कामना (kaamnaa)
noun/verb
A formal/literary word for a wish or desire, and the verb 'to wish' built from it. Related to but more elevated than everyday चाहना (chaahnaa).
Sense
1
:
wish, desire, aspiration
noun, feminine
Synonyms: इच्छा (ichchhaa), चाह (chaah), आकांक्षा (aakaankshaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word hiding inside शुभकामनाएं (shubhkaamnaaen), the standard 'best wishes' you write on greeting cards, birthday messages, and festival texts -- so even though कामना (kaamnaa) itself sounds a touch formal in conversation, every Hindi speaker uses it constantly in that compound. Think of it as the word for a heartfelt or hoped-for wish, one notch more solemn than the everyday चाह (chaah).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for कामना (kaamnaa) in casual speech where चाह (chaah) or इच्छा (ichchhaa) would sound more natural; कामना (kaamnaa) tends to appear in greeting cards, speeches, and set phrases like शुभकामनाएं (shubhkaamnaaen, 'best wishes') rather than in everyday chat about wanting something. 2) The verb form कामना करना (kaamnaa karnaa) means 'to wish for' and takes की (kii) before the wished-for thing (उसकी सफलता की कामना करना, uskii saphaltaa kii kaamnaa karnaa, 'to wish for his success'), not a direct object.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी कामना है कि तुम हमेशा खुश रहो।
My wish is that you always stay happy.
(merii kaamnaa hai ki tum hameshaa khush raho।)
जन्मदिन पर हमने उसे ढेर सारी शुभकामनाएं दी।
On his birthday, we gave him lots of good wishes.
(janmdin par hamne use dher saarii shubhkaamnaaen dii।)
उसकी यह कामना पूरी हो गई।
This wish of his was fulfilled.
(uskii yah kaamnaa poorii ho gaii।)
नए साल की शुभकामनाएं!
Best wishes for the new year!
(nae saal kii shubhkaamnaaen!)
काश उसकी कामना पूरी होती।
If only his wish had come true.
(kaash uskii kaamnaa poorii hotii।)
माता-पिता की कामना होती है कि उनके बच्चे सफल हों।
Parents' wish is that their children succeed.
(maataa-pitaa kii kaamnaa hotii hai ki unke bachche saphal hon।)
इस पत्र के साथ मेरी हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं स्वीकार करें।
Please accept my heartfelt wishes along with this letter.
(is patr ke saath merii haardik shubhkaamnaaen sviikaar karen।)
देश की उन्नति की कामना हर नागरिक करता है।
Every citizen wishes for the progress of the nation.
(desh kii unnti kii kaamnaa har naagrik kartaa hai।)
उनकी अंतिम कामना यही थी कि उनकी अस्थियां गंगा में विसर्जित हों।
His final wish was that his ashes be immersed in the Ganga.
(unkii antim kaamnaa yahii thii ki unkii asthiyaan gangaa men visarjit hon।)
शादी के मौके पर सबकी शुभकामनाएं बरस रही थीं।
On the occasion of the wedding, everyone's good wishes were pouring in.
(shaadii ke mauke par sabkii shubhkaamnaaen baras rahii thiin।)
Sense
2
:
to wish, to desire (for someone/something)
verb, transitive Used as कामना करना (kaamnaa karnaa); the thing wished for is marked with की (kii), e.g. उसके स्वास्थ्य की कामना करना (uske svaasthy kii kaamnaa karnaa, 'to wish for his health').
Synonyms: चाहना (chaahnaa), इच्छा करना (ichchhaa karnaa)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You will hear this in slightly formal or heartfelt contexts -- a priest's blessing, a formal toast, a letter -- where someone says वे कामना करते हैं कि... (ve kaamnaa karte hain ki..., 'they wish that...'), giving the sentence a warmer, more solemn weight than a plain चाहते हैं (chaahte hain) would.
Common Mistakes: 1) This verb almost always appears wrapped as कामना करना (kaamnaa karnaa) -- learners sometimes try to conjugate कामना (kaamnaa) alone as if it were a simple verb like चाहना (chaahnaa), but native speakers keep करना (karnaa) as the operating verb and inflect that instead.
