सूखा (sookhaa)
adjective/noun/verb
Covers three related uses: an adjective meaning 'dry', a noun meaning 'drought', and the masculine past-tense form of the verb सूखना (sookhnaa, 'to dry/wither'), which itself gets a verb sense here since it is so commonly met in this form.
Sense
1
:
dry (not wet)
adjective
Synonyms: रूखा (rookhaa, also means 'harsh/curt' for people)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly around laundry and weather: कपड़े सूखे नहीं हैं (kapde sookhe nahiin hain, 'the clothes aren't dry yet') is a very common household line, since many homes air-dry clothes on a line or rooftop and everyone tracks whether they're ready to bring in.
Common Mistakes: 1) Don't confuse with रूखा (rookhaa) -- सूखा (sookhaa) describes something that has lost moisture (कपड़े (kapde, 'clothes'), मौसम (mausam, 'weather')), while रूखा (rookhaa) more often describes texture or a person's curt manner. 2) As an adjective it agrees in gender/number with the noun -- सूखी रोटी (sookhii rotii, 'dry bread/roti') not सूखा रोटी (sookhaa rotii).
Sample Sentences:
कपड़े अभी सूखे नहीं हैं।
The clothes aren't dry yet.
(kapde abhii sookhe nahiin hain।)
छत पर रखे कपड़े धूप में जल्दी सूख जाते हैं।
Clothes kept on the roof dry quickly in the sun.
(chhat par rakhe kapde dhoop men jaldii sookh jaate hain।)
यह तौलिया पूरी तरह सूखा है।
This towel is completely dry.
(yah tauliyaa poorii tarah sookhaa hai।)
मुझे सूखी लकड़ी चाहिए, गीली नहीं जलेगी।
I need dry wood; the wet one won't catch fire.
(mujhe sookhii lakdii chaahie, giilii nahiin jalegii।)
अगर बारिश नहीं होती तो सड़क सूखी रहती।
If it hadn't rained, the road would have stayed dry.
(agar baarish nahiin hotii to sadak sookhii rahtii।)
पहले जांच लो कि पेंट सूखा है या नहीं, फिर दीवार पर हाथ रखो।
First check whether the paint is dry or not, then touch the wall.
(pahle jaanch lo ki pent sookhaa hai yaa nahiin, phir diivaar par haath rakho।)
बालों को सूखा रखने के लिए हेयर ड्रायर का इस्तेमाल करें।
Use a hair dryer to keep your hair dry.
(baalon ko sookhaa rakhne ke lie heyar draayar kaa istemaal karen।)
शायद अब तक जींस सूख गई हो, ज़रा देख लेना।
The jeans might have dried by now, just go check.
(shaayad ab tak jiins sookh gaii ho, zaraa dekh lenaa।)
बरसात के मौसम में कपड़े जल्दी सूखे नहीं रह पाते।
During the rainy season, clothes can't stay dry quickly.
(barsaat ke mausam men kapde jaldii sookhe nahiin rah paate।)
जब मैंने कमीज़ छुई तो वह पूरी तरह सूखी थी।
When I touched the shirt, it was completely dry.
(jab mainne kamiiz chhuii to vah poorii tarah sookhii thii।)
गीले फर्श को सूखा बनाने के लिए पोंछा लगाया जाता है।
A mop is used to make the wet floor dry.
(giile pharsh ko sookhaa banaane ke lie ponchhaa lagaayaa jaataa hai।)
Sense
2
:
drought
noun, masculine
Synonyms: अकाल (akaal, famine/drought, often more severe connotation)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word shows up often in news about farming regions -- सूखा पड़ना (sookhaa padnaa, 'for a drought to occur') is the standard collocation you'll hear in reports about monsoon failure and its effect on farmers.
Common Mistakes: 1) सूखा (sookhaa) as a noun is masculine and refers specifically to a dry spell/drought affecting crops or a region, distinct from अकाल (akaal) which leans toward famine (the human crisis that can follow).
