दबाना (dabaanaa)
verb
A transitive verb built on the intransitive दबना (dabnaa, 'to be pressed/suppressed'); covers physical pressing, suppressing/controlling something, and pressuring or dominating a person.
Sense
1
:
to press (physically)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: दबाव डालना (dabaav daalnaa, to apply pressure)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Very physical and concrete -- a mother telling a child पैर दबाओ (pair dabaao, 'press/massage my feet') is a classic household scene, and the same verb covers pressing a doorbell (घंटी दबाना ghantii dabaanaa) or a button.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for दबाना (dabaanaa) when they mean 'to push' (धकेलना dhakelnaa) -- दबाना (dabaanaa) is pressing downward or inward, not shoving something along.
Sample Sentences:
ज़रा मेरे पैर दबा दो, बहुत दर्द हो रहा है।
Please press my feet a bit, they hurt a lot.
(zaraa mere pair dabaa do, bahut dard ho rahaa hai।)
उसने घंटी दबाई और दरवाज़े के पास खड़ा हो गया।
He pressed the doorbell and stood near the door.
(usne ghantii dabaaii aur darvaaze ke paas khadaa ho gayaa।)
बच्चा बार-बार लिफ्ट का बटन दबाता है।
The child presses the lift button again and again.
(bachchaa baar-baar lipht kaa batan dabaataa hai।)
वह दादी के कंधे दबा रही है।
She is massaging grandmother's shoulders.
(vah daadii ke kandhe dabaa rahii hai।)
अगर तुम इस स्विच को दबाओगे तो पंखा बंद हो जाएगा।
If you press this switch, the fan will turn off.
(agar tum is svich ko dabaaoge to pankhaa band ho jaaegaa।)
मैंने ज़ोर से घाव पर पट्टी दबाई ताकि खून बहना बंद हो जाए।
I pressed the bandage firmly on the wound so that the bleeding would stop.
(mainne zor se ghaav par pattii dabaaii taaki khoon bahnaa band ho jaae।)
काश तुम पहले ही बटन दबा देते, तो गाड़ी न छूटती।
If only you had pressed the button earlier, the train wouldn't have been missed.
(kaash tum pahle hii batan dabaa dete, to gaadii n chhoottii।)
डॉक्टर ने मरीज़ के पेट को हल्के से दबाकर देखा।
The doctor gently pressed the patient's stomach to check.
(doktar ne mariiz ke pet ko halke se dabaakar dekhaa।)
स्विच इतनी बार दबाया गया कि वह खराब हो गया।
The switch was pressed so many times that it broke.
(svich itnii baar dabaayaa gayaa ki vah kharaab ho gayaa।)
आराम से दबाना, वरना चोट लग जाएगी।
Press it gently, or else it'll hurt.
(aaraam se dabaanaa, varnaa chot lag jaaegii।)
कृपया इस कुंजी को दबाकर अपना पिन दर्ज करें।
Please press this key and enter your PIN.
(kripyaa is kunjii ko dabaakar apnaa pin darj karen।)
Sense
2
:
to suppress, hold back, contain
verb, transitive Takes abstract objects like गुस्सा (gussaa, anger), आवाज़ (aavaaz, voice), or दर्द (dard, pain) to mean holding something in rather than letting it show.
Synonyms: रोकना (roknaa, to stop/hold back), दमन करना (daman karnaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: अपना गुस्सा दबाना (apnaa gussaa dabaanaa, 'to suppress one's own anger') is a very common phrase in Hindi advice about self-control, especially in family or workplace contexts where showing emotion openly is discouraged.
Sample Sentences:
वह अपना गुस्सा दबाता है और कुछ नहीं कहता।
He suppresses his anger and says nothing.
(vah apnaa gussaa dabaataa hai aur kuchh nahiin kahtaa।)
मैंने अपनी हँसी दबा ली, वरना सब हँसने लगते।
I suppressed my laughter, or else everyone would have started laughing.
(mainne apnii hansii dabaa lii, varnaa sab hansne lagte।)
वह अपनी भावनाओं को दबा रही थी ताकि किसी को पता न चले।
She was suppressing her feelings so that no one would find out.
(vah apnii bhaavnaaon ko dabaa rahii thii taaki kisii ko pataa n chale।)
अपना दर्द मत दबाओ, किसी से बात कर लो।
Don't suppress your pain, talk to someone about it.
(apnaa dard mat dabaao, kisii se baat kar lo।)
अगर तुम अपनी इच्छाओं को इतना दबाओगे, तो एक दिन टूट जाओगे।
If you suppress your desires this much, one day you will break down.
(agar tum apnii ichchhaaon ko itnaa dabaaoge, to ek din toot jaaoge।)
काश वह अपनी नाराज़गी दबा पाता, तो बात इतनी न बढ़ती।
If only he could have suppressed his displeasure, the matter would not have escalated this much.
(kaash vah apnii naaraazgii dabaa paataa, to baat itnii n badhtii।)
काम की जगह पर अपना गुस्सा दबाना ज़रूरी होता है।
Suppressing your anger at the workplace is necessary.
