Hindi 1/Plurals and Postpositions

Plurals
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
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 पास kurte ke paas near the kurta

कुरतों के पास kurtõ ke paas near the kurtas

Type 2

आम ām mango

आम से ām se with a mango

आमों 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 =