चना (chanaa)

noun Refers to the chickpea/gram, most often met in the plural चने (chane) as the snack food or the roasted/boiled dish, and in the compound चना दाल (chanaa daal) for split gram.

Sense 1 : chickpea / gram (the legume, and food made from it)

noun, masculine

Synonyms: काला चना (kaalaa chanaa, black chickpea variety)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: Roasted चने (chane) sold by street vendors in a folded newspaper cone are a classic winter-evening snack in Delhi, often eaten with a squeeze of lemon and salt. उबले चने (uble chane, 'boiled chickpeas') are also a common high-protein breakfast, especially for people who work out -- you'll hear gym-going friends say भीगे चने (bhiige chane, 'soaked chickpeas') as a health food.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use the singular चना (chanaa) when talking about a handful or plate of the snack; native speakers almost always say चने (chane) in the plural for that, reserving the singular for the crop/grain in general or the dal made from it. 2) चना (chanaa) is the whole/split gram itself; don't confuse it with छोला (chholaa)/छोले (chhole), the cooked chickpea curry -- related but a different dish.

Sample Sentences:

सर्दियों में गरम चने खाने का अपना ही मज़ा है। There's a special joy in eating hot chickpeas in winter.

(sardiyon men garam chane khaane kaa apnaa hii mazaa hai।)

मैं रोज़ सुबह भीगे चने खाता हूँ, प्रोटीन के लिए अच्छे होते हैं। I eat soaked chickpeas every morning, they're good for protein.

(main roz subah bhiige chane khaataa hoon, protiin ke lie achchhe hote hain।)

उसने ठेले वाले से एक कोन भुने चने ख़रीदे। He bought a cone of roasted chickpeas from the cart vendor.

(usne thele vaale se ek kon bhune chane khariide।)

चनों को रातभर पानी में भिगो दो, सुबह उबाल लेना। Soak the chickpeas in water overnight, boil them in the morning.

(chanon ko raatbhar paanii men bhigo do, subah ubaal lenaa।)

बाज़ार में चने के भाव पिछले महीने से बढ़ गए हैं। The price of chickpeas has gone up since last month in the market.

(baazaar men chane ke bhaav pichhle mahiine se badh gae hain।)

अगर तुम जिम जाते हो, तो नाश्ते में उबले चने ज़रूर खाओ। If you go to the gym, definitely eat boiled chickpeas for breakfast.

(agar tum jim jaate ho, to naashte men uble chane zaroor khaao।)

पार्क में सर्दी की शाम को लोग अख़बार के कोन में चने लिए बैठे थे। In the park on a winter evening, people were sitting with chickpeas in newspaper cones.

(paark men sardii kii shaam ko log akhbaar ke kon men chane lie baithe the।)

चने की दाल से बनी मिठाई त्योहारों पर ख़ास बनाई जाती है। Sweets made from chickpea lentils are specially made during festivals.

(chane kii daal se banii mithaaii tyohaaron par khaas banaaii jaatii hai।)

काश हमारे पास ताज़े भुने चने होते, इस ठंड में मज़ा आ जाता। I wish we had fresh roasted chickpeas, it would have been so nice in this cold.

(kaash hamaare paas taaze bhune chane hote, is thand men mazaa aa jaataa।)

नींबू और नमक डालकर चने खाना मुझे बहुत पसंद है। I really like eating chickpeas with a squeeze of lemon and salt.

(niimboo aur namak daalkar chane khaanaa mujhe bahut pasand hai।)

क्या तुम बाज़ार से एक किलो चना लाओगे? Will you bring a kilo of chickpeas from the market?

(kyaa tum baazaar se ek kilo chanaa laaoge?)

Sense 2 : idiom: something trivial/insignificant (as in 'chana chabaana' type expressions)

noun, masculine Lives almost entirely inside fixed idiomatic phrases rather than as a free-standing meaning; the sentences in Pass 2 will show the actual idiom in context.

Frequency: low

Cultural Note: This figurative use grows out of the same humble, everyday grain as the literal sense -- something as small and ordinary as a chickpea becomes a natural stand-in for anything trifling, the way English might reach for 'peanuts.'

Common Mistakes: 1) This sense doesn't stand alone -- you won't hear चना (chanaa) used by itself to mean 'trivial thing' outside of set phrases, so don't try to build new sentences with it in this sense.

Sample Sentences:

ये काम कोई चने का खेल नहीं है। This task is no small/trivial thing.

(ye kaam koii chane kaa khel nahiin hai।)

उसे लगता है कि दूसरों को हराना चने का खेल है। He thinks that beating others is child's play (a trivial thing).

(use lagtaa hai ki doosron ko haraanaa chane kaa khel hai।)

इतनी बड़ी परीक्षा पास करना कोई चने का खेल नहीं था। Passing such a big exam was no trivial matter.

(itnii badii pariikshaa paas karnaa koii chane kaa khel nahiin thaa।)

अगर यह चने का खेल होता, तो सब लोग कब का कर चुके होते। If this were something trivial, everyone would have done it long ago.

(agar yah chane kaa khel hotaa, to sab log kab kaa kar chuke hote।)

मत सोचो कि यह चने का खेल है, इसमें बहुत मेहनत लगेगी। Don't think this is some trivial thing -- it will take a lot of hard work.

(mat socho ki yah chane kaa khel hai, ismen bahut mehnat lagegii।)

क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि नई भाषा सीखना चने का खेल है? Do you think learning a new language is some trivial thing?

(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki naii bhaashaa siikhnaa chane kaa khel hai?)

शायद उसे यह चने का खेल लगे, पर मेरे लिए मुश्किल है। Maybe it seems trivial to him, but it's difficult for me.

(shaayad use yah chane kaa khel lage, par mere lie mushkil hai।)

इस कंपनी को चलाना चने का खेल नहीं, बड़ी जिम्मेदारी है। Running this company is no trivial matter -- it's a big responsibility.

(is kampnii ko chalaanaa chane kaa khel nahiin, badii jimmedaarii hai।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.m.direct): चना (chanaa)

(sg.m.oblique): चने (chane)

(pl.m.direct): चने (chane)

(pl.m.oblique): चनों (chanon)