Hindi Grammar 7 (Possessive Pronouns)

How to use possessive pronouns in Hindi

Hindi possessive pronouns change their endings depending on the number and gender of the noun that they go with.  For example, if I want to say “my son” I would say मेरा बेटा (meraa beTaa - m, sg), “my daughter” would be मेरी बेटी (meree beTee - f,sg ), “my clothes” would be मेरे कपड़े (mere kapDe - m,pl), “my (girl) friends” would be मेरी सहेलियां (meree saheliyaan - f,pl), however if we want to say “my father”, we would use plural masculine form to show respect and say मेरे पिताजी (mere pitaajee – m,sg, polite).  In Hindi there is no difference who is saying मेरी बेटी (mere beTee – my daughter) – a woman or a man, the pronoun मेरी will depend on the noun that it precedes. It will change accordingly the number (singular or plural) and the gender (masculine or feminine).

A fragment on the temple's door

Hindi noun genders have to be memorized because there are too many irregular nouns that don’t follow the rough rule that divides Hindi nouns into two groups: the ones that end in “-aa” (masculine) and the ones that end in “-ee” (feminine).  The best way to learn the genders of Hindi nouns is to listen to Hindi language and read Hindi books and articles, also converse with Indian people until you know what Hindi sounds like. At that stage, you will naturally know the ending of possessive pronoun as you will be familiar with the sound of the right Hindi.

Lord Shiva

Here is the table of Hindi possessive pronouns:

                                       

Pronouns that are used before singular masculine nouns

Pronouns that are used before singular feminine nouns

Pronouns that are used before plural masculine nouns

Pronouns that are used before plural feminine nouns

मेरा meraa my, mine	मेरी meree my, mine	मेरे mere my, mine	मेरी meree my, mine
तेरा teraa your, yours	तेरी teree your, yours	तेरे tere your, yours	तेरी teree your, yours
तुम्हारा tumhaaraa your, yours	तुम्हारी tumhaaree your, yours	तुम्हारे tumhaare your, yours	तुम्हारी tumhaaree your, yours
आपका aapkaa your,yours	आपकी aapkee your, yours	आपके aapke your, yours	आपकी  aapkee your, yours
इसका/उसका iskaa/uskaa his,hers	इसकी/ उसकी iskee/uskee his, hers	इसके/उसके iske/uske his,hers	इसकी/ उसकी iskee/uskee his, hers
हमारा hamaaraa our, ours	हमारी hamaaree our, ours	हमारे hamaare our, ours	हमारी hamaaree our, ours
तुम्हारा tumhaaraa your,yours	तुम्हारी tumhaaree your, yours	तुम्हारे tumhaare your, yours	तुम्हारी tumhaaree your, yours
आपका aapkaa your, yours	आपकी aapkee your, yours	आपके aapke your, yours	आपकी aapkee your, yours
इनका/उनका inkaa/unkee their, theirs	इनकी/उनकी inkee/unkee their, theirs	इनके/उनके inke/unke their, theirs	इनकी/उनकी inkee/unkee their, theirs

Examples with nouns:

                                          

मेरी माँ	meree maan	my mother - f,sg
मेरे पिता	mere pitaa	my father - m,sg, polite
मेरी बहिन	meree bahin	my sister - f, sg
मेरा भाई	meraa bhaaee	my brother - m,sg
मेरी बेटी	meree beTee	my daughter  - f,sg
मेरा बेटा	meraa beTaa	my son - m, sg
तेरा कुत्ता	teraa kuttaa	your dog - m,sg
तेरी बिल्ली	teree billee	your cat - f,sg
हमारे राजा	hamaare raajaa	our king - m,sg, polite
हमारी रानी	hamaaree raanee	our queen - f,sg
इसके बच्चे	iske bacche	her children - m,pl
उनकी सहेलियां	unkee saheliyaan	their (girl) friends - f, pl

Marigolds and candles at the temple

How to use possessive pronouns with adjectives and nouns:

