पिलाना (pilaanaa)
verb
The causative of पीना (piinaa, 'to drink') -- it means 'to give something to drink' or 'to make someone drink'; it also carries a specific slang sense about giving someone a beating.
Sense
1
:
to give (someone) something to drink
verb, transitive Takes a dative/को-marked recipient plus an object for the liquid: X ko Y pilaanaa (X ko Y pilaanaa).
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word comes up constantly around chai and water -- offering to पिलाना (pilaanaa) someone tea or water is a basic act of hospitality in any Indian home or office. You'll also hear माँ बच्चे को दूध पिलाती है (maan bachche ko doodh pilaatii hai, 'the mother breastfeeds/nurses the child') where पिलाना (pilaanaa) is the standard verb for nursing/breastfeeding, since milk is something 'drunk'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use पीना (piinaa) with a को-marked person when they mean 'give someone a drink' -- but पीना (piinaa) only works for the drinker's own act of drinking, while पिलाना (pilaanaa) is required when a second person is causing/serving the drinking. 2) The recipient is marked with को (ko), not से (se) -- माँ बच्चे को दूध पिलाती है (maan bachche ko doodh pilaatii hai, 'the mother gives the child milk to drink'), not बच्चे से (bachche se).
Sample Sentences:
माँ अपने बच्चे को दूध पिलाती है।
The mother breastfeeds her child.
(maan apne bachche ko doodh pilaatii hai।)
Listen: F85
उसने मुझे ठंडा पानी पिलाया।
He gave me cold water to drink.
(usne mujhe thandaa paanii pilaayaa।)
Listen: F85
पहले मेहमान को पानी पिलाओ, फिर बात करो।
First give the guest some water, then talk.
(pahle mehmaan ko paanii pilaao, phir baat karo।)
Listen: F85
दफ़्तर में सबको चाय पिलाई जा रही है।
Everyone at the office is being served tea.
(daftar men sabko chaay pilaaii jaa rahii hai।)
Listen: F85
अगर वह घर पर होती, तो हमें चाय पिलाती।
If she had been home, she would have made us tea.
(agar vah ghar par hotii, to hamen chaay pilaatii।)
Listen: M85
नर्स मरीज़ को दवा के साथ पानी पिला रही है।
The nurse is giving the patient water along with his medicine.
(nars mariiz ko davaa ke saath paanii pilaa rahii hai।)
Listen: M85
बच्चे को दूध पिलाने का समय हो गया है।
It is time to breastfeed the baby.
(bachche ko doodh pilaane kaa samay ho gayaa hai।)
Listen: M85
आइए, आपको एक कप चाय पिलाते हैं।
Come, let us get you a cup of tea.
(aaie, aapko ek kap chaay pilaate hain।)
Listen: F85
जब भी कोई मेहमान आता है, दादी उसे शरबत पिलाती हैं।
Whenever a guest comes, grandmother gives them a sweet drink.
(jab bhii koii mehmaan aataa hai, daadii use sharbat pilaatii hain।)
Listen: F85
उसे दूध पिलाया गया ताकि वह जल्दी सो जाए।
He was given milk so that he would fall asleep quickly.
(use doodh pilaayaa gayaa taaki vah jaldii so jaae।)
Listen: M85
Sense
2
:
to get someone drunk, to ply with alcohol
verb, transitive
Synonyms: शराब पिलाना (sharaab pilaanaa, 'to make someone drink liquor')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: उसने दोस्तों को पिलाई (usne doston ko pilaaii, 'he treated his friends to drinks') is a very common phrase among friend groups celebrating something -- a raise, a birthday, a cricket win. It carries a casual, masculine, adda-culture flavor.
Common Mistakes: 1) Without an explicit object, पिलाना (pilaanaa) in a social context (especially दोस्तों को पिलाना (doston ko pilaanaa)) is often understood as alcohol by default, similar to how पीना (piinaa) alone can imply drinking alcohol -- learners are sometimes surprised the liquid doesn't need to be named.
Sample Sentences:
आज मैं दोस्तों को पिलाऊँगा, रेज़ बोनस मिला है।
Today I'll treat my friends to drinks, I got a raise bonus.
(aaj main doston ko pilaaoongaa, rez bonas milaa hai।)
Listen: F85
उसने दोस्तों को पिलाई और फिर सबने साथ में जश्न मनाया।
He treated his friends to drinks and then everyone celebrated together.
(usne doston ko pilaaii aur phir sabne saath men jashn manaayaa।)
Listen: F85
वह हर जीत के बाद टीम को पिलाता है।
He treats the team to drinks after every win.
(vah har jiit ke baad tiim ko pilaataa hai।)
Listen: M85
वे उसे इतना पिला रहे थे कि वह ठीक से खड़ा भी नहीं हो पा रहा था।
They were plying him with so much alcohol that he couldn't even stand properly.
