चबाना (chabaanaa)
verb
A concrete, everyday verb meaning 'to chew.' It has a literal sense (chewing food) and a figurative sense (drawing out or mumbling words), both alive in daily speech.
Sense
1
:
to chew (food)
verb, transitive
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Indian mothers and grandmothers say अच्छी तरह चबाकर खाओ (achchhii tarah chabaakar khaao, 'eat chewing it well') constantly at meals -- there's a strong cultural emphasis on chewing slowly for digestion, often tied to older Ayurvedic-style advice passed down at home.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for खाना (khaanaa, 'to eat') when they mean the specific act of chewing -- अच्छी तरह चबाओ (achchhii tarah chabaao, 'chew well') is what a mother says at the table, not खाओ (khaao).
Sample Sentences:
खाना अच्छी तरह चबाकर खाओ।
Eat your food chewing it well.
(khaanaa achchhii tarah chabaakar khaao।)
दादी हमेशा कहती हैं कि खाना अच्छी तरह चबाकर खाना चाहिए।
Grandma always says that one should chew food well before eating.
(daadii hameshaa kahtii hain ki khaanaa achchhii tarah chabaakar khaanaa chaahie।)
वह हर टुकड़ा धीरे-धीरे चबा रहा था।
He was slowly chewing every piece.
(vah har tukdaa dhiire-dhiire chabaa rahaa thaa।)
बच्चे ने रोटी को बिना चबाए निगल लिया।
The child swallowed the roti without chewing it.
(bachche ne rotii ko binaa chabaae nigal liyaa।)
अगर तुम खाना ठीक से चबाओगे तो पेट में गड़बड़ नहीं होगी।
If you chew your food properly, your stomach won't get upset.
(agar tum khaanaa thiik se chabaaoge to pet men gadbad nahiin hogii।)
डॉक्टर ने सुझाव दिया कि हर टुकड़े को कम से कम बीस बार चबाया जाए।
The doctor suggested that each piece be chewed at least twenty times.
(doktar ne sujhaav diyaa ki har tukde ko kam se kam biis baar chabaayaa jaae।)
अगर वह जल्दी न खाता तो खाना ठीक से चबाता।
If he didn't eat so fast, he would chew his food properly.
(agar vah jaldii n khaataa to khaanaa thiik se chabaataa।)
आयुर्वेद में कहा गया है कि भोजन को अच्छी तरह चबाना पाचन के लिए ज़रूरी है।
It is said in Ayurveda that chewing food thoroughly is essential for digestion.
(aayurved men kahaa gayaa hai ki bhojan ko achchhii tarah chabaanaa paachan ke lie zaroorii hai।)
इतनी जल्दी मत खाओ, थोड़ा चबा भी लो।
Don't eat so fast, chew it a little too.
(itnii jaldii mat khaao, thodaa chabaa bhii lo।)
मुझे लगता है कि हमें अपना खाना और ध्यान से चबाना चाहिए।
I think we should chew our food more carefully.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki hamen apnaa khaanaa aur dhyaan se chabaanaa chaahie।)
वह इतना बूढ़ा हो गया है कि अब सख्त चीज़ें चबा नहीं पाता।
He has grown so old that he can no longer chew hard things.
(vah itnaa boodhaa ho gayaa hai ki ab sakht chiizen chabaa nahiin paataa।)
Sense
2
:
to mumble or drawl words (figurative)
verb, transitive Used when someone speaks unclearly, as if the words are being 'chewed' rather than spoken crisply -- शब्द चबाना (shabd chabaanaa, 'to chew one's words').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this used affectionately or critically about someone's speech -- टीचर कहती है, साफ़ बोलो, शब्द मत चबाओ (tiichar kahtii hai, saaf bolo, shabd mat chabaao, 'the teacher says, speak clearly, don't chew your words') -- it paints speech as something physically mangled in the mouth, much like the English 'mumble.'
