Welcome to Lesson 48 of the Latinum Institute Bengali Course. Today’s word is দেখা (dekha), meaning “to see.” This essential perception verb ranks among the most frequently used words in Bengali, appearing in contexts ranging from literal sight to metaphorical understanding.
The Bengali verb দেখা encompasses a semantic range broader than English “see.” Beyond visual perception, it extends to watching, looking at, visiting someone, checking on something, experiencing, and even understanding. The phrase “দেখব” (dekhbo) “I will see” often means “I will consider it” or “let me think about it”—a polite way of deferring commitment.
Bengali verbs conjugate for tense, aspect, person, and formality level. The verb দেখা demonstrates all these dimensions while participating in numerous compound verb constructions that modify its core meaning. This lesson presents thirty examples showing দেখা across varied grammatical and semantic contexts.
What does দেখা mean in Bengali? দেখা (dekha) is the verbal noun form meaning “to see” or “seeing.” The verb stem দেখ- (dekh-) combines with various suffixes to indicate tense, person, and formality. Meanings include: to see, to look at, to watch, to observe, to visit, to meet, to check, to experience, to consider, and to understand.
Throughout this lesson, you will encounter দেখা in diverse contexts: seeing objects, watching events, visiting people, checking conditions, experiencing life, and understanding situations. The interlinear format reveals how this versatile verb operates within Bengali sentence structure.
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
The verb দেখা conjugates according to person and three formality levels: intimate (তুই), familiar (তুমি), and formal (আপনি). Bengali verbs appear at sentence end in standard word order. দেখা participates in compound verb constructions that extend or modify meaning. The verb distinguishes completed from ongoing actions through different tense markers. Many idiomatic expressions use দেখা beyond literal seeing.
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The duplex method presents each example twice: Line ‘a’ shows Bengali script with romanization and gloss. Line ‘b’ presents romanization as primary text with pronunciation guide and gloss. Both lines enable complete comprehension through different pathways.
48.1a আমি (ami) I তোমাকে (tomake) you-ACC দেখছি (dekhchhi) see-PROG
48.1b ami (ami) I tomake (tomake) you-ACC dekhchhi (dekhchhi) see-PROG
48.2a সে (she) she/he পাখি (pakhi) bird দেখল (dekhlo) saw
48.2b she (she) she/he pakhi (pakhi) bird dekhlo (dekhlo) saw
48.3a আপনি (apni) you-FORMAL কি (ki) QUESTION সিনেমা (sinema) cinema দেখবেন (dekhben) will-see-FORMAL
48.3b apni (apni) you-FORMAL ki (ki) QUESTION sinema (sinema) cinema dekhben (dekhben) will-see-FORMAL
48.4a বাচ্চারা (bacchara) children-the টিভি (ṭiḅhi) television দেখছে (dekhchhe) watching-PROG
48.4b bacchara (bacchara) children-the ṭiḅhi (ṭiḅhi) television dekhchhe (dekhchhe) watching-PROG
48.5a দয়া (doya) kindness করে (kore) doing এদিকে (edike) this-direction দেখুন (dekhun) look-FORMAL-IMP
48.5b doya (doya) kindness kore (kore) doing edike (edike) this-direction dekhun (dekhun) look-FORMAL-IMP
48.6a আমরা (amra) we গতকাল (gotokal) yesterday নাটক (naṭok) drama দেখেছি (dekhechhi) have-seen
48.6b amra (amra) we gotokal (gotokal) yesterday naṭok (naṭok) drama dekhechhi (dekhechhi) have-seen
48.7a তুমি (tumi) you কখনো (kokhono) ever সমুদ্র (somudro) ocean দেখেছ (dekhechho) have-seen
