चरना (charnaa)
verb
Basic verb meaning 'to graze' -- used mainly for animals eating grass in a field, and by extension as a mild figurative jab at humans.
Sense
1
:
to graze (of animals)
verb, intransitive
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture cows and goats let loose in a field near a village -- गाय मैदान में चर रही है (gaay maidaan men char rahii hai, 'the cow is grazing in the field') is the classic image this verb calls up for any Hindi speaker.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use खाना (khaanaa) for grazing animals, but चरना (charnaa) is the natural verb for animals eating grass in a field -- खाना (khaanaa) sounds like you're describing a meal, not free grazing.
Sample Sentences:
गाय मैदान में चर रही है।
The cow is grazing in the field.
(gaay maidaan men char rahii hai।)
बकरियाँ पहाड़ी पर घास चरती हैं।
The goats graze on grass on the hillside.
(bakriyaan pahaadii par ghaas chartii hain।)
शाम होते ही भेड़ें खेत में चरने लगीं।
As evening fell, the sheep started grazing in the field.
(shaam hote hii bheden khet men charne lagiin।)
कल गायें नदी के किनारे चरेंगी।
Tomorrow the cows will graze along the riverbank.
(kal gaayen nadii ke kinaare charengii।)
जानवरों को खुले मैदान में चरने दो।
Let the animals graze in the open field.
(jaanavron ko khule maidaan men charne do।)
अगर बाड़ न होती, तो मवेशी सड़क पर चरते।
If there were no fence, the cattle would graze on the road.
(agar baad n hotii, to maveshii sadak par charte।)
पशुओं को सुबह-सुबह चराने के लिए चरवाहा उन्हें मैदान में ले जाता है।
To let the animals graze early in the morning, the herdsman takes them to the field.
(pashuon ko subah-subah charaane ke lie charvaahaa unhen maidaan men le jaataa hai।)
गाँव की गायें और भैंसें साझा चरागाह में चरती हैं।
The village's cows and buffaloes graze in the shared pasture.
(gaanv kii gaayen aur bhainsen saajhaa charaagaah men chartii hain।)
बारिश के बाद हरी घास पर मवेशी चरने के लिए निकल पड़े।
After the rain, the cattle set out to graze on the green grass.
(baarish ke baad harii ghaas par maveshii charne ke lie nikal pade।)
Sense
2
:
to be a fool, to act stupidly (figurative, mildly rude)
verb, intransitive Used almost always as a rhetorical jab, often in the imperative or as a dismissive comment on someone's behavior -- e.g. जाओ, घास चरो (jaao, ghaas charo, 'go graze on grass' -- i.e. 'get lost, you fool').
Synonyms: बेवकूफी करना (bevkoophii karnaa)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: The insult works by comparing a person to a grazing animal -- calling someone's behavior fit only for a cow or goat munching grass, a very Indian way of mocking foolishness without swearing.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is informal and can come across as insulting -- do not use it with elders or in polite/formal settings; it is meant for banter among friends or as a sharp put-down.
Sample Sentences:
क्या चर रहे हो, सीधी बात समझ नहीं आती?
What kind of idiot are you being -- can't you understand a simple thing?
(kyaa char rahe ho, siidhii baat samajh nahiin aatii?)
तू हर बार पैसे ऐसे ही उड़ा देता है, चरता रहता है बस।
You blow your money like this every time, you just keep being a fool.
(too har baar paise aise hii udaa detaa hai, chartaa rahtaa hai bas।)
उस दिन मैंने पूरा पैसा गलत जगह लगा दिया, सच में चर गया था।
That day I put all my money in the wrong place, I really acted like an idiot.
(us din mainne pooraa paisaa galat jagah lagaa diyaa, sach men char gayaa thaa।)
अरे चरना बंद कर और ध्यान से सुन!
Hey, stop being an idiot and listen carefully!
(are charnaa band kar aur dhyaan se sun!)
अगर वो थोड़ा सोच लेता तो इतना नहीं चरता।
If he had thought a little, he wouldn't have acted so foolishly.
(agar vo thodaa soch letaa to itnaa nahiin chartaa।)
लगता है वो फिर चर रहा है, बिना सोचे-समझे बोल रहा है।
Looks like he's being an idiot again, talking without thinking at all.
(lagtaa hai vo phir char rahaa hai, binaa soche-samjhe bol rahaa hai।)
शायद वो नशे में चर रहा हो, वरना ऐसी हरकत नहीं करता।
Maybe he's being an idiot because he's drunk, otherwise he wouldn't do such a thing.
(shaayad vo nashe men char rahaa ho, varnaa aisii harkat nahiin kartaa।)
इतना बड़ा फैसला बिना सोचे लेना तो सरासर चरना है।
Making such a big decision without thinking is just pure idiocy.
(itnaa badaa phaislaa binaa soche lenaa to saraasar charnaa hai।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
चरना
(charnaa)
infinitive oblique:
चरने
(charne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
चरता
(chartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
चरते
(charte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
चरती
(chartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
चरतीं
(chartiin)
continuous (sg.m):
चर रहा
(char rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
चर रहे
(char rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
चर रही
(char rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
चर रहीं
(char rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
चरा
(charaa)
perfective (pl.m):
चरे
(chare)
perfective (sg.f):
चरी
(charii)
perfective (pl.f):
चरीं
(chariin)
imperative (informal):
चर
(char)
imperative (neutral):
चरो
(charo)
imperative (formal):
चरिए
(charie)
future (1sg.m):
चरूँगा
(charoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
चरूँगी
(charoongii)
future (1pl.m):
चरेंगे
(charenge)
future (1pl.f):
चरेंगी
(charengii)
future (2sg.m):
चरेगा
(charegaa)
future (2sg.f):
चरेगी
(charegii)
future (2pl.m):
चरोगे
(charoge)
future (2pl.f):
चरोगी
(charogii)
future (3sg.m):
चरेगा
(charegaa)
future (3sg.f):
चरेगी
(charegii)
future (3pl.m):
चरेंगे
(charenge)
future (3pl.f):
चरेंगी
(charengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
चरूँ
(charoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
चरें
(charen)
subjunctive (2sg):
चरे
(chare)
subjunctive (2pl):
चरो
(charo)
subjunctive (3sg):
चरे
(chare)
subjunctive (3pl):
चरें
(charen)