For autodidact students of Hindi, सोचना (socnā) is the everyday verb for "to think": to turn something over in the mind, to consider it, to plan it, and also to worry about it. It is a transitive verb (a सकर्मक क्रिया, sakarmak kriyā), regular in every form, and its stem is सोच (soc). The dictionaries derive it from Sanskrit शोच्यते (śocyate), from the root शुच् (śuc, "to grieve"), and relate it to सोग (sog, "grief"). That older sense has not gone: Hindi dictionaries give both "to think over, to consider" and "to be anxious, to worry" as meanings of सोचना, and Section F shows the verb in its old sense of grief. It is the same verb in Urdu (سوچنا), so a learner who knows it once knows it in both.
English "think" is a busy word, and Hindi shares its jobs among several verbs. सोचना takes the job of the mental act itself: "I am thinking", "think before you speak", "I thought I would go tomorrow", "don't think about it so much". The job of "having an opinion" is shared with मुझे लगता है कि (mujhe lagtā hai ki, "it seems to me that"), मेरे ख़याल से (mere khayāl se, "in my view") and मेरा मानना है कि (merā mānnā hai ki, "my belief is that"). The job of "understand" belongs to समझना (samajhnā), and the formal "give consideration to" to विचार करना (vicār karnā). The test is simple. If you could ask "thinking about what?", the verb is सोचना. If you are only giving your view, Hindi will often prefer मुझे लगता है.
सोचना is built from its stem in the usual way, and the stem does most of the work: - सोच रहा हूँ (soc rahā hūm̐): I am thinking - सोचता हूँ (soctā hūm̐): I think (as a habit, or in general) - सोचा (socā): thought; with the subject in the ergative, मैंने सोचा (I thought) - सोचूँगा (socūm̐gā): I will think - सोचकर (sockar): having thought, after thinking
What you think about is introduced by के बारे में (ke bāre mem̐, "about"): तुम किस बारे में सोच रहे हो? What you think, as a whole statement, is introduced by कि (ki, "that"): मैंने सोचा कि कल घर जाऊँ. You will see the ergative in examples 53.7, 53.10 and 53.12, the कि clause in 53.10 and 53.12, and the old sense of the verb in the doha of Section F.
Do not confuse सोचना with सोना (sonā), "to sleep". The two begin alike, and their past forms differ by one letter: सोचा (socā), "thought", against सोया (soyā), "slept". In Lesson 52 you met सो रहा था (so rahā thā), "was sleeping".
FAQ: What does सोचना mean in Hindi? सोचना means "to think", "to consider", and also "to worry". It is a transitive verb: मैं सोच रहा हूँ = "I am thinking"; मैंने सोचा = "I thought". It builds common phrases: सोच-समझकर (after careful thought), सोच में पड़ना (to fall into thought), सोच लेना (to think it over and settle on a decision), सोचने की बात (something to think about), सोचते-सोचते (while thinking) and सोचा न था (I had not imagined it).
In the following 15 examples you will meet सोचना across its main forms: the progressive and the habitual, the imperative, the future, the ergative past, the polite form for आप, the conjunctive सोचकर, the oblique infinitive सोचने, and the phrase सोचने की बात. The duplex interlinear format gives direct Devanagari-to-meaning access on line (a) and phonetic guidance on line (b).
Educational Note: Designed for English speakers learning Hindi through the Latinum Institute's proven interlinear method.
Key Takeaways: - सोचना = to think, consider, plan; also to worry; a transitive verb, stem सोच - Present and future take the plain subject (मैं सोचता हूँ); the perfective takes ने (मैंने सोचा) - "Think about" = के बारे में सोचना; "think that" = सोचना कि - सोचा कि + subjunctive = "thought I would" (an intention): मैंने सोचा कि कल जाऊँ - सोच लेना = to finish thinking and decide; सोच में पड़ना = to fall into thought - For "in my opinion", everyday Hindi prefers मुझे लगता है कि or मेरे ख़याल से
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सोचना is written with five signs: स (sa), the vowel sign ो (o), च (ca), न (na) and the vowel sign ा (ā). The first syllable is सो (so), a consonant with the long vowel sign ो. The second is च, and the last is ना. In speech the word has two syllables, [soːt͡ʃ.nɑː], because the च closes the first syllable: it is soc-nā. In a form such as सोचता the same happens: soc-tā, never so-ca-tā.
In this course's romanization c stands for च (the sound of English "ch" in "chair"), and ch stands for छ, its aspirated partner. So सोच is soc, not "soch".
