नाचना (naachnaa)
verb
A single core meaning, 'to dance', with a common figurative extension for being made to jump through hoops or act at someone else's whim.
Sense
1
:
to dance
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: थिरकना (thiraknaa, to sway/dance lightly), नृत्य करना (nrity karnaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of a Delhi wedding baraat (baaraat) with the dhol (dhol) playing -- नाचना (naachnaa) is the word for exactly that unrestrained, joyful dancing in the street, not a technical or choreographed performance. For trained classical or stage dance, especially in a more formal context, नृत्य (nrity) and नृत्य करना (nrity karnaa) are preferred.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for नृत्य करना (nrity karnaa) as the default, but नाचना (naachnaa) is the everyday verb used for dancing at weddings, festivals, or in films; नृत्य करना (nrity karnaa) sounds more formal, like describing classical dance in a program note. 2) गाना (gaanaa, to sing) and नाचना (naachnaa) are paired so often in speech (गाना-नाचना, gaanaa-naachnaa, 'singing and dancing') that learners should get used to hearing them as a set phrase for festive celebration in general.
Sample Sentences:
बारात में सब नाच रहे थे।
Everyone was dancing in the wedding procession.
(baaraat men sab naach rahe the।)
वह शादी में इतना नाची कि सबका ध्यान उसी पर था।
She danced so much at the wedding that everyone's attention was on her.
(vah shaadii men itnaa naachii ki sabkaa dhyaan usii par thaa।)
ढोल बजते ही बच्चे नाचने लगे।
As soon as the dhol started playing, the kids started dancing.
(dhol bajte hii bachche naachne lage।)
मैं शादियों में बहुत नाचता हूँ।
I dance a lot at weddings.
(main shaadiyon men bahut naachtaa hoon।)
कल पार्टी में तुम खूब नाचना।
Dance a lot at the party tomorrow, okay?
(kal paartii men tum khoob naachnaa।)
अगर गाना अच्छा होता तो लोग और नाचते।
If the song had been good, people would have danced more.
(agar gaanaa achchhaa hotaa to log aur naachte।)
शायद वह आज रात की पार्टी में नाचे।
Maybe he'll dance at tonight's party.
(shaayad vah aaj raat kii paartii men naache।)
हम कल रात तक नाचते रहेंगे।
We'll keep dancing until late tomorrow night.
(ham kal raat tak naachte rahenge।)
संगीत सुनकर वह खुशी से नाच उठी।
Hearing the music, she burst into a joyful dance.
(sangiit sunkar vah khushii se naach uthii।)
स्टेज पर सब गा-बजा रहे हैं और लोग नीचे नाच रहे हैं।
Everyone's singing and playing music on stage, and people are dancing down below.
(stej par sab gaa-bajaa rahe hain aur log niiche naach rahe hain।)
दुल्हे के दोस्त सड़क पर ढोल की धुन पर नाचे।
The groom's friends danced in the street to the beat of the dhol.
(dulhe ke dost sadak par dhol kii dhun par naache।)
Sense
2
:
to be made to dance to someone's tune, to be jerked around
verb, intransitive Almost always appears in the causative नचाना (nachaanaa, 'to make someone dance/jerk around') rather than in this base form; the base verb itself is used figuratively when someone describes their own state, e.g. उसके इशारों पर नाचना (uske ishaaron par naachnaa, 'to dance to his/her tune').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a vivid body-as-puppet image very alive in everyday complaint -- कोई किसी के इशारों पर नाचता है (koii kisii ke ishaaron par naachtaa hai, 'someone dances to another's cues') captures being under someone's thumb, much like the English 'jump when someone snaps their fingers.' It is closely tied to the causative नचाना (nachaanaa), which describes the person pulling the strings.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense almost never stands alone; it typically appears with इशारों पर (ishaaron par, 'on the signals/cues of') or पैसों के लिए (paison ke lie) to specify who is pulling the strings. A learner who says केवल नाचना (keval naachnaa) meaning 'being controlled' without this frame will just be understood as talking about literal dancing.