48.7b tumi (tumi) you kokhono (kokhono) ever somudro (somudro) ocean dekhechho (dekhechho) have-seen
48.8a মা (ma) mother ডাক্তার (ḍaktar) doctor দেখাতে (dekhate) to-show গেলেন (gelen) went-FORMAL
48.8b ma (ma) mother ḍaktar (ḍaktar) doctor dekhate (dekhate) to-show gelen (gelen) went-FORMAL
48.9a এই (ei) this ছবি (chhobi) picture দেখো (dekho) look-FAM-IMP কত (koto) how সুন্দর (shundor) beautiful
48.9b ei (ei) this chhobi (chhobi) picture dekho (dekho) look-FAM-IMP koto (koto) how shundor (shundor) beautiful
48.10a ছেলেটি (chheleṭi) boy-the জানালা (janala) window দিয়ে (diye) through বাইরে (baire) outside দেখছিল (dekhchhilo) was-looking
48.10b chheleṭi (chheleṭi) boy-the janala (janala) window diye (diye) through baire (baire) outside dekhchhilo (dekhchhilo) was-looking
48.11a রবীন্দ্রনাথ (Rabindranath) Rabindranath অনেক (onek) many দেশ (desh) countries দেখেছিলেন (dekhechhilen) had-seen-FORMAL
48.11b Rabindranath (Rabindranath) Rabindranath onek (onek) many desh (desh) countries dekhechhilen (dekhechhilen) had-seen-FORMAL
48.12a আমি (ami) I স্বপ্নে (shopne) dream-in তোমাকে (tomake) you-ACC দেখলাম (dekhlam) saw
48.12b ami (ami) I shopne (shopne) dream-in tomake (tomake) you-ACC dekhlam (dekhlam) saw
48.13a দেখা (dekha) seeing যাক (jak) let-go কী (ki) what হয় (hoy) happens
48.13b dekha (dekha) seeing jak (jak) let-go ki (ki) what hoy (hoy) happens
48.14a তার (tar) his/her সাথে (shathe) with আমার (amar) my দেখা (dekha) meeting হয়নি (hoyni) has-not-happened
48.14b tar (tar) his/her shathe (shathe) with amar (amar) my dekha (dekha) meeting hoyni (hoyni) has-not-happened
48.15a চোখ (chokh) eye দিয়ে (diye) with দেখলে (dekhle) if-see বিশ্বাস (bishshash) belief হবে (hobe) will-happen
48.15b chokh (chokh) eye diye (diye) with dekhle (dekhle) if-see bishshash (bishshash) belief hobe (hobe) will-happen
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48.1 আমি তোমাকে দেখছি। Ami tomake dekhchhi. “I am seeing you.” / “I see you.”
48.2 সে পাখি দেখল। She pakhi dekhlo. “She/He saw a bird.”
48.3 আপনি কি সিনেমা দেখবেন? Apni ki sinema dekhben? “Will you watch a movie?” (formal)
48.4 বাচ্চারা টিভি দেখছে। Bacchara ṭiḅhi dekhchhe. “The children are watching television.”
48.5 দয়া করে এদিকে দেখুন। Doya kore edike dekhun. “Please look this way.” (formal)
48.6 আমরা গতকাল নাটক দেখেছি। Amra gotokal naṭok dekhechhi. “We watched a play yesterday.”
48.7 তুমি কখনো সমুদ্র দেখেছ? Tumi kokhono somudro dekhechho? “Have you ever seen the ocean?”
48.8 মা ডাক্তার দেখাতে গেলেন। Ma ḍaktar dekhate gelen. “Mother went to see the doctor.” (lit. “to show to the doctor”)
48.9 এই ছবি দেখো, কত সুন্দর! Ei chhobi dekho, koto shundor! “Look at this picture, how beautiful!”
48.10 ছেলেটি জানালা দিয়ে বাইরে দেখছিল। Chheleṭi janala diye baire dekhchhilo. “The boy was looking outside through the window.”
48.11 রবীন্দ্রনাথ অনেক দেশ দেখেছিলেন। Rabindranath onek desh dekhechhilen. “Rabindranath had seen many countries.”
48.12 আমি স্বপ্নে তোমাকে দেখলাম। Ami shopne tomake dekhlam. “I saw you in a dream.”
48.13 দেখা যাক কী হয়। Dekha jak ki hoy. “Let’s see what happens.”
48.14 তার সাথে আমার দেখা হয়নি। Tar shathe amar dekha hoyni. “I haven’t met him/her.” (lit. “meeting with him/her has not happened to me”)
48.15 চোখ দিয়ে দেখলে বিশ্বাস হবে। Chokh diye dekhle bishshash hobe. “If you see with your own eyes, you will believe.”
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48.1 আমি তোমাকে দেখছি। Ami tomake dekhchhi.
48.2 সে পাখি দেখল। She pakhi dekhlo.