Key phonetic notes: - स (s): voiceless dental fricative, close to English "s" in "sun" - ो (o): a long, pure "o" [oː]; the lips stay rounded and do not glide into a "w" as the English "o" in "go" does - च (c): voiceless unaspirated palato-alveolar affricate [t͡ʃ], like English "ch" but without the puff of breath. Keep it apart from छ (ch), the aspirated form - The ending -ना (-nā): long [ɑː], the usual ending of the infinitive
Common learner mistakes: - Pronouncing a short vowel in the first syllable: सो is long, [soː] - Inserting a vowel after च: सोचना is soc-nā, not *so-ca-nā - Mixing सोचा (thought) with सोया (slept), or सोचना with सोना (to sleep) - Aspirating the च: सोच has [t͡ʃ] and no puff of breath; the aspirated छ is a different letter
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53.1a मैं I सोच think रहा PROG-MASC हूँ am
53.1b (maim̐) I (soc) think (rahā) PROG-MASC (hūm̐) am
53.2a तुम you क्या what सोच think रहे PROG-MASC-PL हो are-2PL
53.2b (tum) you (kyā) what (soc) think (rahe) PROG-MASC-PL (ho) are-2PL
53.3a ज़्यादा more मत don't सोचो think-IMP-2PL
53.3b (zyādā) more (mat) don't (soco) think-IMP-2PL
53.4a वह he बहुत much सोचता thinks-HAB-MASC है is
53.4b (vah) he (bahut) much (soctā) thinks-HAB-MASC (hai) is
53.5a पहले first सोचो think-IMP-2PL फिर then बोलो speak-IMP-2PL
53.5b (pahle) first (soco) think-IMP-2PL (phir) then (bolo) speak-IMP-2PL
53.6a मैं I इस this-OBL बारे regard-OBL में in सोचूँगा will-think-1SG-MASC
53.6b (maim̐) I (is) this-OBL (bāre) regard-OBL (mem̐) in (socūm̐gā) will-think-1SG-MASC
53.7a मैंने I-ERG कल yesterday रात night-FEM बहुत much सोचा thought-MASC
53.7b (maimne) I-ERG (kal) yesterday (rāt) night-FEM (bahut) much (socā) thought-MASC
53.8a आप you-HON इस this-OBL बारे regard-OBL में in क्या what सोचते think-HAB-MASC-PL हैं are-PL
53.8b (āp) you-HON (is) this-OBL (bāre) regard-OBL (mem̐) in (kyā) what (socte) think-HAB-MASC-PL (haim̐) are-PL
53.9a सोच-समझकर think-understand [CONV] जवाब answer-MASC दो give-IMP-2PL
53.9b (soc-samajhkar) think-understand [CONV] (javāb) answer-MASC (do) give-IMP-2PL
53.10a मैंने I-ERG सोचा thought-MASC कि that कल tomorrow घर home जाऊँ go-SUBJ-1SG
53.10b (maimne) I-ERG (socā) thought-MASC (ki) that (kal) tomorrow (ghar) home (jāūm̐) go-SUBJ-1SG
53.11a मैं I तुम्हारे your-OBL बारे regard-OBL में in सोच think ही EMPH रहा PROG-MASC था was-MASC कि that तुम you आ come गए went-MASC-PL
53.11b (maim̐) I (tumhāre) your-OBL (bāre) regard-OBL (mem̐) in (soc) think (hī) EMPH (rahā) PROG-MASC (thā) was-MASC (ki) that (tum) you (ā) come (gae) went-MASC-PL
53.12a उसने he-ERG कभी ever सोचा thought-MASC भी even नहीं not था was-MASC कि that वह he जीत win जाएगा will-go-MASC
53.12b (usne) he-ERG (kabhī) ever (socā) thought-MASC (bhī) even (nahīm̐) not (thā) was-MASC (ki) that (vah) he (jīt) win (jāegā) will-go-MASC
53.13a इतना this-much सोचने think-INF-OBL से by क्या what फ़ायदा benefit-MASC
53.13b (itnā) this-much (socne) think-INF-OBL (se) by (kyā) what (fāydā) benefit-MASC
53.14a मैं I अपने own-OBL बच्चों children-OBL के GEN-OBL भविष्य future-MASC के GEN-OBL बारे regard-OBL में in सोचती think-HAB-FEM हूँ am
53.14b (maim̐) I (apne) own-OBL (baccom̐) children-OBL (ke) GEN-OBL (bhaviṣya) future-MASC (ke) GEN-OBL (bāre) regard-OBL (mem̐) in (soctī) think-HAB-FEM (hūm̐) am
53.15a यह this सोचने think-INF-OBL की GEN-FEM बात matter-FEM है is
53.15b (yah) this (socne) think-INF-OBL (kī) GEN-FEM (bāt) matter-FEM (hai) is
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53.1 मैं सोच रहा हूँ। "I am thinking."
53.2 तुम क्या सोच रहे हो? "What are you thinking?"
53.3 ज़्यादा मत सोचो। "Don't think too much." (also "Don't worry so much.")
53.4 वह बहुत सोचता है। "He thinks a lot."
53.5 पहले सोचो, फिर बोलो। "Think first, then speak."