Hindi adjectives would change their endings according to the gender and number of the noun. If the noun is a masculine gender, the adjective will also have to be a masculine gender. For example:

गोरी लड़की goree ladkee fair girl (lightskinned)	गोरी लड़कियां goree ladkiyaan fair girls
गोरा लड़का goraa ladkaa fair boy	गोरे लड़के gore ladke fair boys

More examples:

एक अच्छा वक़ील	ek achchhaa vaqeel	a good lawyer (m, sg)
दो पतले मज़दूर म	do patle mazdoor	two thin workers (m, pl)
इसकी प्यारी हाँसी	iskee pyaaree haansee	her beautiful laugh (f, sg)
एक छोटा बच्चा	ek chhoTaa bachchaa	a small child (m, sg)
हमारी बड़ी रसोई	hamaaree badee rasoee	our big kitchen (f, sg)
एक अंधा भिखारी	ek andhaa bhikhaaree	a blind beggar (m,sg)
मेरी नयी किताब	meree nayee kitaab	my new book (f, sg)
दस काली बिल्लियाँ	das kaalee billiyaan	ten black cats (f, pl)

Three ways to say “I like” in Hindi

                                   १.  पसंद

1. How to say “I like” using noun पसंद (pasand – approval; choice; preference). The Hindi construction of “I like” is very similar to that of मेरे पास है (mere paas hai – I have) and चाहिए (chaahie – is wanted; is needful).

 

मुझे पसंद	mujhe pasand	I like
तुझे पसंद	tujhe pasand	You like (casual)
तुम्हे पसंद	tumhe pasand	You like (casual)
आपको पसंद	aapko pasand	You like (polite)
इसको/उसको पसंद	isko/usko pasand	He/she likes
हमें पसंद	hamen pasand	We like
तुम्हे पसंद	tumhe pasand	You like (casual)
आपको पसंद	aapko pasand	You like (polite)
इनको/ उनको पसंद	inko/unko pasand	They like

At the entrance of Qutub Minar

Examples illustrating the usage of पसंद (pasand – approval; choice; preference):

मुझे भारत बहुत पसंद है। mujhe bhaarat bahut pasand hai I like India very much.

आप मुझे बहुत पसंद हैं। aap mujhe bahut pasand hain I like you very much.

मुझे यह साड़ी नहीं पसंद। mujheyah saadee naheen pasand I don't like this sari.

आपको खाने में क्या - क्या पसंद है? aapko khaane men kya kya pasand hai? What do you like to eat?

मुझे सिर्फ दाल रोटी पसंद है। mujhe sirf daal roTee pasand hai. I only like daal and roti.

इसको शोपिंग करना नहीं पसंद। isko shoping karnaa naheen pasand He doesn't like shopping.

क्या आपको यह  तौफा  पसंद है? kyaa aapko yah tofaa pasand hai? Do you like this gift?

हाँ, पसंद है। haan, pasand hai Yes, I like.

पसंद  meaning as in Oxford Hindi-English dictionary: 

Pasand – 1. adj. approved, liked. 2.f. approval. 3. Choice; preference. पसंद आना (pasand aanaa) -  to be approved, liked (by को (ko)); to please. पसंद करना (pasand karnaa) – to approve, to like, to choose, to prefer; to accept (a submission) अमनपसंद (amanpasand) – adj. who approves peace; peace-loving  दिलपसंद (dilpasand) – adj. pleasing to the heart, or mind.

Sari borders in the Indian market

                                                       २. अच्छा लगता 

2. The second very common way to say “I like” is to use a phrase अच्छा लगता (achhaa lagtaa – seem good; think to be good; feel to be good). To say “I like” in Hindi we will say: मुझे अछा लगता ह (mujhe achhaa lagtaa hai – I like). To say “I don’t like” we would add नहीं (naheen – no) before the verb and we would have मुझे अछा नहीं लगता (mujhe achhaa naheen lagtaa – I don’t like). To make a question “Do you like?” we would add क्या (kyaa – what; a word used to make a question) and we will have: क्या तुझे अछा लगता? (kyaa tujhe achhaa lagtaa – Do you like?).