48.3 আপনি কি সিনেমা দেখবেন? Apni ki sinema dekhben?
48.4 বাচ্চারা টিভি দেখছে। Bacchara ṭiḅhi dekhchhe.
48.5 দয়া করে এদিকে দেখুন। Doya kore edike dekhun.
48.6 আমরা গতকাল নাটক দেখেছি। Amra gotokal naṭok dekhechhi.
48.7 তুমি কখনো সমুদ্র দেখেছ? Tumi kokhono somudro dekhechho?
48.8 মা ডাক্তার দেখাতে গেলেন। Ma ḍaktar dekhate gelen.
48.9 এই ছবি দেখো, কত সুন্দর! Ei chhobi dekho, koto shundor!
48.10 ছেলেটি জানালা দিয়ে বাইরে দেখছিল। Chheleṭi janala diye baire dekhchhilo.
48.11 রবীন্দ্রনাথ অনেক দেশ দেখেছিলেন। Rabindranath onek desh dekhechhilen.
48.12 আমি স্বপ্নে তোমাকে দেখলাম। Ami shopne tomake dekhlam.
48.13 দেখা যাক কী হয়। Dekha jak ki hoy.
48.14 তার সাথে আমার দেখা হয়নি। Tar shathe amar dekha hoyni.
48.15 চোখ দিয়ে দেখলে বিশ্বাস হবে। Chokh diye dekhle bishshash hobe.
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These are the grammar rules for দেখা (dekha) “to see.”
The verb stem is দেখ- (dekh-). The verbal noun or infinitive form is দেখা (dekha), meaning “to see” or “seeing/the act of seeing.” This form functions as both infinitive and verbal noun in Bengali.
Bengali distinguishes three levels of address, each requiring different verb endings.
Present Progressive Tense (ongoing action):
First person (আমি ami “I”): দেখছি (dekhchhi) “I am seeing” Second person intimate (তুই tui): দেখছিস (dekhchhis) Second person familiar (তুমি tumi): দেখছ (dekhchho) Second person formal (আপনি apni): দেখছেন (dekhchhen) Third person ordinary: দেখছে (dekhchhe) Third person honorific: দেখছেন (dekhchhen)
Simple Past Tense:
First person: দেখলাম (dekhlam) “I saw” Second person intimate: দেখলি (dekhli) Second person familiar: দেখলে (dekhle) Second person formal: দেখলেন (dekhlen) Third person ordinary: দেখল (dekhlo) Third person honorific: দেখলেন (dekhlen)
Future Tense:
First person: দেখব (dekhbo) “I will see” Second person intimate: দেখবি (dekhbi) Second person familiar: দেখবে (dekhbe) Second person formal: দেখবেন (dekhben) Third person ordinary: দেখবে (dekhbe) Third person honorific: দেখবেন (dekhben)
Present Perfect:
First person: দেখেছি (dekhechhi) “I have seen” Second person familiar: দেখেছ (dekhechho) Second person formal: দেখেছেন (dekhechhen) Third person ordinary: দেখেছে (dekhechhe) Third person honorific: দেখেছেন (dekhechhen)
Past Progressive:
Third person ordinary: দেখছিল (dekhchhilo) “was seeing” Third person honorific: দেখছিলেন (dekhchhilen)
Past Perfect:
First person: দেখেছিলাম (dekhechhilam) “I had seen” Third person honorific: দেখেছিলেন (dekhechhilen)
Imperative:
Intimate: দেখ (dekh) Familiar: দেখো (dekho) Formal: দেখুন (dekhun)
Bengali forms causatives by adding -আনো (-ano) to the stem:
দেখানো (dekhano) - “to show” (to cause to see)
This is extremely common:
ডাক্তার দেখানো (ḍaktar dekhano) - “to show to a doctor” = “to see a doctor” (for medical consultation)
The phrase ডাক্তার দেখাতে গেলেন literally means “went to show to the doctor.”
The construction দেখা হওয়া means “to meet” or “to encounter”:
তার সাথে আমার দেখা হয়নি - “I haven’t met him/her”
This impersonal construction literally means “seeing with him/her has not happened to me.” Bengali frequently uses such experiencer constructions.
দেখা যাক (dekha jak) - “let it be seen” = “let’s see”
This subjunctive construction expresses waiting to see what happens.
