Language/Sanskrit/Grammar/Adjectives

Sanskrit Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Sanskrit learners! 😊
In today's lesson, we will be discussing adjectives in Sanskrit. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns. They can be used to give more information about the noun or pronoun they are modifying. In Sanskrit, adjectives are known as विशेषण (viśeṣaṇa).

Formation of Adjectives

Adjectives in Sanskrit are formed by adding suffixes to nouns and verbs. The suffixes used depend on the gender, number, and case of the noun or pronoun being modified. For example, the word गुरु (guru) means “teacher”. To make it an adjective, the suffix उपमा (upamā) is added, making it गुरुपमा (guruupamā), which means “teacher-like”.

Gender

The suffixes used to form adjectives in Sanskrit depend on the gender of the noun or pronoun being modified. For masculine nouns and pronouns, the suffixes उपमा (upamā) and आत्मन् (ātman) are used. For feminine nouns and pronouns, the suffixes आत्मनी (ātmanī) and आत्मिका (ātmikā) are used. For neuter nouns and pronouns, the suffixes आत्मिक (ātmik) and आत्मिकी (ātmikī) are used.

Number

The suffixes used to form adjectives in Sanskrit also depend on the number of the noun or pronoun being modified. For singular nouns and pronouns, the suffixes उपमा (upamā) and आत्मन् (ātman) are used. For plural nouns and pronouns, the suffixes आत्मनी (ātmanī) and आत्मिका (ātmikā) are used.

Case

The suffixes used to form adjectives in Sanskrit also depend on the case of the noun or pronoun being modified. For nominative case nouns and pronouns, the suffixes उपमा (upamā) and आत्मन् (ātman) are used. For accusative case nouns and pronouns, the suffixes आत्मनी (ātmanī) and आत्मिका (ātmikā) are used.

Examples

Here are some examples of adjectives in Sanskrit:

• गुरुपमा (guruupamā) - teacher-like
• राजाआत्मन् (rājāātman) - king-like
• राजिनीआत्मनी (rājinīātmanī) - queen-like
• देवआत्मिक (devātmik) - god-like
• देवीआत्मिकी (devīātmikī) - goddess-like

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