झाडू लगाना (jhaadoo lagaanaa)

verb A compound expression meaning 'to sweep' -- literally 'to apply/put the broom,' combining झाडू (jhaadoo, 'broom') with the light verb लगाना (lagaanaa).
Sense 1 : to sweep (the floor)
verb, transitive The pattern is [surface]-को/blank + झाडू लगाना (jhaadoo lagaanaa): the floor being swept can appear unmarked or with को (ko), e.g. फर्श पर झाडू लगाना (pharsh par jhaadoo lagaanaa, 'to sweep the floor') using पर (par) for the surface.
Synonyms: झाड़ू देना (jhaadoo denaa, one-word variant of the light verb), बुहारना (buhaarnaa, single-verb equivalent)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the phrase you will hear every morning across Delhi-NCR homes as the household help or a family member sweeps the entryway and courtyard before the day starts -- झाडू (jhaadoo) itself, made of dried grass or coconut fiber, is a fixture of the morning routine and carries associations with cleanliness and starting the day right, tied to older customs of sweeping the doorstep at dawn as a mark of good fortune.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to translate 'sweep' with a single verb; native speakers overwhelmingly use this two-word expression with लगाना (lagaanaa) in daily conversation. 2) The subject takes ने (ne) in the perfective since लगाना (lagaanaa) is transitive here: मैंने झाडू लगाई (mainne jhaadoo lagaaii, 'I swept'), and note लगाई (lagaaii) agrees with झाडू (jhaadoo) (feminine), not with any unstated floor.
Sample Sentences:
सुबह-सुबह वह पूरे घर में झाडू लगाती है। Early in the morning, she sweeps the whole house.
(subah-subah vah poore ghar men jhaadoo lagaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कामवाली अभी बरामदे में झाडू लगा रही है। The maid is sweeping the veranda right now.
(kaamvaalii abhii baraamde men jhaadoo lagaa rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मैंने आज सुबह ही आँगन में झाडू लगा दी थी। I had already swept the courtyard this morning.
(mainne aaj subah hii aangan men jhaadoo lagaa dii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जरा दरवाजे के पास झाडू लगा दो, बहुत कचरा जमा हो गया है। Just sweep near the door, a lot of trash has piled up.
(jaraa darvaaje ke paas jhaadoo lagaa do, bahut kachraa jamaa ho gayaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह रोज़ सुबह झाडू लगाए तो घर हमेशा साफ़ रहेगा। If she sweeps every morning, the house will always stay clean.
(agar vah roz subah jhaadoo lagaae to ghar hameshaa saaf rahegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
काश मैं भी अपने कमरे में रोज़ झाडू लगाता। I wish I also swept my room every day.
(kaash main bhii apne kamre men roz jhaadoo lagaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
दिवाली से पहले पूरा घर झाडू लगाकर चमका दिया गया। Before Diwali, the whole house was swept and made spotless.
(divaalii se pahle pooraa ghar jhaadoo lagaakar chamkaa diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
स्कूल में बच्चों को बारी-बारी से क्लास में झाडू लगानी पड़ती है। At school, the children have to take turns sweeping the classroom.
(skool men bachchon ko baarii-baarii se klaas men jhaadoo lagaanii padtii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुजारी जी ने मंदिर के प्रांगण में झाडू लगाकर उसे शुद्ध किया। The priest swept the temple courtyard and purified it.
(pujaarii jii ne mandir ke praangan men jhaadoo lagaakar use shuddh kiyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पड़ोसन बोली, "अरे, दरवाज़े पर भी झाडू लगा लो, कल कोई आ रहा है।" The neighbor said, "Hey, sweep near the doorway too, someone's coming tomorrow."
(padosan bolii, "are, darvaaze par bhii jhaadoo lagaa lo, kal koii aa rahaa hai।")
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
जब तक वह छत पर झाडू लगाता रहा, तब तक बारिश शुरू हो गई। By the time it started raining, he was still sweeping the terrace.
(jab tak vah chhat par jhaadoo lagaataa rahaa, tab tak baarish shuroo ho gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Verb
infinitive: झाडू लगाना (jhaadoo lagaanaa)
infinitive oblique: झाडू लगाने (jhaadoo lagaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m): झाडू लगाता (jhaadoo lagaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): झाडू लगाते (jhaadoo lagaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f): झाडू लगाती (jhaadoo lagaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): झाडू लगातीं (jhaadoo lagaatiin)
continuous (sg.m): झाडू लगा रहा (jhaadoo lagaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): झाडू लगा रहे (jhaadoo lagaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f): झाडू लगा रही (jhaadoo lagaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f): झाडू लगा रहीं (jhaadoo lagaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): झाडू लगाया (jhaadoo lagaayaa)
perfective (pl.m): झाडू लगाए (jhaadoo lagaae)
perfective (sg.f): झाडू लगाई (jhaadoo lagaaii)
perfective (pl.f): झाडू लगाईं (jhaadoo lagaaiin)
imperative (informal): झाडू लगा (jhaadoo lagaa)
imperative (neutral): झाडू लगाओ (jhaadoo lagaao)
imperative (formal): झाडू लगाइए (jhaadoo lagaaie)
future (1sg.m): झाडू लगाऊँगा (jhaadoo lagaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f): झाडू लगाऊँगी (jhaadoo lagaaoongii)
future (1pl.m): झाडू लगाएँगे (jhaadoo lagaaenge)
future (1pl.f): झाडू लगाएँगी (jhaadoo lagaaengii)
future (2sg.m): झाडू लगाएगा (jhaadoo lagaaegaa)
future (2sg.f): झाडू लगाएगी (jhaadoo lagaaegii)
future (2pl.m): झाडू लगाओगे (jhaadoo lagaaoge)
future (2pl.f): झाडू लगाओगी (jhaadoo lagaaogii)
future (3sg.m): झाडू लगाएगा (jhaadoo lagaaegaa)
future (3sg.f): झाडू लगाएगी (jhaadoo lagaaegii)
future (3pl.m): झाडू लगाएँगे (jhaadoo lagaaenge)
future (3pl.f): झाडू लगाएँगी (jhaadoo lagaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg): झाडू लगाऊँ (jhaadoo lagaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl): झाडू लगाएँ (jhaadoo lagaaen)
subjunctive (2sg): झाडू लगाए (jhaadoo lagaae)
subjunctive (2pl): झाडू लगाओ (jhaadoo lagaao)
subjunctive (3sg): झाडू लगाए (jhaadoo lagaae)
subjunctive (3pl): झाडू लगाएँ (jhaadoo lagaaen)