लेना

See also: लाना and लिनु

Hindi

Etymology

From , from Sanskrit लभते (labhate), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *labʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European *lebʰ-. Cognate with Nepali लिनु (linu).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /leː.nɑː/, [leː.näː]

Verb

लेना • (lenā) (Urdu spelling لینا)

1. to take

   बैंक से ऋण लेना पड़ेगा। ― ba͠ik se ŕṇ lenā paṛegā. ― I'll have to take a loan from the bank.

   आज वह स्कूल से छुट्टी लेना चाहता है।

   āj vah skūl se chuṭṭī lenā cāhtā hai.

   He wants to take a holiday from school today.

2. to buy, get

   मैं नई घड़ी लेना चाहता हूँ।

   ma͠i naī ghaṛī lenā cāhtā hū̃.

   I want to buy a new watch.

3. to take on

   अवतार लेना ― avtār lenā ― to take on a new form

4. an element of compound verbs
   1. (with transitive verbs) indicates completion

      खाना ख़त्म कर लिया। ― khānā xatma kar liyā. ― They have (just now) finished their food.

   2. (with transitive verbs) indicates self-benefaction

      मैं गाड़ी देख लेता हूँ, मगर खरीदता नहीं।

      ma͠i gāṛī dekh letā hū̃, magar kharīdtā nahī̃.

      I take a look at the car, but do not buy it.

      पढ़ लेना ― paṛh lenā ― to read (to oneself)

   3. (with intransitive verbs) indicates internal expression

      हंस लेना ― hans lenā ― to laugh (internally); be amused

Antonyms

• देना (denā, “to give”)

References

• Caturvedi, Mahendra, Bhola Nath Tiwari (1970) “लेना”, in A practical Hindi-English dictionary, Delhi: National Publishing House