Language/Hindi/Grammar/Plurals

Hindi Grammar - Plurals

Welcome to the Hindi Grammar lesson on Plurals! Plurals are an important part of any language, and Hindi is no exception. In this lesson, we will learn how to form plurals in Hindi, as well as some of the rules that govern them.

Overview

In Hindi, there are two main ways to form plurals: adding a suffix to the end of the word, or changing the word's ending. We will look at both of these methods in more detail below.

Adding a Suffix

The most common way to form plurals in Hindi is by adding a suffix to the end of the word. The suffix used depends on the gender of the noun being pluralized. For masculine nouns, the suffix is ओं (oṃ), while for feminine nouns, the suffix is इयाँ (iyāṃ).

For example, the masculine noun लड़का (laṛkā) means "boy", while the plural form लड़कों (laṛkoṃ) means "boys". Similarly, the feminine noun लड़की (laṛkī) means "girl", while the plural form लड़कियाँ (laṛkiyāṃ) means "girls".

Note that when adding the suffix, the final consonant of the word is often changed. For example, the masculine noun बात (bāt) becomes बातों (bātoṃ) in the plural form.

Changing the Word's Ending

Another way to form plurals in Hindi is by changing the word's ending. This method is used mainly for words that end in a vowel. To form the plural, the vowel is changed to its corresponding nasal sound.

For example, the masculine noun आदमी (ādmī) means "man", while the plural form आदमियों (ādmiyoṃ) means "men". Similarly, the feminine noun गाय (gāy) means "cow", while the plural form गायों (gāyoṃ) means "cows".

Note that when changing the word's ending, the final consonant of the word is often changed. For example, the masculine noun राजा (rājā) becomes राजियों (rājiyoṃ) in the plural form.

Exceptions

There are some exceptions to the rules outlined above. For example, some words have irregular plural forms that do not follow the usual patterns. Additionally, some words have the same form in both the singular and plural.

For example, the word भाई (bhāī) means both "brother" and "brothers". Similarly, the word बहन (bahana) means both "sister" and "sisters".

It is important to note that these exceptions are quite rare, and most words will follow the rules outlined above.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned how to form plurals in Hindi. We have seen that there are two main ways to form plurals: adding a suffix to the end of the word, or changing the word's ending. We have also seen some exceptions to these rules, such as words with irregular plural forms or words that have the same form in both the singular and plural.

Now that you have a better understanding of Hindi plurals, why not practice what you have learned by joining the Polyglot Club community? You can find native Hindi speakers who are willing to help you practice your language skills.

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