समझाना (samjhaanaa)
verb
The causative of समझना (samajhnaa, 'to understand') -- means 'to make someone understand,' covering both explaining facts and persuading/reasoning with someone emotionally.
Sense
1
:
to explain
verb, transitive Takes the person being taught as a direct object and the topic marked with के बारे में (ke baare men) or as a subordinate clause; often used with a dative-marked listener too: उसे समझाओ (use samjhaao, 'explain to him').
Synonyms: स्पष्ट करना (spasht karnaa, more formal, 'to clarify'), बताना (bataanaa, meaning scope: overlaps only when explaining information, not persuading)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: A teacher explaining a lesson, a mother explaining why a decision was made, a friend breaking down a tricky form -- समझाना (samjhaanaa) is the verb for all of it. It's the causative partner of समझना (samajhnaa), so think of it literally as 'making someone's understanding happen.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बताना (bataanaa) when they mean समझाना (samjhaanaa) -- बताना (bataanaa) just conveys information, while समझाना (samjhaanaa) implies the listener didn't get it and needs help understanding. 2) The object of explanation can be marked with either को (ko) or no marker at all depending on whether a person or a topic is being explained, which surprises learners expecting one fixed pattern.
Sample Sentences:
क्या तुम मुझे यह सवाल समझा सकते हो?
Can you explain this question to me?
(kyaa tum mujhe yah savaal samjhaa sakte ho?)
टीचर बच्चों को बड़े धैर्य से पाठ समझा रही थीं।
The teacher was patiently explaining the lesson to the children.
(tiichar bachchon ko bade dhairy se paath samjhaa rahii thiin।)
माँ ने मुझे समझाया कि उन्होंने वह फैसला क्यों लिया।
Mother explained to me why she had made that decision.
(maan ne mujhe samjhaayaa ki unhonne vah phaislaa kyon liyaa।)
ज़रा मुझे यह फॉर्म भरने का तरीका समझा दो।
Please just explain to me how to fill out this form.
(zaraa mujhe yah phorm bharne kaa tariikaa samjhaa do।)
अगर वह ठीक से समझाता तो मुझे इतनी दिक्कत नहीं होती।
If he had explained it properly, I wouldn't have had so much trouble.
(agar vah thiik se samjhaataa to mujhe itnii dikkat nahiin hotii।)
इस अवधारणा को अगली कक्षा में विस्तार से समझाया जाएगा।
This concept will be explained in detail in the next class.
(is avdhaarnaa ko aglii kakshaa men vistaar se samjhaayaa jaaegaa।)
प्रोफेसर साहब हर सिद्धांत को उदाहरण देकर समझाते हैं।
The professor explains every theory by giving examples.
(prophesar saahab har siddhaant ko udaahran dekar samjhaate hain।)
मुझे डर है कि मैं यह बात ठीक से समझा नहीं पाऊँगा।
I'm afraid I won't be able to explain this matter properly.
(mujhe dar hai ki main yah baat thiik se samjhaa nahiin paaoongaa।)
कृपया अपनी समस्या विस्तार से समझाइए ताकि हम मदद कर सकें।
Please explain your problem in detail so that we can help.
(kripyaa apnii samasyaa vistaar se samjhaaie taaki ham madad kar saken।)
बेहतर होगा कि तुम उसे यह गणित का सवाल समझा दो।
It would be better if you explained this math problem to him.
(behtar hogaa ki tum use yah ganit kaa savaal samjhaa do।)
गुरु अपने शिष्यों को जीवन के गूढ़ रहस्य समझाते थे।
The guru used to explain the deep mysteries of life to his disciples.
(guru apne shishyon ko jiivan ke goodh rahasy samjhaate the।)
Sense
2
:
to persuade, reason with, talk someone into/out of something
verb, transitive Common in contexts of calming someone down or talking them out of a decision, often paired with a purpose clause: उसे समझाया कि ऐसा मत करो (use samjhaayaa ki aisaa mat karo, 'I explained to him not to do that').
Synonyms: मनाना (manaanaa, meaning scope: focuses on convincing/coaxing rather than reasoning), राजी करना (raajii karnaa, meaning scope: specifically 'to get someone to agree')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the classic word for when elders sit a family member down to talk sense into them -- a father समझाता है (samjhaataa hai) his stubborn son, a friend समझाती है (samjhaatii hai) another out of a bad decision. It carries real warmth: the effort to help someone see reason, not just lecture them.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners translate this sense too literally as 'explain' when English would say 'talk (someone) into/out of' or 'reason with' -- the emotional persuasion angle is easy to miss. 2) Confusing this with मनाना (manaanaa), which leans more toward coaxing or appeasing (like calming a crying child) rather than reasoning through an argument.