(kaam kii jagah par apnaa gussaa dabaanaa zaroorii hotaa hai।)
बहुत देर तक भावनाओं को दबाने से मन बीमार हो जाता है।
Suppressing your feelings for too long makes the mind sick.
(bahut der tak bhaavnaaon ko dabaane se man biimaar ho jaataa hai।)
उसकी सिसकियाँ दबाई नहीं जा सकीं।
Her sobs could not be suppressed.
(uskii siskiyaan dabaaii nahiin jaa sakiin।)
डॉक्टर ने सुझाव दिया कि वह अपनी चिंता को दबाने के बजाय उसका सामना करे।
The doctor suggested that he confront his anxiety rather than suppress it.
(doktar ne sujhaav diyaa ki vah apnii chintaa ko dabaane ke bajaay uskaa saamnaa kare।)
उसने बरसों तक अपने अपमान का दर्द दबाए रखा था।
He had kept suppressing the pain of his humiliation for years.
(usne barson tak apne apmaan kaa dard dabaae rakhaa thaa।)
Sense
3
:
to pressure, dominate, or suppress a person/group
verb, transitive Used with human or social objects to describe one party overpowering or intimidating another, often in political, social, or interpersonal contexts.
Synonyms: सताना (sataanaa, to torment), दबाव में लेना (dabaav men lenaa, to put under pressure)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the verb behind common social commentary like ताकतवर कमज़ोर को दबाते हैं (taakatvar kamzor ko dabaate hain, 'the powerful oppress the weak') -- it frames power as literally 'pressing down' on someone, echoing the physical sense of the word.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense can sound stronger than intended -- कमज़ोर को दबाना (kamzor ko dabaanaa, 'to oppress the weak') implies real domination, not mild persuasion, so learners should not use it loosely for ordinary convincing.
Sample Sentences:
ताकतवर हमेशा कमज़ोर को दबाते हैं।
The powerful always oppress the weak.
(taakatvar hameshaa kamzor ko dabaate hain।)
बॉस अपने कर्मचारियों को बहुत दबाता है।
The boss really pressures his employees.
(bos apne karmchaariyon ko bahut dabaataa hai।)
उसने सालों तक अपनी बीवी को दबाकर रखा।
He kept his wife suppressed for years.
(usne saalon tak apnii biivii ko dabaakar rakhaa।)
बड़ी कंपनियाँ छोटे व्यापारियों को दबा रही हैं।
Big companies are squeezing out small traders.
(badii kampniyaan chhote vyaapaariyon ko dabaa rahii hain।)
उसे मत दबाओ, वो अपने हक़ के लिए लड़ेगी।
Don't oppress her -- she will fight for her rights.
(use mat dabaao, vo apne haq ke lie ladegii।)
अगर सरकार जनता को दबाएगी तो विद्रोह होगा।
If the government suppresses the people, there will be rebellion.
(agar sarkaar jantaa ko dabaaegii to vidroh hogaa।)
गरीबों को अक्सर अमीरों द्वारा दबाया जाता है।
The poor are often oppressed by the rich.
(gariibon ko aksar amiiron dvaaraa dabaayaa jaataa hai।)
काश कोई हमें इस तरह न दबाता।
If only someone wouldn't oppress us like this.
(kaash koii hamen is tarah n dabaataa।)
पति उसे दबाकर रखना चाहता था, पर वो झुकी नहीं।
Her husband wanted to keep her suppressed, but she did not bow down.
(pati use dabaakar rakhnaa chaahtaa thaa, par vo jhukii nahiin।)
समाज में औरतों को सदियों से दबाया गया है।
Women have been oppressed in society for centuries.
(samaaj men aurton ko sadiyon se dabaayaa gayaa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
दबाना
(dabaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
दबाने
(dabaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
दबाता
(dabaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
दबाते
(dabaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
दबाती
(dabaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
दबातीं
(dabaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
दबा रहा
(dabaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
दबा रहे
(dabaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
दबा रही
(dabaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
दबा रहीं
(dabaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
दबाया
(dabaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
दबाए
(dabaae)
perfective (sg.f):
दबाई
(dabaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
दबाईं
(dabaaiin)
imperative (informal):
दबा
(dabaa)
imperative (neutral):
दबाओ
(dabaao)
imperative (formal):
दबाइए
(dabaaie)
future (1sg.m):
दबाऊँगा
(dabaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
दबाऊँगी
(dabaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
दबाएँगे
(dabaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
दबाएँगी
(dabaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
दबाएगा
(dabaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
दबाएगी
(dabaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
दबाओगे
(dabaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
दबाओगी
(dabaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
दबाएगा
(dabaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
दबाएगी
(dabaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
दबाएँगे
(dabaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
दबाएँगी
(dabaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
दबाऊँ
(dabaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
दबाएँ
(dabaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
दबाए
(dabaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
दबाओ
(dabaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
दबाए
(dabaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
दबाएँ
(dabaaen)