खिलाना / पिलाना / दिखाना

Common Causatives

Level 3Sounds Like khilānā, pilānā aura dikhānā

Some common verbs have a partner that makes someone else do the action: खाना (eat) → खिलाना (feed), देखना (see) → दिखाना (show).

How It Works

Several of the most common Hindi verbs have a partner meaning make someone do it or help someone do it. The vowel usually gets shorter, and some add -ला.

VerbPartnerMeaning
खानाखिलानाto feed
पीनापिलानाto give a drink
देखनादिखानाto show
सुननासुनानाto tell, read out
सीखनासिखानाto teach
सोनासुलानाto put to sleep

The one who eats, drinks, sees or hears takes को. In completed forms the subject takes ने and the verb agrees with the thing: दादी ने हमें कहानी सुनाई. In other tenses the verb agrees with the subject as usual: माँ बच्चे को सुला रही है.

To say you got a third person to do it, use the -वाना form instead, as in करवाना.

Examples (5)

  1. पिता ने बच्चे को खाना खिलाया।

    The father fed the child.

    पिता feeds and बच्चे को eats.

  2. मैंने मेहमानों को चाय पिलाई।

    I served the guests tea.

    पिलाई agrees with feminine चाय; the guests take को.

  3. रीना ने हमें अपनी शादी की तस्वीरें दिखाईं।

    Reena showed us her wedding photos.

    दिखाईं agrees with feminine plural तस्वीरें.

  4. दादी रोज़ रात हमें कहानी सुनाती थीं।

    Grandma used to tell us a story every night.

    सुनाना means to tell; थीं shows respect for दादी.

  5. माँ बच्चे को सुला रही है।

    Mom is putting the baby to sleep.

    सुलाना is the partner of सोना.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the plain verb for feeding someone.

    माँ ने बच्चे को खाना खाया।
    माँ ने बच्चे को खाना खिलाया।

    खाना means to eat yourself. To feed someone, use खिलाना.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

खिलाना / पिलाना / दिखानाLevel 3Common Causatives

Learn This First

Common causatives are irregular members of the verb-pair system.

Words in This Pattern

खिलानापिलानादिखानाको