa।)
दरवाज़ा ज़ोर से मत खोलो, बच्चा सो रहा है।
Don't open the door so hard, the baby is sleeping.
(darvaazaa zor se mat kholo, bachchaa so rahaa hai।)
मैं कल तक यह पैकेट खोल दूँगा।
I will open this packet by tomorrow.
(main kal tak yah paiket khol doongaa।)
उम्मीद है कि वह समय पर खिड़की खोल दे, वरना कमरा घुटन से भर जाएगा।
Hopefully he opens the window on time, otherwise the room will fill with stuffiness.
(ummiid hai ki vah samay par khidkii khol de, varnaa kamraa ghutan se bhar jaaegaa।)
यह संदूक बहुत पुराना है, इसका ताला मुश्किल से खोला जाता है।
This chest is very old, its lock is hardly ever opened.
(yah sandook bahut puraanaa hai, iskaa taalaa mushkil se kholaa jaataa hai।)
समारोह में मुख्य अतिथि द्वारा द्वार खोला गया।
The door was opened by the chief guest at the ceremony.
(samaaroh men mukhy atithi dvaaraa dvaar kholaa gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
to undo, untie, loosen
verb, transitive
Synonyms: उतारना (utaarnaa, for clothes/shoes)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this with गाँठ (gaanth, 'knot'), बटन (batan, 'button'), फीता (phiitaa, 'shoelace'), and बाल (baal, 'hair') -- the underlying image is always releasing something that was tied, fastened, or bound, a natural extension of the core 'open' meaning.
Common Mistakes: 1) With hair, बाल खोलना (baal kholnaa) means 'to let one's hair down/undo a braid' -- learners sometimes assume 'open' doesn't apply to hair and reach for a different verb unnecessarily.
Sample Sentences:
पहले अपने जूते का फीता खोलो, फिर बैठो।
First untie your shoelace, then sit down.
(pahle apne joote kaa phiitaa kholo, phir baitho।)
यह गाँठ बहुत कस गई है, मुझसे नहीं खुल रही।
This knot has gotten really tight, I can't get it undone.
(yah gaanth bahut kas gaii hai, mujhse nahiin khul rahii।)
वह रोज़ रात को सोने से पहले अपने बाल खोलती है।
She undoes her hair every night before sleeping.
(vah roz raat ko sone se pahle apne baal kholtii hai।)
उसने अपनी कमीज़ के सारे बटन खोल दिए।
He undid all the buttons of his shirt.
(usne apnii kamiiz ke saare batan khol die।)
अगर तुम गाँठ को धीरे-धीरे खोलते तो रस्सी नहीं टूटती।
If you had undone the knot slowly, the rope wouldn't have broken.
(agar tum gaanth ko dhiire-dhiire kholte to rassii nahiin toottii।)
कृपया अपने जूतों के फीते खोल दें और अंदर आएँ।
Please untie your shoelaces and come inside.
(kripyaa apne jooton ke phiite khol den aur andar aaen।)
यह गाँठ इतनी उलझी है कि शायद ही कोई इसे खोल सके।
This knot is so tangled that hardly anyone could untie it.
(yah gaanth itnii uljhii hai ki shaayad hii koii ise khol sake।)
बाल खोलकर वह मंच पर आई और सबकी नज़रें उस पर ठहर गईं।
Letting her hair loose, she came onto the stage, and everyone's eyes stayed fixed on her.
(baal kholkar vah manch par aaii aur sabkii nazren us par thahar gaiin।)
बच्चे ने गिफ्ट का रिबन खोलने में इतनी जल्दी की कि वह उलझ गया।
The child was in such a hurry to undo the gift's ribbon that it got tangled.
(bachche ne gipht kaa riban kholne men itnii jaldii kii ki vah ulajh gayaa।)
जब तक गाँठ नहीं खुलेगी, यह डिब्बा बंद ही रहेगा।
Until the knot comes undone, this box will remain shut.
(jab tak gaanth nahiin khulegii, yah dibbaa band hii rahegaa।)
उलझे हुए बालों की गाँठ खोलते-खोलते उसका हाथ थक गया।
Her hand got tired from untangling the knot in her hair.
(uljhe hue baalon kii gaanth kholte-kholte uskaa haath thak gayaa।)
Sense
3
:
to start up, set up (a business, shop, account)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: शुरू करना (shuroo karnaa, 'to start/begin')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This sense is alive in everyday transactional Hindi -- बैंक खाता खोलना (baink khaataa kholnaa, 'to open a bank account') or दुकान खोलना (dukaan kholnaa, 'to open a shop') are phrases you will use constantly navigating daily life in India, from setting up a small business to your first bank visit.
Common Mistakes: 1) दुकान खोलना (dukaan kholnaa, 'to open a shop') and खाता खोलना (khaataa kholnaa, 'to open an account') use खोलना (kholnaa) just as English does, but learners sometimes overextend this to 'opening' an opportunity or a conversation, where Hindi prefers शुरू करना (shuroo karnaa).
Sample Sentences:
मैंने पिछले साल यह दुकान खोली थी।
I had opened this shop last year.
(mainne pichhle saal yah dukaan kholii thii।)
क्या आपने अपना बैंक खाता खोल लिया है?
Have you opened your bank account yet?
(kyaa aapne apnaa baink khaataa khol liyaa hai?)
वह हर बार नया धंधा खोलता है और कुछ महीनों में बंद कर देता है।
He starts a new business every time and shuts it down within a few months.
(vah har baar nayaa dhandhaa kholtaa hai aur kuchh mahiinon men band kar detaa hai।)
हम अगले महीने यहाँ एक कैफे खोलेंगे।
We will open a cafe here next month.