53.6 मैं इस बारे में सोचूँगा। "I will think about this."
53.7 मैंने कल रात बहुत सोचा। "I thought a lot last night."
53.8 आप इस बारे में क्या सोचते हैं? "What do you think about this?"
53.9 सोच-समझकर जवाब दो। "Think it over carefully, then answer."
53.10 मैंने सोचा कि कल घर जाऊँ। "I thought I would go home tomorrow."
53.11 मैं तुम्हारे बारे में सोच ही रहा था कि तुम आ गए। "I was just thinking about you when you arrived."
53.12 उसने कभी सोचा भी नहीं था कि वह जीत जाएगा। "He had never even thought that he would win."
53.13 इतना सोचने से क्या फ़ायदा? "What is the use of thinking so much?"
53.14 मैं अपने बच्चों के भविष्य के बारे में सोचती हूँ। "I think about my children's future." (a woman speaking)
53.15 यह सोचने की बात है। "This is something to think about."
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53.1 मैं सोच रहा हूँ।
53.2 तुम क्या सोच रहे हो?
53.3 ज़्यादा मत सोचो।
53.4 वह बहुत सोचता है।
53.5 पहले सोचो, फिर बोलो।
53.6 मैं इस बारे में सोचूँगा।
53.7 मैंने कल रात बहुत सोचा।
53.8 आप इस बारे में क्या सोचते हैं?
53.9 सोच-समझकर जवाब दो।
53.10 मैंने सोचा कि कल घर जाऊँ।
53.11 मैं तुम्हारे बारे में सोच ही रहा था कि तुम आ गए।
53.12 उसने कभी सोचा भी नहीं था कि वह जीत जाएगा।
53.13 इतना सोचने से क्या फ़ायदा?
53.14 मैं अपने बच्चों के भविष्य के बारे में सोचती हूँ।
53.15 यह सोचने की बात है।
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These are the grammar rules for सोचना (socnā) — "think":
Form. सोचना is a regular verb. Its stem is सोच, found by dropping -ना from the infinitive, and every form is made from the stem with the usual endings. The ending -ता / -ती / -ते agrees with the subject in the habitual, and रहा / रही / रहे agrees with it in the progressive. The auxiliary (हूँ, है, हो, हैं, था ...) is the ordinary one.
The forms in this lesson: - Infinitive: सोचना (socnā); oblique infinitive सोचने (socne), as in इतना सोचने से (53.13) and सोचने की बात (53.15) - Habitual: सोचता / सोचती / सोचते + auxiliary: वह सोचता है (he thinks), मैं सोचती हूँ (I think, a woman speaking) - Progressive: सोच रहा / रही / रहे + auxiliary: मैं सोच रहा हूँ (53.1), तुम क्या सोच रहे हो? (53.2) - Perfective: सोचा (masculine singular), सोची (feminine singular), सोचे (masculine plural) - Future: सोचूँगा / सोचूँगी (I), सोचेगा / सोचेगी (he, she), सोचोगे (you, तुम), सोचेंगे (we, they). सोचूँगा is in 53.6 - Subjunctive: सोचूँ (I), सोचे (he, she), सोचें (we, they), सोचो (you, तुम) - Imperative: सोच (तू, familiar), सोचो (तुम), सोचिए (आप, polite). The negative imperative puts मत before the verb: मत सोचो (don't think; 53.3) - Conjunctive participle: सोचकर (having thought). With सोच-समझकर (53.9) the verb is joined to समझकर, "having understood", to give "after careful thought" - Imperfective participle: सोचते (thinking). Doubled, सोचते-सोचते means "while thinking and thinking"
The ergative. सोचना is transitive, so the perfective takes ने on the subject: मैंने सोचा (53.7), उसने सोचा भी नहीं था (53.12). The verb then agrees with the object, not with the subject. When what is thought is a whole clause with कि, or nothing at all, the verb stays in its default form, masculine singular: सोचा. When the thing thought is a feminine noun, the verb is feminine: यह बात मैंने पहले नहीं सोची थी (I had not thought of this before). In the present, future and progressive there is no ने, and the verb agrees with the subject.
What is thought. There are four ways to say it: - के बारे में (ke bāre mem̐), "about": मैं इस बारे में सोचूँगा (53.6); आप इस बारे में क्या सोचते हैं? (53.8). With a pronoun the possessive form comes before बारे: तुम्हारे बारे में (53.11); with a noun, the genitive: बच्चों के भविष्य के बारे में (53.14) - कि (ki), "that", for a whole statement: मैंने सोचा कि ... - an object noun, for what is thought up: उसने एक नई बात सोची (he thought of a new idea) - a question word: तुम क्या सोच रहे हो? (53.2)
सोचा कि with the subjunctive. After सोचा कि, the subjunctive gives an intention, a plan: मैंने सोचा कि कल घर जाऊँ (53.10), "I thought I would go home tomorrow". With the future, the clause is an expectation: उसने सोचा कि वह कल जाएगा (he thought that he would go tomorrow). Both are possible, and the difference is that the subjunctive is the speaker's own plan.