Sample Sentences:
मैं कामना करता हूँ कि तुम्हें जीवन में खूब सफलता मिले।
I wish that you get great success in life.
(main kaamnaa kartaa hoon ki tumhen jiivan men khoob saphaltaa mile।)
पुजारी ने कामना की कि सबका कल्याण हो।
The priest wished that everyone be blessed with wellbeing.
(pujaarii ne kaamnaa kii ki sabkaa kalyaan ho।)
हम सब कामना करते हैं कि यह नया साल तुम्हारे लिए मंगलमय हो।
We all wish that this new year be auspicious for you.
(ham sab kaamnaa karte hain ki yah nayaa saal tumhaare lie mangalmay ho।)
वे कामना करते हैं कि उनके बच्चे स्वस्थ और सुखी रहें।
They wish that their children remain healthy and happy.
(ve kaamnaa karte hain ki unke bachche svasth aur sukhii rahen।)
काश मैं कामना कर पाता कि सब कुछ ठीक हो जाए, पर अब बहुत देर हो चुकी थी।
If only I could have wished that everything turn out fine, but it was already too late.
(kaash main kaamnaa kar paataa ki sab kuchh thiik ho jaae, par ab bahut der ho chukii thii।)
गुरुजी ने आशीर्वाद देते हुए कामना की कि शिष्य का भविष्य उज्जवल हो।
While giving his blessing, the teacher wished that the disciple's future be bright.
(gurujii ne aashiirvaad dete hue kaamnaa kii ki shishy kaa bhavishy ujjval ho।)
पत्र के अंत में उन्होंने लिखा, हम कामना करते हैं कि आप शीघ्र स्वस्थ हों।
At the end of the letter he wrote, we wish that you recover soon.
(patr ke ant men unhonne likhaa, ham kaamnaa karte hain ki aap shiighr svasth hon।)
आइए हम सब मिलकर कामना करें कि देश में शांति बनी रहे।
Let us all come together and wish that peace remain in the country.
(aaie ham sab milkar kaamnaa karen ki desh men shaanti banii rahe।)
टोस्ट उठाते हुए उन्होंने कामना की कि वर-वधू का जीवन सुखमय हो।
Raising a toast, he wished that the bride and groom's life be full of happiness.
(tost uthaate hue unhonne kaamnaa kii ki var-vadhoo kaa jiivan sukhmay ho।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
कामना
(kaamnaa)
(sg.f.oblique):
कामना
(kaamnaa)
(pl.f.direct):
कामनाएँ
(kaamnaaen)
(pl.f.oblique):
कामनाओं
(kaamnaaon)
Verb
infinitive:
कामना
(kaamnaa)
infinitive oblique:
कामने
(kaamne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
कामता
(kaamtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
कामते
(kaamte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
कामती
(kaamtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
कामतीं
(kaamtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
काम रहा
(kaam rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
काम रहे
(kaam rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
काम रही
(kaam rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
काम रहीं
(kaam rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
कामा
(kaamaa)
perfective (pl.m):
कामे
(kaame)
perfective (sg.f):
कामी
(kaamii)
perfective (pl.f):
कामीं
(kaamiin)
imperative (informal):
काम
(kaam)
imperative (neutral):
कामो
(kaamo)
imperative (formal):
कामिए
(kaamie)
future (1sg.m):
कामूँगा
(kaamoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
कामूँगी
(kaamoongii)
future (1pl.m):
कामेंगे
(kaamenge)
future (1pl.f):
कामेंगी
(kaamengii)
future (2sg.m):
कामेगा
(kaamegaa)
future (2sg.f):
कामेगी
(kaamegii)
future (2pl.m):
कामोगे
(kaamoge)
future (2pl.f):
कामोगी
(kaamogii)
future (3sg.m):
कामेगा
(kaamegaa)
future (3sg.f):
कामेगी
(kaamegii)
future (3pl.m):
कामेंगे
(kaamenge)
future (3pl.f):
कामेंगी
(kaamengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
कामूँ
(kaamoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
कामें
(kaamen)
subjunctive (2sg):
कामे
(kaame)
subjunctive (2pl):
कामो
(kaamo)
subjunctive (3sg):
कामे
(kaame)
subjunctive (3pl):
कामें
(kaamen)