Sample Sentences:
इस साल राजस्थान में भयंकर सूखा पड़ा है।
This year a severe drought has hit Rajasthan.
(is saal raajasthaan men bhayankar sookhaa padaa hai।)
अगर मॉनसून कमज़ोर रहा, तो इस बार भी सूखा पड़ सकता है।
If the monsoon stays weak, there could be a drought again this time too.
(agar monsoon kamzor rahaa, to is baar bhii sookhaa pad saktaa hai।)
पिछले तीन सालों से इस इलाके में हर साल सूखा पड़ता है।
For the last three years, drought has occurred in this area every year.
(pichhle tiin saalon se is ilaake men har saal sookhaa padtaa hai।)
सूखे की वजह से किसानों की फसल पूरी तरह बर्बाद हो गई।
Because of the drought, the farmers' crops were completely ruined.
(sookhe kii vajah se kisaanon kii phasal poorii tarah barbaad ho gaii।)
सरकार ने सूखा प्रभावित क्षेत्रों के लिए राहत पैकेज की घोषणा की।
The government announced a relief package for the drought-affected areas.
(sarkaar ne sookhaa prabhaavit kshetron ke lie raahat paikej kii ghoshnaa kii।)
अगर बारिश समय पर हो जाती, तो शायद सूखा नहीं पड़ता।
If it had rained on time, maybe there wouldn't have been a drought.
(agar baarish samay par ho jaatii, to shaayad sookhaa nahiin padtaa।)
इस क्षेत्र को सूखे से बचाने के लिए नई सिंचाई योजना बनाई जा रही है।
A new irrigation plan is being made to save this region from drought.
(is kshetr ko sookhe se bachaane ke lie naii sinchaaii yojnaa banaaii jaa rahii hai।)
अगले महीने की रिपोर्ट में बताया जाएगा कि सूखा कितना गंभीर रहा।
Next month's report will state how severe the drought was.
(agle mahiine kii riport men bataayaa jaaegaa ki sookhaa kitnaa gambhiir rahaa।)
गाँव के बुज़ुर्ग कहते हैं कि ऐसा सूखा उन्होंने पहले कभी नहीं देखा।
The village elders say they have never seen such a drought before.
(gaanv ke buzurg kahte hain ki aisaa sookhaa unhonne pahle kabhii nahiin dekhaa।)
Sense
3
:
to dry, to wither (past tense form)
verb, intransitive This is the masculine singular perfective form of the intransitive verb सूखना (sookhnaa); it appears constantly on its own as a predicate, e.g. तालाब सूखा (taalaab sookhaa, 'the pond dried up'), which is why it earns its own sense here even though the infinitive is the true lemma.
Synonyms: मुरझाना (murjhaanaa, specifically for plants/flowers wilting)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: The extended, figurative use is very much alive: मुँह सूख गया (munh sookh gayaa, 'my mouth went dry', i.e. from fear or nervousness) is a classic body-as-agent expression, matching how English says 'my mouth went dry' but treating it as something that happens to you rather than something you do.
Common Mistakes: 1) सूखना (sookhnaa) is intransitive, so there is no ने (ne) marking even though it looks like a completed action -- पत्ता सूखा (pattaa sookhaa, 'the leaf dried up'), not पत्ते ने सूखा (patte ne sookhaa).
Sample Sentences:
बारिश न होने से तालाब सूख गया।
Because it did not rain, the pond dried up.
(baarish n hone se taalaab sookh gayaa।)
उसकी बात सुनकर मेरा मुँह सूख गया।
Hearing what he said, my mouth went dry.
(uskii baat sunkar meraa munh sookh gayaa।)
धूप में रखे-रखे कपड़े सूख गए हैं।
The clothes have dried after being left in the sun.