(ve use itnaa pilaa rahe the ki vah thiik se khadaa bhii nahiin ho paa rahaa thaa।)
Listen: M85
यार, आज मुझे मत पिला, कल सुबह मीटिंग है।
Dude, don't make me drink tonight, I have a meeting tomorrow morning.
(yaar, aaj mujhe mat pilaa, kal subah miiting hai।)
Listen: M85
अगर वह मुझे इतना न पिलाता तो मुझे इतना सिरदर्द न होता।
If he hadn't plied me with so much alcohol, I wouldn't have such a headache.
(agar vah mujhe itnaa n pilaataa to mujhe itnaa sirdard n hotaa।)
Listen: F85
उन्होंने जानबूझकर उसे पिलाया ताकि वह राज़ खोल दे।
They deliberately got him drunk so that he would spill the secret.
(unhonne jaanboojhkar use pilaayaa taaki vah raaz khol de।)
Listen: F85
शायद दुल्हे के दोस्त उसे शादी से पहले खूब पिलाएँ।
The groom's friends might get him thoroughly drunk before the wedding.
(shaayad dulhe ke dost use shaadii se pahle khoob pilaaen।)
Listen: M85
बॉस को पार्टी में उसके चमचों ने खुलकर पिलाया।
The boss's flatterers openly plied him with drinks at the party.
(bos ko paartii men uske chamchon ne khulkar pilaayaa।)
Listen: F85
नए लड़के को पिलाया जा रहा था ताकि वह ग्रुप में शामिल हो सके।
The new guy was being plied with drinks so that he could be included in the group.
(nae ladke ko pilaayaa jaa rahaa thaa taaki vah grup men shaamil ho sake।)
Listen: F85
Sense
3
:
to give a beating to (slang)
verb, transitive Used in the same causative-sounding frame but with no literal liquid involved; the object is the person being beaten.
Synonyms: पीटना (piitnaa), धुनना (dhunnaa, colloquial)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is classic Delhi street-slang bravado -- एक थप्पड़ पिलाऊँगा (ek thappad pilaaoongaa, 'I'll slap you one') is the kind of line you hear in playful arguments or Bollywood tough-guy dialogue, extending the 'make someone take something' logic of the drinking sense to a slap or punch.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense only appears in informal/slang speech, often in mock-threatening or joking contexts like एक पिलाऊँगा (ek pilaaoongaa, 'I'll land one on you') -- learners shouldn't use it in neutral or polite registers expecting it to mean 'to give a drink'.
Sample Sentences:
उसने चोर को दो घूँसे पिला दिए।
He gave the thief a couple of punches.
(usne chor ko do ghoonse pilaa die।)
Listen: F85
अगर तू फिर बोला तो एक पिला दूँगा।
If you say that again, I'll land you one.
(agar too phir bolaa to ek pilaa doongaa।)
Listen: F85
भाई, उसे एक अच्छा सा थप्पड़ पिला दे!
Bro, give him a good slap!
(bhaaii, use ek achchhaa saa thappad pilaa de!)
Listen: F85
वो हमेशा छोटे भाई को एक झापड़ पिला देता है।
He always slaps his younger brother around when he's naughty.
(vo hameshaa chhote bhaaii ko ek jhaapad pilaa detaa hai।)
Listen: F85
अगर वो सामने आया तो मैं उसे पिला दूँगा।
If he comes in front of me, I'll thrash him.
(agar vo saamne aayaa to main use pilaa doongaa।)
Listen: M85
गुंडे उस लड़के को गली में पिला रहे थे।
The goons were beating up that boy in the alley.
(gunde us ladke ko galii men pilaa rahe the।)
Listen: M85
अगर वक्त पर मदद न मिलती तो उसे और पिला दिया जाता।
If help hadn't arrived in time, he would have been beaten up even more.
(agar vakt par madad n miltii to use aur pilaa diyaa jaataa।)
Listen: F85
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
पिलाना
(pilaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
पिलाने
(pilaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पिलाता
(pilaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पिलाते
(pilaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पिलाती
(pilaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पिलातीं
(pilaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पिला रहा
(pilaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पिला रहे
(pilaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पिला रही
(pilaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पिला रहीं
(pilaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पिलाया
(pilaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पिलाए
(pilaae)
perfective (sg.f):
पिलाई
(pilaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
पिलाईं
(pilaaiin)
imperative (informal):
पिला
(pilaa)
imperative (neutral):
पिलाओ
(pilaao)
imperative (formal):
पिलाइए
(pilaaie)
future (1sg.m):
पिलाऊँगा
(pilaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पिलाऊँगी
(pilaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पिलाएँगे
(pilaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
पिलाएँगी
(pilaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
पिलाएगा
(pilaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पिलाएगी
(pilaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
पिलाओगे
(pilaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
पिलाओगी
(pilaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
पिलाएगा
(pilaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पिलाएगी
(pilaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
पिलाएँगे
(pilaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
पिलाएँगी
(pilaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पिलाऊँ
(pilaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पिलाएँ
(pilaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
पिलाए
(pilaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
पिलाओ
(pilaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
पिलाए
(pilaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
पिलाएँ
(pilaaen)