पता (pataa)
noun/verb
Two distinct senses share this spelling: the noun meaning 'address' or 'knowledge/awareness' (as in the very common phrase पता होना (pataa honaa)), and the same noun used with चलना (chalnaa) or लगना (lagnaa) to mean 'to find out.'
Sense
1
:
knowledge, awareness (of a fact)
noun, masculine Used almost always with होना (honaa) in a dative-subject frame: X को पता है (X ko pataa hai) = 'X knows.' The knower takes को (ko), not ने (ne).
Synonyms: जानकारी (jaankaarii), इल्म (ilm, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the first dative-subject constructions learners meet outside लगना (lagnaa): पता (pataa) behaves like a possessed state rather than an action, so Hindi frames 'knowing' as something that is present to you, not something you do. You will hear किसे पता? (kise pataa?, 'who knows?') used almost like a shrug in casual conversation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say मैं पता हूँ (main pataa hoon) by analogy with 'I know' -- the correct frame is मुझे पता है (mujhe pataa hai), with the knower marked by को (ko) and पता (pataa) treated as a fixed noun-subject with है (hai). 2) In the past, this becomes मुझे पता था (mujhe pataa thaa), not मैंने पता किया (mainne pataa kiyaa) -- that phrasing means something else (see 'to find out' sense).
Sample Sentences:
मुझे इस बात का पता है।
I know about this.
(mujhe is baat kaa pataa hai।)
क्या तुम्हें पता है कि कल छुट्टी है?
Do you know that tomorrow is a holiday?
(kyaa tumhen pataa hai ki kal chhuttii hai?)
मुझे उसकी शादी के बारे में कुछ नहीं पता था।
I did not know anything about his wedding.
(mujhe uskii shaadii ke baare men kuchh nahiin pataa thaa।)
किसे पता कि आगे क्या होगा?
Who knows what will happen next?
(kise pataa ki aage kyaa hogaa?)
अगर मुझे पता होता, तो मैं पहले ही बता देता।
If I had known, I would have told you earlier.
(agar mujhe pataa hotaa, to main pahle hii bataa detaa।)
सबको पता होना चाहिए कि यह कानून कब लागू हुआ।
Everyone should know when this law came into effect.
(sabko pataa honaa chaahie ki yah kaanoon kab laagoo huaa।)
मुझे नहीं पता कि वह अभी कहाँ है।
I don't know where he is right now.
(mujhe nahiin pataa ki vah abhii kahaan hai।)
इस मामले की पूरी जानकारी सबको पता होनी चाहिए, यह मेरी राय है।
Everyone should be aware of the full details of this matter, that's my opinion.
(is maamle kii poorii jaankaarii sabko pataa honii chaahie, yah merii raay hai।)
उसे अपनी गलती का पता नहीं था, वरना वह माफी माँग लेता।
He didn't know about his mistake, otherwise he would have apologized.
(use apnii galtii kaa pataa nahiin thaa, varnaa vah maaphii maang letaa।)
भगवान जाने, उसे इस राज़ का पता कैसे चला होगा -- यह तो उसे ही पता है।
God knows how he found out this secret -- only he really knows.
(bhagvaan jaane, use is raaz kaa pataa kaise chalaa hogaa -- yah to use hii pataa hai।)
क्या आपको इस समस्या की गंभीरता का पता है?
Are you aware of the seriousness of this problem?
(kyaa aapko is samasyaa kii gambhiirtaa kaa pataa hai?)
Sense
2
:
address (postal/location)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: ठिकाना (thikaanaa, less common)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Asking अपना पता बताइए (apnaa pataa bataaie, 'please tell me your address') is a routine, slightly formal request -- couriers, hotel clerks, and form-fillers all reach for पता (pataa) rather than any fancier word.
Common Mistakes: 1) घर का पता (ghar kaa pataa, 'home address') uses का (kaa) to link the place and the noun, which learners sometimes replace with में (men) or की (kii) by mistake, forgetting पता (pataa) is masculine.
Sample Sentences:
कृपया अपना पता बताइए।
Please tell me your address.
(kripyaa apnaa pataa bataaie।)
मेरा पता बदल गया है।
My address has changed.
(meraa pataa badal gayaa hai।)
क्या आप मुझे दफ़्तर का पता भेज सकते हैं?
Could you send me the office address?
(kyaa aap mujhe daftar kaa pataa bhej sakte hain?)
फ़ॉर्म में अपना पूरा पता लिखिए।
Write your complete address on the form.
(form men apnaa pooraa pataa likhie।)
डाकिया हर सुबह इसी पते पर चिट्ठियाँ लाता है।
The postman brings letters to this very address every morning.
(daakiyaa har subah isii pate par chitthiyaan laataa hai।)
अगर पता सही होता, तो पार्सल समय पर पहुँच जाता।
If the address had been correct, the parcel would have arrived on time.
(agar pataa sahii hotaa, to paarsal samay par pahunch jaataa।)
होटल वाले ने मुझसे मेरा पता पूछा।
The hotel clerk asked me for my address.
(hotal vaale ne mujhse meraa pataa poochhaa।)
यह पता तो गलत लिखा गया है।
This address has been written incorrectly.
(yah pataa to galat likhaa gayaa hai।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि कूरियर वाला सही पते पर पहुँचेगा।
I hope the courier person will reach the correct address.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki kooriyar vaalaa sahii pate par pahunchegaa।)
क्या तुम्हें उसका नया पता मालूम है?
Do you know his new address?
(kyaa tumhen uskaa nayaa pataa maaloom hai?)
