مارنا
mārnā/mɑːɾ.nɑː/
To hit in Urdu is مارنا (mārnā).
The verb مارنا is used both for physical striking and for the general act of beating or hitting.
Meaning: to administer a blow (verb)
Which one should you use?
While مارنا is the standard form, the colloquial term Thokna is used when referring to hitting something with force. If you are describing a more sustained beating rather than a single strike, the synonym پیٹنا is more appropriate.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the present continuous tense, such as 'is hitting', use the form مار رہا ہے.
How do you pronounce it?
mārnā (IPA: /mɑːɾ.nɑː/).
Did you know?
- In colloquial Urdu, مارنا is often used as a helper verb to describe doing something with intensity, such as 'taking a deep breath' or 'having a long sleep'.
- The verb مارنا shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'murder'. Both stems trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root *mer-, which relates to death.
- The term مارنا-پٹنا combines 'hitting' and 'beating' to idiomatically describe a chaotic argument or a scuffle.
Examples in context
- بچے کو مارنا منع ہے۔Bachay ko marna mana hai.Hitting a child is forbidden.
Example conversation
A mother is reprimanding her son for being rough with a toy.
- فاطمہ Fatimaحمزہ، کھلونے کو یوں مارنا ٹھیک نہیں ہے۔Hamza, khilonay ko yun marna theek nahi hai.Hamza, it is not right to hit the toy like that.
- حمزہ Hamzaامی، میں نے اسے نہیں مارا، بس گرا دیا۔Ammi, maine usay nahi mara, bas gira diya.Mom, I didn't hit it, I just dropped it.
- فاطمہ Fatimaلیکن اس سے آواز آئی ہے، تم مار رہے تھے۔Lekin is se awaz ayi hai, tum maar rahay thay.But it made a sound, you were hitting it.
- حمزہ Hamzaمعاف کر دیں، میں اب احتیاط کروں گا۔Maaf kar dein, mein ab ehtiyat karun ga.I am sorry, I will be careful now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hit” translations and entries مارنا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries مارنا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
