सीना (siinaa)
verb/noun
Two unrelated words sharing this spelling: the verb 'to sew/stitch' and the noun 'chest/breast' -- distinct lemmas historically, treated here together since they share the same written and spoken form.
Sense
1
:
to sew, to stitch
verb, transitive
Synonyms: टाँकना (taanknaa, to tack/stitch loosely)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Every Indian household has someone -- often a grandmother or a local darzi (tailor) -- who can सीना (siinaa) a torn kurta in minutes; it is a very hands-on, everyday verb tied to mending and tailoring rather than large-scale sewing/textile work.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with बुनना (bunnaa, 'to knit/weave') -- सीना (siinaa) specifically means joining fabric with needle and thread, like hemming or stitching a tear, not knitting or weaving cloth from yarn. 2) The idiom मुँह सीना (munh siinaa, 'to sew someone's mouth shut') means to silence someone or force them to keep quiet, often used about oneself: अपना मुँह सी लिया (apnaa munh sii liyaa, 'I kept my mouth shut/said nothing').
Sample Sentences:
दर्जी इस कुर्ते को सी रहा है।
The tailor is sewing this kurta.
(darjii is kurte ko sii rahaa hai।)
मेरी नानी बहुत अच्छे कपड़े सीती थीं।
My grandmother used to sew very good clothes.
(merii naanii bahut achchhe kapde siitii thiin।)
क्या तुम इस बटन को सी सकती हो?
Can you sew on this button?
(kyaa tum is batan ko sii saktii ho?)
यह फटा हुआ पाजामा सी दो।
Sew up this torn pajama.
(yah phataa huaa paajaamaa sii do।)
अगर मुझे सिलाई आती तो मैं यह जेब खुद सी लेती।
If I knew how to sew, I would have sewn this pocket myself.
(agar mujhe silaaii aatii to main yah jeb khud sii letii।)
उसने रातभर बैठकर वह चादर सी।
She sat up all night and sewed that sheet.
(usne raatbhar baithkar vah chaadar sii।)
यह साड़ी हाथ से सिली गई है।
This saree has been sewn by hand.
(yah saadii haath se silii gaii hai।)
चाहती हूँ कि कोई मेरे लिए यह ब्लाउज सी दे।
I wish someone would sew this blouse for me.
(chaahtii hoon ki koii mere lie yah blaauj sii de।)
वह हर शाम बाजार से लाया कपड़ा सीती है।
Every evening she sews the fabric brought from the market.
(vah har shaam baajaar se laayaa kapdaa siitii hai।)
कल तक यह घाघरा सिल जाएगा।
This skirt will be sewn by tomorrow.
(kal tak yah ghaaghraa sil jaaegaa।)
Sense
2
:
chest, breast (of the body)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: छाती (chhaatii), वक्ष (vaksh, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: सीना (siinaa) carries a strong emotional charge in Hindi -- puffing out your सीना (siinaa) signals pride, honor, or bravado, much like 'chest out' in English but used far more often, especially in patriotic or heroic contexts (soldiers, fathers boasting about their children, etc.).
Common Mistakes: 1) सीना (siinaa) is heavily used in figurative expressions of pride and courage -- सीना तानकर (siinaa taankar, 'chest thrust out, i.e. with pride/defiance') and सीना चौड़ा होना (siinaa chaudaa honaa, 'to swell with pride') -- learners who only know छाती (chhaatii) may miss these idioms since they don't map onto English 'chest' phrases directly.
Sample Sentences:
उसका सीना बहुत चौड़ा है।
His chest is very broad.
(uskaa siinaa bahut chaudaa hai।)
बेटे का मेडल देखकर पिता का सीना गर्व से फूल गया।
Seeing his son's medal, the father's chest swelled with pride.
(bete kaa medal dekhkar pitaa kaa siinaa garv se phool gayaa।)
सैनिक सीना ताने खड़ा था।
The soldier stood with his chest puffed out.
(sainik siinaa taane khadaa thaa।)
गोली उसके सीने में लगी।
The bullet hit him in the chest.
(golii uske siine men lagii।)
सीना तान कर चलो, डरने की कोई बात नहीं।
Walk with your chest out, there's nothing to be afraid of.
(siinaa taan kar chalo, darne kii koii baat nahiin।)
अगर वह यह काम कर पाता, तो उसका सीना गर्व से चौड़ा हो जाता।
If he had been able to do this work, his chest would have swelled with pride.
(agar vah yah kaam kar paataa, to uskaa siinaa garv se chaudaa ho jaataa।)
डॉक्टर ने मरीज़ के सीने की जांच की।
The doctor examined the patient's chest.
(doktar ne mariiz ke siine kii jaanch kii।)
उसके सीने में एक अजीब सा दर्द हो रहा था।
He was feeling a strange pain in his chest.
(uske siine men ek ajiib saa dard ho rahaa thaa।)
जब भी वह देश के लिए कुछ करता है, हमारा सीना चौड़ा हो जाता है।
Whenever he does something for the country, our chests swell with pride.
(jab bhii vah desh ke lie kuchh kartaa hai, hamaaraa siinaa chaudaa ho jaataa hai।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि तुम अपने पिता का सीना गर्व से भर दोगे।
I hope you will fill your father's chest with pride.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki tum apne pitaa kaa siinaa garv se bhar doge।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
सीना
(siinaa)
infinitive oblique:
सीने
(siine)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
सीता
(siitaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
सीते
(siite)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
सीती
(siitii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
सीतीं
(siitiin)
continuous (sg.m):
सी रहा
(sii rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
सी रहे
(sii rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
सी रही
(sii rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
सी रहीं
(sii rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
सिया
(siyaa)
perfective (pl.m):
सिये
(siye)
perfective (sg.f):
सियी
(siyii)
perfective (pl.f):
सियीं
(siyiin)
imperative (informal):
सी
(sii)
imperative (neutral):
सियो
(siyo)
imperative (formal):
सीजिए
(siijie)
future (1sg.m):
सियूँगा
(siyoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
सियूँगी
(siyoongii)
future (1pl.m):
सियेंगे
(siyenge)
future (1pl.f):
सियेंगी
(siyengii)
future (2sg.m):
सियेगा
(siyegaa)
future (2sg.f):
सियेगी
(siyegii)
future (2pl.m):
सियोगे
(siyoge)
future (2pl.f):
सियोगी
(siyogii)
future (3sg.m):
सियेगा
(siyegaa)
future (3sg.f):
सियेगी
(siyegii)
future (3pl.m):
सियेंगे
(siyenge)
future (3pl.f):
सियेंगी
(siyengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
सियूँ
(siyoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
सियें
(siyen)
subjunctive (2sg):
सिये
(siye)
subjunctive (2pl):
सियो
(siyo)
subjunctive (3sg):
सिये
(siye)
subjunctive (3pl):
सियें
(siyen)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
सीना
(siinaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
सीने
(siine)
(pl.m.direct):
सीने
(siine)
(pl.m.oblique):
सीनों
(siinon)