A2 Collocation Neutre 2 min de lecture

काटना काट

to cut

Use `काटना` for physical cutting, deducting money, or describing how you are spending/killing time.

En 15 secondes

  • Used for physical slicing, biting, and deducting money or time.
  • Very common in metaphors for being cheated or hanging up calls.
  • Changes meaning slightly based on the noun it is paired with.

Signification

In Hindi, this word means to cut something physically with a tool, but it also describes 'cutting' through time, phone calls, or even your salary.

Exemples clés

3 sur 6
1

In the kitchen

क्या आप सब्ज़ियाँ काट सकते हैं?

Can you cut the vegetables?

😊
2

Complaining about a bank fee

बैंक ने मेरे पैसे काट लिए।

The bank deducted my money.

💼
3

Frustrated with a phone call

उसने मेरा फ़ोन काट दिया!

He hung up on me!

💭
🌍

Contexte culturel

The word reflects India's transition from a physical, paper-based administration (where receipts were literally cut) to a digital one. It also highlights the Indian concept of 'Time-pass,' where one 'cuts' time to deal with boredom. In modern pop culture, 'Katna' has become a viral slang for being dumped or deceived in a relationship.

💡

The 'Time' Secret

If you say you are 'cutting time' (samay kaatna), it implies you are bored. If you are enjoying yourself, use 'beetaana' (spending time) instead.

⚠️

Careful with Slang

Saying 'Mera kat gaya' (I got cut) is very common among youth to mean 'I was fooled,' but avoid using it in a job interview!

En 15 secondes

  • Used for physical slicing, biting, and deducting money or time.
  • Very common in metaphors for being cheated or hanging up calls.
  • Changes meaning slightly based on the noun it is paired with.

What It Means

At its heart, काटना is about separation. You use it when you slice an apple or snip a thread. But Hindi speakers love metaphors. So, you also use it when a mosquito bites you or when you are 'killing time' at a boring party. It is a versatile verb that covers physical actions and abstract concepts like deductions or cancellations.

How To Use It

You conjugate it like any regular Hindi verb. If you are doing the cutting, use काटना. If something is being cut (like your hair or a ticket), you might use the passive form कटना. In casual talk, you often add देना to make it काट देना, which sounds more complete and decisive. It is like saying 'cut it off' instead of just 'cut'.

When To Use It

Use it in the kitchen for vegetables. Use it at the bank when they deduct a fee from your account. It is perfect for when someone hangs up the phone on you abruptly. You will also hear it when someone gets a traffic fine; they say their 'challan' was cut. Even a dog bite uses this word because it 'cuts' the skin.

When NOT To Use It

Do not use it for 'cutting a deal' in business. For that, use सौदा करना. Avoid using it for 'cutting class' or skipping school; बंक मारना is the better slang there. Also, if you want to say you 'cut' someone in line, use बीच में आना instead of काटना, which sounds too violent.

Cultural Background

In India, the phrase समय काटना (cutting time) is very common. It implies that time is a long rope you are slowly snipping away. There is also the famous जेब काटना (pocket cutting), which refers to pickpocketing. It reflects a society where physical actions often describe social interactions or misfortunes. Even a 'Challan' (fine) is 'cut' because historically, receipts were torn from a physical book.

Common Variations

चक्कर काटना is a fun one. It means to pace around or visit a place repeatedly, like a boy circling a girl's house. बात काटना means to interrupt someone while they are speaking. If you say मेरा कट गया, it is modern slang for 'I got cheated' or 'I got played'. It is a very colorful word with many lives.

Notes d'usage

The verb is neutral but its meaning shifts drastically based on the noun. Always pay attention to whether you are using the active `काटना` or the passive `कटना` to avoid confusion about who is doing the cutting.

💡

The 'Time' Secret

If you say you are 'cutting time' (samay kaatna), it implies you are bored. If you are enjoying yourself, use 'beetaana' (spending time) instead.

⚠️

Careful with Slang

Saying 'Mera kat gaya' (I got cut) is very common among youth to mean 'I was fooled,' but avoid using it in a job interview!

💬

The Receipt Connection

In India, people say 'Bill kaat do' (Cut the bill). This comes from the old days of tearing a carbon-copy receipt out of a ledger.

Exemples

6
#1 In the kitchen
😊

क्या आप सब्ज़ियाँ काट सकते हैं?

Can you cut the vegetables?

A standard, literal use of the verb in a daily chore.

#2 Complaining about a bank fee
💼

बैंक ने मेरे पैसे काट लिए।

The bank deducted my money.

Used here for financial deductions or penalties.

#3 Frustrated with a phone call
💭

उसने मेरा फ़ोन काट दिया!

He hung up on me!

Literally 'cut the phone,' meaning ended the call abruptly.

#4 Texting about a boring meeting
😊

मैं बस समय काट रहा हूँ।

I am just passing time.

A very common idiom for doing something just to make time go by.

#5 A funny mosquito complaint
😄

मच्छर मुझे काट रहे हैं!

Mosquitoes are biting me!

In Hindi, insects 'cut' you rather than 'bite' you.

#6 Getting a haircut
🤝

मुझे अपने बाल कटवाने हैं।

I need to get my hair cut.

Uses the causative form 'katwana' because someone else does the cutting.

Teste-toi

Choose the correct form to say 'I am cutting the cake'.

मैं केक ___ रहा हूँ।

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : काट

`काट` is the root of `काटना`, which is used for slicing a cake.

How do you say 'The dog bit me'?

कुत्ते ने मुझे ___।

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : काटा

For animal bites, Hindi uses the past tense of `काटना` which is `काटा`.

🎉 Score : /2

Aides visuelles

From Slicing Veggies to Getting Scammed

Literal

Cutting vegetables or paper

सब्ज़ी काटना

Everyday

Hanging up a phone call

फ़ोन काटना

Financial

Taxes or bank deductions

पैसे काटना

Slang

Being cheated or dumped

कट गया

Where will you hear 'Kaatna'?

काटना (To Cut)
✂️

At the Barber

बाल काटना

👮

Traffic Stop

चालान काटना

Bored at Work

समय काटना

🦟

In the Garden

मच्छर काटना

Questions fréquentes

10 questions

No, it is very versatile. While it means physical cutting, it also applies to deducting money, biting, hanging up phones, and passing time.

Yes, in Hindi, animals 'cut' you. You would say कुत्ते ने काटा (The dog bit/cut me).

It means to interrupt someone. For example, मेरी बात मत काटो means 'Don't interrupt me.'

It is neutral. You can use it in a bank (पैसे काटना) or with friends (फ़ोन क्यों काटा?).

You use the causative form: मैं बाल कटवा रहा हूँ. This shows you are having someone else do the action.

काटना is active (I cut the apple), while कटना is passive (The apple is being cut).

Not really. It is better to use बंक मारना for skipping school or classes.

It refers to the physical act of tearing a fine receipt out of a book to give to the offender.

It means someone was cheated, ghosted, or fooled. It is very common in modern Hindi memes.

It describes the action of hanging up. If done intentionally during an argument, it implies rudeness.

Expressions liées

समय बिताना

जेब कतरा

बीच में बोलना

नुक़सान होना

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