बसना (basnaa)
verb
Basic meaning is 'to settle, take up residence' -- of people, towns, or communities coming to inhabit a place. A figurative sense extends this to feelings or images 'settling' in the heart or eyes. Related to the causative बसाना (basaanaa, 'to settle/found', processed separately).
Sense
1
:
to settle, take up residence (of people/places)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: रहना (rahnaa, to live/reside), आबाद होना (aabaad honaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this word in descriptions of migration and city life, like दिल्ली में बसना (dillii men basnaa, 'to settle in Delhi') -- a very common thing to say about people who move to the capital for work. It also appears often in the passive-sounding but grammatically active phrase शहर बसा (shahar basaa, 'the city was founded/came to be settled'), used when talking about how old towns came into being.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse बसना (basnaa) with रहना (rahnaa): बसना (basnaa) implies making a place one's home or a place becoming inhabited/founded, while रहना (rahnaa) is the neutral verb for simply living or staying somewhere. 2) बसना (basnaa) is intransitive; the transitive counterpart 'to settle someone/something' is बसाना (basaanaa), a separate word -- do not use बसना (basnaa) with an object.
Sample Sentences:
बहुत लोग काम के लिए दिल्ली में बसना चाहते हैं।
Many people want to settle in Delhi for work.
(bahut log kaam ke lie dillii men basnaa chaahte hain।)
यह शहर सदियों पहले बसा था।
This city was founded centuries ago.
(yah shahar sadiyon pahle basaa thaa।)
मेरे दादा जी मुंबई में बसे थे, फिर वापस आ गए।
My grandfather had settled in Mumbai, then he came back.
(mere daadaa jii mumbaii men base the, phir vaapas aa gae।)
अगर नौकरी मिल गई, तो हम इस शहर में बस जाएंगे।
If we get a job, we will settle in this city.
(agar naukrii mil gaii, to ham is shahar men bas jaaenge।)
यहीं बस जाओ, बार-बार शहर बदलने की क्या ज़रूरत है।
Just settle right here, what's the need to keep changing cities?
(yahiin bas jaao, baar-baar shahar badalne kii kyaa zaroorat hai।)
काश हम गांव में ही बस जाते, शहर की भागदौड़ अच्छी नहीं है।
I wish we had settled in the village itself, the rush of city life isn't good.
(kaash ham gaanv men hii bas jaate, shahar kii bhaagdaud achchhii nahiin hai।)
कहा जाता है कि यह नगर एक नदी के किनारे बसा था।
It is said that this town was settled on the bank of a river.
(kahaa jaataa hai ki yah nagar ek nadii ke kinaare basaa thaa।)
हो सकता है वे लोग अगले साल तक ऑस्ट्रेलिया में बस जाएँ।
It's possible that they will have settled in Australia by next year.
(ho saktaa hai ve log agle saal tak ostreliyaa men bas jaaen।)
जब से नई कॉलोनियां बसी हैं, यहां की ज़मीन की कीमत बहुत बढ़ गई है।
Ever since new colonies have been settled here, the price of land here has gone up a lot.
(jab se naii koloniyaan basii hain, yahaan kii zamiin kii kiimat bahut badh gaii hai।)
सरकार चाहती है कि उजड़े हुए लोग फिर से बसाए जाएँ।
The government wants displaced people to be resettled again.
(sarkaar chaahtii hai ki ujde hue log phir se basaae jaaen।)
पुराने ज़माने में कई राजाओं ने अपनी राजधानियां नदियों के किनारे बसाई थीं।
In olden times, many kings had settled their capitals on the banks of rivers.
(puraane zamaane men kaii raajaaon ne apnii raajdhaaniyaan nadiyon ke kinaare basaaii thiin।)
Sense
2
:
to dwell, be lodged (of feelings, images, memories -- figurative)
verb, intransitive Common frame: [thing] दिल/आँखों में बसना (dil/aankhon men basnaa) -- 'to dwell in the heart/eyes,' used for a person or image someone can't stop thinking about.