The conditional দেখলে (dekhle) means “if [one] sees”:
দেখলে বিশ্বাস হবে - “If you see, you will believe”
Beyond literal seeing, দেখা extends to:
সিনেমা/নাটক দেখা - to watch a movie/play স্বপ্ন দেখা - to dream (lit. “to see a dream”) দেশ দেখা - to travel/visit countries খোঁজ দেখা - to look after, to check on দেখব - “I’ll see” (consider it, think about it) দেখা করা - to visit, to meet with দেখাশোনা করা - to look after, to take care of
Learners often confuse দেখা (dekha) “to see” with চাওয়া (chaoya) “to want/look at.” While related in meaning, they have different conjugation patterns.
The causative দেখানো (dekhano) “to show” trips up learners. Remember: I see the doctor = আমি ডাক্তার দেখাই (showing myself to the doctor), not a simple “seeing.”
English speakers may struggle with the impersonal দেখা হওয়া construction. Rather than “I met him,” Bengali says “meeting with him happened to me.”
The phrase দেখা যাক has no subject—it’s a fixed expression meaning “let’s see” that cannot be modified.
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The verb দেখা carries deep cultural significance in Bengali society. Visual confirmation holds special weight—the expression চোখে দেখা (chokhe dekha) “to see with one’s eyes” implies authentic witnessing versus hearsay.
The phrase স্বপ্ন দেখা (shopno dekha) “to see a dream” (rather than “have a dream”) reflects Bengali’s conceptualization of dreams as visual experiences. Bengali literature is rich with dream imagery, and Tagore’s works frequently employ স্বপ্ন দেখা in both literal and metaphorical senses—dreaming of a better future, of freedom, of love.
দেখা করা (dekha kora) “to meet/visit” carries social obligations. In Bengali culture, visiting relatives and maintaining social connections through দেখা করা is expected. The phrase দেখা হয়নি (dekha hoyni) “haven’t met” can imply social negligence when said of close relations.
The polite deferral দেখব (dekhbo) “I’ll see” functions like English “let me think about it.” This soft refusal or postponement maintains social harmony—direct rejection would be impolite. Context determines whether দেখব is a genuine promise to consider or a polite way of declining.
In West Bengal versus Bangladesh, some expressions vary. West Bengal may say দেখছি (dekhchhi) where Bangladesh says দেখতেছি (dekhtechhi) for present progressive. The core verb remains identical across regions.
The medical expression ডাক্তার দেখানো reflects traditional medicine practices where patients “showed” themselves to physicians who diagnosed through observation. This phrasing persists even in modern healthcare contexts.
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The following passage is from Rabindranath Tagore’s collection Gitanjali (Song Offerings), demonstrating দেখা in literary Bengali with spiritual resonance.
তোমায় (tomay) you-ACC আমি (ami) I দেখেছি (dekhechhi) have-seen বার (bar) times বার (bar) times
tomay (tomay) you-ACC ami (ami) I dekhechhi (dekhechhi) have-seen bar (bar) times bar (bar) times
কত (koto) how-many রূপে (rupe) forms-in কত (koto) how-many রঙে (ronge) colors-in
koto (koto) how-many rupe (rupe) forms-in koto (koto) how-many ronge (ronge) colors-in
শরতের (shoroter) autumn-GEN সকালে (shokale) morning-in আকাশ (akash) sky দেখেছি (dekhechhi) have-seen
shoroter (shoroter) autumn-GEN shokale (shokale) morning-in akash (akash) sky dekhechhi (dekhechhi) have-seen
তোমার (tomar) your চোখ (chokh) eyes দেখি (dekhi) see ফুলের (phuler) flower-GEN মাঝে (majhe) among
tomar (tomar) your chokh (chokh) eyes dekhi (dekhi) see phuler (phuler) flower-GEN majhe (majhe) among
তোমায় আমি দেখেছি বার বার, কত রূপে কত রঙে। শরতের সকালে আকাশ দেখেছি, তোমার চোখ দেখি ফুলের মাঝে।
Tomay ami dekhechhi bar bar, Koto rupe koto ronge. Shoroter shokale akash dekhechhi, Tomar chokh dekhi phuler majhe.
“I have seen you again and again, In how many forms, in how many colors. I have seen the sky in autumn mornings, I see your eyes among the flowers.”
