पोता (potaa)
noun/verb
Primarily a family-relations noun meaning 'grandson' (son's son); also has a separate, much less common verb sense related to 'wiping/mopping', derived from the same root as पोंछना (ponchhnaa).
Sense
1
:
grandson (son's son)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In joint-family culture, the arrival of a पोता (potaa) is traditionally treated as a big event for grandparents, especially the dादा-दादी (daadaa-daadii, 'paternal grandparents') who often dote openly on this particular grandchild. The पोता/नाती (potaa/naatii) distinction reflects how Hindi kinship terms track lineage (paternal vs. maternal) far more precisely than English 'grandson' does.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use पोता (potaa) for any grandson, but Hindi distinguishes the paternal line: पोता (potaa) is specifically the son's son, while नाती (naatii) is the daughter's son -- mixing these up is a common error. 2) The feminine counterpart is पोती (potii, 'granddaughter'), not a different word entirely -- learners sometimes reach for an unrelated term.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा पोता इस साल स्कूल जाना शुरू करेगा।
My grandson will start going to school this year.
(meraa potaa is saal skool jaanaa shuroo karegaa।)
दादाजी अपने पोते को बहुत प्यार करते हैं।
Grandfather loves his grandson very much.
(daadaajii apne pote ko bahut pyaar karte hain।)
पोता होने की खबर सुनकर दादी खुशी से रो पड़ीं।
On hearing the news of a grandson being born, grandmother burst into tears of joy.
(potaa hone kii khabar sunkar daadii khushii se ro padiin।)
पोता अभी आँगन में खेल रहा है।
The grandson is playing in the courtyard right now.
(potaa abhii aangan men khel rahaa hai।)
अगर उनका पोता होता तो घर में रौनक और बढ़ जाती।
If they had a grandson, the household would have been even more lively.
(agar unkaa potaa hotaa to ghar men raunak aur badh jaatii।)
बेटा, अपने पोते का ख्याल रखना, वह अभी बहुत छोटा है।
Son, take care of your grandson, he is still very young.
(betaa, apne pote kaa khyaal rakhnaa, vah abhii bahut chhotaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हारा पोता इस बार दीवाली पर घर आएगा?
Will your grandson come home this Diwali?
(kyaa tumhaaraa potaa is baar diivaalii par ghar aaegaa?)
उनका पोता विदेश में पढ़ाई कर चुका है।
Their grandson has already studied abroad.
(unkaa potaa videsh men padhaaii kar chukaa hai।)
परिवार को उम्मीद है कि जल्द ही एक पोता पैदा हो।
The family hopes that a grandson will be born soon.
(parivaar ko ummiid hai ki jald hii ek potaa paidaa ho।)
संपत्ति उनके पोते के नाम कर दी गई।
The property was transferred in the name of their grandson.
(sampatti unke pote ke naam kar dii gaii।)
गाँव में कहा जाता है कि पोते का चेहरा दादा जैसा होता है।
It is said in the village that a grandson's face resembles his grandfather's.
(gaanv men kahaa jaataa hai ki pote kaa chehraa daadaa jaisaa hotaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to wipe, mop, plaster (a surface, e.g. with a cloth or with cow-dung/mud)
verb, transitive Used especially for wiping a surface clean or plastering a floor/wall with a wet cloth, mud, or cow-dung paste, as in traditional home upkeep.
Synonyms: पोंछना (ponchhnaa)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This sense survives strongly in rural and older domestic vocabulary, e.g. फर्श पोतना (pharsh potnaa, 'to plaster/mop the floor'), often with a mixture of mud and cow-dung used traditionally to coat courtyard floors.
Common Mistakes: 1) This verb is far less common in casual city speech than पोंछना (ponchhnaa); learners who have only met पोता (potaa) as 'grandson' may not recognize this verb sense when it appears in rural or older-generation contexts.
Sample Sentences:
दादी रोज़ सुबह आँगन पोतती है।
Grandma mops/plasters the courtyard every morning.
(daadii roz subah aangan pottii hai।)
माँ ने कल फर्श गोबर से पोता था।
Mother plastered the floor with cow-dung yesterday.
(maan ne kal pharsh gobar se potaa thaa।)
वह अभी दीवार पोत रही है।
She is plastering the wall right now.
(vah abhii diivaar pot rahii hai।)
यह फर्श गोबर-मिट्टी से पोता गया है।
This floor has been plastered with cow-dung and mud.
(yah pharsh gobar-mittii se potaa gayaa hai।)
त्योहार से पहले आँगन पोत लो।
Plaster the courtyard before the festival.
(tyohaar se pahle aangan pot lo।)
अगर समय होता तो मैं भी दीवार पोत देती।
If I had the time, I would have plastered the wall too.
(agar samay hotaa to main bhii diivaar pot detii।)
कल तक यह कोठरी पोत दी जाएगी।
This little room will be plastered by tomorrow.
(kal tak yah kothrii pot dii jaaegii।)
पुराने ज़माने में औरतें हर दीवाली पर घर की दीवारें पोतती थीं।
In olden times, women used to plaster the walls of the house every Diwali.
(puraane zamaane men aurten har diivaalii par ghar kii diivaaren pottii thiin।)
शायद वह चूल्हे के पास की जगह भी पोत दे।
Maybe she'll plaster the spot near the stove too.
(shaayad vah choolhe ke paas kii jagah bhii pot de।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पोता
(potaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
पोता
(potaa)
(pl.m.direct):
पोता
(potaa)
(pl.m.oblique):
पोताओं
(potaaon)
Verb
infinitive:
पोता
(potaa)
infinitive oblique:
पोतने
(potne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पोतता
(pottaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पोतते
(potte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पोतती
(pottii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पोततीं
(pottiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पोत रहा
(pot rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पोत रहे
(pot rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पोत रही
(pot rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पोत रहीं
(pot rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पोता
(potaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पोते
(pote)
perfective (sg.f):
पोती
(potii)
perfective (pl.f):
पोतीं
(potiin)
imperative (informal):
पोत
(pot)
imperative (neutral):
पोतो
(poto)
imperative (formal):
पोतिए
(potie)
future (1sg.m):
पोतूँगा
(potoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पोतूँगी
(potoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पोतेंगे
(potenge)
future (1pl.f):
पोतेंगी
(potengii)
future (2sg.m):
पोतेगा
(potegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पोतेगी
(potegii)
future (2pl.m):
पोतोगे
(potoge)
future (2pl.f):
पोतोगी
(potogii)
future (3sg.m):
पोतेगा
(potegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पोतेगी
(potegii)
future (3pl.m):
पोतेंगे
(potenge)
future (3pl.f):
पोतेंगी
(potengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पोतूँ
(potoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पोतें
(poten)
subjunctive (2sg):
पोते
(pote)
subjunctive (2pl):
पोतो
(poto)
subjunctive (3sg):
पोते
(pote)
subjunctive (3pl):
पोतें
(poten)