Padna

Padna is a verb used in Hindi, Urdu, and related South Asian languages, meaning to read or to study. In Devanagari it is written as पढ़ना, and in Urdu script as پڑھنا. The core sense covers reading written text as well as the broader act of studying. For example, “Main kitaab paṛhta hoon” means “I read a book,” and “Woh roz akhbaar paṛhta hai” means “He reads the newspaper daily.” The related noun form padhai refers to study or education.

In usage, padna forms phrases with other words to express learning activities, such as “padhai karna” (to study) and “padh sakna” (to be able to read). It also appears in various tense and aspect constructions through standard Indo-Aryan verb conjugation, adapting for person, number, and mood. The verb is central to literacy, education, and everyday communication about reading.

Etymologically, padna is part of a family of Indo-Aryan verbs derived from stems associated with reading and learning, with common cognates across related languages. Transcription varies, with spellings such as padhna or paṛhnā depending on the transliteration conventions used. The term remains widely recognized in both formal and colloquial contexts, reflecting the enduring importance of reading and education in the regions where it is used. See also padhai and paṛhnā for related forms.