घोंटना (ghontnaa)
verb
A physical verb built around squeezing/choking pressure on the throat; its main literal sense is 'to strangle/choke,' with a common extended sense of grinding or crushing something (like betel leaf paste) and a vivid idiomatic sense about stifling one's voice or feelings.
Sense
1
:
to strangle, throttle, choke (someone)
verb, transitive Often used with गला (galaa, throat) as the object, as in गला घोंटना (galaa ghontnaa, to strangle by the throat), even though घोंटना (ghontnaa) alone can also take a person as direct object.
Synonyms: गला दबाना (galaa dabaanaa, lit. 'to press the throat'), दम घोंटना (dam ghontnaa, to suffocate)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll most often meet this word in the fixed phrase गला घोंटना (galaa ghontnaa, 'to strangle the throat'), which appears constantly in crime news, thrillers, and everyday dramatic speech about murder or suffocation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat this as a mild word for 'to hurt,' but it specifically evokes choking/strangling pressure on the throat and is fairly intense/violent in tone -- not used casually for minor discomfort. 2) Confusion with घूँटना (ghoontnaa) or घूंट (ghoont, a sip) due to similar sound; घोंटना (ghontnaa) has no connection to drinking or sipping.
Sample Sentences:
उसने अपनी पत्नी का गला घोंट दिया।
He strangled his wife.
(usne apnii patnii kaa galaa ghont diyaa।)
पुलिस का कहना है कि हत्यारे ने पहले उसका गला घोंटा और फिर शव को नहर में फेंक दिया।
The police say that the murderer first strangled him and then threw the body into the canal.
(pulis kaa kahnaa hai ki hatyaare ne pahle uskaa galaa ghontaa aur phir shav ko nahar men phenk diyaa।)
बच्चे का गला घोंटने की कोशिश करते हुए वह पकड़ा गया।
He was caught while trying to strangle the child.
(bachche kaa galaa ghontne kii koshish karte hue vah pakdaa gayaa।)
गुस्से में वह उसका गला घोंटने लगा।
In his rage, he started strangling him.
(gusse men vah uskaa galaa ghontne lagaa।)
उसे मत घोंटो, छोड़ दो उसे!
Don't strangle him, let him go!
(use mat ghonto, chhod do use!)
अगर वह वहाँ नहीं पहुँचता तो शायद वह उसका गला घोंट देता।
If he hadn't arrived there, he might have strangled him.
(agar vah vahaan nahiin pahunchtaa to shaayad vah uskaa galaa ghont detaa।)
अदालत में उसने कबूल किया कि उसने अपने साथी का गला घोंटा था।
In court, he confessed that he had strangled his partner.
(adaalat men usne kabool kiyaa ki usne apne saathii kaa galaa ghontaa thaa।)
क्या तुम सच में किसी का गला घोंट सकते हो?
Could you really strangle someone?
(kyaa tum sach men kisii kaa galaa ghont sakte ho?)
खलनायक फिल्म में हीरोइन का गला घोंटने की कोशिश करता है।
In the film, the villain tries to strangle the heroine.
(khalnaayak philm men hiiroin kaa galaa ghontne kii koshish kartaa hai।)
उसने इतनी ज़ोर से उसका गला घोंटा कि वह बेहोश हो गई।
He strangled her so hard that she fainted.
(usne itnii zor se uskaa galaa ghontaa ki vah behosh ho gaii।)
Sense
2
:
to stifle, suppress, choke back (one's voice, feelings, or a sound)
verb, transitive Used figuratively with abstract objects like आवाज़ (aavaaz, voice), जज़्बात (jazbaat, feelings), or दर्द (dard, pain) -- as in आवाज़ घोंटना (aavaaz ghontnaa, 'to choke/stifle one's voice').
Synonyms: दबाना (dabaanaa, to suppress), दबा देना (dabaa denaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense captures a very Hindi way of describing emotional suppression as physical strangulation -- so आवाज़ घोंट देना (aavaaz ghont denaa) evokes someone forcibly swallowing their words or holding back a cry, a vivid, almost bodily metaphor common in poetry, songs, and emotional dialogue.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative extension is easy to miss for learners who only know the literal 'strangle' sense; here nothing physical is being choked, the object is an emotion, sound, or expression being forcibly suppressed.
Sample Sentences:
उसने अपनी आवाज़ घोंट दी।
She choked back her voice.
(usne apnii aavaaz ghont dii।)
वह अपनी सिसकियाँ घोंटकर बैठी रही।
She kept sitting there, suppressing her sobs.
(vah apnii siskiyaan ghontkar baithii rahii।)
मत घोंटो अपने जज़्बात को, कह दो जो कहना है।
Don't suppress your feelings, say whatever you have to say.
(mat ghonto apne jazbaat ko, kah do jo kahnaa hai।)
वह हर रात अपना दर्द घोंट लेता है।
He suppresses his pain every night.
(vah har raat apnaa dard ghont letaa hai।)
अगर वह अपनी बात घोंट देती तो शायद झगड़ा न होता।
If she had swallowed her words, maybe the fight wouldn't have happened.
(agar vah apnii baat ghont detii to shaayad jhagdaa n hotaa।)
उसका रोना घोंट दिया गया था, मगर आँखें सब कह गईं।
Her crying had been stifled, but her eyes said it all.
