Language/Hindi/Grammar/Nouns

Hindi Grammar - Nouns

Hi Hindi learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be diving into Hindi nouns! Nouns are an essential part of any language, and understanding their usage is the key to effective communication. Since Hindi is a gendered language, it's often challenging for non-native speakers to understand and use proper nouns effectively. By the end of this lesson, you will not only have a solid understanding of Hindi nouns, but you'll also be able to use them like a native speaker. So let's get started and dive into the world of Hindi nouns!

Introduction

In Hindi, the noun is called "संज्ञा" (saMgyaa), which means "word that is used as a name." As in many languages, the function of the noun in Hindi is to name people, things, places, and abstract concepts.

In Hindi, nouns are either masculine or feminine. This characteristic has a massive impact on the grammar of the language, as other elements, such as adjectives and verbs, must agree with the gender of the noun.

Let's take a look at some examples:

बच्चा (bacchaa) - boy (masculine) बेटी (beTii) - daughter (feminine)

To make things easier, masculine nouns generally end with a consonant, while feminine nouns end with the vowel "ा" (aa).

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Imperative Mood, Conditional Mood, Personal Pronouns & 0 to A1 Course.

Types of Nouns

In Hindi, we have several types of nouns. Let's take a look at each of them in more detail.

Common Nouns

Common nouns are ordinary nouns that are not specific or proper. For example, instead of using "John" or "Mary," you would use "person" or "teacher." Common nouns can further be classified into the following categories:

Countable Nouns

These are nouns that can be counted.

Hindi	Pronunciation	English
मेज (mez)	mɛːdʒ	table
किताब (kitāb)	kɪt̪aːb	book

Uncountable Nouns

These are nouns that cannot be counted.

Hindi	Pronunciation	English
जल (jal)	dʒəɭ	water
खाद्य (khaadya)	kʰaːd̪jə	food

Proper Nouns

These are nouns that refer to specific people, places, or things. Proper nouns must be capitalized in Hindi. Common examples of proper nouns include names of people, places, brands, and institutions.

Hindi	Pronunciation	English
मुंबई (Mumbai)	mumbaː.i	Mumbai
अकबर (Akbar)	əkbər	Akbar

Collective Nouns

These are nouns that refer to a group of people, animals, or things. Collective nouns are singular in Hindi. If you want to pluralize a collective noun, you will have to add the word "सब" (sab) after it.

Hindi	Pronunciation	English
दल (dal)	d̪əl	group
फूल (phuul)	pʰuːl	bouquet (collection of flowers)

Abstract Nouns

These are nouns that refer to an idea or concept rather than a physical person, animal, or thing. In Hindi, abstract nouns are almost always feminine.

Hindi	Pronunciation	English
उल्लास (ullās)	ʊlːaːs	happiness
दुख (dukh)	d̪ʊkʰ	sadness

Gender of Nouns

As mentioned earlier, Hindi is a gendered language. Therefore, every noun has either masculine or feminine gender. In Hindi, the gender of a noun is determined by its ending.

Masculine nouns:

• End in a consonant: बच्चा (bacchaa) - boy, कुत्ता (kutta) - dog
• End in vowels अ (a), उ (u), ए (e), ओ (o): राम (raam) - Ram, मोर (mor) - peacock
• End in आ (aa): सुरा (suraa) - wine, घरवाला (gharvalaa) - house owner

Feminine nouns:

• End in आ (aa): बेटी (beTii) - daughter, गाड़ी (gaadii) - car
• End in अ (a) or इ (i): औरत (aurat) - woman, सलेंडर (salenDar) - calendar
• End in a vowel उ (u), ए (e), ई (ii), ऊ (uu), ऐ (ai), ओ (o), औ (au): नाविका (naavikaa) - sailor, ज़रूरत (zaruurat) - need

Keep in mind that there are exceptions to these rules, and you will need to memorize them as you go along.

Plural Nouns

In Hindi, there are several ways to make a noun plural:

• Add एं (en) to the end of masculine nouns ending in अ (a)
• Add यां (yaan) or ओं (on) to the end of masculine nouns ending in a consonant
• Add यें (yen) to the end of feminine nouns ending in आ (aa) or ए (e)
• Add आएँ (aaen) to the end of feminine nouns ending in ई (ii) or ऊ (uu)

Dialogue

Here's a short conversation in Hindi to help you understand how nouns are used in everyday conversation:

• Person 1: तुम्हारा घड़ी नकली है। (Tumhaaraa ghadii naklii hai.) (Your watch is fake.)
• Person 2: मेरे घड़ी का कितना दाम है? (Mere ghadii kaa kitnaa daam hai?) (What's the price of my watch?)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned about the different types of Hindi nouns and how to use them correctly. We also discussed how the gender of the noun impacts the grammar of the Hindi language. By practising these rules, you will slowly gain confidence in speaking Hindi like a native speaker.

To improve your Hindi Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! Don't forget to check out our [Language/Hindi/Grammar|Grammar] section to learn more!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Top Hindi Gender List & Complete Guide to Hindi Gender Rules
• Grammar – hindilanguage.info
• A Beginner's Guide to Basic Hindi Grammar

Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Adjectives and Adverbs, Introduction to Hindi Grammar: Hindi Alphabet and Pronunciation, Feminine & Question Words.

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Past Tense
• Imperative Mood
• Be Polite
• How to Use Have
• Questions
• Negation
• Give your Opinion
• How to Use Be