जना (janaa)
noun/verb
Primarily a counting word for 'person(s)' used after numerals (जैसे दो जना, do janaa, 'two people'); also survives as a literary/dialectal verb meaning 'to give birth to' or 'to be born.' The two are historically related but function completely differently in modern speech.
Sense
1
:
person, individual (as a counting unit)
noun, masculine Used almost exclusively right after a number to count people, e.g. तीन जने (tiin jane, 'three people'). In the modern colloquial register, जन (jan) or आदमी (aadmii) is far more common standalone; जना (janaa) mainly survives in this fixed numeral+जना pattern.
Synonyms: आदमी (aadmii), व्यक्ति (vyakti, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in markets and family counts: कितने जने आएंगे? (kitne jane aaenge, 'how many people will come?') is a very natural, homely way to ask, more casual-sounding than कितने लोग (kitne log).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use जना (janaa) as a general standalone word for 'person' the way they'd use आदमी (aadmii); in everyday speech it almost always appears glued to a number (दो जने, do jane, 'two people'), not on its own. 2) The plural/oblique form जने (jane) is what you'll actually hear after numbers greater than one, not जना (janaa) itself -- so listen for that shift.
Sample Sentences:
कितने जने आएंगे?
How many people will come?
(kitne jane aaenge?)
हम पाँच जने पिकनिक पर जा रहे हैं।
The five of us are going on a picnic.
(ham paanch jane piknik par jaa rahe hain।)
उस कमरे में सिर्फ दो जने बैठे थे।
Only two people were sitting in that room.
(us kamre men sirph do jane baithe the।)
हर जने को अपना-अपना टिकट लेना पड़ेगा।
Each person will have to buy their own ticket.
(har jane ko apnaa-apnaa tikat lenaa padegaa।)
अगर तीन जने और आ जाएँ तो टीम पूरी हो जाएगी।
If three more people join, the team will be complete.
(agar tiin jane aur aa jaaen to tiim poorii ho jaaegii।)
काश हम चार जने भी साथ जा पाते।
If only the four of us could have gone together too.
(kaash ham chaar jane bhii saath jaa paate।)
जितने जने उतना ही खाना मँगवा लो।
Order just as much food as there are people.
(jitne jane utnaa hii khaanaa mangvaa lo।)
दुकान पर एक साथ इतने जने घुस आए कि दुकानदार घबरा गया।
So many people barged into the shop at once that the shopkeeper got flustered.
(dukaan par ek saath itne jane ghus aae ki dukaandaar ghabraa gayaa।)
बस में मुश्किल से चार जने की जगह बची थी।
There was barely enough room left on the bus for four people.
(bas men mushkil se chaar jane kii jagah bachii thii।)
Sense
2
:
to give birth to, to bear (a child)
verb, transitive
Synonyms: जन्म देना (janm denaa)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: This verb sense is old-fashioned and mostly shows up in folk songs, proverbs, or rural/dialectal speech rather than in the Hindi you'll hear in Delhi drawing rooms; जन्म देना (janm denaa) is what people actually say today.
Sample Sentences:
माँ ने बेटे को जना।
The mother bore a son.
(maan ne bete ko janaa।)
जिस माँ ने जना, वही सबसे ज़्यादा दुख सहती है।
The mother who bore him suffers the most of all.
(jis maan ne janaa, vahii sabse zyaadaa dukh sahtii hai।)
नौ महीने कोख में रखकर जब वह जनती है, तब जननी कहलाती है।
When she bears the child after carrying it in her womb for nine months, she is called 'janani' (the one who gives birth).
(nau mahiine kokh men rakhkar jab vah jantii hai, tab jannii kahlaatii hai।)
धरती माता ने अनगिनत जीवों को जना है।
Mother Earth has given birth to countless beings.
(dhartii maataa ne anginat jiivon ko janaa hai।)
जननी जने तो ऐसा जने, जो जग में नाम कमाए।
If a mother is to bear a child, let her bear such a one who earns a name in the world.
(jannii jane to aisaa jane, jo jag men naam kamaae।)
गाँव की बुढ़िया कहती थी, जिसने जना, वही ममता जाने।
The old woman of the village used to say, only she who has borne a child knows a mother's love.
(gaanv kii budhiyaa kahtii thii, jisne janaa, vahii mamtaa jaane।)
अगर वह इस बच्चे को न जनती, तो यह कहानी कभी न बनती।
Had she not borne this child, this story would never have come to be.
(agar vah is bachche ko n jantii, to yah kahaanii kabhii n bantii।)
लोकगीत में कहा गया है कि माटी से मानव जना गया।
It is said in the folk song that man was born of clay.
(lokgiit men kahaa gayaa hai ki maatii se maanav janaa gayaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
जना
(janaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
जने
(jane)
(pl.m.direct):
जने
(jane)
(pl.m.oblique):
जनों
(janon)
Verb
infinitive:
जना
(janaa)
infinitive oblique:
जने
(jane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
जता
(jataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
जते
(jate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
जती
(jatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
जतीं
(jatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ज रहा
(j rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ज रहे
(j rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ज रही
(j rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ज रहीं
(j rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
जा
(jaa)
perfective (pl.m):
जे
(je)
perfective (sg.f):
जी
(jii)
perfective (pl.f):
जीं
(jiin)
imperative (informal):
ज
(j)
imperative (neutral):
जो
(jo)
imperative (formal):
जिए
(jie)
future (1sg.m):
जूँगा
(joongaa)
future (1sg.f):
जूँगी
(joongii)
future (1pl.m):
जेंगे
(jenge)
future (1pl.f):
जेंगी
(jengii)
future (2sg.m):
जेगा
(jegaa)
future (2sg.f):
जेगी
(jegii)
future (2pl.m):
जोगे
(joge)
future (2pl.f):
जोगी
(jogii)
future (3sg.m):
जेगा
(jegaa)
future (3sg.f):
जेगी
(jegii)
future (3pl.m):
जेंगे
(jenge)
future (3pl.f):
जेंगी
(jengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
जूँ
(joon)
subjunctive (1pl):
जें
(jen)
subjunctive (2sg):
जे
(je)
subjunctive (2pl):
जो
(jo)
subjunctive (3sg):
जे
(je)
subjunctive (3pl):
जें
(jen)