भुनभुनाना (bhunbhunaanaa)
verb
An onomatopoeic verb meaning to mutter or grumble under one's breath -- the sound of low, indistinct, irritated speech.
Sense
1
:
to mutter, grumble, mumble complaints under one's breath
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: बड़बड़ाना (badabdaanaa), बुनबुनाना (bunbunaanaa, variant form), कुड़कुड़ाना (kudkudaanaa, grumble with irritation)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is one of many Hindi echo-words built from a repeated sound-root (like बड़बड़ाना (badabdaanaa) and कुड़कुड़ाना (kudkudaanaa)) that imitate the texture of speech rather than naming an action directly. You'll hear it used affectionately about a grandmother muttering to herself in the kitchen, or about someone grumbling under their breath after being scolded -- it carries a mild, often fond, sense of harmless irritation rather than real anger.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बोलना (bolnaa) or शिकायत करना (shikaayat karnaa) when they mean this word, but भुनभुनाना (bhunbhunaanaa) specifically evokes the low, half-audible sound of grumbling, not just the act of complaining or speaking. 2) It is almost always used to describe someone else's muttering (often critically or with amusement) rather than one's own speech in the moment.
Sample Sentences:
दादी रसोई में कुछ न कुछ भुनभुनाती रहती हैं।
Grandma keeps muttering something or other in the kitchen.
(daadii rasoii men kuchh n kuchh bhunbhunaatii rahtii hain।)
वह डांट सुनकर मन में भुनभुनाने लगा।
After hearing the scolding, he started muttering to himself.
(vah daant sunkar man men bhunbhunaane lagaa।)
क्यों भुनभुना रही हो, साफ-साफ बोलो।
Why are you muttering, just say it clearly.
(kyon bhunbhunaa rahii ho, saaph-saaph bolo।)
इतना भी मत भुनभुनाओ, किसी ने कुछ बुरा नहीं कहा।
Don't grumble so much, no one said anything bad.
(itnaa bhii mat bhunbhunaao, kisii ne kuchh buraa nahiin kahaa।)
अगर उसे काम पसंद न आए तो वह भुनभुनाने लगती है।
If she doesn't like the work, she starts muttering under her breath.
(agar use kaam pasand n aae to vah bhunbhunaane lagtii hai।)
अम्मा पूरे दिन भुनभुनाती रहीं, फिर भी सबका खाना बना दिया।
Mother kept grumbling all day, but still made everyone's food.
(ammaa poore din bhunbhunaatii rahiin, phir bhii sabkaa khaanaa banaa diyaa।)
अगर उसे थोड़ी भी परेशानी होती, तो वह ज़रूर भुनभुनाता।
If he had even a little trouble, he would surely have muttered about it.
(agar use thodii bhii pareshaanii hotii, to vah zaroor bhunbhunaataa।)
शायद वह अपनी किस्मत पर भुनभुना रहा हो।
Maybe he is grumbling about his own luck.
(shaayad vah apnii kismat par bhunbhunaa rahaa ho।)
बूढ़ी नानी अकेली बैठी भुनभुनाती रहती थी, पर किसी को बुरा नहीं मानती थी।
The old grandmother would sit alone muttering to herself, but she never held it against anyone.
(boodhii naanii akelii baithii bhunbhunaatii rahtii thii, par kisii ko buraa nahiin maantii thii।)
काम का बोझ बढ़ने पर कर्मचारी आपस में भुनभुनाने लगे।
As the workload increased, the employees started grumbling among themselves.
(kaam kaa bojh badhne par karmchaarii aapas men bhunbhunaane lage।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
भुनभुनाना
(bhunbhunaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
भुनभुनाने
(bhunbhunaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
भुनभुनाता
(bhunbhunaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
भुनभुनाते
(bhunbhunaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
भुनभुनाती
(bhunbhunaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
भुनभुनातीं
(bhunbhunaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
भुनभुना रहा
(bhunbhunaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
भुनभुना रहे
(bhunbhunaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
भुनभुना रही
(bhunbhunaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
भुनभुना रहीं
(bhunbhunaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
भुनभुनाया
(bhunbhunaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
भुनभुनाए
(bhunbhunaae)
perfective (sg.f):
भुनभुनाई
(bhunbhunaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
भुनभुनाईं
(bhunbhunaaiin)
imperative (informal):
भुनभुना
(bhunbhunaa)
imperative (neutral):
भुनभुनाओ
(bhunbhunaao)
imperative (formal):
भुनभुनाइए
(bhunbhunaaie)
future (1sg.m):
भुनभुनाऊँगा
(bhunbhunaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
भुनभुनाऊँगी
(bhunbhunaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
भुनभुनाएँगे
(bhunbhunaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
भुनभुनाएँगी
(bhunbhunaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
भुनभुनाएगा
(bhunbhunaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
भुनभुनाएगी
(bhunbhunaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
भुनभुनाओगे
(bhunbhunaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
भुनभुनाओगी
(bhunbhunaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
भुनभुनाएगा
(bhunbhunaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
भुनभुनाएगी
(bhunbhunaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
भुनभुनाएँगे
(bhunbhunaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
भुनभुनाएँगी
(bhunbhunaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
भुनभुनाऊँ
(bhunbhunaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
भुनभुनाएँ
(bhunbhunaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
भुनभुनाए
(bhunbhunaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
भुनभुनाओ
(bhunbhunaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
भुनभुनाए
(bhunbhunaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
भुनभुनाएँ
(bhunbhunaaen)