घुटना (ghutnaa)
noun/verb
Two senses share this form: the noun घुटना (ghutnaa) meaning 'knee', and the verb घुटना (ghutnaa) meaning 'to be suffocated/stifled' or 'to be brewed/steeped' (of tea, etc.), used mostly figuratively for feeling stifled.
Sense
1
:
knee
noun, masculine
Synonyms: जानु (jaanu, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly in everyday phrases like घुटनों के दर्द (ghutnon ke dard, 'knee pain') -- knee pain is almost a cultural rite of passage for aging relatives in India, endlessly discussed over chai. The idiom घुटने टेकना (ghutne teknaa, 'to kneel, to give up/surrender') literally means 'to place the knees down' and is used just like English 'to kneel before' someone, both literally and in the sense of admitting defeat.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes forget this is masculine and try to agree adjectives/verbs with it as feminine -- घुटना (ghutnaa) follows the regular masculine -आ noun pattern (घुटने ghutne in oblique/plural).
Sample Sentences:
मेरी दादी को घुटनों में बहुत दर्द रहता है।
My grandmother has a lot of pain in her knees.
(merii daadii ko ghutnon men bahut dard rahtaa hai।)
खेलते वक़्त वह गिर गया और उसका घुटना छिल गया।
While playing he fell and scraped his knee.
(khelte vaqt vah gir gayaa aur uskaa ghutnaa chhil gayaa।)
दुश्मन की सेना आख़िरकार घुटने टेकने पर मजबूर हो गई।
The enemy army was finally forced to surrender.
(dushman kii senaa aakhirkaar ghutne tekne par majboor ho gaii।)
वह मंदिर में भगवान के सामने घुटने टेककर बैठा है।
He is kneeling before God in the temple.
(vah mandir men bhagvaan ke saamne ghutne tekkar baithaa hai।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि उसके घुटने का ऑपरेशन करना पड़ेगा।
The doctor said that his knee will need surgery.
(doktar ne kahaa ki uske ghutne kaa opreshan karnaa padegaa।)
अगर तुम्हारे घुटनों में इतना दर्द है तो जिम मत जाओ।
If your knees hurt this much, don't go to the gym.
(agar tumhaare ghutnon men itnaa dard hai to jim mat jaao।)
अगर मेरा घुटना ठीक होता, तो मैं मैराथन में दौड़ता।
If my knee were fine, I would run in the marathon.
(agar meraa ghutnaa thiik hotaa, to main mairaathan men daudtaa।)
सर्दियों में घुटनों की सूजन और बढ़ जाती है।
The swelling in the knees increases even more during winter.
(sardiyon men ghutnon kii soojan aur badh jaatii hai।)
बच्चा घुटनों के बल चलना सीख रहा है।
The baby is learning to crawl on its knees.
(bachchaa ghutnon ke bal chalnaa siikh rahaa hai।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि सर्जरी के बाद उसका घुटना ठीक हो जाएगा।
I hope that his knee will heal after the surgery.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki sarjrii ke baad uskaa ghutnaa thiik ho jaaegaa।)
युद्ध में हारकर राजा को शत्रु के आगे घुटने टेकने पड़े।
Having lost the war, the king had to kneel before the enemy.
(yuddh men haarkar raajaa ko shatru ke aage ghutne tekne pade।)
Sense
2
:
to be suffocated, to feel stifled
verb, intransitive Almost always appears as दम घुटना (dam ghutnaa, 'breath gets suffocated') rather than the bare verb alone -- घुटना (ghutnaa by itself, without दम dam) sounds incomplete to native ears in this sense.
Synonyms: घबराना (ghabraanaa, to feel anxious/panicked -- close but not identical), दम घुटना (dam ghutnaa, set phrase, same idea)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Hindi loves to locate suffering in the body rather than saying 'I feel suffocated' directly -- दम घुटना (dam ghutnaa) literally has your 'breath' as the grammatical subject doing the choking, the same body-as-agent logic you see in भूख लगना (bhookh lagnaa, hunger) or गुस्सा आना (gussaa aanaa, anger arriving). People use it heavily for stifling emotional situations, e.g. a suffocating job or marriage, not just literal lack of air.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners try to use this transitively ('to suffocate someone') -- this sense of घुटना (ghutnaa) is intransitive; to suffocate *someone else* you need the causative घोंटना (ghontnaa) or गला घोंटना (galaa ghontnaa, 'to strangle'), a different verb, not a form of this one. 2) The figurative use (feeling emotionally stifled, as in a suffocating environment or relationship) is far more common in daily speech than the literal 'can't breathe' sense.
Sample Sentences:
इस कमरे में दम घुटता है।
One feels suffocated in this room.
(is kamre men dam ghuttaa hai।)
उस रिश्ते में उसका दम घुट रहा था।
She was feeling suffocated in that relationship.
(us rishte men uskaa dam ghut rahaa thaa।)
इस नौकरी में मेरा दम घुट गया है।
I have felt completely suffocated in this job.
(is naukrii men meraa dam ghut gayaa hai।)
अगर हम यहाँ और रुके, तो हमारा दम घुट जाएगा।
If we stay here any longer, we'll feel suffocated.
(agar ham yahaan aur ruke, to hamaaraa dam ghut jaaegaa।)
अगर वह उस घर में रहती, तो उसका दम घुटता।
If she had lived in that house, she would have felt stifled.
(agar vah us ghar men rahtii, to uskaa dam ghuttaa।)
यहाँ से निकल जाओ, नहीं तो दम घुट जाएगा।
Get out of here, or you'll suffocate.
