दबे पाँव (dabe paanv)
adverb
A fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'stealthily, softly, on tiptoe' -- literally 'with pressed/suppressed feet.' It has one core meaning, used both literally (moving quietly) and figuratively (something arriving unnoticed).
Sense
1
:
stealthily, quietly, on tiptoe
adverb Formed from दबा (dabaa, pressed/suppressed) agreeing with पाँव (paanv, feet) in the oblique plural, functioning together as a frozen adverbial phrase -- it does not vary or decline further as a unit.
Synonyms: चुपके से (chupke se), खामोशी से (khaamoshii se, quietly/silently, broader use)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase is a lovely example of body-image idiom in Hindi -- feet (paanv) doing the 'pressing' paints a vivid picture of someone sneaking past a sleeping family member at night, which is exactly the kind of household scene Hindi speakers have in mind when they use it. It is also used poetically for abstract things that creep up on you, like बुढ़ापा दबे पाँव आता है (budhaapaa dabe paanv aataa hai, 'old age comes stealthily') -- so don't be surprised to see it applied to time or fate as much as to footsteps.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use it as an adjective describing a person ('a stealthy person') -- it only describes the manner of movement or arrival, so it pairs with a verb like आना (aanaa) or चलना (chalnaa), not with a noun directly. 2) It is easy to under-translate as just 'quietly' -- the phrase specifically evokes careful, deliberate softness, like tiptoeing so as not to be heard, not just a low volume of sound.
Sample Sentences:
वह दबे पाँव कमरे में दाखिल हुआ।
He entered the room stealthily.
(vah dabe paanv kamre men daakhil huaa।)
बच्चे के सो जाने के बाद माँ दबे पाँव बाहर निकल गई।
After the child fell asleep, the mother slipped out on tiptoe.
(bachche ke so jaane ke baad maan dabe paanv baahar nikal gaii।)
बुढ़ापा दबे पाँव आता है, पता ही नहीं चलता।
Old age comes stealthily; you don't even realize it.
(budhaapaa dabe paanv aataa hai, pataa hii nahiin chaltaa।)
दबे पाँव चलो, नहीं तो पापा उठ जाएँगे।
Walk on tiptoe, or else Papa will wake up.
(dabe paanv chalo, nahiin to paapaa uth jaaenge।)
चोर दबे पाँव घर में घुस रहा था जब चौकीदार ने उसे देख लिया।
The thief was sneaking into the house stealthily when the watchman spotted him.
(chor dabe paanv ghar men ghus rahaa thaa jab chaukiidaar ne use dekh liyaa।)
अगर वह दबे पाँव आता तो शायद कोई उसे न सुनता।
If he had come stealthily, perhaps no one would have heard him.
(agar vah dabe paanv aataa to shaayad koii use n suntaa।)
समय दबे पाँव गुज़र जाता है और हमें एहसास तक नहीं होता।
Time passes stealthily, and we don't even realize it.
(samay dabe paanv guzar jaataa hai aur hamen ehsaas tak nahiin hotaa।)
क्या तुम दबे पाँव सीढ़ियाँ उतर सकती हो ताकि किसी को खबर न हो?
Can you go down the stairs on tiptoe so that no one finds out?
(kyaa tum dabe paanv siidhiyaan utar saktii ho taaki kisii ko khabar n ho?)
दुश्मन के सिपाही दबे पाँव किले की दीवार तक पहुँच गए।
The enemy soldiers reached the fort wall stealthily.
(dushman ke sipaahii dabe paanv kile kii diivaar tak pahunch gae।)
उस रात दबे पाँव पूरे मोहल्ले में एक अजीब सी खबर फैल गई थी।
That night, a strange piece of news had spread stealthily through the whole neighborhood.
(us raat dabe paanv poore mohalle men ek ajiib sii khabar phail gaii thii।)