Sample Sentences:
माँ ने उसे बहुत समझाया, पर वह नहीं माना।
Mother tried hard to talk sense into him, but he didn't listen.
(maan ne use bahut samjhaayaa, par vah nahiin maanaa।)
पिता जी हर बार उसे समझाते हैं, फिर भी वह वही गलती दोहराता है।
Father tries to reason with him every time, yet he repeats the same mistake.
(pitaa jii har baar use samjhaate hain, phir bhii vah vahii galtii dohraataa hai।)
मैं उसे समझा रही हूँ कि यह फैसला गलत है।
I'm trying to make her see that this decision is wrong.
(main use samjhaa rahii hoon ki yah phaislaa galat hai।)
उसे समझाओ, वरना वह घर छोड़कर चला जाएगा।
Talk some sense into him, or he'll leave home.
(use samjhaao, varnaa vah ghar chhodkar chalaa jaaegaa।)
काश कोई उसे समझा पाता, इससे पहले कि बहुत देर हो जाती।
If only someone could have talked sense into him before it was too late.
(kaash koii use samjhaa paataa, isse pahle ki bahut der ho jaatii।)
दोस्तों ने उसे बहुत समझाया कि नौकरी मत छोड़ो, मगर वह अड़ा रहा।
Friends tried hard to talk him out of quitting the job, but he stayed stubborn.
(doston ne use bahut samjhaayaa ki naukrii mat chhodo, magar vah adaa rahaa।)
शायद कोई बुज़ुर्ग उसे समझा सके, हमारी तो सुनता नहीं।
Maybe some elder can talk sense into him -- he doesn't listen to us.
(shaayad koii buzurg use samjhaa sake, hamaarii to suntaa nahiin।)
बच्चे को प्यार से समझाना चाहिए, डांटने से बात नहीं बनती।
A child should be reasoned with lovingly; scolding doesn't work.
(bachche ko pyaar se samjhaanaa chaahie, daantne se baat nahiin bantii।)
उसे समझाया गया कि गुस्से में लिया फैसला अक्सर गलत होता है।
He was made to understand that decisions taken in anger are often wrong.
(use samjhaayaa gayaa ki gusse men liyaa phaislaa aksar galat hotaa hai।)
बड़ी मुश्किल से उसे समझाया कि पैसे उधार देना ठीक नहीं होगा।
It took real effort to talk him out of lending the money.
(badii mushkil se use samjhaayaa ki paise udhaar denaa thiik nahiin hogaa।)
गुरु जी शिष्यों को धैर्य से समझाते थे, कभी ऊँची आवाज़ में नहीं बोलते थे।
The guru used to patiently reason with his disciples, never raising his voice.
(guru jii shishyon ko dhairy se samjhaate the, kabhii oonchii aavaaz men nahiin bolte the।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
समझाना
(samjhaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
समझाने
(samjhaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
समझाता
(samjhaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
समझाते
(samjhaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
समझाती
(samjhaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
समझातीं
(samjhaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
समझा रहा
(samjhaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
समझा रहे
(samjhaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
समझा रही
(samjhaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
समझा रहीं
(samjhaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
समझाया
(samjhaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
समझाए
(samjhaae)
perfective (sg.f):
समझाई
(samjhaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
समझाईं
(samjhaaiin)
imperative (informal):
समझा
(samjhaa)
imperative (neutral):
समझाओ
(samjhaao)
imperative (formal):
समझाइए
(samjhaaie)
future (1sg.m):
समझाऊँगा
(samjhaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
समझाऊँगी
(samjhaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
समझाएँगे
(samjhaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
समझाएँगी
(samjhaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
समझाएगा
(samjhaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
समझाएगी
(samjhaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
समझाओगे
(samjhaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
समझाओगी
(samjhaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
समझाएगा
(samjhaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
समझाएगी
(samjhaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
समझाएँगे
(samjhaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
समझाएँगी
(samjhaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
समझाऊँ
(samjhaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
समझाएँ
(samjhaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
समझाए
(samjhaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
समझाओ
(samjhaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
समझाए
(samjhaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
समझाएँ
(samjhaaen)