निगलना
nigalnā/nɪ.ɡəl.nɑː/
The English verb "swallow" is निगलना (nigalnā) in Hindi.
निगलना is used to describe the action of causing something to pass from the mouth into the stomach.
Meaning: to cause to pass from the mouth into the stomach (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of निगलना is निगला. If you want to express that someone is currently performing the action, the continuous form is निगल रहा है. For the future tense, use निगलेगा.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /nɪ.ɡəl.nɑː/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- Because निगलना can describe an act of greed, it is often used in Hindi idioms to describe someone who 'swallows' a whole property or fortune illegally.
- While निगलना is the standard term, it has a formal doublet, लीलना (līlnā), which is often used more poetically or to describe 'devouring' something completely.
- The word निगलना shares its roots with the Sanskrit verb निगलति (nigalati), which has been used to describe the act of swallowing for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- उसने पूरी दवा एक बार में निगल ली।He swallowed the whole medicine at once.
- खाना जल्दी निगलना बहुत बुरा है।khaana jaldi nigalna bahut bura hai.To swallow food quickly is very bad.
- बड़े टुकड़े को निगलना मुश्किल है।bade tukde ko nigalna mushkil hai.It is difficult to swallow large pieces.
Example conversation
Neha is helping Amit take his medication.
- नेहा Nehaअमित, यह गोली अब निगलना।Amit, yeh goli ab nigalna.Amit, swallow this pill now.
- अमित Amitयह बहुत कड़वी है!Yeh bahut kadvi hai!This is very bitter!
- नेहा Nehaपानी पियो और इसे जल्दी निगलना।Paani piyo aur ise jaldi nigalna.Drink water and swallow it quickly.
- अमित Amitठीक है, मैंने इसे निगल लिया।Theek hai, maine ise nigal liya.Okay, I swallowed it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swallow” translations and entries निगलना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries निगलना, CC BY-SA 4.0.
