घसीटना (ghasiitnaa)
verb
A physical verb meaning 'to drag' something along the ground, with a common figurative extension to 'dragging' someone into a matter (like a legal case or argument) against their will.
Sense
1
:
to drag, pull along the ground
verb, transitive
Synonyms: खींचना (khiinchnaa, overlaps but focuses more on pulling toward oneself rather than dragging along a surface)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture someone dragging a heavy sack of aata (aataa, 'flour') across a kirana (kiraanaa, 'grocery store') floor, or kids dragging a charpai (chaarpaaii, 'cot') out into the courtyard on a summer evening -- that scraping, effortful motion is exactly what this word captures.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for खींचना (khiinchnaa) for any kind of pulling, but घसीटना (ghasiitnaa) specifically evokes something heavy or resistant being dragged across a surface, often with effort or roughness -- a sack, a body, furniture -- not a light tug like pulling a door or a rope.
Sample Sentences:
वह बोरी को ज़मीन पर घसीटते हुए ले गया।
He dragged the sack along the ground and took it away.
(vah borii ko zamiin par ghasiitte hue le gayaa।)
बच्चे रोज़ शाम को चारपाई को आँगन में घसीटते हैं।
The kids drag the cot out into the courtyard every evening.
(bachche roz shaam ko chaarpaaii ko aangan men ghasiitte hain।)
वह आटे की बोरी घसीट रहा है।
He is dragging the sack of flour.
(vah aate kii borii ghasiit rahaa hai।)
इस भारी मेज़ को मत घसीटो, उठाकर ले जाओ।
Don't drag this heavy table, pick it up and carry it.
(is bhaarii mez ko mat ghasiito, uthaakar le jaao।)
अगर वह अकेला होता तो बोरी घसीट नहीं पाता।
If he had been alone, he wouldn't have been able to drag the sack.
(agar vah akelaa hotaa to borii ghasiit nahiin paataa।)
बोरी को किराने की दुकान के फर्श पर घसीटा गया।
The sack was dragged across the floor of the grocery store.
(borii ko kiraane kii dukaan ke pharsh par ghasiitaa gayaa।)
शायद उसे चारपाई घसीटने में मदद चाहिए।
Maybe he needs help dragging the cot.
(shaayad use chaarpaaii ghasiitne men madad chaahie।)
कल मज़दूर भारी बक्से घसीटेंगे।
Tomorrow the workers will drag the heavy crates.
(kal mazdoor bhaarii bakse ghasiitenge।)
बूढ़ा आदमी धीरे-धीरे अपना पैर घसीटते हुए चल रहा था।
The old man was walking slowly, dragging his leg.
(boodhaa aadmii dhiire-dhiire apnaa pair ghasiitte hue chal rahaa thaa।)
कृपया इस अलमारी को घसीटकर मत हटाइए, नुकसान हो जाएगा।
Please don't move this cupboard by dragging it, it will get damaged.
(kripyaa is almaarii ko ghasiitkar mat hataaie, nuksaan ho jaaegaa।)
उसने पूरे कमरे में मेज़ घसीट दी थी।
He had dragged the table across the whole room.
(usne poore kamre men mez ghasiit dii thii।)
Sense
2
:
to drag someone into an unwanted situation (figurative)
verb, transitive Commonly used with में (men) marking the situation someone is being dragged into, e.g. मुझे इस झगड़े में घसीटना (mujhe is jhagde men ghasiitnaa, 'to drag me into this quarrel').
Synonyms: खींचना (khiinchnaa, also used figuratively for pulling someone into a matter)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this a lot in the context of family disputes and property cases -- कोर्ट-कचहरी में घसीटना (kort-kachahrii men ghasiitnaa, 'to drag into court proceedings') is a very Indian complaint about relatives who turn small disagreements into years-long legal battles.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is very common in the context of legal or family disputes -- अदालत में घसीटना (adaalat men ghasiitnaa, 'to drag into court') -- and learners sometimes miss that it always carries a negative, unwilling connotation; you would not use it for someone happily invited into something.
Sample Sentences:
वह मुझे इस झगड़े में मत घसीटो।
Don't drag me into this quarrel.
