खोलना kholnā: to open transitive | Hindi Grammar

खोलना is the transitive verb “open”: an actor causes a door, container, document, account, business, or hidden matter to become open. Its intransitive partner खुलना presents the same change without an external opener. English uses one verb for both, so the Hindi valency contrast must be learned explicitly.

Stem and principal forms

The stem is खोल-.

Category	Forms
infinitive	खोलना
habitual	खोलता / खोलती / खोलते
progressive	खोल रहा / खोल रही / खोल रहे
perfective	खोला / खोली / खोले / खोलीं
conjunctive	खोलकर
simultaneous participle	खोलते हुए
prospective	खोलने वाला / खोलने वाली / खोलने वाले

चौकीदार हर सुबह मुख्य दरवाज़ा खोलता है।

caukīdār har subah mukhya darvāzā kholtā hai.

The guard opens the main door every morning.

मैं अभी ईमेल के साथ भेजी गई फ़ाइल खोल रही हूँ।

maĩ abhī īmel ke sāth bhejī gaī fāil khol rahī hū̃.

I'm opening the file sent with the email now. (female speaker)

In nonperfective clauses, the opener controls agreement. The opened item is the direct object.

Physical and abstract objects

Natural objects include दरवाज़ा, खिड़की, डिब्बा, बोतल, पैकेट, किताब, फ़ाइल. Abstract extensions include खाता खोलना open an account, दुकान खोलना establish/open a shop, रास्ता खोलना clear or open a way, and राज़ खोलना reveal a secret.

उन्होंने गाँव में नया बैंक खाता खोला।

unhoṃne gā̃v meṃ nayā baiṅk khātā kholā.

They opened a new bank account in the village. (honorific)

किसी अनजान लिंक को तुरंत मत खोलिए।

kisī anjān liṅk ko turant mat kholie.

Please do not open an unfamiliar link immediately.

The specific को-marked link is not an agreement controller. The lexical extension remains transitive: someone brings the item or topic into an accessible state.

💡

Ask whether an external actor causes the opening. If yes, use खोलना. If the door, shop, or file is presented as becoming open, use खुलना—even when English uses the same word “open.”

Perfective transitivity and agreement

खोलना is transitive. A perfective opener takes ने. An unmarked opened object controls agreement; a को-marked object leaves default masculine singular खोला.

रिया ने दोनों खिड़कियाँ खोल दीं।

riyā ne donoṃ khiṛkiyā̃ khol dīṃ.

Riya opened both windows.

तकनीशियन ने उस सुरक्षित फ़ाइल को खोला।

taknīśiyan ne us surakṣit fāil ko kholā.

The technician opened that protected file.

Feminine plural खिड़कियाँ controls final vector दीं. In the second clause, फ़ाइल को blocks agreement and खोला is default.

Future and subjunctive

Person	Subjunctive	Future masculine	Future feminine
मैं	खोलूँ	खोलूँगा	खोलूँगी
तुम	खोलो	खोलोगे	खोलोगी
यह / वह	खोले	खोलेगा	खोलेगी
हम / आप / ये / वे	खोलें	खोलेंगे	खोलेंगी

गर्मी बढ़ी तो हम पीछे वाली खिड़कियाँ खोलेंगे।

garmī baṛhī to ham pīche vālī khiṛkiyā̃ kholeṅge.

If it gets hotter, we'll open the rear windows.

ज़रूरी है कि प्रबंधक सभी आवेदन स्वयं खोले।

zarūrī hai ki prabandhak sabhī āvedan svayaṃ khole.

It is essential that the manager open all applications personally.

Imperatives and participles

The imperatives are intimate खोल, familiar खोलो, and respectful खोलिए. Participles include खोलकर, खोलते हुए, खोला हुआ, and खोलने वाला.

पैकेट सावधानी से खोलिए; अंदर काँच है।

paikeṭ sāvdhānī se kholie; andar kā̃c hai.

Please open the package carefully; there is glass inside.

मेज़ पर खुला नहीं, बल्कि खोला हुआ लिफ़ाफ़ा पड़ा था।

mez par khulā nahīṃ, balki kholā huā lifāfā paṛā thā.

An envelope that had been opened, rather than merely an open one, was lying on the table.

The contrast is useful: खुला हुआ describes an open/result state, while खोला हुआ more directly implies a prior opener.

खोल देना, खोल लेना, and the causative chain

खोल देना profiles decisive or complete opening, often as a service or release. खोल लेना can mean open for one's own use or successfully gain access.

उसने हवा आने के लिए बालकनी का दरवाज़ा खोल दिया।

usne havā āne ke lie bālkanī kā darvāzā khol diyā.

She opened the balcony door to let air in.

The lexical family is खुलना “become open,” खोलना “open something,” and indirect causative खुलवाना “have something opened.” The last form adds an arranger and commonly marks an intermediary with से.

हमने चाबी बनाने वाले से जाम ताला खुलवाया।

hamne cābī banāne vāle se jām tālā khulvāyā.

We had the jammed lock opened by a locksmith.

The family is not built by attaching endings mechanically to the full infinitive; see intransitive–transitive–causative sets.

Idiomatic पोल खोलना means expose wrongdoing, deception, or a concealed weakness.

ऑडिट ने पूरे घोटाले की पोल खोल दी।

oḍiṭ ne pūre ghoṭāle kī pol khol dī.

The audit exposed the entire scam.

Common Mistakes

❌ पुरानी खिड़की हवा से खोली।

Incorrect for spontaneous opening — transitive खोलना implies an opener.

✅ पुरानी खिड़की हवा से खुली।

purānī khiṛkī havā se khulī.

The old window opened because of the wind.

❌ रीना ने दो खिड़कियाँ खोला।

Incorrect — unmarked feminine plural खिड़कियाँ requires खोलीं.

✅ रीना ने दो खिड़कियाँ खोलीं।

rīnā ne do khiṛkiyā̃ kholīṃ.

Reena opened two windows.

❌ चौकीदार ने ताला खुला।

Incorrect for ‘The guard opened the lock’ — खुलना cannot take a direct object.

✅ चौकीदार ने ताला खोला।

caukīdār ne tālā kholā.

The guard opened the lock.

❌ आप डिब्बा खोलो।

Incorrect — आप requires the respectful imperative खोलिए, not familiar खोलो.

✅ आप डिब्बा खोलिए।

āp ḍibbā kholie.

Please open the box.

💡

Transitivity is part of the lexeme: खोलना selects an opener and an object; खुलना selects only the thing entering the open state. Tense cannot repair a verb chosen from the wrong member of the pair.

Key Takeaways

खोलना is the transitive “open” member of the खुलना–खोलना–खुलवाना family. Perfective openers take ने, with eligible unmarked objects controlling agreement. खोल देना emphasizes completed release or access, while physical and abstract collocations preserve the same caused-open event structure.

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