তোমায় আমি দেখেছি বার বার, কত রূপে কত রঙে। শরতের সকালে আকাশ দেখেছি, তোমার চোখ দেখি ফুলের মাঝে।
Tomay ami dekhechhi bar bar, Koto rupe koto ronge. Shoroter shokale akash dekhechhi, Tomar chokh dekhi phuler majhe.
তোমায় (tomay) - accusative form of তুমি (tumi) “you” in poetic/colloquial Bengali; standard form is তোমাকে (tomake)
বার বার (bar bar) - “again and again,” reduplication for emphasis/repetition
রূপে (rupe) - locative case of রূপ (rup) “form/beauty”; “in forms”
রঙে (ronge) - locative case of রং (rong) “color”; “in colors”
শরতের (shoroter) - genitive of শরৎ (shorot) “autumn”; শরৎ is the Bengali season roughly September-October, celebrated for clear skies and festivals
দেখেছি (dekhechhi) - present perfect, first person: “I have seen”
দেখি (dekhi) - present simple, first person: “I see” (habitual/ongoing)
মাঝে (majhe) - postposition meaning “among, in the midst of”
The passage shifts between দেখেছি (completed seeing in past) and দেখি (ongoing present seeing), creating temporal movement between memory and immediate experience.
This passage exemplifies Tagore’s pantheistic vision where the divine beloved manifests in nature. The verb দেখা appears four times, creating a meditation on seeing as spiritual practice. The movement from দেখেছি (perfect—”have seen”) to দেখি (simple present—”see”) shifts from accumulated past experience to immediate, eternal present.
The শরৎ (autumn) reference invokes the Bengali season of clear skies, cool mornings, and the Durga Puja festival—a time of renewal and divine presence. Seeing the sky becomes seeing the beloved; seeing flowers becomes encountering divine eyes. Tagore transforms the ordinary perception verb into a vehicle for mystical union.
This passage influenced generations of Bengali poets and songwriters who continue to use দেখা with similar spiritual overtones.
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A conversation between friends demonstrating দেখা in natural spoken Bengali.
48.16a রিতা (Rita) Rita কাল (kal) yesterday কোথায় (kothay) where ছিলে (chhile) were-you
48.16b Rita (Rita) Rita kal (kal) yesterday kothay (kothay) where chhile (chhile) were-you
48.17a শর্মিলা (Shormila) Sharmila বাজারে (bajare) market-to গিয়েছিলাম (giyechhilam) had-gone নতুন (notun) new দোকান (dokan) shop দেখতে (dekhte) to-see
48.17b Shormila (Shormila) Sharmila bajare (bajare) market-to giyechhilam (giyechhilam) had-gone notun (notun) new dokan (dokan) shop dekhte (dekhte) to-see
48.18a রিতা (Rita) Rita কী (ki) what দেখলে (dekhle) saw-you সেখানে (shekhane) there
48.18b Rita (Rita) Rita ki (ki) what dekhle (dekhle) saw-you shekhane (shekhane) there
48.19a শর্মিলা (Shormila) Sharmila অনেক (onek) many সুন্দর (shundor) beautiful জামা (jama) clothes দেখলাম (dekhlam) saw-I কিন্তু (kintu) but দাম (dam) price বেশি (beshi) high
48.19b Shormila (Shormila) Sharmila onek (onek) many shundor (shundor) beautiful jama (jama) clothes dekhlam (dekhlam) saw-I kintu (kintu) but dam (dam) price beshi (beshi) high
48.20a রিতা (Rita) Rita আমিও (amio) I-also যেতে (jete) to-go চাই (chai) want দেখতে (dekhte) to-see
48.20b Rita (Rita) Rita amio (amio) I-also jete (jete) to-go chai (chai) want dekhte (dekhte) to-see