(vah mujhe is jhagde men mat ghasiito।)
उसके भाइयों ने उसे कोर्ट-कचहरी में घसीट लिया।
His brothers dragged him into court proceedings.
(uske bhaaiyon ne use kort-kachahrii men ghasiit liyaa।)
प्रॉपर्टी के इस मामले में पूरा परिवार घसीट लिया गया है।
The whole family has been dragged into this property case.
(propartii ke is maamle men pooraa parivaar ghasiit liyaa gayaa hai।)
वे हमेशा दूसरों को अपनी लड़ाइयों में घसीटते हैं।
They always drag others into their fights.
(ve hameshaa doosron ko apnii ladaaiyon men ghasiitte hain।)
अगर तुमने उसे इस विवाद में घसीटा, तो वह नाराज़ हो जाएगा।
If you drag him into this dispute, he'll get angry.
(agar tumne use is vivaad men ghasiitaa, to vah naaraaz ho jaaegaa।)
काश वे इस पुराने मामले में मुझे न घसीटते।
I wish they hadn't dragged me into this old matter.
(kaash ve is puraane maamle men mujhe n ghasiitte।)
पड़ोसियों के झगड़े में हमें भी घसीट दिया गया।
We too were dragged into the neighbors' quarrel.
(padosiyon ke jhagde men hamen bhii ghasiit diyaa gayaa।)
क्यों हर बार मुझे इस बहस में घसीटा जाता है?
Why am I dragged into this argument every single time?
(kyon har baar mujhe is bahas men ghasiitaa jaataa hai?)
वकील ने कहा कि वह निर्दोष लोगों को भी केस में घसीट सकता है।
The lawyer said he could drag even innocent people into the case.
(vakiil ne kahaa ki vah nirdosh logon ko bhii kes men ghasiit saktaa hai।)
भाई-भाई एक-दूसरे को सालों तक कोर्ट-कचहरी में घसीटते रहे।
The brothers kept dragging each other into court proceedings for years.
(bhaaii-bhaaii ek-doosre ko saalon tak kort-kachahrii men ghasiitte rahe।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
घसीटना
(ghasiitnaa)
infinitive oblique:
घसीटने
(ghasiitne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
घसीटता
(ghasiittaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
घसीटते
(ghasiitte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
घसीटती
(ghasiittii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
घसीटतीं
(ghasiittiin)
continuous (sg.m):
घसीट रहा
(ghasiit rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
घसीट रहे
(ghasiit rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
घसीट रही
(ghasiit rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
घसीट रहीं
(ghasiit rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
घसीटा
(ghasiitaa)
perfective (pl.m):
घसीटे
(ghasiite)
perfective (sg.f):
घसीटी
(ghasiitii)
perfective (pl.f):
घसीटीं
(ghasiitiin)
imperative (informal):
घसीट
(ghasiit)
imperative (neutral):
घसीटो
(ghasiito)
imperative (formal):
घसीटिए
(ghasiitie)
future (1sg.m):
घसीटूँगा
(ghasiitoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
घसीटूँगी
(ghasiitoongii)
future (1pl.m):
घसीटेंगे
(ghasiitenge)
future (1pl.f):
घसीटेंगी
(ghasiitengii)
future (2sg.m):
घसीटेगा
(ghasiitegaa)
future (2sg.f):
घसीटेगी
(ghasiitegii)
future (2pl.m):
घसीटोगे
(ghasiitoge)
future (2pl.f):
घसीटोगी
(ghasiitogii)
future (3sg.m):
घसीटेगा
(ghasiitegaa)
future (3sg.f):
घसीटेगी
(ghasiitegii)
future (3pl.m):
घसीटेंगे
(ghasiitenge)
future (3pl.f):
घसीटेंगी
(ghasiitengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
घसीटूँ
(ghasiitoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
घसीटें
(ghasiiten)
subjunctive (2sg):
घसीटे
(ghasiite)
subjunctive (2pl):
घसीटो
(ghasiito)
subjunctive (3sg):
घसीटे
(ghasiite)
subjunctive (3pl):
घसीटें
(ghasiiten)