सोचा था कि. The past perfect सोचा था कि ... says what was thought, and it usually points to something that turned out differently: मैंने सोचा था कि आप मना करेंगी (I had thought that you would refuse). With a negative it says that something was beyond imagining: उसने कभी सोचा भी नहीं था कि वह जीत जाएगा (53.12). सोचा न था (socā na thā) is the short form of the same phrase: "I had not imagined it".
Compound verbs and phrases: - सोच लेना (soc lenā): to think it over and be ready to decide. मैंने सोच लिया है means "I have thought it over (and I have decided)". सोच लो (soc lo) is "think it over, then tell me" - सोच में पड़ना (soc mem̐ paṛnā): to fall into thought, to be lost in thought or perplexed - सोचने लगना (socne lagnā): to begin to think; the oblique infinitive goes with लगना - सोचते रहना (soctā rahnā): to keep on thinking. The ending changes with the subject: वह सोचता रहा, वे सोचते रहे - सोच-समझकर (soc-samajhkar): after careful thought, deliberately - सोच-विचार (soc-vicār): deliberation, thought and reflection (a noun) - सोचने की बात (socne kī bāt): a matter to be thought about, "something to think about" (53.15)
The noun सोच. The stem is also a noun, सोच (soc), "thought, way of thinking, worry". The dictionary we checked gives it as masculine, while in speech and writing it also appears with feminine adjectives (नई सोच), so this lesson uses it only in phrases where no agreement shows.
सोचना and मुझे लगता है. For "I think that ..." as a view, everyday Hindi often uses मुझे लगता है कि (it seems to me that) or मेरे ख़याल से (in my view): मुझे लगता है कि कल बारिश होगी (I think it will rain tomorrow). मैं सोचता हूँ कि ... is correct, and it makes the act of thought the point: "I am of the opinion, having thought about it". Where the English "think" is the mental act, as in "what are you thinking?", use सोचना.
सोचना and समझना. समझना is "to understand" and, in the sense of "to take it that", "to regard as": मैं उसे अपना दोस्त समझता हूँ (I regard him as my friend). It does not name the act of thinking. The two meet in सोच-समझकर, where the pair means "after reflection and judgment".
Politeness. The polite imperative is सोचिए (socie), used for आप: ज़रा सोचिए (just think; consider this). The familiar imperative is the bare stem, सोच, for a child or close friend. The middle form सोचो is for तुम. The same ending -इए is the modern form of the old -इअ of Section F.
Common Mistakes: - Writing मैंने सोचता हूँ, mixing the ergative with the present: it is either मैंने सोचा (past) or मैं सोचता हूँ (present) - Leaving out ने in the perfective: *मैं सोचा. The transitive perfective needs मैंने सोचा - Using सोचना for every "I think": for a plain opinion, मुझे लगता है कि or मेरे ख़याल से is the commoner choice - Confusing सोचना (to think) with सोना (to sleep): सोचा (thought) and सोया (slept) are different words - Pronouncing a vowel after च: सोचना is soc-nā
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सोचना is among the most frequent verbs in Hindi, and it is the verb of deliberation. Hindi values thought before action, and its sayings say so. The best-known is the kundaliya of the poet Giridhar Kaviraya, which opens बिना बिचारे जो करै, सो पाछे पछिताय ("whoever acts without thinking repents later"). Its verb is बिचारना, the literary relative of विचार, and not सोचना; in daily speech the same advice is पहले सोचो, फिर करो ("think first, then act"), and the pair सोच-विचार carries both registers at once.
The verb is also a polite way of postponing. ठीक है, हम सोचेंगे ("all right, we will think about it") is an example sentence that a Hindi dictionary gives for सोचना, and in conversation it can be a courteous reply that promises nothing.
सोचना carries worry as well as thought, and the two senses often shade into each other. मत सोचो can mean "don't think about it" and "don't worry about it", and the context decides. The noun appears in modern phrases such as सकारात्मक सोच (sakārātmak soc, "positive thinking") and नई सोच (naī soc, "a new way of thinking"), and in the everyday सोच में पड़ गया ("he was lost in thought").
The word is the same in Urdu (سوچنا), with the same forms and the same two senses, thought and worry.