(uskaa ronaa ghont diyaa gayaa thaa, magar aankhen sab kah gaiin।)
काश मैं अपनी चीख घोंट पाता।
If only I could have stifled my scream.
(kaash main apnii chiikh ghont paataa।)
शायद उसे अपना गुस्सा घोंटना पड़े।
Perhaps she'll have to suppress her anger.
(shaayad use apnaa gussaa ghontnaa pade।)
कवि ने अपने दुख को शब्दों में घोंट दिया।
The poet choked back his grief within his words.
(kavi ne apne dukh ko shabdon men ghont diyaa।)
इतना दर्द मत घोंटिए, डॉक्टर को बताइए।
Please don't suppress so much pain, tell the doctor.
(itnaa dard mat ghontie, doktar ko bataaie।)
Sense
3
:
to grind or crush into a fine paste (e.g., betel leaf, herbs)
verb, transitive Classic collocation is पान घोंटना (paan ghontnaa), referring to grinding betel leaf with lime and areca nut into a smooth paste before chewing.
Synonyms: पीसना (piisnaa), महीन करना (mahiin karnaa, to make fine)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This sense comes alive at any paan (paan) shop, where the paanwala rhythmically grinds the leaf mixture with a small pestle -- a very visual, tactile use of घोंटना (ghontnaa) tied to everyday Delhi street life.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners familiar only with the 'strangle' sense are often surprised this same verb is used for a harmless kitchen/paan-shop action of grinding leaves into paste -- context (the object being ground) is what signals this sense, not a different verb.
Sample Sentences:
पानवाला पान के लिए मसाला घोंटता है।
The paan-seller grinds the mixture for the paan.
(paanvaalaa paan ke lie masaalaa ghonttaa hai।)
वह सिल पर जड़ी-बूटियाँ घोंट रही है।
She is grinding the herbs on the stone slab.
(vah sil par jadii-bootiyaan ghont rahii hai।)
उसने कटोरी में पान का मसाला घोंटा।
He ground the paan mixture in the little bowl.
(usne katorii men paan kaa masaalaa ghontaa।)
ज़रा यह इलायची और पत्ते घोंट दो।
Please grind these cardamoms and leaves for me.
(zaraa yah ilaaychii aur patte ghont do।)
अगर मसाला बारीक घोंटा जाए तो पान का स्वाद बेहतर आता है।
If the mixture is ground finely, the paan tastes better.
(agar masaalaa baariik ghontaa jaae to paan kaa svaad behtar aataa hai।)
पहले सिल-बट्टे पर मसाला घोंटा जाता था, अब मशीन से पीसते हैं।
Earlier the mixture used to be ground on a stone slab, now they grind it with a machine.
(pahle sil-batte par masaalaa ghontaa jaataa thaa, ab mashiin se piiste hain।)
अगर उसके पास सिल-बट्टा होता, तो वह खुद मसाला घोंटता।
If he had a grinding stone, he would grind the mixture himself.
(agar uske paas sil-battaa hotaa, to vah khud masaalaa ghonttaa।)
दुकान के पीछे बैठा लड़का दिन भर पान का मसाला घोंटता रहता है।
The boy sitting behind the shop keeps grinding the paan mixture all day long.
(dukaan ke piichhe baithaa ladkaa din bhar paan kaa masaalaa ghonttaa rahtaa hai।)
वैद्य जी ने जड़ी-बूटियों को पत्थर पर घोंटकर लेप बनाया।
The traditional physician made the paste by grinding the herbs on a stone.
(vaidy jii ne jadii-bootiyon ko patthar par ghontkar lep banaayaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
घोंटना
(ghontnaa)
infinitive oblique:
घोंटने
(ghontne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
घोंटता
(ghonttaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
घोंटते
(ghontte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
घोंटती
(ghonttii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
घोंटतीं
(ghonttiin)
continuous (sg.m):
घोंट रहा
(ghont rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
घोंट रहे
(ghont rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
घोंट रही
(ghont rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
घोंट रहीं
(ghont rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
घोंटा
(ghontaa)
perfective (pl.m):
घोंटे
(ghonte)
perfective (sg.f):
घोंटी
(ghontii)
perfective (pl.f):
घोंटीं
(ghontiin)
imperative (informal):
घोंट
(ghont)
imperative (neutral):
घोंटो
(ghonto)
imperative (formal):
घोंटिए
(ghontie)
future (1sg.m):
घोंटूँगा
(ghontoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
घोंटूँगी
(ghontoongii)
future (1pl.m):
घोंटेंगे
(ghontenge)
future (1pl.f):
घोंटेंगी
(ghontengii)
future (2sg.m):
घोंटेगा
(ghontegaa)
future (2sg.f):
घोंटेगी
(ghontegii)
future (2pl.m):
घोंटोगे
(ghontoge)
future (2pl.f):
घोंटोगी
(ghontogii)
future (3sg.m):
घोंटेगा
(ghontegaa)
future (3sg.f):
घोंटेगी
(ghontegii)
future (3pl.m):
घोंटेंगे
(ghontenge)
future (3pl.f):
घोंटेंगी
(ghontengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
घोंटूँ
(ghontoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
घोंटें
(ghonten)
subjunctive (2sg):
घोंटे
(ghonte)
subjunctive (2pl):
घोंटो
(ghonto)
subjunctive (3sg):
घोंटे
(ghonte)
subjunctive (3pl):
घोंटें
(ghonten)