(dhoop men rakhe-rakhe kapde sookh gae hain।)
गमले का पौधा पानी न मिलने से सूख गया था।
The plant in the pot had withered from not getting water.
(gamle kaa paudhaa paanii n milne se sookh gayaa thaa।)
अगर तुम पौधे को पानी नहीं दोगे तो वह सूख जाएगा।
If you don't water the plant, it will wither.
(agar tum paudhe ko paanii nahiin doge to vah sookh jaaegaa।)
मंच पर बोलते समय उसका मुँह सूख गया और आवाज़ काँपने लगी।
While speaking on stage, his mouth went dry and his voice began to shake.
(manch par bolte samay uskaa munh sookh gayaa aur aavaaz kaampne lagii।)
अगर बारिश न हुई होती तो पूरी फ़सल सूख गई होती।
If it had not rained, the entire crop would have withered.
(agar baarish n huii hotii to poorii fasal sookh gaii hotii।)
यह देखकर कि नदी सूख चुकी है, गाँव वाले चिंतित हो गए।
Seeing that the river had already dried up, the villagers grew worried.
(yah dekhkar ki nadii sookh chukii hai, gaanv vaale chintit ho gae।)
पुलिस के सामने पेश होने से पहले उसका मुँह सूखने लगा था।
His mouth had started to go dry before he appeared before the police.
(pulis ke saamne pesh hone se pahle uskaa munh sookhne lagaa thaa।)
पेड़ की पत्तियाँ धूप और गर्मी से सूख जाती हैं।
The tree's leaves dry up from the sun and heat.
(ped kii pattiyaan dhoop aur garmii se sookh jaatii hain।)
कवि ने लिखा कि उसकी उम्मीदों की बेल सूख गई।
The poet wrote that the vine of his hopes had withered.
(kavi ne likhaa ki uskii ummiidon kii bel sookh gaii।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
सूखा
(sookhaa)
(pl.m):
सूखे
(sookhe)
(sg.f):
सूखी
(sookhii)
(pl.f):
सूखी
(sookhii)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
सूखा
(sookhaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
सूखे
(sookhe)
(pl.m.direct):
सूखे
(sookhe)
(pl.m.oblique):
सूखों
(sookhon)
Verb
infinitive:
सूखा
(sookhaa)
infinitive oblique:
सूखने
(sookhne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
सूखता
(sookhtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
सूखते
(sookhte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
सूखती
(sookhtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
सूखतीं
(sookhtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
सूख रहा
(sookh rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
सूख रहे
(sookh rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
सूख रही
(sookh rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
सूख रहीं
(sookh rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
सूखा
(sookhaa)
perfective (pl.m):
सूखे
(sookhe)
perfective (sg.f):
सूखी
(sookhii)
perfective (pl.f):
सूखीं
(sookhiin)
imperative (informal):
सूख
(sookh)
imperative (neutral):
सूखो
(sookho)
imperative (formal):
सूखिए
(sookhie)
future (1sg.m):
सूखूँगा
(sookhoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
सूखूँगी
(sookhoongii)
future (1pl.m):
सूखेंगे
(sookhenge)
future (1pl.f):
सूखेंगी
(sookhengii)
future (2sg.m):
सूखेगा
(sookhegaa)
future (2sg.f):
सूखेगी
(sookhegii)
future (2pl.m):
सूखोगे
(sookhoge)
future (2pl.f):
सूखोगी
(sookhogii)
future (3sg.m):
सूखेगा
(sookhegaa)
future (3sg.f):
सूखेगी
(sookhegii)
future (3pl.m):
सूखेंगे
(sookhenge)
future (3pl.f):
सूखेंगी
(sookhengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
सूखूँ
(sookhoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
सूखें
(sookhen)
subjunctive (2sg):
सूखे
(sookhe)
subjunctive (2pl):
सूखो
(sookho)
subjunctive (3sg):
सूखे
(sookhe)
subjunctive (3pl):
सूखें
(sookhen)