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तुलसीदास (Tulsidas) — रामचरितमानस, अयोध्याकांड (Rāmcaritmānas, Ayodhyākāṇḍ)
Tulsidas is the sixteenth-century poet of the Rāmcaritmānas, the Awadhi retelling of the story of Rama, and one of the most widely read and recited poems in the Hindi-speaking world; his dates are traditionally given as 1532–1623. This is not Hindi of today but Awadhi, the older language of the poem, so the forms are old: -इअ for the polite verb ending, धरमु for धर्म. The lines are from the Ayodhyākāṇḍ, just before doha 172. They come in the counsel that follows the death of King Dasharatha, in which the sage Vasishtha tells Bharata that the king is not to be grieved for, and then lists the people who are. The passage is chosen here because it is built on one word. सोचिअ opens the line each time, in its old sense of "grieve for", and it shows the other half of सोचना: not thinking, but sorrow and concern.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a सोचिअ is-to-be-grieved-for बिप्र brahmin जो who बेद Veda बिहीना devoid तजि abandoning निज own धरमु duty बिषय worldly-pleasure लयलीना absorbed
F.1b (socia) is-to-be-grieved-for (bipra) brahmin (jo) who (bed) Veda (bihīnā) devoid (taji) abandoning (nij) own (dharamu) duty (biṣay) worldly-pleasure (layalīnā) absorbed
F.2a सोचिअ is-to-be-grieved-for नृपति king जो who नीति policy न not जाना knew जेहि to-whom न not प्रजा subjects प्रिय dear प्रान life समाना equal
F.2b (socia) is-to-be-grieved-for (nr̥pati) king (jo) who (nīti) policy (na) not (jānā) knew (jehi) to-whom (na) not (prajā) subjects (priya) dear (prān) life (samānā) equal
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
सोचिअ बिप्र जो बेद बिहीना। तजि निज धरमु बिषय लयलीना॥ सोचिअ नृपति जो नीति न जाना। जेहि न प्रजा प्रिय प्रान समाना॥
"One should grieve for the brahmin who is without the Vedas, who abandons his own duty and is absorbed in worldly pleasure. One should grieve for the king who does not know policy, and to whom his subjects are not as dear as his own life."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
सोचिअ बिप्र जो बेद बिहीना। तजि निज धरमु बिषय लयलीना॥ सोचिअ नृपति जो नीति न जाना। जेहि न प्रजा प्रिय प्रान समाना॥
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
सोचिअ (socia): the old Awadhi form of the polite verb ending, from the stem सोच-. In modern Hindi the same ending is -इए (सोचिए, "please think"). Here it has the sense of obligation, not of a request to a listener: "it is right to grieve for", "is to be grieved for". The passage itself closes with the adjective सोचनीय (socnīya), "to be grieved for", from the same stem: सोचनीय सबहि बिधि सोई (the same man is to be grieved for in every way). The verb here is not "think" but "lament, be sorry for", and it is this older sense that survives in the modern सोचना, "to worry".
बिप्र जो बेद बिहीना (bipra jo bed bihīnā): "the brahmin who is without the Veda". बिप्र is the old form of विप्र (vipra), "brahmin". बिहीना is the old form of विहीन (vihīn), "devoid of, lacking". जो is the relative pronoun, "who".
तजि निज धरमु (taji nij dharamu): तजि is the conjunctive form of तजना, "to abandon", the old equivalent of the modern तजकर. निज is "one's own". धरमु is धर्म, with the Awadhi ending -u.
बिषय लयलीना (biṣay layalīnā): बिषय is "objects of the senses, worldly pleasure" (the modern विषय, which also means "subject, topic"). लयलीना is "absorbed in".
नृपति (nr̥pati): "king", literally "lord of men". नीति न जाना (nīti na jānā): "has not known policy, does not know it"; जाना is the perfective of जानना, "to know".
जेहि न प्रजा प्रिय प्रान समाना (jehi na prajā priya prān samānā): "to whom subjects are not dear as life". जेहि is the old oblique of जो ("to whom"); प्रान समाना is "equal to life". The line has no verb for "are": as in the doha of Lesson 52, the verb of being is left out.
Other printings: the opening word is also printed सोचिय, and धरम is printed for धरमु, as in the Gita Press text. The wording of the couplet is the same.
F-E: Literary Commentary
The passage lists the people who should be mourned, and it begins with a Brahmin who has lost his learning and a king who has lost his sense of duty. It does so in order to console Bharata: if these are the ones for whom sorrow is right, the king who lived and died justly is not one of them. Most of the lines that follow in the passage open with the same verb, सोचिअ.
The learner of Hindi should notice what has happened to the word. In this passage the verb means to grieve, not to think. In modern Hindi the order is reversed: thought is the first sense, and worry and sorrow the second. Between the two there is a single verb. This is why सोच में पड़ना can mean "to be lost in thought" and "to be troubled", and why मत सोचो can mean "don't worry". The Genre Section keeps both senses in play.
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Ravi has been offered a job in another city, and he cannot make up his mind. The verb सोचना runs through the story from the first line to the last: thinking, worrying, thinking it over, deciding, and thinking again about something happier. Mother and son use it to say what neither can say outright.
