ख़ाना (khaanaa)
noun/verb
This word has two distinct lives: as a noun it means 'box/compartment/cell' (as in a grid, chart, or drawer), and it is also the common alternate spelling of खाना (khaanaa, 'to eat/food') when written with the nuqta under ख. Most learners will meet the eating-related senses far more often; the nuqta form is frequently dropped in casual writing.
Sense
1
:
box, compartment, cell (in a grid or structure)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बक्सा (baksaa, box, less abstract), डिब्बा (dibbaa, box/container)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet this word on government forms and school worksheets -- 'इस ख़ाने में अपना नाम लिखें' (is khaane men apnaa naam likhen, 'write your name in this box') is a classic instruction. It is also used for the little compartments in a steel almirah or tiffin box, a very Indian household image.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with खाना (khaanaa, 'food/to eat') since the words are near-homophones and often written identically without the nuqta -- context (a form, chart, or piece of furniture vs. a meal) is the only reliable clue in casual text.
Sample Sentences:
इस ख़ाने में अपना नाम लिखें।
Write your name in this box.
(is khaane men apnaa naam likhen।)
फॉर्म के हर ख़ाने को ध्यान से भरना।
Fill every box on the form carefully.
(phorm ke har khaane ko dhyaan se bharnaa।)
टिफ़िन के एक ख़ाने में सब्ज़ी थी और दूसरे में रोटी।
There was a vegetable dish in one compartment of the tiffin box and roti in the other.
(tifin ke ek khaane men sabzii thii aur doosre men rotii।)
अलमारी के ऊपर वाले ख़ाने में पुराने काग़ज़ रखे हैं।
Old papers are kept in the top compartment of the almirah.
(almaarii ke oopar vaale khaane men puraane kaaghaz rakhe hain।)
अगर हर चीज़ को अपने ख़ाने में रखा जाए, तो कमरा साफ़ दिखता है।
If everything is kept in its own compartment, the room looks tidy.
(agar har chiiz ko apne khaane men rakhaa jaae, to kamraa saaf dikhtaa hai।)
शतरंज की बिसात में चौंसठ ख़ाने होते हैं।
A chessboard has sixty-four squares.
(shatranj kii bisaat men chaunsath khaane hote hain।)
क्लर्क ने फ़ाइल के हर ख़ाने पर मोहर लगाई।
The clerk stamped every compartment of the file.
(klark ne faail ke har khaane par mohar lagaaii।)
काश दराज़ में इतने सारे ख़ाने न होते, तो चीज़ें ढूँढना आसान होता।
If only the drawer didn't have so many compartments, finding things would be easy.
(kaash daraaz men itne saare khaane n hote, to chiizen dhoondhnaa aasaan hotaa।)
पते वाले ख़ाने में पिन कोड लिखना मत भूलिएगा।
Don't forget to write the pin code in the address box.
(pate vaale khaane men pin kod likhnaa mat bhooliegaa।)
मास्टरजी ने कहा कि उत्तर सही ख़ाने में लिखा जाए।
The teacher said that the answer should be written in the correct box.
(maastarjii ne kahaa ki uttar sahii khaane men likhaa jaae।)
Sense
2
:
to eat (variant spelling of खाना)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: खाना (khaanaa, standard spelling without nuqta), भोजन करना (bhojan karnaa, formal)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: Whether or not the nuqta appears usually just reflects a writer's habit or keyboard, not a meaning difference -- see खाना (khaanaa) for the full verb entry and its idioms (गाली खाना gaalii khaanaa, मार खाना maar khaanaa, etc.).
Common Mistakes: 1) This is simply खाना (khaanaa) written with a nuqta under ख -- the nuqta is historically not standard for this word (unlike loanwords such as ख़ास khaas), so most native writing drops it; do not treat the two spellings as different words.
Sample Sentences:
वह हर रोज़ बाहर का खाना ख़ाता है।
He eats outside food every day.
(vah har roz baahar kaa khaanaa khaataa hai।)
मैंने आज सुबह कुछ नहीं ख़ाया।
I didn't eat anything this morning.
(mainne aaj subah kuchh nahiin khaayaa।)
तुम इतनी जल्दी में क्यों ख़ा रहे हो?
