नाता (naataa)

noun A noun meaning a relationship or connection, most often used for kinship or personal ties, and frequently seen in the fixed phrase नाता तोड़ना (naataa todnaa, 'to break off relations').
Sense 1 : relationship, connection (especially kinship or personal tie)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: रिश्ता (rishtaa), संबंध (sambandh), वास्ता (vaastaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll often hear नाता तोड़ना (naataa todnaa, 'to break a relationship/tie') and नाता जोड़ना (naataa jodnaa, 'to form a bond'), which frame relationships as physical threads that can be tied or snapped -- a very common metaphor in Hindi. It carries a slightly warmer, more old-fashioned flavor than रिश्ता (rishtaa), often used when talking about one's ties to a village, community, or family lineage.
Common Mistakes: 1) नाता (naataa) leans toward personal or emotional bonds (family, community, a place one feels tied to) rather than formal or official connections -- for business or institutional ties, संबंध (sambandh) is the more natural choice. 2) Learners often use नाता (naataa) with से (se) to mean 'connected with,' as in इस गाँव से मेरा नाता है (is gaanv se meraa naataa hai, 'I have a connection with this village') -- forgetting the से (se) and just placing the noun next to नाता (naataa) sounds off.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा इस गाँव से पुराना नाता है। I have an old connection to this village.
(meraa is gaanv se puraanaa naataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने अपने परिवार से नाता तोड़ लिया। He broke off his ties with his family.
(usne apne parivaar se naataa tod liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हमें इस मिट्टी से नाता जोड़ना चाहिए। We should form a bond with this land.
(hamen is mittii se naataa jodnaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस परिवार से मेरा खून का नाता है। I have a blood relationship with this family.
(is parivaar se meraa khoon kaa naataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह इतना घमंडी न होता, तो हमारा नाता कभी न टूटता। If he weren't so arrogant, our bond would never have broken.
(agar vah itnaa ghamandii n hotaa, to hamaaraa naataa kabhii n toottaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
नाता तोड़ना आसान है, पर उसे फिर से जोड़ना बहुत मुश्किल। Breaking a relationship is easy, but mending it again is very hard.
(naataa todnaa aasaan hai, par use phir se jodnaa bahut mushkil।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बरसों पहले उसका नाता इस शहर से जुड़ा था। Years ago, his connection to this city was formed.
(barson pahle uskaa naataa is shahar se judaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम अपने पुश्तैनी गाँव से नाता तोड़ोगे? Will you break your ties with your ancestral village?
(kyaa tum apne pushtainii gaanv se naataa todoge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उस बूढ़ी औरत का इस मंदिर से गहरा नाता रहा है। That old woman has had a deep connection with this temple.
(us boodhii aurat kaa is mandir se gahraa naataa rahaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अपनों से नाता कभी मत तोड़ो, चाहे कुछ भी हो जाए। Never break your ties with your loved ones, no matter what happens.
(apnon se naataa kabhii mat todo, chaahe kuchh bhii ho jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): नाता (naataa)
(sg.m.oblique): नाता (naataa)
(pl.m.direct): नाता (naataa)
(pl.m.oblique): नाताओं (naataaon)