मुझे अच्छा  लगता	mujhe achchhaa lagtaa	I like
तुझे अच्छा  लगता	tujhe achchhaa lagtaa	You like (casual)
तुम्हे अच्छा  लगता	tumhe achchhaa lagtaa	You like (casual)
आपको अच्छा लगता	aapko achchhaa lagtaa	You like (polite)
इसको/उसको अच्छा लगता	isko/unko achchhaa lagtaa	He/she likes
हमें अच्छा लगता	hamen achchhaa lagtaa	We like
तुम्हे अच्छा लगता	tumko achchhaa lagtaa	You like (casual)
आपको अच्छा लगता	aapko achchaa lagtaa	You like (polite)
इनको/उनको अच्छा लगता	inko/unko achhhaa lagta	They like

As you can see, अच्छा लगता never changes its endings no matter which person is using it. It is pretty easy to use it and I would recommend learning its past and future tenses too. If you want to say “I liked” or “I enjoyed” in the past tense, you can say: अच्छा लगा (achchhaa lagaa ) and if you want to say “I’ll like” or “I’ll enjoy” you can say: अच्छा लगेगा (achchhaa lagegaa ).

When does it change? It changes when we use अच्छा लगता (achchhaa lagtaa) when talking about a feminine noun. For example if we want to say “I like that girl” we say: मुझे वह लड़की अच्छी लगती (mujhe vah ladkee achchhee lagtee) but if we want to say “I like that boy”, we say मुझे वह लड़का अच्छा लगता (mujhe vah ladkaa achchhaa lagtaa).

Some more examples:

मुझे घर में रहना अच्छा लगता है। mujhe ghar men rahnaa achchhaa lagtaa hai. I like staying at home.

मुझे बारिश अच्छी लगती है। mujhe baarish achchhee lagtee hai. I like rain.

उसको वह लड़की अच्छी नहीं लगती है।   usko vah ladkee achchhee naheen lagtee hai He doesn't like that girl.

इंडिया आपको कैसा लगा था? indiyaa aapko kaisaa lagaa tha How did you like India?

बहुत अच्छा लगा था। bahut achchaa lagaa tha I liked it.

                                ३. शौक़

3. The third way that can express something you like is to say मुझे...का शौक़ है (mujhe…kaa shauk hai – I like…/My hobby is…/My interest is…). It is used when you want to say what your hobby or interest or passion is. For example “I like reading” would be मुझे पढ़ने का शौक़ है (mujhe parhne kaa shauk hai). If you want to ask someone what is their hobby, you can say: आपको किस चीज़ का शौक़ है?  (aapko kis cheez kaa shauk hai? – What is your hobby? Lit. you what kind thing of hobby is).

शौक़ shauq as in Oxford Hindi-English dictionary:  1. m. a desire, yearning; 2. Predilection; taste (for, का); fancy (for). 3. Eagerness, pleasure (in doing sthg). 4. A hobby शौक़ फ़रमाइए! (shauq farmaaie) – help yourself!, take all you want! शौक़ मिटाना (shauq miTaanaa) – to satisfy a desire शौक़ होना (को) (shauq honaa (ko)) – to be fond (of some activity) शौक़ से (shauq se) – with pleasure, gladly, according to one’s wish.

                                           Some example sentences:

मुझे डोसा खाने का बहुत शौक़ है  mujhe dosaa khaane kaa bahut shauq hai I like eating dosa very much.

मुझे क्रिकेट  खेलने का  बहुत शौक़ है mujhe krikeT khelne kaa bahut shauq hai I like playing cricket very much.

उसको किताबें  पढ़ने का  बहुत शौक़ है usko kitaben parhne kaa bahut shauq hai He likes reading books very much.

वह लड्डू  इतने  शौक़ से खा रहा है vah laddoo itne shauq se khaa rahaa hai She is eating laddu with so much pleasure.