53.16a रवि Ravi को DAT दूसरे other-OBL शहर city-MASC में in नौकरी job-FEM मिली got-FEM थी was-FEM और and वह he कई several दिनों day-OBL-PL से from सोच think रहा PROG-MASC था was-MASC
53.16b (ravi) Ravi (ko) DAT (dūsre) other-OBL (śahar) city-MASC (mem̐) in (naukrī) job-FEM (milī) got-FEM (thī) was-FEM (aur) and (vah) he (kaī) several (dinom̐) day-OBL-PL (se) from (soc) think (rahā) PROG-MASC (thā) was-MASC
53.17a उसने he-ERG सोचा thought-MASC कि that अगर if वह he चला left-MASC गया went-MASC तो then माँ mother-FEM अकेली alone-FEM रह stay जाएगी will-go-FEM
53.17b (usne) he-ERG (socā) thought-MASC (ki) that (agar) if (vah) he (calā) left-MASC (gayā) went-MASC (to) then (mām̐) mother-FEM (akelī) alone-FEM (rah) stay (jāegī) will-go-FEM
53.18a रात night-FEM को at वह he छत roof-FEM पर on बैठकर sitting [CONV] देर delay-FEM तक until सोचता thinking-MASC रहा stayed-MASC
53.18b (rāt) night-FEM (ko) at (vah) he (chat) roof-FEM (par) on (baiṭhkar) sitting [CONV] (der) delay-FEM (tak) until (soctā) thinking-MASC (rahā) stayed-MASC
53.19a माँ mother-FEM ने ERG उसे him-ACC उदास sad देखा saw-MASC तो then पूछा asked-MASC बेटा son क्या what सोच think रहा PROG-MASC है are-2SG
53.19b (mām̐) mother-FEM (ne) ERG (use) him-ACC (udās) sad (dekhā) saw-MASC (to) then (pūchā) asked-MASC (beṭā) son (kyā) what (soc) think (rahā) PROG-MASC (hai) are-2SG
53.20a रवि Ravi ने ERG कहा said-MASC माँ mother मैं I आपके your-HON-OBL बारे regard-OBL में in सोच think रहा PROG-MASC हूँ am
53.20b (ravi) Ravi (ne) ERG (kahā) said-MASC (mām̐) mother (maim̐) I (āpke) your-HON-OBL (bāre) regard-OBL (mem̐) in (soc) think (rahā) PROG-MASC (hūm̐) am
53.21a माँ mother-FEM हँसकर laughing [CONV] बोली said-FEM मेरी my-FEM चिंता worry-FEM मत don't कर do-IMP-FAM पहले first अपने own-OBL बारे regard-OBL में in सोच think-IMP-FAM
53.21b (mām̐) mother-FEM (ham̐skar) laughing [CONV] (bolī) said-FEM (merī) my-FEM (cintā) worry-FEM (mat) don't (kar) do-IMP-FAM (pahle) first (apne) own-OBL (bāre) regard-OBL (mem̐) in (soc) think-IMP-FAM
53.22a रवि Ravi बोला said-MASC मैंने I-ERG सोचा thought-MASC था was-MASC कि that आप you-HON मना refusal करेंगी will-do-FEM-HON
53.22b (ravi) Ravi (bolā) said-MASC (maimne) I-ERG (socā) thought-MASC (thā) was-MASC (ki) that (āp) you-HON (manā) refusal (karemgī) will-do-FEM-HON
53.23a माँ mother-FEM ने ERG कहा said-MASC मैंने I-ERG सोच think लिया took-MASC है is तुम you जाओ go-IMP-2PL
53.23b (mām̐) mother-FEM (ne) ERG (kahā) said-MASC (maimne) I-ERG (soc) think (liyā) took-MASC (hai) is (tum) you (jāo) go-IMP-2PL
53.24a रवि Ravi फिर again भी also चुप silent रहा stayed-MASC वह he सोच thought में in पड़ fall गया went-MASC
53.24b (ravi) Ravi (phir) again (bhī) also (cup) silent (rahā) stayed-MASC (vah) he (soc) thought (mem̐) in (paṛ) fall (gayā) went-MASC
53.25a उसने he-ERG सोचा thought-MASC कि that नई new-FEM जगह place-FEM में in सब all कुछ something अजनबी strange होगा will-be-MASC
53.25b (usne) he-ERG (socā) thought-MASC (ki) that (naī) new-FEM (jagah) place-FEM (mem̐) in (sab) all (kuch) something (ajnabī) strange (hogā) will-be-MASC
53.26a फिर then उसने he-ERG सोचा thought-MASC कि that डरने fear-INF-OBL से by कुछ anything नहीं not बदलेगा will-change-MASC
53.26b (phir) then (usne) he-ERG (socā) thought-MASC (ki) that (ḍarne) fear-INF-OBL (se) by (kuch) anything (nahīm̐) not (badlegā) will-change-MASC
