लाना
lānā
/ˈlaː.naː/
Definition
To bring something or someone to a place. It describes carrying or fetching something and arriving with it.
Example
वह बाज़ार से सब्ज़ियाँ लाया।
Show translation
He brought vegetables from the market.
Etymology
From Sanskrit **आनयन** (ānayana, "bringing, fetching"), via the Old Indo-Aryan root **आ-नी** (ā-nī, "to bring toward"). The prefix **ā-** implies direction toward the speaker, distinguishing it from **ले जाना** (le jānā, "to take away"). In Hindi, the verb has been compressed to the simple infinitive **लाना**, while the directional contrast with **ले जाना** is preserved in everyday speech.
Cultural note
Hindi makes a strong directional distinction that English often blurs: **लाना** (lānā) means to bring *here* (toward the speaker), while **ले जाना** (le jānā) means to take *there* (away from the speaker). Mixing these up is a classic learner mistake. A similar contrast exists in Japanese (kuru vs. iku) and Spanish (traer vs. llevar), making it a useful cross-linguistic pattern to notice.