उलझना (ulajhnaa)
verb
An intransitive verb meaning to get entangled or tangled (like thread or hair), which extends naturally to the figurative sense of getting caught up in a confusion, argument, or problem. Its transitive causative partner उलझाना (uljhaanaa, 'to entangle someone/something') is a separate lemma.
Sense
1
:
to get caught up in confusion, an argument, or a problem
verb, intransitive Very commonly used with बात (baat), बहस (bahas), या झगड़े (jhagde) as the thing one gets tangled in, often with में (men): उलझना (men ulajhnaa) 'to get entangled in [something]'.
Synonyms: फंसना (phansnaa, of being stuck in a bad situation), झगड़ना (jhagadnaa, narrower, specifically to quarrel)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word for that very Indian experience of getting stuck going back and forth in a needless बहस (bahas, argument) or उलझन (uljhan, a mental knot/confusion, the related noun) -- a mother might tell her child दिमाग़ मत उलझाओ (dimaagh mat uljhaao, 'don't tangle your brain [in this]') using the causative, while the child himself is बात में उलझ गया (baat men ulajh gayaa, 'got tangled up in the matter') using this intransitive form.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is about mental or situational entanglement -- confusion, a pointless argument, overthinking -- not physical danger, so it is a poor fit for translating 'trapped' in a literal sense (use फंसना (phansnaa) there instead). 2) Learners often want to use it transitively ('to entangle someone in an argument') but that causative meaning belongs to उलझाना (uljhaanaa), not this word.
Sample Sentences:
वह छोटी-छोटी बातों में उलझ जाता है।
He gets caught up in petty little matters.
(vah chhotii-chhotii baaton men ulajh jaataa hai।)
कल हम दोनों एक बेकार की बहस में उलझ गए।
Yesterday the two of us got entangled in a pointless argument.
(kal ham donon ek bekaar kii bahas men ulajh gae।)
वह अभी भी इस मसले में उलझा हुआ है।
He is still all caught up in this issue.
(vah abhii bhii is masle men uljhaa huaa hai।)
दिमाग़ मत उलझाओ, बात सीधी है।
Don't tangle your brain in this, the matter is simple.
(dimaagh mat uljhaao, baat siidhii hai।)
अगर तुम हर बात में उलझते रहे, तो कभी आगे नहीं बढ़ पाओगे।
If you keep getting caught up in every little thing, you will never be able to move forward.
(agar tum har baat men ulajhte rahe, to kabhii aage nahiin badh paaoge।)
काश वह उस झगड़े में न उलझा होता।
If only he hadn't gotten entangled in that dispute.
(kaash vah us jhagde men n uljhaa hotaa।)
कंपनी दोनों पक्षों के बीच के इस कानूनी विवाद में उलझ गई है।
The company has gotten entangled in this legal dispute between the two parties.
(kampnii donon pakshon ke biich ke is kaanoonii vivaad men ulajh gaii hai।)
क्या तुम अब भी उसी पुरानी बहस में उलझे हो?
Are you still stuck caught up in that same old argument?
(kyaa tum ab bhii usii puraanii bahas men uljhe ho?)
मन कई सवालों में उलझता जा रहा था।
My mind was getting caught up in many questions.
(man kaii savaalon men ulajhtaa jaa rahaa thaa।)
जब भी घर की बात आती है, दोनों भाई पुराने हिसाब-किताब में उलझ जाते हैं।
Whenever the topic of the house comes up, the two brothers get tangled up in old accounts.
(jab bhii ghar kii baat aatii hai, donon bhaaii puraane hisaab-kitaab men ulajh jaate hain।)
इतनी छोटी बात पर मत उलझो, समय बर्बाद हो रहा है।
Don't get caught up over such a small matter, time is being wasted.
(itnii chhotii baat par mat uljho, samay barbaad ho rahaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to get entangled, tangled up (physically)
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: फंसना (phansnaa, overlaps in the getting-stuck sense), गुत्थी बनना (gutthii bannaa, of thread/hair specifically)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture a kite string (dor) or a dupatta (dupattaa) getting caught in a fan or a bicycle chain -- that visual of threads winding around each other is the mental anchor for this word, and it's exactly this image that carries over into the figurative sense below.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for फंसना (phansnaa) here, but फंसना (phansnaa) is about being trapped or stuck (like in a snare or a bad situation), while उलझना (ulajhnaa) specifically evokes strands winding around each other -- hair, thread, wires, string.