53.27a सोचते-सोचते thinking-thinking सुबह morning-FEM हो be गई went-FEM
53.27b (socte-socte) thinking-thinking (subah) morning-FEM (ho) be (gaī) went-FEM
53.28a सुबह morning उसने he-ERG माँ mother-FEM से to कहा said-MASC मैंने I-ERG सोच think लिया took-MASC है is मैं I जाऊँगा will-go-1SG-MASC
53.28b (subah) morning (usne) he-ERG (mām̐) mother-FEM (se) to (kahā) said-MASC (maimne) I-ERG (soc) think (liyā) took-MASC (hai) is (maim̐) I (jāūm̐gā) will-go-1SG-MASC
53.29a माँ mother-FEM ने ERG कहा said-MASC अच्छा good पर but वहाँ there पहुँचकर reaching [CONV] भी also मेरे my-OBL बारे regard-OBL में in सोचते thinking रहना stay-INF
53.29b (mām̐) mother-FEM (ne) ERG (kahā) said-MASC (acchā) good (par) but (vahām̐) there (pahum̐ckar) reaching [CONV] (bhī) also (mere) my-OBL (bāre) regard-OBL (mem̐) in (socte) thinking (rahnā) stay-INF
53.30a रवि Ravi मुस्कुराया smiled-MASC और and सोचने think-INF-OBL लगा began-MASC पहली first-FEM तनख़्वाह salary-FEM से with माँ mother-FEM के GEN-OBL लिए for क्या what लूँ take-SUBJ-1SG
53.30b (ravi) Ravi (muskurāyā) smiled-MASC (aur) and (socne) think-INF-OBL (lagā) began-MASC (pahlī) first-FEM (tankhvāh) salary-FEM (se) with (mām̐) mother-FEM (ke) GEN-OBL (lie) for (kyā) what (lūm̐) take-SUBJ-1SG
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53.16 रवि को दूसरे शहर में नौकरी मिली थी और वह कई दिनों से सोच रहा था। "Ravi had been offered a job in another city, and for several days he had been thinking."
53.17 उसने सोचा कि अगर वह चला गया तो माँ अकेली रह जाएगी। "He thought that if he left, his mother would be left alone."
53.18 रात को वह छत पर बैठकर देर तक सोचता रहा। "At night he sat on the roof and went on thinking for a long time."
53.19 माँ ने उसे उदास देखा तो पूछा — बेटा, क्या सोच रहा है? "When his mother saw him sad, she asked: Son, what are you thinking?"
53.20 रवि ने कहा — माँ, मैं आपके बारे में सोच रहा हूँ। "Ravi said: Mother, I am thinking about you."
53.21 माँ हँसकर बोली — मेरी चिंता मत कर, पहले अपने बारे में सोच। "His mother said, laughing: Don't worry about me; first think about yourself."
53.22 रवि बोला — मैंने सोचा था कि आप मना करेंगी। "Ravi said: I had thought you would refuse."
53.23 माँ ने कहा — मैंने सोच लिया है, तुम जाओ। "His mother said: I have thought it over; you go."
53.24 रवि फिर भी चुप रहा; वह सोच में पड़ गया। "Ravi still stayed silent; he fell into thought."
53.25 उसने सोचा कि नई जगह में सब कुछ अजनबी होगा। "He thought that in a new place everything would be strange."
53.26 फिर उसने सोचा कि डरने से कुछ नहीं बदलेगा। "Then he thought that nothing would change by being afraid."
53.27 सोचते-सोचते सुबह हो गई। "While he thought and thought, morning came."
53.28 सुबह उसने माँ से कहा — मैंने सोच लिया है, मैं जाऊँगा। "In the morning he said to his mother: I have thought it over; I will go."
53.29 माँ ने कहा — अच्छा, पर वहाँ पहुँचकर भी मेरे बारे में सोचते रहना। "His mother said: Good, but even after you get there, keep thinking about me."
53.30 रवि मुस्कुराया और सोचने लगा — पहली तनख़्वाह से माँ के लिए क्या लूँ? "Ravi smiled and began to think: what shall I buy for Mother with my first salary?"
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53.16 रवि को दूसरे शहर में नौकरी मिली थी और वह कई दिनों से सोच रहा था।
53.17 उसने सोचा कि अगर वह चला गया तो माँ अकेली रह जाएगी।
53.18 रात को वह छत पर बैठकर देर तक सोचता रहा।
53.19 माँ ने उसे उदास देखा तो पूछा — बेटा, क्या सोच रहा है?