Synonyms: समाना (samaanaa, to be contained/fit within)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the Bollywood-song sense: तू दिल में बसा है (too dil men basaa hai, 'you are settled in my heart') or किसी की सूरत आँखों में बसना (kisii kii soorat aankhon men basnaa, 'someone's face to be lodged in one's eyes') are classic romantic images. Hindi treats the heart or eyes as a place where a memory or beloved comes to live, much like a person settling in a city -- the same verb links both ideas.
Sample Sentences:
तू मेरे दिल में बसा है।
You are settled in my heart.
(too mere dil men basaa hai।)
उसकी सूरत मेरी आँखों में बस गई है।
Her face has become lodged in my eyes.
(uskii soorat merii aankhon men bas gaii hai।)
बचपन की वे यादें अब भी मेरे मन में बसी हैं।
Those childhood memories still dwell in my mind.
(bachpan kii ve yaaden ab bhii mere man men basii hain।)
काश तेरी याद मेरे दिल में इस तरह न बसती।
I wish your memory did not dwell in my heart like this.
(kaash terii yaad mere dil men is tarah n bastii।)
उसकी आवाज़ हमेशा मेरे कानों में बसी रहेगी।
Her voice will always remain lodged in my ears.
(uskii aavaaz hameshaa mere kaanon men basii rahegii।)
किसी अपने की सूरत आँखों में बस जाए, तो भुलाना मुश्किल हो जाता है।
If someone dear's face gets lodged in your eyes, it becomes hard to forget them.
(kisii apne kii soorat aankhon men bas jaae, to bhulaanaa mushkil ho jaataa hai।)
उसकी मुस्कान कब से मेरे दिल में बस गई, मुझे पता ही नहीं चला।
I did not even realize when her smile settled into my heart.
(uskii muskaan kab se mere dil men bas gaii, mujhe pataa hii nahiin chalaa।)
गाने के बोल हैं, "तू ही तू मेरी आँखों में बसा है।"
The song's lyrics go, "It's only you who is lodged in my eyes."
(gaane ke bol hain, "too hii too merii aankhon men basaa hai।")
माँ की सूरत हर बेटे के दिल में बसी होती है।
A mother's face dwells in every son's heart.
(maan kii soorat har bete ke dil men basii hotii hai।)
पुराने घर की खुशबू आज भी मेरी साँसों में बसी है।
The fragrance of the old house still dwells in my breath even today.
(puraane ghar kii khushboo aaj bhii merii saanson men basii hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बसना
(basnaa)
infinitive oblique:
बसने
(basne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बसता
(bastaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बसते
(baste)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बसती
(bastii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बसतीं
(bastiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बस रहा
(bas rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बस रहे
(bas rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बस रही
(bas rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बस रहीं
(bas rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बसा
(basaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बसे
(base)
perfective (sg.f):
बसी
(basii)
perfective (pl.f):
बसीं
(basiin)
imperative (informal):
बस
(bas)
imperative (neutral):
बसो
(baso)
imperative (formal):
बसिए
(basie)
future (1sg.m):
बसूँगा
(basoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बसूँगी
(basoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बसेंगे
(basenge)
future (1pl.f):
बसेंगी
(basengii)
future (2sg.m):
बसेगा
(basegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बसेगी
(basegii)
future (2pl.m):
बसोगे
(basoge)
future (2pl.f):
बसोगी
(basogii)
future (3sg.m):
बसेगा
(basegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बसेगी
(basegii)
future (3pl.m):
बसेंगे
(basenge)
future (3pl.f):
बसेंगी
(basengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बसूँ
(basoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बसें
(basen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बसे
(base)
subjunctive (2pl):
बसो
(baso)
subjunctive (3sg):
बसे
(base)
subjunctive (3pl):
बसें
(basen)