(yahaan se nikal jaao, nahiin to dam ghut jaaegaa।)
शायद इस माहौल में उसका दम घुटता हो।
Maybe he feels stifled in this atmosphere.
(shaayad is maahaul men uskaa dam ghuttaa ho।)
बंद गाड़ी में इतनी भीड़ थी कि दम घुटने लगा।
The closed car was so crowded that I started feeling suffocated.
(band gaadii men itnii bhiid thii ki dam ghutne lagaa।)
इस शादी में मेरा दम घुटता जा रहा है।
I keep feeling more and more suffocated in this marriage.
(is shaadii men meraa dam ghuttaa jaa rahaa hai।)
इस तरह की पाबंदियों से तो किसी का भी दम घुट जाए।
Restrictions like these would suffocate just about anyone.
(is tarah kii paabandiyon se to kisii kaa bhii dam ghut jaae।)
Sense
3
:
to be brewed/steeped, to simmer slowly
verb, intransitive Used for something (tea, a stew, a marinade) sitting and steeping over slow heat until it thickens or intensifies in flavor; also extended figuratively to a feeling or grudge that 'stews' inside someone over time.
Synonyms: पकना (paknaa, to cook/ripen -- broader term), गलना (galnaa, to melt/dissolve -- related but distinct)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is the verb your grandmother uses when she says the chai needs to घुटना (ghutnaa) a little longer on low flame before it's ready -- it captures that slow, patient reduction that's central to good Indian tea and slow-cooked curries alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners may not realize this culinary sense extends figuratively -- मन में गुस्सा घुटना (man men gussaa ghutnaa, 'anger simmering in the heart') uses the same verb as chai brewing on the stove.
Sample Sentences:
चाय को धीमी आग पर थोड़ा और घुटने दो।
Let the tea simmer down a bit more on low flame.
(chaay ko dhiimii aag par thodaa aur ghutne do।)
दादी कहती हैं कि चाय जब तक अच्छी तरह घुटती नहीं, उसका स्वाद नहीं आता।
Grandmother says the tea doesn't taste right until it simmers down properly.
(daadii kahtii hain ki chaay jab tak achchhii tarah ghuttii nahiin, uskaa svaad nahiin aataa।)
मसाला अभी घुट रहा है, थोड़ी देर और लगेगी।
The spice mix is still simmering down, it'll take a little longer.
(masaalaa abhii ghut rahaa hai, thodii der aur lagegii।)
कल रात की दाल पूरी रात धीमी आग पर घुटती रही थी।
Last night's lentils had been simmering slowly on low flame all night.
(kal raat kii daal poorii raat dhiimii aag par ghuttii rahii thii।)
जब चाय पूरी तरह घुट गई, तब उन्होंने उसे कप में डाला।
Once the tea had fully steeped down, she poured it into the cup.
(jab chaay poorii tarah ghut gaii, tab unhonne use kap men daalaa।)
अगर मसाला ठीक से घुटता तो सब्ज़ी का स्वाद और गहरा होता।
If the spices had simmered down properly, the vegetable dish would have tasted richer.
(agar masaalaa thiik se ghuttaa to sabzii kaa svaad aur gahraa hotaa।)
मेरी माँ चाहती है कि चाय आराम से घुटे, जल्दबाज़ी में नहीं।
My mother wants the tea to simmer down slowly, not in a hurry.
(merii maan chaahtii hai ki chaay aaraam se ghute, jaldbaazii men nahiin।)
पुराने ज़माने में मसाले घंटों धीमी आँच पर घुटाए जाते थे।
In olden times, spices used to be simmered down for hours on low heat.
(puraane zamaane men masaale ghanton dhiimii aanch par ghutaae jaate the।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
घुटना
(ghutnaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
घुटने
(ghutne)
(pl.m.direct):
घुटने
(ghutne)
(pl.m.oblique):
घुटनों
(ghutnon)
Verb
infinitive:
घुटना
(ghutnaa)
infinitive oblique:
घुटने
(ghutne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
घुटता
(ghuttaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
घुटते
(ghutte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
घुटती
(ghuttii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
घुटतीं
(ghuttiin)
continuous (sg.m):
घुट रहा
(ghut rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
घुट रहे
(ghut rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
घुट रही
(ghut rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
घुट रहीं
(ghut rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
घुटा
(ghutaa)
perfective (pl.m):
घुटे
(ghute)
perfective (sg.f):
घुटी
(ghutii)
perfective (pl.f):
घुटीं
(ghutiin)
imperative (informal):
घुट
(ghut)
imperative (neutral):
घुटो
(ghuto)
imperative (formal):
घुटिए
(ghutie)
future (1sg.m):
घुटूँगा
(ghutoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
घुटूँगी
(ghutoongii)
future (1pl.m):
घुटेंगे
(ghutenge)
future (1pl.f):
घुटेंगी
(ghutengii)
future (2sg.m):
घुटेगा
(ghutegaa)
future (2sg.f):
घुटेगी
(ghutegii)
future (2pl.m):
घुटोगे
(ghutoge)
future (2pl.f):
घुटोगी
(ghutogii)
future (3sg.m):
घुटेगा
(ghutegaa)
future (3sg.f):
घुटेगी
(ghutegii)
future (3pl.m):
घुटेंगे
(ghutenge)
future (3pl.f):
घुटेंगी
(ghutengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
घुटूँ
(ghutoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
घुटें
(ghuten)
subjunctive (2sg):
घुटे
(ghute)
subjunctive (2pl):
घुटो
(ghuto)
subjunctive (3sg):
घुटे
(ghute)
subjunctive (3pl):
घुटें
(ghuten)