53.20 रवि ने कहा — माँ, मैं आपके बारे में सोच रहा हूँ।
53.21 माँ हँसकर बोली — मेरी चिंता मत कर, पहले अपने बारे में सोच।
53.22 रवि बोला — मैंने सोचा था कि आप मना करेंगी।
53.23 माँ ने कहा — मैंने सोच लिया है, तुम जाओ।
53.24 रवि फिर भी चुप रहा; वह सोच में पड़ गया।
53.25 उसने सोचा कि नई जगह में सब कुछ अजनबी होगा।
53.26 फिर उसने सोचा कि डरने से कुछ नहीं बदलेगा।
53.27 सोचते-सोचते सुबह हो गई।
53.28 सुबह उसने माँ से कहा — मैंने सोच लिया है, मैं जाऊँगा।
53.29 माँ ने कहा — अच्छा, पर वहाँ पहुँचकर भी मेरे बारे में सोचते रहना।
53.30 रवि मुस्कुराया और सोचने लगा — पहली तनख़्वाह से माँ के लिए क्या लूँ?
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सोचा कि (53.17, 53.25, 53.26). In reported thought, सोचना takes a कि clause, and the clause keeps the tense of the thought itself: अगर वह चला गया तो माँ अकेली रह जाएगी (a condition and its result in the future), नई जगह में सब कुछ अजनबी होगा (the future of supposition). Each time, उसने सोचा is in the ergative, and the verb stays in the default masculine singular, since the object is a clause. In 53.26, डरने से is the oblique infinitive with से, "by being afraid".
सोच रहा था / सोचता रहा / सोचते-सोचते (53.16, 53.18, 53.27). The three forms differ in how they treat time. सोच रहा था (53.16) is the past progressive, a state that goes on for some time: कई दिनों से is "for several days". सोचता रहा (53.18) is the habitual participle with रहना, and it presents the thinking as one unbroken stretch, देर तक, "for a long time". सोचते-सोचते (53.27) is the doubled imperfective participle: it puts one event, the coming of morning, inside a long act of thinking, with no subject needed.
सोच रहा है / सोच रहा हूँ (53.19, 53.20). Mother uses the familiar तू form, क्या सोच रहा है?, with the auxiliary है, as a mother speaks to a son. Ravi answers with आप and the first-person auxiliary: मैं आपके बारे में सोच रहा हूँ. The possessive आपके takes the oblique form because it stands before बारे में. In 53.21 the imperatives are familiar as well: कर and सोच are the bare stems, and the negative imperative uses मत, मत कर.
सोचा था कि (53.22). मैंने सोचा था कि आप मना करेंगी. The past perfect says what Ravi expected, and the context tells the listener that it did not happen. मना करेंगी is future with honorific आप, feminine for his mother.
सोच लिया है (53.23, 53.28). सोच लेना is a compound verb: सोच, the stem, with लेना giving the sense of a completed act, done for oneself. मैंने सोच लिया है is "I have thought it through", which always implies a decision. The ergative stays; the verb लिया agrees with a default masculine, and है is the auxiliary. Mother's decision is in 53.23 and Ravi's own, in the same words, is in 53.28. It is the same sentence, and the repetition is the point of the story.
सोच में पड़ गया (53.24). सोच में पड़ना is "to fall into thought", with a feeling of unease: सोच is here the noun, and गया is the compound verb of change of state, "went". The phrase takes no ने, as पड़ना is intransitive.
सोचने लगा (53.30). The oblique infinitive with लगना means "began to": रवि सोचने लगा. The question that follows, क्या लूँ?, is a subjunctive of deliberation, "what shall I take?" It is the happy counterpart to the worry of 53.16: the same verb, now turned toward something to look forward to.
सोचते रहना (53.29). Mother's closing request is the infinitive used as a gentle imperative: सोचते रहना, "keep on thinking about me". The participle सोचते is the plain form, and रहना is the infinitive, which Hindi uses as a polite, affectionate command.
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सोचना (socnā) — IPA: /soːt͡ʃ.nɑː/
- स (s): voiceless dental fricative [s] - ो (o): a long, pure [oː] - च (c): voiceless unaspirated palato-alveolar affricate [t͡ʃ], like "ch" in "chair" without the puff of air - ना (nā): [nɑː]; the न is dental - The word has two syllables, soc-nā: the च closes the first syllable
Related forms: - सोचता /soːt͡ʃ.t̪ɑː/ — thinks (habitual, masculine) - सोचा /soːt͡ʃɑː/ — thought (perfective) - सोची /soːt͡ʃiː/ — thought (perfective, feminine) - सोचूँगा /soːt͡ʃũːɡɑː/ — I will think - सोचिए /soːt͡ʃɪeː/ — please think (polite imperative) - सोचने /soːt͡ʃ.neː/ — oblique infinitive - सोच /soːt͡ʃ/ — thought, worry (noun); also the bare stem - सोना /soːnɑː/ — to sleep; do not confuse with सोचना
Stress and intonation: in सोच रहा हूँ and सोच रहा था the weight falls on सोच, with रहा हूँ light. In the question तुम क्या सोच रहे हो?, the word क्या takes the stress. In सोचा कि ..., the thought itself, after कि, carries the news, and सोचा is light.
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