Why are you eating in such a hurry?
(tum itnii jaldii men kyon khaa rahe ho?)
पहले हाथ धो लो, फिर ख़ाना ख़ाओ।
Wash your hands first, then eat.
(pahle haath dho lo, phir khaanaa khaao।)
अगर वह समय पर ख़ाता तो बीमार न पड़ता।
If he had eaten on time, he wouldn't have fallen ill.
(agar vah samay par khaataa to biimaar n padtaa।)
शायद वह पहले ही ख़ा चुका हो।
Maybe he has already eaten.
(shaayad vah pahle hii khaa chukaa ho।)
बच्चे को ज़बरदस्ती दवा ख़िलाई गई।
The child was forcibly made to eat/take the medicine.
(bachche ko zabardastii davaa khilaaii gaii।)
कल शाम तक हम खाना ख़ा चुके होंगे।
By tomorrow evening we will have eaten.
(kal shaam tak ham khaanaa khaa chuke honge।)
Sense
3
:
food, a meal (variant spelling of खाना)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: खाना (khaanaa, standard spelling without nuqta), भोजन (bhojan, formal)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: Again just an alternate rendering of खाना (khaanaa, 'food') -- the underlying word, usage, and cultural weight (the daily 'खाना खा लिया?' khaanaa khaa liyaa?, 'have you eaten?' greeting-check between family members) are identical.
Sample Sentences:
क्या ख़ाना तैयार है?
Is the food ready?
(kyaa khaanaa taiyaar hai?)
माँ ने बड़े प्यार से ख़ाना बनाया था।
Mother had cooked the food with great love.
(maan ne bade pyaar se khaanaa banaayaa thaa।)
ख़ाना खा लिया?
Have you eaten?
(khaanaa khaa liyaa?)
मेहमानों के लिए ख़ाना बनाया जा रहा है।
Food is being prepared for the guests.
(mehmaanon ke lie khaanaa banaayaa jaa rahaa hai।)
अगर वक़्त होता तो मैं ख़ुद ख़ाना बनाती।
If I had time, I would cook the food myself.
(agar vaqt hotaa to main khud khaanaa banaatii।)
कृपया ख़ाना मेज़ पर रख दीजिए।
Please put the food on the table.
(kripyaa khaanaa mez par rakh diijie।)
हो सकता है ख़ाना थोड़ा ठंडा हो गया हो।
It's possible the food has gotten a little cold.
(ho saktaa hai khaanaa thodaa thandaa ho gayaa ho।)
वह हर रोज़ बाहर से ख़ाना मँगवाता है।
He orders food from outside every day.
(vah har roz baahar se khaanaa mangvaataa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ख़ाना
(khaanaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
ख़ाने
(khaane)
(pl.m.direct):
ख़ाने
(khaane)
(pl.m.oblique):
ख़ानों
(khaanon)
Verb
infinitive:
ख़ाना
(khaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
ख़ाने
(khaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
ख़ाता
(khaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
ख़ाते
(khaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
ख़ाती
(khaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
ख़ातीं
(khaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ख़ा रहा
(khaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ख़ा रहे
(khaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ख़ा रही
(khaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ख़ा रहीं
(khaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
ख़ाया
(khaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
ख़ाए
(khaae)
perfective (sg.f):
ख़ाई
(khaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
ख़ाईं
(khaaiin)
imperative (informal):
ख़ा
(khaa)
imperative (neutral):
ख़ाओ
(khaao)
imperative (formal):
ख़ाइए
(khaaie)
future (1sg.m):
ख़ाऊँगा
(khaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
ख़ाऊँगी
(khaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
ख़ाएँगे
(khaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
ख़ाएँगी
(khaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
ख़ाएगा
(khaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
ख़ाएगी
(khaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
ख़ाओगे
(khaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
ख़ाओगी
(khaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
ख़ाएगा
(khaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
ख़ाएगी
(khaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
ख़ाएँगे
(khaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
ख़ाएँगी
(khaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
ख़ाऊँ
(khaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
ख़ाएँ
(khaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
ख़ाए
(khaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
ख़ाओ
(khaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
ख़ाए
(khaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
ख़ाएँ
(khaaen)