कमर बाँधना (kamar baandhnaa)
verb
Literally 'to tie the waist,' this compound expression is used figuratively to mean getting ready or determined to take on a task or challenge.
Sense
1
:
to prepare oneself resolutely, to gear up (for a task/challenge)
verb, transitive Takes की (kii) before the purpose: कमर बाँधना (kamar baandhnaa) is typically followed by a genitive phrase naming the task, e.g. लड़ने की कमर बाँधना (ladne kii kamar baandhnaa, 'to gird up to fight').
Synonyms: तैयार होना (taiyaar honaa), कटिबद्ध होना (katibaddh honaa, formal/literary), जुट जाना (jut jaanaa, to throw oneself into)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This idiom paints determination in very physical, almost warrior-like terms -- picture someone tightening their kamar (waist/lower back) before a fight or heavy labor, the way a wrestler or soldier would cinch their belt before battle. It is commonly used for anything from exam prep to a family gearing up for a wedding's chaos, and pairs naturally with the compound-verb form कमर बाँध लेना (kamar baandh lenaa) to stress the completeness of the resolve.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes translate this too literally as physically tying a belt, missing that it is almost always figurative in modern speech. 2) The verb बाँधना (baandhnaa) here is transitive, so it takes ने (ne) in the perfective: उसने कमर बाँध ली (usne kamar baandh lii, 'he/she girded up') -- learners sometimes forget the ने (ne) because the idiom feels like a fixed phrase rather than an ordinary transitive verb.
Sample Sentences:
चुनाव नज़दीक आते ही सभी पार्टियों ने कमर बाँध ली है।
With elections approaching, all the parties have girded up for the fight.
(chunaav nazdiik aate hii sabhii paartiyon ne kamar baandh lii hai।)
बेटी की शादी के लिए पूरा परिवार कमर बाँध चुका है।
The whole family has already geared up for the daughter's wedding.
(betii kii shaadii ke lie pooraa parivaar kamar baandh chukaa hai।)
कमर बाँध लो, अगले महीने से परीक्षाएँ शुरू हो जाएँगी।
Gear yourself up, the exams will start from next month.
(kamar baandh lo, agle mahiine se pariikshaaen shuroo ho jaaengii।)
अगर हम अभी कमर न बाँधें तो मुक़ाबले में पिछड़ जाएँगे।
If we don't gear up now, we will fall behind in the competition.
(agar ham abhii kamar n baandhen to muqaable men pichhad jaaenge।)
काश हमने समय रहते कमर बाँध ली होती, तो नतीजा कुछ और होता।
If only we had geared up in time, the result would have been different.
(kaash hamne samay rahte kamar baandh lii hotii, to natiijaa kuchh aur hotaa।)
हर साल फ़सल कटाई के मौसम में किसान कमर बाँध लेते हैं।
Every year during the harvest season, the farmers gear themselves up.
(har saal fasal kataaii ke mausam men kisaan kamar baandh lete hain।)
जब कंपनी घाटे में जा रही थी, तब कर्मचारियों ने मिलकर कमर बाँधी।
When the company was going into loss, the employees banded together and girded up.
(jab kampnii ghaate men jaa rahii thii, tab karmchaariyon ne milkar kamar baandhii।)
देश की रक्षा के लिए सैनिकों ने पूरी दृढ़ता से कमर बाँध ली।
For the defense of the nation, the soldiers girded themselves up with full resolve.
(desh kii rakshaa ke lie sainikon ne poorii dridhtaa se kamar baandh lii।)
सर, आप चिंता मत कीजिए, हमने इस प्रोजेक्ट के लिए कमर बाँध ली है।
Sir, please don't worry, we have geared up for this project.
(sar, aap chintaa mat kiijie, hamne is projekt ke lie kamar baandh lii hai।)
जब तक हम पूरी तरह कमर नहीं बाँधेंगे, यह लड़ाई जीती नहीं जा सकती।
Until we gear up completely, this battle cannot be won.
(jab tak ham poorii tarah kamar nahiin baandhenge, yah ladaaii jiitii nahiin jaa saktii।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
कमर बाँधना
(kamar baandhnaa)
infinitive oblique:
कमर बाँधने
(kamar baandhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
कमर बाँधता
(kamar baandhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
कमर बाँधते
(kamar baandhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
कमर बाँधती
(kamar baandhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
कमर बाँधतीं
(kamar baandhtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
कमर बाँध रहा
(kamar baandh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
कमर बाँध रहे
(kamar baandh rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
कमर बाँध रही
(kamar baandh rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
कमर बाँध रहीं
(kamar baandh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
कमर बाँधा
(kamar baandhaa)
perfective (pl.m):
कमर बाँधे
(kamar baandhe)
perfective (sg.f):
कमर बाँधी
(kamar baandhii)
perfective (pl.f):
कमर बाँधीं
(kamar baandhiin)
imperative (informal):
कमर बाँध
(kamar baandh)
imperative (neutral):
कमर बाँधो
(kamar baandho)
imperative (formal):
कमर बाँधिए
(kamar baandhie)
future (1sg.m):
कमर बाँधूँगा
(kamar baandhoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
कमर बाँधूँगी
(kamar baandhoongii)
future (1pl.m):
कमर बाँधेंगे
(kamar baandhenge)
future (1pl.f):
कमर बाँधेंगी
(kamar baandhengii)
future (2sg.m):
कमर बाँधेगा
(kamar baandhegaa)
future (2sg.f):
कमर बाँधेगी
(kamar baandhegii)
future (2pl.m):
कमर बाँधोगे
(kamar baandhoge)
future (2pl.f):
कमर बाँधोगी
(kamar baandhogii)
future (3sg.m):
कमर बाँधेगा
(kamar baandhegaa)
future (3sg.f):
कमर बाँधेगी
(kamar baandhegii)
future (3pl.m):
कमर बाँधेंगे
(kamar baandhenge)
future (3pl.f):
कमर बाँधेंगी
(kamar baandhengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
कमर बाँधूँ
(kamar baandhoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
कमर बाँधें
(kamar baandhen)
subjunctive (2sg):
कमर बाँधे
(kamar baandhe)
subjunctive (2pl):
कमर बाँधो
(kamar baandho)
subjunctive (3sg):
कमर बाँधे
(kamar baandhe)
subjunctive (3pl):
कमर बाँधें
(kamar baandhen)