डकार (dakaar)

noun/verb Primarily a noun meaning 'burp/belch', with a related verb sense meaning 'to belch' -- and a vivid figurative extension for swallowing up money or property dishonestly.
Sense 1 : burp, belch (the bodily act/sound)
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: After a good, heavy meal, a satisfied डकार (dakaar) is not considered rude in many Indian households the way it is in some Western settings -- it can even be a small compliment to the cook's hand. Elders sometimes say तृप्ति की डकार (tripti kii dakaar, 'a burp of satisfaction') half-jokingly after a big thali.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for the English loan 'burp' in casual speech, but डकार (dakaar) is the natural word and appears constantly with आना (aanaa) or लेना (lenaa) -- e.g. डकार आना (dakaar aanaa, 'to burp,' lit. 'a burp to come'). 2) डकार आना (dakaar aanaa) treats the burp as something that happens to you (dative-subject feel), while डकार लेना (dakaar lenaa) frames it as something you actively do -- both are common but not interchangeable in every context.
Sample Sentences:
खाना खाने के बाद उसे ज़ोर से डकार आई। After eating, he let out a loud burp.
(khaanaa khaane ke baad use zor se dakaar aaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इतना खाने के बाद तृप्ति की डकार तो बनती है। After eating so much, a satisfied burp is only natural.
(itnaa khaane ke baad tripti kii dakaar to bantii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दादाजी खाना खाकर हमेशा एक लंबी डकार लेते हैं। Grandpa always gives out one long burp after eating.
(daadaajii khaanaa khaakar hameshaa ek lambii dakaar lete hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बच्चा दूध पीकर धीरे से डकार लेता रहा। After drinking milk, the baby kept softly burping.
(bachchaa doodh piikar dhiire se dakaar letaa rahaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मेहमानों के सामने डकार मत लेना, थोड़ा शर्म कर लो। Don't burp in front of the guests, have a little shame.
(mehmaanon ke saamne dakaar mat lenaa, thodaa sharm kar lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह इतनी तेज़ी से न खाता तो उसे डकार न आती। If he hadn't eaten so fast, he wouldn't have burped.
(agar vah itnii tezii se n khaataa to use dakaar n aatii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शायद उसे गैस की वजह से डकार आ रही हो। Maybe he's burping because of gas.
(shaayad use gais kii vajah se dakaar aa rahii ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पार्टी में इतनी ज़ोर से डकार ली गई कि सब हंस पड़े। Such a loud burp was let out at the party that everyone burst out laughing.
(paartii men itnii zor se dakaar lii gaii ki sab hans pade।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
इतनी मिर्च खाने के बाद उसे बार-बार डकार आएगी। After eating so much chili, he will keep burping again and again.
(itnii mirch khaane ke baad use baar-baar dakaar aaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि खाने के बाद हल्की डकार आना सामान्य बात है। The doctor said that a light burp after eating is a normal thing.
(doktar ne kahaa ki khaane ke baad halkii dakaar aanaa saamaany baat hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to swallow up, embezzle (money, property) -- figurative
verb, transitive Used transitively with money, property, or a loan as object: पैसे डकार जाना (paise dakaar jaanaa, 'to swallow up the money'). Almost always paired with जाना (jaanaa) as a compound verb, giving a sense of complete, guilty consumption.
Synonyms: हड़पना (hadapnaa), खा जाना (khaa jaanaa, colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The image is deliberately crude: someone has 'swallowed' your money so completely and shamelessly that they can practically be heard burping afterward. You will hear this in gossip about corrupt नेता (netaa, 'politicians') or a relative who 'digested' a shared inheritance -- सारी ज़मीन डकार गया (saarii zamiin dakaar gayaa, 'he swallowed up all the land').
Common Mistakes: 1) This is not literal burping -- it is a strong idiomatic accusation, roughly 'to pocket/embezzle,' often used about corrupt officials, dishonest partners, or someone who never repaid a loan. 2) Learners sometimes use it too mildly; it carries real moral condemnation, stronger than a neutral word like हड़पना (hadapnaa) in some contexts because of its crude, bodily image.
Sample Sentences:
वो सारी ज़मीन डकार गया। He gobbled up all the land.
(vo saarii zamiin dakaar gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उस नेता ने पूरा फंड डकार लिया। That politician embezzled the whole fund.
(us netaa ne pooraa phand dakaar liyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वो अपने भाई का हिस्सा डकार जाता है। He habitually swallows up his brother's share.
(vo apne bhaaii kaa hissaa dakaar jaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कहीं ये ठेकेदार सारा पैसा डकार न जाए। I hope this contractor doesn't gobble up all the money.
