Hindi · Everyday Verbs
"to eat" in Hindi: खाना
खानाkhaana
To eat in Hindi is खाना (khaana). Drop the -naa and add an ending for the speaker: a man says main khaata hoon (I eat) and a woman says main khaati hoon. The same word khaana is also the noun for food, so khaana khaana simply means "to have a meal".
Checking in with a friend
खाना खाया?khaana khaaya?
Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce खाना
Say it
KHAA-naa
/kʰɑː.nɑː/
Say KHAA-naa, with two long a's. The ख is an aspirated k, with a clear puff of air after it, like the k in "kite" said with force. Plain क has no puff, so don't soften it, or khaana starts to sound like kaana (one-eyed).
"to eat" in Hindi: quick reference
| Hindi | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| खानाkhaana | to eat; food The infinitive, and also the everyday noun for food or a meal. | The infinitive, and also the everyday noun for food or a meal. |
| खाना खानाkhaana khaana | to have a meal The normal way to say "to eat" when you mean lunch or dinner. | The normal way to say "to eat" when you mean lunch or dinner. |
| खा लीजिएkhaa leejiye | please eat A polite offer or invitation with aap. With friends, say khaa lo. | A polite offer or invitation with aap. With friends, say khaa lo. |
| खा लियाkhaa liya | have eaten, ate (already) For a finished meal: maine khaa liya (I've already eaten). A woman says the same. | For a finished meal: maine khaa liya (I've already eaten). A woman says the same. |
| नाश्ता करनाnaashta karna | to have breakfast Breakfast and snacks use karna (to do), not khaana. | Breakfast and snacks use karna (to do), not khaana. |
How to use खाना in real life
- 1Checking in with a friend
खाना खाया?
khaana khaaya?
Have you eaten?
This is a very common caring question, on the phone or in person, much like "how are you?".
- 2As a guest at dinner
और लीजिए, आपने तो कुछ खाया ही नहीं!
aur leejiye, aapne to kuchh khaaya hi nahin!
Have some more, you've hardly eaten anything!
Hosts often insist. Bas, pet bhar gaya (enough, I'm full) is a polite way to stop.
- 3At a restaurant
मैं मांस नहीं खाता, कुछ शाकाहारी है?
main maans nahin khaata, kuchh shaakaahaari hai?
I don't eat meat, is there anything vegetarian?
A woman says main maans nahin khaati. Many menus in India are marked veg and non-veg.
Mistakes English speakers make with खाना
Incorrect: Main khaana khaaya.
Correct: Maine khaana khaaya.
In the past tense, khaana and other verbs that take an object need ne after the subject: main becomes maine. The verb then agrees with the food, not with you.
Incorrect: मैं नाश्ता खाना करता हूँ।
Correct: मैं नाश्ता करता हूँ। खाना भोजन के लिए रखिए।
Hindi "does" breakfast with karna. Also use peena, not khaana, for drinks: chaay peena (to drink tea).
Good to know
Offering food is central to Indian hospitality, and saying no once is rarely the end of it. If you are full, put a hand over your plate and say bas, bas (enough) with a smile. Many people eat with their right hand, especially roti and rice, and the left hand is kept away from food.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Talking about your daily routine with a flatmate in Mumbai
ChatPal
आप सुबह नाश्ते में क्या खाते हैं?
aap subah naashte mein kya khaate hain?
What do you eat for breakfast in the morning?
You
मैं आमतौर पर पोहा खाता हूँ और चाय पीता हूँ।
main aamtaur par poha khaata hoon aur chaay peeta hoon.
I usually eat poha and drink tea.
ChatPal
अच्छा! और दोपहर का खाना आप ऑफ़िस में खाते हैं?
achha! aur dopahar ka khaana aap ofis mein khaate hain?
Nice! And do you eat lunch at the office?
You
हाँ, ज़्यादातर मैं घर से टिफ़िन ले जाता हूँ।
haan, zyaadaatar main ghar se tifin le jaata hoon.
Yes, most days I take a tiffin from home.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to eat" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to eat" in Hindi
How does khaana change for men and women?
In the present tense, a man says main khaata hoon and a woman says main khaati hoon. With aap, use the plural khaate hain for anyone: aap kya khaate hain?
Why is "I ate" maine khaaya and not main khaaya?
Hindi marks the subject with ne in the past tense of verbs like khaana. The verb then agrees with what was eaten: maine roti khaayi (roti is feminine), maine chaaval khaaye.
Is khaana a verb or a noun?
Both. As a verb it means "to eat", and as a masculine noun it means "food" or "meal". Context makes it clear: khaana tayyaar hai means "food is ready".
How do I politely offer someone food?
With aap, say kuchh khaaiye (please eat something) or khaa leejiye. With a friend you call tum, say kuchh khaa lo. Adding thoda sa (just a little) makes the offer softer.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