(ham agle mahiine yahaan ek kaiphe kholenge।)
अपना खाता खोलने के लिए ये दस्तावेज़ साथ लाइए।
Please bring these documents along to open your account.
(apnaa khaataa kholne ke lie ye dastaavez saath laaie।)
अगर मुझे इतना पैसा मिलता, तो मैं भी अपना बुटीक खोलती।
If I had that much money, I would open my own boutique too.
(agar mujhe itnaa paisaa miltaa, to main bhii apnaa butiik kholtii।)
इस इलाके में नया मॉल खोला जा रहा है।
A new mall is being opened in this area.
(is ilaake men nayaa mol kholaa jaa rahaa hai।)
सरकार चाहती है कि हर गरीब परिवार अपना बैंक खाता खोले।
The government wants every poor family to open a bank account.
(sarkaar chaahtii hai ki har gariib parivaar apnaa baink khaataa khole।)
उसने रिटायरमेंट के बाद एक छोटी बेकरी खोल ली।
He opened a small bakery after retirement.
(usne ritaayarment ke baad ek chhotii bekrii khol lii।)
पहले तो शायद वह अपनी फर्म ही खोल ले।
Perhaps he might just start his own firm first.
(pahle to shaayad vah apnii pharm hii khol le।)
बैंक में खाता खोलिए और बचत करना शुरू कीजिए।
Open an account at the bank and start saving.
(baink men khaataa kholie aur bachat karnaa shuroo kiijie।)
Sense
4
:
to reveal, disclose (a secret, feelings)
verb, transitive Often appears as दिल खोलना (dil kholnaa, 'to open one's heart') or राज़ खोलना (raaz kholnaa, 'to reveal a secret').
Synonyms: ज़ाहिर करना (zaahir karnaa, 'to make evident'), बताना (bataanaa, 'to tell')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: राज़ खोलना (raaz kholnaa, 'to reveal a secret') and दिल खोलना (dil kholnaa, 'to speak one's heart openly') both extend the physical image of opening to the emotional and confidential realm -- very natural once you notice Hindi consistently treats the heart and secrets as things that can be 'opened' just like a door.
Common Mistakes: 1) दिल खोलना (dil kholnaa) means opening up emotionally/speaking frankly, not a literal medical image -- learners occasionally under-use this idiom because they don't expect 'open' to extend to emotional disclosure so directly.
Sample Sentences:
उसने आखिरकार अपना राज़ खोल दिया।
He finally revealed his secret.
(usne aakhirkaar apnaa raaz khol diyaa।)
आज मैं तुमसे दिल खोलकर बात करना चाहता हूँ।
Today I want to speak my heart openly with you.
(aaj main tumse dil kholkar baat karnaa chaahtaa hoon।)
कृपया अपनी परेशानी हमारे सामने खोलकर बताइए।
Please openly disclose your trouble to us.
(kripyaa apnii pareshaanii hamaare saamne kholkar bataaie।)
वह कभी अपने मन की बात नहीं खोलता।
He never reveals what is on his mind.
(vah kabhii apne man kii baat nahiin kholtaa।)
अगर तुम अपना दिल खोलते, तो शायद वह समझ जाती।
If you had opened up your heart, she might have understood.
(agar tum apnaa dil kholte, to shaayad vah samajh jaatii।)
पत्रकार ने घोटाले का राज़ खोल दिया।
The journalist exposed the scam.
(patrkaar ne ghotaale kaa raaz khol diyaa।)
मुमकिन है कि वह अपनी सच्चाई कभी न खोले।
It's possible that he may never reveal his truth.
(mumkin hai ki vah apnii sachchaaii kabhii n khole।)
इस किताब में लेखक ने अपने अतीत के कई राज़ खोले हैं।
In this book, the author has revealed many secrets of his past.
(is kitaab men lekhak ne apne atiit ke kaii raaz khole hain।)
जब तक भेद न खोला जाए, कहानी अधूरी लगती रहेगी।
Until the secret is revealed, the story will keep feeling incomplete.
(jab tak bhed n kholaa jaae, kahaanii adhoorii lagtii rahegii।)
उसकी असलियत सबके सामने खोल दी गई।
His true nature was exposed in front of everyone.
(uskii asliyat sabke saamne khol dii gaii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
खोलना
(kholnaa)
infinitive oblique:
खोलने
(kholne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
खोलता
(kholtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
खोलते
(kholte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
खोलती
(kholtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
खोलतीं
(kholtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
खोल रहा
(khol rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
खोल रहे
(khol rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
खोल रही
(khol rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
खोल रहीं
(khol rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
खोला
(kholaa)
perfective (pl.m):
खोले
(khole)
perfective (sg.f):
खोली
(kholii)
perfective (pl.f):
खोलीं
(kholiin)
imperative (informal):
खोल
(khol)
imperative (neutral):
खोलो
(kholo)
imperative (formal):
खोलिए
(kholie)
future (1sg.m):
खोलूँगा
(kholoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
खोलूँगी
(kholoongii)
future (1pl.m):
खोलेंगे
(kholenge)
future (1pl.f):
खोलेंगी
(kholengii)
future (2sg.m):
खोलेगा
(kholegaa)
future (2sg.f):
खोलेगी
(kholegii)
future (2pl.m):
खोलोगे
(khologe)
future (2pl.f):
खोलोगी
(khologii)
future (3sg.m):
खोलेगा
(kholegaa)
future (3sg.f):
खोलेगी
(kholegii)
future (3pl.m):
खोलेंगे
(kholenge)
future (3pl.f):
खोलेंगी
(kholengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
खोलूँ
(kholoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
खोलें
(kholen)
subjunctive (2sg):
खोले
(khole)
subjunctive (2pl):
खोलो
(kholo)
subjunctive (3sg):
खोले
(khole)
subjunctive (3pl):
खोलें
(kholen)