Sample Sentences:
वह हमेशा अपने बॉस के इशारों पर नाचता है।
He always dances to his boss's tune.
(vah hameshaa apne bos ke ishaaron par naachtaa hai।)
मैं किसी के इशारों पर नहीं नाचूँगा।
I won't be jerked around by anyone.
(main kisii ke ishaaron par nahiin naachoongaa।)
शादी के बाद वह पूरी तरह अपनी सास के इशारों पर नाचने लगी।
After the wedding, she started dancing entirely to her mother-in-law's tune.
(shaadii ke baad vah poorii tarah apnii saas ke ishaaron par naachne lagii।)
क्या तुम हर बार उसके इशारों पर नाचते रहोगे?
Are you going to keep dancing to his tune every single time?
(kyaa tum har baar uske ishaaron par naachte rahoge?)
अगर तुम उसकी हर बात मानोगे, तो हमेशा उसके इशारों पर नाचते रहोगे।
If you agree to everything he says, you'll always be dancing to his tune.
(agar tum uskii har baat maanoge, to hameshaa uske ishaaron par naachte rahoge।)
पूरा दफ्तर उस मैनेजर के इशारों पर नाच रहा है।
The whole office is being jerked around by that manager.
(pooraa daphtar us mainejar ke ishaaron par naach rahaa hai।)
काश मैं उसके इशारों पर न नाचता।
I wish I hadn't been at his beck and call.
(kaash main uske ishaaron par n naachtaa।)
इतना मत नाचो उसके इशारों पर, अपनी भी कोई राय रखो।
Don't dance to his tune so much, have some opinion of your own too.
(itnaa mat naacho uske ishaaron par, apnii bhii koii raay rakho।)
यह ठीक नहीं कि पूरा देश एक ही आदमी के इशारों पर नाचे।
It isn't right that the whole country should dance to one man's tune.
(yah thiik nahiin ki pooraa desh ek hii aadmii ke ishaaron par naache।)
इस कंपनी में हर कर्मचारी को मालिक के इशारों पर नचाया जाता है।
In this company, every employee is made to dance to the owner's tune.
(is kampnii men har karmchaarii ko maalik ke ishaaron par nachaayaa jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
नाचना
(naachnaa)
infinitive oblique:
नाचने
(naachne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
नाचता
(naachtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
नाचते
(naachte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
नाचती
(naachtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
नाचतीं
(naachtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
नाच रहा
(naach rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
नाच रहे
(naach rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
नाच रही
(naach rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
नाच रहीं
(naach rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
नाचा
(naachaa)
perfective (pl.m):
नाचे
(naache)
perfective (sg.f):
नाची
(naachii)
perfective (pl.f):
नाचीं
(naachiin)
imperative (informal):
नाच
(naach)
imperative (neutral):
नाचो
(naacho)
imperative (formal):
नाचिए
(naachie)
future (1sg.m):
नाचूँगा
(naachoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
नाचूँगी
(naachoongii)
future (1pl.m):
नाचेंगे
(naachenge)
future (1pl.f):
नाचेंगी
(naachengii)
future (2sg.m):
नाचेगा
(naachegaa)
future (2sg.f):
नाचेगी
(naachegii)
future (2pl.m):
नाचोगे
(naachoge)
future (2pl.f):
नाचोगी
(naachogii)
future (3sg.m):
नाचेगा
(naachegaa)
future (3sg.f):
नाचेगी
(naachegii)
future (3pl.m):
नाचेंगे
(naachenge)
future (3pl.f):
नाचेंगी
(naachengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
नाचूँ
(naachoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
नाचें
(naachen)
subjunctive (2sg):
नाचे
(naache)
subjunctive (2pl):
नाचो
(naacho)
subjunctive (3sg):
नाचे
(naache)
subjunctive (3pl):
नाचें
(naachen)