खाना
khānā/kʰɑː.nɑː/
To eat in Hindi is खाना (khānā).
The word खाना means to eat a meal. It is also a homonym that can mean the noun 'food'.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard form खाना is used in neutral or informal contexts. If you wish to be polite and invite someone to have a meal, you can say Khana kha lijiye (Please eat). For a very informal command or statement, one might use Khao (eat).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb खाना changes its ending based on the gender and number of the subject in the present tense. For example, a male speaker saying 'I eat' would use खाता हूँ (khātā hūn), while a female speaker would use खाती हूँ (khātī hūn). For masculine subjects in the past tense, use खाया (khāyā) to mean 'ate'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is khānā (kʰɑː.nɑː).
Did you know?
- In many Indian households, it is common to ask खाना खाया? (Did you eat?) as a general greeting similar to 'How are you?' It serves as a way to show care and affection toward the other person.
- Hindi uses a 'causative' system for the verb खाना (khānā). By changing the form to खिलाना (khilānā), the meaning shifts from 'to eat' to 'to feed' someone else.
- In a cultural context, offering खाना (khānā) to a guest is considered a sacred duty in many Hindi-speaking communities. Refusing food can sometimes be seen as a social slight unless explained.
Examples in context
- मुझे खाना पसंद है।I like to eat.This sentence shows how to express a preference using खाना.Tatoeba #3929023 by sabretou, translation #773320 by marloncori
- मुझे क्या खाना चाहिए?What should I eat?This sentence is useful for asking for a suggestion regarding what to eat using खाना.Tatoeba #3937225 by sabretou, translation #24687 by CK
- हम अभी खाना नहीं चाहते।We don't want to eat now.This sentence demonstrates how to express a lack of desire to eat using खाना.Tatoeba #10055938 by sabretou, translation #6354924 by CK
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At home in the evening.
- पूजा Poojaअमित, क्या आपने खाना खाया?Amit, kya aapne khana khaya?Amit, did you eat a meal?
- अमित Amitनहीं, मैं अभी खाना खाऊँगा।Nahi, main abhi khana khaunga.No, I will eat a meal now.
- पूजा Poojaक्या मैं भी आपके साथ खाना खा सकती हूँ?Kya main bhi aapke saath khana kha sakti hoon?Can I also eat a meal with you?
- अमित Amitहाँ, पूजा, बिल्कुल!Haan, Pooja, bilkul!Yes, Pooja, absolutely!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry खाना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries खाना, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