48.21a শর্মিলা (Shormila) Sharmila চলো (cholo) come একসাথে (ekshate) together যাব (jabo) will-go তোমাকে (tomake) you-ACC দেখাব (dekhabo) will-show
48.21b Shormila (Shormila) Sharmila cholo (cholo) come ekshate (ekshate) together jabo (jabo) will-go tomake (tomake) you-ACC dekhabo (dekhabo) will-show
48.22a রিতা (Rita) Rita তুমি (tumi) you কি (ki) QUESTION প্রিয়াকে (Priyake) Priya-ACC দেখেছ (dekhechho) have-seen আজকাল (ajkal) nowadays
48.22b Rita (Rita) Rita tumi (tumi) you ki (ki) QUESTION Priyake (Priyake) Priya-ACC dekhechho (dekhechho) have-seen ajkal (ajkal) nowadays
48.23a শর্মিলা (Shormila) Sharmila না (na) no তার (tar) her সাথে (shathe) with অনেকদিন (onekdin) many-days দেখা (dekha) meeting হয়নি (hoyni) has-not-happened
48.23b Shormila (Shormila) Sharmila na (na) no tar (tar) her shathe (shathe) with onekdin (onekdin) many-days dekha (dekha) meeting hoyni (hoyni) has-not-happened
48.24a রিতা (Rita) Rita শুনেছি (shunechhi) have-heard সে (she) she বিদেশ (bidesh) abroad দেখতে (dekhte) to-see গেছে (gechhe) has-gone
48.24b Rita (Rita) Rita shunechhi (shunechhi) have-heard she (she) she bidesh (bidesh) abroad dekhte (dekhte) to-see gechhe (gechhe) has-gone
48.25a শর্মিলা (Shormila) Sharmila সত্যি (shotti) really কোন (kon) which দেশ (desh) country দেখতে (dekhte) to-see গেছে (gechhe) has-gone
48.25b Shormila (Shormila) Sharmila shotti (shotti) really kon (kon) which desh (desh) country dekhte (dekhte) to-see gechhe (gechhe) has-gone
48.26a রিতা (Rita) Rita ইউরোপ (Iurop) Europe দেখতে (dekhte) to-see গেছে (gechhe) has-gone ফ্রান্স (Frans) France জার্মানি (Jarmani) Germany দেখবে (dekhbe) will-see
48.26b Rita (Rita) Rita Iurop (Iurop) Europe dekhte (dekhte) to-see gechhe (gechhe) has-gone Frans (Frans) France Jarmani (Jarmani) Germany dekhbe (dekhbe) will-see
48.27a শর্মিলা (Shormila) Sharmila বাহ (bah) wow আমিও (amio) I-also একদিন (ekdin) one-day পৃথিবী (prithibi) world দেখব (dekhbo) will-see
48.27b Shormila (Shormila) Sharmila bah (bah) wow amio (amio) I-also ekdin (ekdin) one-day prithibi (prithibi) world dekhbo (dekhbo) will-see
48.28a রিতা (Rita) Rita অবশ্যই (obosshoi) definitely দেখা (dekha) seeing যাক (jak) let-go কী (ki) what হয় (hoy) happens
48.28b Rita (Rita) Rita obosshoi (obosshoi) definitely dekha (dekha) seeing jak (jak) let-go ki (ki) what hoy (hoy) happens
48.29a শর্মিলা (Shormila) Sharmila প্রিয়া (Priya) Priya ফিরলে (phirle) when-returns দেখা (dekha) meeting করতে (korte) to-do যাব (jabo) will-go
48.29b Shormila (Shormila) Sharmila Priya (Priya) Priya phirle (phirle) when-returns dekha (dekha) meeting korte (korte) to-do jabo (jabo) will-go
48.30a রিতা (Rita) Rita হ্যাঁ (hnyã) yes তার (tar) her ছবি (chhobi) pictures দেখতে (dekhte) to-see চাই (chai) want অনেক (onek) many জায়গার (jaygar) place-GEN
48.30b Rita (Rita) Rita hnyã (hnyã) yes tar (tar) her chhobi (chhobi) pictures dekhte (dekhte) to-see chai (chai) want onek (onek) many jaygar (jaygar) place-GEN
48.16 রিতা: “কাল কোথায় ছিলে?” Rita: “Kal kothay chhile?” Rita: “Where were you yesterday?”
48.17 শর্মিলা: “বাজারে গিয়েছিলাম, নতুন দোকান দেখতে।” Shormila: “Bajare giyechhilam, notun dokan dekhte.” Sharmila: “I went to the market, to see the new shop.”
48.18 রিতা: “কী দেখলে সেখানে?” Rita: “Ki dekhle shekhane?” Rita: “What did you see there?”
