Handbook of Hindi by Abhishek Avtans, Lecturer (Applied Hindi Linguistics)

Central Institute of Hindi, Agra, Email- abhiavtans@yahoo.com

Ask questions-2: What and Who?

English Hindi in Roman Hindi in Devanagari

What is this? yah kyaa hai? यह या है?
This is a bag. yah thailaa hai यह थैला है।
What is that? vah kyaa hai? यह या है?
That is a book vah pustak hai वह प
ु तक है।
Who is this? yah kaun hai? यह कौन है?
This is Mohan/Raadha yah mohan/raadha hai यह मोहन/राधा है।
Who is that? vah kaun hai? वह कौन है?
That is Mohan/Raadha vah mohan/raadha hai वह मोहन/राधा है।

Gender Puzzle: Every Noun in Hindi has a gender (either masculine or feminine) whether they are animate or
inanimate. Mostly it gets reflected in adjectives, possessive pronouns, auxiliary and main verbs

Rajesh is a tall boy raajesh lambaa ladkaa hai राजेश लंबा लड़का है।
Meena is a tall girl meena lambii ladkii hai मीना लंबी लड़क! है।
Moti is a good dog Moti acchaa kuttaa hai मोती अ#छा कु%ा है।
raanii is a good cat raani acchii billii hai रानी अ#छ& 'ब(ल) है।
This room is big Yah kamraa badaa hai यह कमरा बड़ा है।
This cupboard is big Yah almaarii badii hai यह अलमार) बड़ी है।
Mohan is not thin Mohan patlaa nahin hai मोहन पतला नह)ं है।
Meena is not thin Meena patlii nahin hai मीना पतल) नह)ं है।
Rajesh is my/your friend raajesh meraa/aapka dost hai राजेश मेरा/आपका दोत है।
Meena is my/your friend Meena merii/aapkii dost hai मीना मेर)/आपक! दोत है।
My dog is tall but my cat is good Mera kutta lamba hai lekin merii मेरा कु%ा लंबा है ले,कन मेर) 'ब(ल)
billi acchi hai
अ#छ& है।

Number Game: Every Noun in Hindi has a number (either singular or plural).It gets reflected on noun, adjectives,
auxiliary and main verbs.

Meena has a room meena ke paas ek kamraa hai मीना के पास एक कमरा है।
Meena has four room meena ke paas caar kamre hain मीना के पास चार कमरे ह0।
You have a horse aapke paas ek ghodaa hai आपके पास एक घोड़ा है।
You have three horses aap ke paas tiin ghode hain आपके पास तीन घोड़े ह0।
I have a cow mere paas ek gay hai मेरे पास एक गाय है।
I have five cows mere paas paanch gaayen hain मेरे पास पाँच गाय4 ह0।
Meena has a chair Meena ke paas ek kursii hai मीना के पास एक कुस5 है।
Meena has seven chairs Meena ke paas saat kursiyan hai मीना के पास सात कु6स7याँ ह0।
Meena has a yellow handkerchief Meena ke paas ek piilaa rumaal hai मीना के पास एक पीला 8माल है।
Meena has eight yellow Meena ke paas aath piile rumaal मीना के पास आठ पीले 8माल ह0।
handkerchiefs hain
Some Rules to Remember:

1. The -आ/-aa/ ending masculine nouns (including pronouns and adjectives), with a few exceptions(like
pitaa, netaa) change into -ए /-e/ ending forms in the plural e.g. see kamraa, ghodaa, ladkaa, piilaa

2. All other consonant and/or other vowel-ending masculine nouns do not change in their plural forms e.g.
see rumaal, haathi, graam, mor

3. The feminine plurals are formed by adding the suffix -ए /-en/ to the consonant-ending singular forms e.g.
see gaay, mej, gaay

4. The plural suffix -इयाँ -iyan: is added to the -ई-M -ii ending feminine nouns e.g. Kursii, kahanii,ladkii,billii
Handbook of Hindi by Abhishek Avtans, Lecturer (Applied Hindi Linguistics)
Central Institute of Hindi, Agra, Email- abhiavtans@yahoo.com
Number and Case:

For Nouns three cases are important:

1. Direct case: which is associated with sentence subjects or direct objects (similar to
nominative case in many European languages)

2. Oblique case: which is generally associated with post-positions (like English pre-
positions)

3. Vocative case: which is associated with direct address

The Number and Case Chart:

Case Singular Pluaral

Masculine Nouns ending in /aa/ आ
Direct Case kamraa (कमरा) kamre (कमरे )
kamraa ganda hai. (कमरा गंदा है।) kamre gande hain.(कमरे गंदे ह0।)
The room is dirty. The rooms are dirty.
Oblique case kamre (कमरे ) kamron (कमरb)
kamre men dhuul hai.(कमरे म4 धूल है) kamron me dhuul hai. (कमरb म4 धूल है)
There is dust in the room There is dust in the rooms.
Vocative case kamre (कमरे ) kamro (कमरो)
o kamre ! tum gande ho (ओ कमरे तुम o kamro ! tum gande ho.(ओ कमरे तुम
गंदे हो।) गंदे हो।)
O room ! you are dirty. O rooms ! you are dirty.
Masculine Nouns ending in a consonant or other vowels
Direct case ruumaal (8माल) ruumaal (8माल)
ruumaal saaf hai (8माल साफ़ है।) ruumaal saaf hain.(8माल साफ़ ह0।)
The handkerchief is clean. The handkerchiefs are clean
Oblique case ruumaal ruumaalon
ruumaal par phuul hai.(8माल पर फूल ruumaalon par phuul hai.(8मालb पर
है।) फूल है।)
There is a flower on the There is a flower on the
handkerchief. handerchiefs.
Vocative case ruumaal ruumaalo (8मालो)
o ruumaal! tum saaf ho (ओ 8माल! o ruumaalo ! tum saaf ho.(ओ 8मालो!
तुम साफ़ हो)
तुम साफ़ हो।)
O handkerchief! You are clean O handkerchiefs! You are clean.
Feminine Nouns ending in /ii/ई
Direct case laRkii (लड़क!) laRkiyaan (लड़,कयाँ)
laRkii lambii hai. (लड़क! लंबी है।) laRkiyaan lambii hain.(लड़,कयाँ लंबी
The girl is tall. ह0)
The girls are tall.
Oblique case laRkii (लड़क!) laRkiyon (लड़,कयb)
laRkii men jyaadaa buddhii hai.(लड़क! laRkiyon men jyaadaa buddhii
ु ी है।)
म4 gयादा बh hai.(लड़,कयb म4 gयादा बh ु ी है।)
There is more intelligence in the girl. There is more intelligence in the
girls.
Vocative case laRkii (लड़क!) laRkiyo (लड़,कयो)
e laRkii ! idhar aao.(ए लड़क!! इधर e larkiyo! idhar aao.(लड़,कयो इधर
आओ।) आओ।)
Hey girl! Come here. Hey girls! Come here.