Sample Sentences:
टीचर कहती है, साफ़ बोलो, शब्द मत चबाओ।
The teacher says, speak clearly, don't mumble your words.
(tiichar kahtii hai, saaf bolo, shabd mat chabaao।)
वह हमेशा शब्द चबाता है, इसलिए उसकी बात समझ में नहीं आती।
He always mumbles his words, so it's hard to understand what he says.
(vah hameshaa shabd chabaataa hai, islie uskii baat samajh men nahiin aatii।)
माइक में बोलते वक़्त वह शब्द चबा रहा था, इसलिए पीछे बैठे लोग कुछ नहीं समझ पाए।
While speaking into the mic, he was slurring his words, so the people sitting in the back couldn't understand anything.
(maaik men bolte vaqt vah shabd chabaa rahaa thaa, islie piichhe baithe log kuchh nahiin samajh paae।)
घबराहट में उसने पूरा जवाब चबा दिया और कोई शब्द ठीक से नहीं निकला।
Out of nervousness, he mumbled through the whole answer and no word came out clearly.
(ghabraahat men usne pooraa javaab chabaa diyaa aur koii shabd thiik se nahiin niklaa।)
अगर तुम शब्द चबाओगे तो इंटरव्यू में नंबर कट जाएंगे।
If you mumble your words, you'll lose marks in the interview.
(agar tum shabd chabaaoge to intravyoo men nambar kat jaaenge।)
काश वह इतना शब्द न चबाता, तो भाषण और असरदार लगता।
If only he hadn't mumbled his words so much, the speech would have sounded more impactful.
(kaash vah itnaa shabd n chabaataa, to bhaashan aur asardaar lagtaa।)
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि नर्वस होने पर वह जान-बूझकर शब्द चबाता है?
Do you think he mumbles his words on purpose when he gets nervous?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki narvas hone par vah jaan-boojhkar shabd chabaataa hai?)
प्रवक्ता ने बयान में इतने शब्द चबाए कि पत्रकारों को दोबारा पूछना पड़ा।
The spokesperson mumbled so many words in the statement that the journalists had to ask again.
(pravaktaa ne bayaan men itne shabd chabaae ki patrkaaron ko dobaaraa poochhnaa padaa।)
ऐसा मत बोलो कि लगे तुम शब्द चबा रहे हो, ज़रा रुक-रुक कर बोलो।
Don't talk in a way that makes it seem like you're mumbling your words, speak slowly with pauses.
(aisaa mat bolo ki lage tum shabd chabaa rahe ho, zaraa ruk-ruk kar bolo।)
शायद वह थकान की वजह से शब्द चबा रहा हो।
Maybe he's slurring his words because of tiredness.
(shaayad vah thakaan kii vajah se shabd chabaa rahaa ho।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
चबाना
(chabaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
चबाने
(chabaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
चबाता
(chabaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
चबाते
(chabaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
चबाती
(chabaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
चबातीं
(chabaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
चबा रहा
(chabaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
चबा रहे
(chabaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
चबा रही
(chabaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
चबा रहीं
(chabaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
चबाया
(chabaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
चबाए
(chabaae)
perfective (sg.f):
चबाई
(chabaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
चबाईं
(chabaaiin)
imperative (informal):
चबा
(chabaa)
imperative (neutral):
चबाओ
(chabaao)
imperative (formal):
चबाइए
(chabaaie)
future (1sg.m):
चबाऊँगा
(chabaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
चबाऊँगी
(chabaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
चबाएँगे
(chabaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
चबाएँगी
(chabaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
चबाएगा
(chabaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
चबाएगी
(chabaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
चबाओगे
(chabaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
चबाओगी
(chabaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
चबाएगा
(chabaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
चबाएगी
(chabaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
चबाएँगे
(chabaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
चबाएँगी
(chabaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
चबाऊँ
(chabaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
चबाएँ
(chabaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
चबाए
(chabaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
चबाओ
(chabaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
चबाए
(chabaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
चबाएँ
(chabaaen)