48.19 শর্মিলা: “অনেক সুন্দর জামা দেখলাম, কিন্তু দাম বেশি।” Shormila: “Onek shundor jama dekhlam, kintu dam beshi.” Sharmila: “I saw many beautiful clothes, but the prices were high.”
48.20 রিতা: “আমিও যেতে চাই দেখতে।” Rita: “Amio jete chai dekhte.” Rita: “I also want to go see.”
48.21 শর্মিলা: “চলো, একসাথে যাব। তোমাকে দেখাব।” Shormila: “Cholo, ekshate jabo. Tomake dekhabo.” Sharmila: “Come, we’ll go together. I’ll show you.”
48.22 রিতা: “তুমি কি প্রিয়াকে দেখেছ আজকাল?” Rita: “Tumi ki Priyake dekhechho ajkal?” Rita: “Have you seen Priya lately?”
48.23 শর্মিলা: “না, তার সাথে অনেকদিন দেখা হয়নি।” Shormila: “Na, tar shathe onekdin dekha hoyni.” Sharmila: “No, I haven’t met her in a long time.”
48.24 রিতা: “শুনেছি সে বিদেশ দেখতে গেছে।” Rita: “Shunechhi she bidesh dekhte gechhe.” Rita: “I heard she went abroad to see.”
48.25 শর্মিলা: “সত্যি? কোন দেশ দেখতে গেছে?” Shormila: “Shotti? Kon desh dekhte gechhe?” Sharmila: “Really? Which country did she go to see?”
48.26 রিতা: “ইউরোপ দেখতে গেছে—ফ্রান্স, জার্মানি দেখবে।” Rita: “Iurop dekhte gechhe—Frans, Jarmani dekhbe.” Rita: “She went to see Europe—she’ll see France, Germany.”
48.27 শর্মিলা: “বাহ! আমিও একদিন পৃথিবী দেখব।” Shormila: “Bah! Amio ekdin prithibi dekhbo.” Sharmila: “Wow! I too will see the world someday.”
48.28 রিতা: “অবশ্যই। দেখা যাক কী হয়।” Rita: “Obosshoi. Dekha jak ki hoy.” Rita: “Definitely. Let’s see what happens.”
48.29 শর্মিলা: “প্রিয়া ফিরলে দেখা করতে যাব।” Shormila: “Priya phirle dekha korte jabo.” Sharmila: “When Priya returns, I’ll go visit her.”
48.30 রিতা: “হ্যাঁ, তার ছবি দেখতে চাই, অনেক জায়গার।” Rita: “Hnyã, tar chhobi dekhte chai, onek jaygar.” Rita: “Yes, I want to see her pictures, of many places.”
48.16 রিতা: “কাল কোথায় ছিলে?” Rita: “Kal kothay chhile?”
48.17 শর্মিলা: “বাজারে গিয়েছিলাম, নতুন দোকান দেখতে।” Shormila: “Bajare giyechhilam, notun dokan dekhte.”
48.18 রিতা: “কী দেখলে সেখানে?” Rita: “Ki dekhle shekhane?”
48.19 শর্মিলা: “অনেক সুন্দর জামা দেখলাম, কিন্তু দাম বেশি।” Shormila: “Onek shundor jama dekhlam, kintu dam beshi.”
48.20 রিতা: “আমিও যেতে চাই দেখতে।” Rita: “Amio jete chai dekhte.”
48.21 শর্মিলা: “চলো, একসাথে যাব। তোমাকে দেখাব।” Shormila: “Cholo, ekshate jabo. Tomake dekhabo.”
48.22 রিতা: “তুমি কি প্রিয়াকে দেখেছ আজকাল?” Rita: “Tumi ki Priyake dekhechho ajkal?”
48.23 শর্মিলা: “না, তার সাথে অনেকদিন দেখা হয়নি।” Shormila: “Na, tar shathe onekdin dekha hoyni.”
48.24 রিতা: “শুনেছি সে বিদেশ দেখতে গেছে।” Rita: “Shunechhi she bidesh dekhte gechhe.”
48.25 শর্মিলা: “সত্যি? কোন দেশ দেখতে গেছে?” Shormila: “Shotti? Kon desh dekhte gechhe?”
48.26 রিতা: “ইউরোপ দেখতে গেছে—ফ্রান্স, জার্মানি দেখবে।” Rita: “Iurop dekhte gechhe—Frans, Jarmani dekhbe.”
