Hindi 1/Plurals and Postpositions
Plurals[edit | edit source]
Singular nouns are nouns that describe one object or thing (e.g. one dog, one idea). Plurals nouns describe more than one thing (e.g. two dogs, two ideas).
Hindi forms plurals by modifying the end of a noun, just like English adds an s to the end of a noun. However, in Hindi there are four different ways of forming a plural depending on the gender of a noun and its ending (type 1 or 2).
Masculine Nouns
Type 1
Type 1 masculine nouns form plurals by changing the आ ā into an ए e:
लड़्का laṛkā boy
लड़्के laṛke boys
कुरता kurtā an indian collarless shirt
कुरते kurte kurtas/shirts
Type 2
The plural form of type 2 masculine is the same as the singular:
आम ām mango, mangoes
गाँव găv village, vilages
Feminine Nouns
Type 1
Type 1 feminine nouns form plurals by replacing ई ī with इयाँ iyă:
लड़्की laṛkī girl
लड़कियाँ laṛkiyă girls
साड़ी saṛī sari
साड़ियाँ saṛiyă saris
Type 2
Type 2 feminine nouns form plurals by ading एँ ẽ to the end.
औरत aurat lady, woman
औरतें auratẽ ladies, women
बस bas bus
बसें basẽ buses
Postpositions[edit | edit source]
Postpositions are words that come after a noun to indicate a relationship to something else. (English uses prepositions which come before the word). These are words such as, in, before, about, with. Some examples:
को ko to
में mẽ in
से se of, with
पर par on
तक tak up to
Hindi also uses more complex prepositions beginning with के ke:
के पास ke paas near
ले लिए ke liye for
के बारे में ke bāre mẽ about
के अंदर ke andar inside
के बद ke baad after
के बिना ke binā without
के साथ ke saath with
के ऊपर ke ūpar on top of
The nouns that postpositions act on must be put into a new case, called the oblique case. (Note: the case previously considered is called the direct case) The oblique case has two endings for singular and plural nouns:
Masculine Nouns
Type 1
लड़का laṛkā boy
लड़के को laṛke ko to the boy
लड़कों को laṛkõ ko to the boys
कुरता kurtā an indian collarless shirt
कुरते के पस kurte ke paas near the kurta
कुरतों के पस kurtõ ke paas near the kurtas
Type 2
आम ām mango
आम से ām se with a mango
आम से āmõ se with mangoes
गाँव găv village, vilages
गाँव में găv mẽ in the village
गाँवों में găvõ mẽ in the vilages
Feminine Nouns
Type 1
लड़की laṛkī girl
लड़की के बाद laṛkī ke baad after the girl
लड़कियों के बाद laṛkiyõ ke baad after the girls
साड़ी saṛī sari
साड़ी के ऊपर saṛī ke ūpar on top of the sari
साड़ियों के ऊपर saṛiyõ ke ūpar on top of the saris
Type 2
औरत aurat lady, woman
औरत के लिए aurat ke liye for the woman
औरतों के लिए auratõ ke liye for the women
बस bas bus
बस के अंदर bas ke andar inside the bus
बसों के अंदर basõ ke andar inside the buses
The pattern here might look complicated, but there are some straightforward rules:
- Masculine type 1 nouns change by removing ā from the end and adding a letter
- Feminine type 2 nouns change by removing ī and adding iy + a letter
- All type 2 nouns change by adding a letter to the end
- In the accusative plural masculine type 1 nouns add e, feminine type one add ă, and feminine type 2 add ẽ. Masculine type 2 nouns do not change.
- Only masculine type 1 nouns change in the singular oblique, adding e just like the plural.
- All nouns add õ in the plural oblique.
==ExercisesVI . *Write Opposite Words* A. नीचे D. बहुत B. शांत E. पुराना C. बूढा F. देश =