Word Meaning
लेता
letā
hiverb
Meaning
Takes or receives; here, learning or taking a lesson.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu grammar, 'letā' is the masculine singular imperfect participle of the verb 'lenā' (to take). In this couplet by Ghalib, it functions with 'hūñ' in the compound phrase 'sabaq letā hūñ' (I take lessons), depicting the lover as an enduring pupil in the academy of heartache. It conveys ongoing, unresolved suffering where the heart continually relearns the permanence of loss.
Etymology
Sanskrit लभते (labhate, 'takes, gains') via Prakrit लेइ (lei) to Hindustani लेना (lenā).
Usage
Frequently combined with nouns like 'sabaq' or 'saans' to denote continuous habitual actions and enduring psychological states in classical ghazal.
Examples
He takes lessons from sorrow
He holds his heart in grief
Synonyms
पातासीखतास्वीकारता
Related Words
लेनादेनालेतेलेती