48.27 শর্মিলা: “বাহ! আমিও একদিন পৃথিবী দেখব।” Shormila: “Bah! Amio ekdin prithibi dekhbo.”
48.28 রিতা: “অবশ্যই। দেখা যাক কী হয়।” Rita: “Obosshoi. Dekha jak ki hoy.”
48.29 শর্মিলা: “প্রিয়া ফিরলে দেখা করতে যাব।” Shormila: “Priya phirle dekha korte jabo.”
48.30 রিতা: “হ্যাঁ, তার ছবি দেখতে চাই, অনেক জায়গার।” Rita: “Hnyã, tar chhobi dekhte chai, onek jaygar.”
The Infinitive Purpose Construction
The infinitive দেখতে (dekhte) “to see” frequently expresses purpose:
দোকান দেখতে গিয়েছিলাম - “I had gone to see the shop” বিদেশ দেখতে গেছে - “has gone to see abroad”
This pattern (noun + দেখতে + motion verb) is extremely common in Bengali.
The Causative দেখাব (dekhabo)
তোমাকে দেখাব - “I will show you”
This first-person future causative derives from দেখানো (dekhano) “to show.”
The Idiomatic দেখা করা
দেখা করতে যাব - “I will go to visit/meet”
Here দেখা functions as a noun (”meeting”) with করা (”to do”). This differs from simple দেখা as a verb.
Familiar Second Person in Dialogue
The friends use তুমি (tumi) forms throughout, marking their close relationship: -
ছিলে (chhile) - you were -
দেখলে (dekhle) - you saw -
দেখেছ (dekhechho) - you have seen
Temporal Expressions
অনেকদিন দেখা হয়নি - “meeting hasn’t happened for many days”
The time expression অনেকদিন (onekdin) precedes the impersonal verbal phrase.
The Particle -ও (-o)
আমিও (amio) - “I also”
This inclusive particle attaches directly to pronouns and nouns.
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Key Sounds in This Lesson
দেখা /ɖekʰa/ - The দ is a retroflex voiced stop (tongue curled back); খ is aspirated /kʰ/; final আ gives /a/. Approximates “deh-kha” with a puff of air on “kh.”
দেখছি /ɖekʰtʃʰi/ - Present progressive first person: “dekh-chhi” with aspirated “chh”
দেখল /ɖekʰlo/ - Simple past third person: “dekh-lo”
দেখেছি /ɖekʰetʃʰi/ - Present perfect: “dekh-e-chhi”
দেখতে /ɖekʰte/ - Infinitive: “dekh-te”
দেখুন /ɖekʰun/ - Formal imperative: “dekh-un”
Aspirated vs. Unaspirated
Bengali contrasts aspirated and unaspirated consonants. In দেখেছে (dekhechhe), both খ /kʰ/ and ছ /tʃʰ/ are aspirated. Compare with unaspirated ক /k/ and চ /tʃ/.
The Retroflex দ
Bengali দ is retroflex /ɖ/, pronounced with the tongue tip curled back to touch the roof of the mouth. This differs from the dental দ /d̪/ in some contexts.
Nasalization
The word হ্যাঁ (hnyã) “yes” contains nasalization marked by the chandrabindu (ঁ), nasalizing the entire vowel.
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The Latinum Institute Modern Language Course follows a frequency-based curriculum, teaching the most common words in systematic progression. This lesson covers দেখা (dekha) “to see,” corresponding to English frequency rank 48.
The Latinum Institute has been creating language learning materials since 2006, specializing in the construed text method that makes complex languages accessible to autodidact learners. The interlinear format—showing each word with its grammatical function and meaning—allows learners to comprehend authentic language without simplified texts.
For Bengali, the duplex method addresses the specific challenge of learning a non-Latin script. Line ‘a’ presents Bengali script with romanization and gloss. Line ‘b’ presents romanization as the primary text with pronunciation guidance and gloss. This dual approach allows learners to choose their entry point—direct script reading or phonetically-guided study—while maintaining complete comprehension support.
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Each lesson is self-contained, using the interlinear format to make all vocabulary immediately accessible regardless of lesson sequence. The thirty examples per lesson provide extensive exposure to the target word in varied contexts, from simple declaratives to literary citations to natural dialogue.
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✓ Lesson 48 Bengali complete
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