Sample Sentences:
उसका दुपट्टा साइकिल की चेन में उलझ गया।
Her dupatta got tangled in the bicycle chain.
(uskaa dupattaa saaikil kii chen men ulajh gayaa।)
पतंग की डोर पेड़ की टहनियों में उलझ जाती है।
The kite string gets tangled in the tree branches.
(patang kii dor ped kii tahniyon men ulajh jaatii hai।)
देखना, तेरे बाल हेलमेट के स्ट्रैप में उलझ जाएँगे।
Watch out, your hair is going to get tangled in the helmet strap.
(dekhnaa, tere baal helmet ke straip men ulajh jaaenge।)
धागे को इतना मत खींचो, वरना वह और उलझ जाएगा।
Don't pull the thread so much, or it will get even more tangled.
(dhaage ko itnaa mat khiincho, varnaa vah aur ulajh jaaegaa।)
मेरे कान का इयरफ़ोन जेब में उलझा हुआ था।
My earphones were tangled up in my pocket.
(mere kaan kaa iyarfon jeb men uljhaa huaa thaa।)
अगर बाल इतने लंबे न होते, तो कंघी में न उलझते।
If her hair weren't so long, it wouldn't get tangled in the comb.
(agar baal itne lambe n hote, to kanghii men n ulajhte।)
पंखे में साड़ी का पल्लू उलझ गया और वह घबरा गई।
The end of her sari got tangled in the fan and she panicked.
(pankhe men saadii kaa palloo ulajh gayaa aur vah ghabraa gaii।)
मछली जाल में उलझ चुकी थी, इसलिए बच नहीं पाई।
The fish had already gotten tangled in the net, so it couldn't escape.
(machhlii jaal men ulajh chukii thii, islie bach nahiin paaii।)
तार इतने उलझे हुए हैं कि सुलझाना मुश्किल है।
The wires are so tangled that untangling them is difficult.
(taar itne uljhe hue hain ki suljhaanaa mushkil hai।)
ध्यान रखना कि जूते के फीते पैडल में न उलझ जाएँ।
Be careful that your shoelaces don't get tangled in the pedal.
(dhyaan rakhnaa ki joote ke phiite paidal men n ulajh jaaen।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
उलझना
(ulajhnaa)
infinitive oblique:
उलझने
(ulajhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
उलझता
(ulajhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
उलझते
(ulajhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
उलझती
(ulajhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
उलझतीं
(ulajhtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
उलझ रहा
(ulajh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
उलझ रहे
(ulajh rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
उलझ रही
(ulajh rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
उलझ रहीं
(ulajh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
उलझा
(uljhaa)
perfective (pl.m):
उलझे
(uljhe)
perfective (sg.f):
उलझी
(uljhii)
perfective (pl.f):
उलझीं
(uljhiin)
imperative (informal):
उलझ
(ulajh)
imperative (neutral):
उलझो
(uljho)
imperative (formal):
उलझिए
(uljhie)
future (1sg.m):
उलझूँगा
(uljhoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
उलझूँगी
(uljhoongii)
future (1pl.m):
उलझेंगे
(uljhenge)
future (1pl.f):
उलझेंगी
(uljhengii)
future (2sg.m):
उलझेगा
(uljhegaa)
future (2sg.f):
उलझेगी
(uljhegii)
future (2pl.m):
उलझोगे
(uljhoge)
future (2pl.f):
उलझोगी
(uljhogii)
future (3sg.m):
उलझेगा
(uljhegaa)
future (3sg.f):
उलझेगी
(uljhegii)
future (3pl.m):
उलझेंगे
(uljhenge)
future (3pl.f):
उलझेंगी
(uljhengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
उलझूँ
(uljhoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
उलझें
(uljhen)
subjunctive (2sg):
उलझे
(uljhe)
subjunctive (2pl):
उलझो
(uljho)
subjunctive (3sg):
उलझे
(uljhe)
subjunctive (3pl):
उलझें
(uljhen)