बेचना is the transitive verb “sell.” Its frame contains a seller, the item transferred, an optional buyer marked by को, and an optional price commonly marked by में. It contrasts with intransitive बिकना “be sold/sell,” which presents the item without naming a seller as agent.
Stem and principal forms
The stem is बेच-, with long ए and unaspirated च.
| Category | Forms |
|---|---|
| infinitive | बेचना |
| habitual | बेचता / बेचती / बेचते |
| progressive | बेच रहा / बेच रही / बेच रहे |
| perfective | बेचा / बेची / बेचे / बेचीं |
| conjunctive | बेचकर |
| simultaneous participle | बेचते हुए |
| prospective | बेचने वाला / बेचने वाली / बेचने वाले |
यह दुकान हाथ से बने खिलौने बेचती है।
yah dukān hāth se bane khilaune bectī hai.
This shop sells handmade toys.
वे अपना पुराना फ़र्नीचर ऑनलाइन बेच रहे हैं।
ve apnā purānā farnīcar onlāin bec rahe haiṃ.
They are selling their old furniture online.
Nonperfective agreement follows the seller. The item remains the direct object even when a buyer or price is added.
Buyer and price marking
A definite buyer takes को: ग्राहक को कार बेचना. The transaction price normally takes में. A marketplace or channel can take में, पर, or an adverbial expression according to its spatial or medium meaning.
उन्होंने पड़ोसी को पुरानी अलमारी बेच दी।
unhoṃne paṛosī ko purānī almārī bec dī.
They sold the old cupboard to the neighbor. (honorific)
किसान ने सारी उपज अच्छे दाम में बेची।
kisān ne sārī upaj acche dām meṃ becī.
The farmer sold the entire crop at a good price.
English “sell for” is not a reason to use के लिए for price. के लिए instead marks purpose or beneficiary, while में packages the amount as the terms of exchange.
Perfective transitivity and agreement
बेचना is transitive. A perfective seller takes ने. An unmarked item controls agreement: मकान बेचा, गाड़ी बेची, जूते बेचे, किताबें बेचीं. A को-marked item blocks agreement and gives default masculine singular बेचा.
दुकानदार ने आख़िरी दो जैकेटें सुबह ही बेच दीं।
dukāndār ne āxirī do jaikeṭeṃ subah hī bec dīṃ.
The shopkeeper sold the last two jackets that very morning.
Here the feminine plural item controls final vector दीं. The buyer, if expressed with को, would not alter that agreement.
Future and subjunctive
| Person | Subjunctive | Future masculine | Future feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| मैं | बेचूँ | बेचूँगा | बेचूँगी |
| तुम | बेचो | बेचोगे | बेचोगी |
| यह / वह | बेचे | बेचेगा | बेचेगी |
| हम / आप / ये / वे | बेचें | बेचेंगे | बेचेंगी |
अगर मरम्मत महँगी हुई तो मैं स्कूटर बेच दूँगा।
agar marammat mahãgī huī to maĩ skūṭar bec dū̃gā.
If the repair is expensive, I'll sell the scooter. (male speaker)
मालिक चाहता है कि हम बचा हुआ सामान आज बेचें।
mālik cāhtā hai ki ham bacā huā sāmān āj beceṃ.
The owner wants us to sell the remaining stock today.
Imperatives and participles
The imperatives are intimate बेच, familiar बेचो, and respectful बेचिए. Participles include बेचकर, बेचते हुए, बेचा हुआ, and बेचने वाला.
जल्दबाज़ी में अपनी ज़मीन मत बेचिए।
jaldbāzī meṃ apnī zamīn mat becie.
Please don't sell your land in haste.
बेची हुई वस्तु की रसीद संभालकर रखिए।
becī huī vastu kī rasīd sambhālkar rakhie.
Keep the receipt for the sold item safely.
बेचना versus बिकना
A ने X बेचा names the seller as agent. X बिका presents the item as undergoing a sale, often without naming the seller. This is an active intransitive alternation, not automatically a passive with जाना.
The opposite transactional viewpoint is covered under खरीदना “to buy”.
मालिक ने मकान बेच दिया; वह उम्मीद से जल्दी बिक गया।
mālik ne makān bec diyā; vah ummīd se jaldī bik gayā.
The owner sold the house; it sold sooner than expected.
The two clauses describe the same transaction from different perspectives: the first profiles the seller's action, while the second profiles the item's sale as an outcome. Learn बेचना–बिकना as a lexical pair.
बेच देना, बेचवाना, and idiom
बेच देना foregrounds decisive disposal, often completely or despite possible reluctance. बेचवाना means have someone sell something or arrange its sale; intermediary से can be expressed.
हमने एजेंट से पुरानी दुकान बेचवाई।
hamne ejeṇṭ se purānī dukān becvāī.
We had an agent sell the old shop.
The arranger bears ने, the agent takes से, and feminine unmarked दुकान controls बेचवाई.
Figurative अपना ईमान बेच देना means sell out or betray one's principles (strongly critical).
थोड़े से लाभ के लिए अपना ईमान मत बेचो।
thoṛe se lābh ke lie apnā īmān mat beco.
Don't sell your principles for a small profit. (familiar, critical)
Common Mistakes
❌ उसने ग्राहक से कार बेची।
Incorrect for the buyer — use को; से would mark a source or intermediary.
✅ उसने ग्राहक को कार बेची।
usne grāhak ko kār becī.
She sold the car to the customer.
❌ मालिक ने दो दुकानें बेचा।
Incorrect — unmarked feminine plural दुकानें requires बेचीं.
✅ मालिक ने दो दुकानें बेचीं।
mālik ne do dukāneṃ becīṃ.
The owner sold two shops.
❌ हमने साइकिल पाँच हज़ार के लिए बेची।
Incorrect for a sale price — use में.
✅ हमने साइकिल पाँच हज़ार में बेची।
hamne sāikil pā̃c hazār meṃ becī.
We sold the bicycle for five thousand.
❌ मकान ने जल्दी बेचा।
Incorrect for ‘the house sold quickly’ — use intransitive बिकना.
✅ मकान जल्दी बिक गया।
makān jaldī bik gayā.
The house sold quickly.
Key Takeaways
बेचना is a transitive sale verb. Buyer takes को, price takes में, and the unmarked item may control agreement after an ergative perfective seller. बिकना is its intransitive counterpart, बेच देना sharpens complete disposal, and बेचवाना adds an arranger or intermediary seller.
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