आवेदन-पत्र में स्थायी पता और वर्तमान पता दोनों भरना अनिवार्य है।
It is mandatory to fill in both the permanent address and the current address in the application form.
(aavedan-patr men sthaayii pataa aur vartmaan pataa donon bharnaa anivaary hai।)
Sense
3
:
to find out, come to know (as part of the compound पता चलना/लगना)
verb, intransitive Functions only inside the fixed compounds पता चलना (pataa chalnaa) and पता लगना (pataa lagnaa), both intransitive with a को (ko)-marked experiencer: उसे पता चला (use pataa chalaa, 'he found out'). पता लगाना (pataa lagaanaa) is the transitive counterpart, 'to find out/investigate' with an agentive subject and ने (ne) in the past.
Synonyms: मालूम होना (maaloom honaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This pair (पता चलना (pataa chalnaa) vs. पता लगाना (pataa lagaanaa)) is a nice small window into Hindi's habit of separating things that happen to you from things you deliberately do -- news 'arrives' at you (चलना (chalnaa)), but a detective 'applies effort' to dig it up (लगाना (lagaanaa)).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners confuse पता चलना (pataa chalnaa) (something becomes known to you, intransitive) with पता लगाना (pataa lagaanaa) (you actively find something out, transitive, takes ने (ne) in the past). 2) मुझे पता चला (mujhe pataa chalaa) is often mistranslated word-for-word as 'to me knowledge moved' instead of the natural 'I found out' -- the compound should be learned as a unit, not built from parts.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे कल पता चला कि वह शहर छोड़कर जा चुकी है।
I found out yesterday that she had already left the city.
(mujhe kal pataa chalaa ki vah shahar chhodkar jaa chukii hai।)
पुलिस पूरी रात लगी रही पर उन्हें कुछ पता नहीं चला।
The police stayed at it all night, but they did not find out anything.
(pulis poorii raat lagii rahii par unhen kuchh pataa nahiin chalaa।)
जासूस ने महीनों मेहनत करके आखिरकार असली हत्यारे का पता लगा लिया।
After months of effort, the detective finally tracked down the real killer.
(jaasoos ne mahiinon mehnat karke aakhirkaar aslii hatyaare kaa pataa lagaa liyaa।)
जैसे ही उसे पता चलेगा, वह फौरन फोन करेगी।
As soon as she finds out, she will call right away.
(jaise hii use pataa chalegaa, vah phauran phon karegii।)
क्या तुम पता लगा सकते हो कि यह चिट्ठी किसने भेजी है?
Can you find out who sent this letter?
(kyaa tum pataa lagaa sakte ho ki yah chitthii kisne bhejii hai?)
अगर सच में मुझे पता चलता, तो मैं तुम्हें पहले ही बता देता।
If I had actually found out, I would have told you already.
(agar sach men mujhe pataa chaltaa, to main tumhen pahle hii bataa detaa।)
ज़रा पता तो लगाओ कि ट्रेन कितनी देर से चल रही है।
Just go find out how late the train is running.
(zaraa pataa to lagaao ki tren kitnii der se chal rahii hai।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि जल्द ही सच्चाई का पता चल जाएगा।
I hope that the truth will come to light soon.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki jald hii sachchaaii kaa pataa chal jaaegaa।)
जब तक हमें उसका पता नहीं चलता, हमें सतर्क रहना चाहिए।
Until we find out about him, we should stay alert.
(jab tak hamen uskaa pataa nahiin chaltaa, hamen satark rahnaa chaahie।)
जांच अधिकारी द्वारा असली वजह का पता लगाया गया।
The real cause was found out by the investigating officer.
(jaanch adhikaarii dvaaraa aslii vajah kaa pataa lagaayaa gayaa।)
गांव वालों को धीरे-धीरे उस साजिश का पता चलने लगा था।
The villagers had slowly begun to find out about that conspiracy.
(gaanv vaalon ko dhiire-dhiire us saajish kaa pataa chalne lagaa thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पता
(pataa)
(sg.m.oblique):
पता
(pataa)
(pl.m.direct):
पता
(pataa)
(pl.m.oblique):
पताओं
(pataaon)
Verb
infinitive:
पता
(pataa)
infinitive oblique:
पतने
(patne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पतता
(pattaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पतते
(patte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पतती
(pattii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पततीं
(pattiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पत रहा
(pat rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पत रहे
(pat rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पत रही
(pat rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पत रहीं
(pat rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पता
(pataa)
perfective (pl.m):
पते
(pate)
perfective (sg.f):
पती
(patii)
perfective (pl.f):
पतीं
(patiin)
imperative (informal):
पत
(pat)
imperative (neutral):
पतो
(pato)
imperative (formal):
पतिए
(patie)
future (1sg.m):
पतूँगा
(patoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पतूँगी
(patoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पतेंगे
(patenge)
future (1pl.f):
पतेंगी
(patengii)
future (2sg.m):
पतेगा
(pategaa)
future (2sg.f):
पतेगी
(pategii)
future (2pl.m):
पतोगे
(patoge)
future (2pl.f):
पतोगी
(patogii)
future (3sg.m):
पतेगा
(pategaa)
future (3sg.f):
पतेगी
(pategii)
future (3pl.m):
पतेंगे
(patenge)
future (3pl.f):
पतेंगी
(patengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पतूँ
(patoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पतें
(paten)
subjunctive (2sg):
पते
(pate)
subjunctive (2pl):
पतो
(pato)
subjunctive (3sg):
पते
(pate)
subjunctive (3pl):
पतें
(paten)