Understanding possessive adjectives is a crucial step in mastering any language, and Hindi is no exception. Possessive adjectives help us indicate ownership or a relationship between people or objects. In English, possessive adjectives include words like “my,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “our,” and “their.” While the concept is similar in Hindi, the language has its own unique set of possessive adjectives that must agree with the gender, number, and sometimes the case of the nouns they modify. In this article, we will dive deep into possessive adjectives in Hindi, their usage, and provide comprehensive examples to help you grasp this essential grammatical feature.
What are Possessive Adjectives in Hindi?
Possessive adjectives in Hindi are words used to show possession or ownership. Just like in English, they answer the question “Whose?” They are used before nouns to show to whom the noun belongs. The key possessive adjectives in Hindi are:
– मेरा (mera) – my
– तेरा (tera) – your (informal)
– आपका (aapka) – your (formal)
– उसका (uska) – his/her/its
– हमारा (hamara) – our
– उनका (unka) – their
Gender and Number Agreement
In Hindi, possessive adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the noun they are modifying. This is a significant departure from English, where possessive adjectives remain unchanged regardless of the noun. For example, “my book” and “my books” both use “my” in English. However, in Hindi, the possessive adjective changes based on the gender and number of the noun.
Masculine Singular:
– मेरा (mera) – my
– तेरा (tera) – your (informal)
– आपका (aapka) – your (formal)
– उसका (uska) – his/her/its
– हमारा (hamara) – our
– उनका (unka) – their
Feminine Singular:
– मेरी (meri) – my
– तेरी (teri) – your (informal)
– आपकी (aapki) – your (formal)
– उसकी (uski) – his/her/its
– हमारी (hamari) – our
– उनकी (unki) – their
Masculine Plural:
– मेरे (mere) – my
– तेरे (tere) – your (informal)
– आपके (aapke) – your (formal)
– उसके (uske) – his/her/its
– हमारे (hamare) – our
– उनके (unke) – their
Feminine Plural:
– मेरी (meri) – my
– तेरी (teri) – your (informal)
– आपकी (aapki) – your (formal)
– उसकी (uski) – his/her/its
– हमारी (hamari) – our
– उनकी (unki) – their
Using Possessive Adjectives in Sentences
To understand the usage better, let’s look at some examples of possessive adjectives in Hindi sentences.
Example 1:
– मेरा घर (mera ghar) – my house (masculine singular)
– मेरी किताब (meri kitaab) – my book (feminine singular)
Example 2:
– तेरा भाई (tera bhai) – your brother (informal, masculine singular)
– तेरी बहन (teri behan) – your sister (informal, feminine singular)
Example 3:
– आपका बेटा (aapka beta) – your son (formal, masculine singular)
– आपकी बेटी (aapki beti) – your daughter (formal, feminine singular)
Example 4:
– उसका कुत्ता (uska kutta) – his/her/its dog (masculine singular)
– उसकी बिल्ली (uski billi) – his/her/its cat (feminine singular)
Example 5:
– हमारा स्कूल (hamara school) – our school (masculine singular)
– हमारी गाड़ी (hamari gaadi) – our car (feminine singular)
Example 6:
– उनका घर (unka ghar) – their house (masculine singular)
– उनकी किताब (unki kitaab) – their book (feminine singular)
Contextual Examples
Understanding possessive adjectives through isolated examples is helpful, but seeing them in full sentences provides better context.
Example 1:
– यह मेरा पेन है। (Yeh mera pen hai.) – This is my pen.
– यह मेरी पेंसिल है। (Yeh meri pencil hai.) – This is my pencil.
Example 2:
– तेरा दोस्त कहाँ है? (Tera dost kahaan hai?) – Where is your friend? (informal)
– तेरी माँ कैसी है? (Teri maa kaisi hai?) – How is your mother? (informal)
Example 3:
– आपका काम अच्छा है। (Aapka kaam achha hai.) – Your work is good. (formal)
– आपकी सहायता के लिए धन्यवाद। (Aapki sahayata ke liye dhanyavaad.) – Thank you for your help. (formal)
Example 4:
– उसका नाम राम है। (Uska naam Ram hai.) – His name is Ram.
– उसकी बहन आई है। (Uski behan aayi hai.) – His/Her sister has come.