(kahiin ye thekedaar saaraa paisaa dakaar n jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर मौका मिलता तो वो कंपनी का सारा मुनाफ़ा डकार जाता। If he got the chance, he would have embezzled the entire company profit.
(agar maukaa miltaa to vo kampnii kaa saaraa munaafaa dakaar jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
इतनी बड़ी रकम डकार जाना आसान नहीं होता। Swallowing up such a huge amount isn't easy.
(itnii badii rakam dakaar jaanaa aasaan nahiin hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सुना है वो चंदे का सारा पैसा डकार गया। I've heard he pocketed all the donation money.
(sunaa hai vo chande kaa saaraa paisaa dakaar gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस बार वो मेरी दुकान की कमाई डकार जाएगा। This time he will embezzle my shop's earnings.
(is baar vo merii dukaan kii kamaaii dakaar jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
सरकारी फंड इस तरह डकार जाना गुनाह है। Embezzling government funds like this is a crime.
(sarkaarii phand is tarah dakaar jaanaa gunaah hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस बुड्ढे की सारी जमा-पूँजी डकार ली गई। That old man's entire savings were swallowed up.
(us buddhe kii saarii jamaa-poonjii dakaar lii gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Sense 3 : to burp, to belch
verb, intransitive Used almost exclusively as डकारना (dakaarnaa) in casual speech; the noun + लेना/आना (lenaa/aanaa) construction (see the noun sense) is actually more common in everyday conversation than this standalone verb.
Frequency: low
Sample Sentences:
खाना खाने के बाद बच्चा डकार गया। After eating food, the child burped.
(khaanaa khaane ke baad bachchaa dakaar gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर बार खाना खाकर डकारता है। He burps every time after eating.
(vah har baar khaanaa khaakar dakaartaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इतनी जल्दी मत खाओ, डकारोगे तो सब हँसेंगे। Don't eat so fast, if you burp everyone will laugh.
(itnii jaldii mat khaao, dakaaroge to sab hansenge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मत डकारो, यहाँ लोग बैठे हैं। Don't burp, there are people sitting here.
(mat dakaaro, yahaan log baithe hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह खाना खा रहा है और साथ ही डकार रहा है। He is eating and also burping at the same time.
(vah khaanaa khaa rahaa hai aur saath hii dakaar rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह इतना तेज़ न खाता तो वह डकारता नहीं। If he hadn't eaten so fast, he wouldn't have burped.
(agar vah itnaa tez n khaataa to vah dakaartaa nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शायद वह इतना भर पेट खा गया हो कि डकारे। Maybe he ate so much that he might burp.
(shaayad vah itnaa bhar pet khaa gayaa ho ki dakaare।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
मेज़ पर डकारना अच्छी बात नहीं मानी जाती। Burping at the table is not considered a good thing.
(mez par dakaarnaa achchhii baat nahiin maanii jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): डकार (dakaar)
(sg.f.oblique): डकार (dakaar)
(pl.f.direct): डकारें (dakaaren)
(pl.f.oblique): डकारों (dakaaron)
Verb
infinitive: डकार (dakaar)
infinitive oblique: डकाने (dakaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m): डकाता (dakaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): डकाते (dakaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f): डकाती (dakaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): डकातीं (dakaatiin)
continuous (sg.m): डका रहा (dakaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): डका रहे (dakaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f): डका रही (dakaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f): डका रहीं (dakaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): डकाया (dakaayaa)
perfective (pl.m): डकाए (dakaae)
perfective (sg.f): डकाई (dakaaii)
perfective (pl.f): डकाईं (dakaaiin)
imperative (informal): डका (dakaa)
imperative (neutral): डकाओ (dakaao)
imperative (formal): डकाइए (dakaaie)
future (1sg.m): डकाऊँगा (dakaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f): डकाऊँगी (dakaaoongii)
future (1pl.m): डकाएँगे (dakaaenge)
future (1pl.f): डकाएँगी (dakaaengii)
future (2sg.m): डकाएगा (dakaaegaa)
future (2sg.f): डकाएगी (dakaaegii)
future (2pl.m): डकाओगे (dakaaoge)
future (2pl.f): डकाओगी (dakaaogii)
future (3sg.m): डकाएगा (dakaaegaa)
future (3sg.f): डकाएगी (dakaaegii)
future (3pl.m): डकाएँगे (dakaaenge)
future (3pl.f): डकाएँगी (dakaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg): डकाऊँ (dakaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl): डकाएँ (dakaaen)
subjunctive (2sg): डकाए (dakaae)
subjunctive (2pl): डकाओ (dakaao)
subjunctive (3sg): डकाए (dakaae)
subjunctive (3pl): डकाएँ (dakaaen)