Example 5:
– हमारा परिवार बड़ा है। (Hamara parivaar bada hai.) – Our family is big.
– हमारी टीम जीती। (Hamari team jeeti.) – Our team won.
Example 6:
– उनके बच्चे स्कूल गए। (Unke bachche school gaye.) – Their children went to school.
– उनकी गाड़ी खराब हो गई। (Unki gaadi kharab ho gayi.) – Their car broke down.
Special Cases and Variations
While the basic possessive adjectives are relatively straightforward, there are some nuances and special cases to be aware of.
Polite Forms
When addressing someone with respect, especially elders or in formal settings, it is customary to use the formal possessive adjectives.
– आपका (aapka) – your (masculine singular)
– आपकी (aapki) – your (feminine singular)
– आपके (aapke) – your (masculine plural)
– आपकी (aapki) – your (feminine plural)
Example:
– आपकी तबियत कैसी है? (Aapki tabiyat kaisi hai?) – How is your health? (formal)
Compound Possessive Adjectives
Sometimes, possessive adjectives can combine with other words to form compound possessive adjectives. These are less common but important to know.
Example:
– खुद का (khud ka) – own
– खुद की (khud ki) – own (feminine)
Example Sentence:
– यह उसका खुद का घर है। (Yeh uska khud ka ghar hai.) – This is his own house.
Regional Variations
Hindi is spoken across different regions in India, and there can be regional variations in the use of possessive adjectives. In some dialects, the informal “तेरा” (tera) might be replaced with “तुम्हारा” (tumhara), which is still informal but slightly more respectful.
Example:
– तुम्हारा नाम क्या है? (Tumhara naam kya hai?) – What is your name? (informal but respectful)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Language learners often make mistakes when they first start using possessive adjectives in Hindi. Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them:
Gender Mismatch
One common mistake is not matching the possessive adjective with the gender of the noun.
Incorrect:
– मेरा गाड़ी (mera gaadi) – my car (incorrect because “car” is feminine)
Correct:
– मेरी गाड़ी (meri gaadi) – my car (correct)
Number Mismatch
Another frequent error is not matching the possessive adjective with the number of the noun.
Incorrect:
– हमारे किताब (hamare kitaab) – our book (incorrect because “book” is singular)
Correct:
– हमारी किताब (hamari kitaab) – our book (correct)
Formal vs. Informal
Using informal possessive adjectives in formal settings can be seen as disrespectful.
Incorrect:
– तेरा काम अच्छा है। (Tera kaam achha hai.) – Your work is good. (incorrect in a formal setting)
Correct:
– आपका काम अच्छा है। (Aapka kaam achha hai.) – Your work is good. (correct in a formal setting)
Practice Exercises
To solidify your understanding of possessive adjectives in Hindi, it’s essential to practice. Here are some exercises to help you get started.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences with the correct possessive adjective:
1. यह _______ किताब है। (my)
2. _______ दोस्त कहाँ है? (your – informal)
3. _______ माता-पिता कैसे हैं? (your – formal)
4. _______ भाई स्कूल गया। (his)
5. _______ घर बड़ा है। (our)
6. _______ बच्चे खेल रहे हैं। (their)
Answers:
1. मेरी (meri)
2. तेरा (tera)
3. आपके (aapke)
4. उसका (uska)
5. हमारा (hamara)
6. उनके (unke)
Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences
Translate the following sentences from English to Hindi:
1. This is my pen.
2. How is your mother? (informal)
3. Your work is excellent. (formal)
4. Their house is beautiful.
5. Our team won the match.
Answers:
1. यह मेरा पेन है। (Yeh mera pen hai.)
2. तेरी माँ कैसी है? (Teri maa kaisi hai?)
3. आपका काम उत्कृष्ट है। (Aapka kaam utkrsht hai.)
4. उनका घर सुंदर है। (Unka ghar sundar hai.)
5. हमारी टीम ने मैच जीता। (Hamari team ne match jeeta.)
Conclusion
Possessive adjectives in Hindi are a fundamental part of the language that can initially seem complex due to gender and number agreements. However, with practice and exposure, they become intuitive. By understanding the rules and practicing through examples and exercises, you can master the use of possessive adjectives in Hindi. This will not only improve your grammar but also your overall fluency and confidence in using the language. Happy learning!
