Hindi Grammar 2 (Noun Genders)

                                                          

Let’s learn about Hindi nouns. Hindi nouns can be masculine or feminine. If you want to have a rough idea, masculine nouns end with –aa and feminine nouns end with – i in their singular. In real, however, the gender of each noun must be memorized.

MASCULINE NOUNS can be of two types:

Type	Singular	Plural
1	-aa	-e
2	all others	Plural is same as singular

FEMININE NOUNS also can be of two types:

Type	Singular	Plural
1	-i, -ee, -iya	- iyan
2	all others	-en

(Note: when I write “n” at the end of a word (and sometimes in the middle) but you can’t see the letter न, that means there’s a nasal sounds, in Devanagari noted by a dot, like in आँख, लडकियां (eye, girls))

Exceptions:


Some nouns ending –aa can be feminine. For example some words derived from Sanskrit , like (भाषा – bhaShaa – language) and female names (रेखा- rekhaa – Rekha,  नेहा-nehaa – Nehaa) etc. are of feminine gender.

 Examples: 

(Blue shade – masculine; pink shade – feminine

Lighter blue and pink – type 1 nouns; darker blue and pink – type 2 nouns)

लड़का	ladka	boy	लड़के	ladke	boys
घोड़ा	ghodaa	horse	घोड़े	ghode	horses
कुत्ता	kutta	dog	कुत्ते	kutte	dogs
बेटा	betaa	son	बेटे	bete	sons
सपना	sapnaa	dream	सपने	sapne	dreams
मंदिर	mandir	temple	मंदिर	mandir	temples
मकान	makaan	house	मकान	makaan	houses
शब्द	shabd	word	शब्द	shabd	words
पलंग	palang	bed	पलंग	palang	beds
हाथ	haath	hand	हाथ	haath	hands
लड़की	ladkee	girl	लड़कियाँ	ladkiyaan	girls
घड़ी	ghadee	watch	घड़ियाँ	ghadiyaan	watches
कुर्सी	kursee	chair	कुर्सियाँ	kursiyaan	chairs
बिल्ली	billee	cat	बिल्लियाँ	billiyaan	cats
चिड़िया	chidiya	bird	चिड़ियाँ	chidiyaan	birds
किताब	kitaab	book	किताबें	kitaaben	books
दूकान	dukaan	shop	दुकानें	dukaane	shops
मेज़	mez	table	मेजें	mezen	tables
आँख	aankh	eye	आँखें	aankhen	eyes
तस्वीर	tasveer	picture	तस्वीरें	tasveeren	pictures

Exercise: You can try and make simple sentences using Hindi numerals and these simple phrases:

(है  hai means “is”,  हैं hain means “are”).

यह है/हैं...।	Yah hai/hain...	This is/are...
....कहाँ है/हैं?	...Kahaan hai?	Where is/are...?
....वहां है/हैं।	...Vahaan hai.	...(It)is there.
मेरे पास....है/हैं।	Mere paas...hai.	I have.... .
तेरे पास...है/हैं।	Tere paas...hai.	You have...
एक	ek	one
दो	do	two
तीन	teen	three
चार	chaar	four
पांच	paanch	five
छे	chhe	six
सात	sat	seven
आठ	aaTh	eighth
नौ	nau	nine
दस	das	ten

Example:

यह एक लड़की है।	Yah ek ladkee hai.	This is a girl.
कुत्ता कहाँ है	Kuttaa kahaan hai?	Where is the dog?
कुत्ता वहां है।	Kutta vahaan hai.	The dog is there.
मेरे पास दो आँखे हैं।	Mere paas do aankhen hain.	I have two eyes.
तेरे पास तीन बेटे हैं।	Tere paas teen bete hain.	You have three sons.

Devanagari number chart.  You can also practice writing Devanagari numbers as they are still quite commonly used in Hindi spoken part of India (North).

० (शून्य)	0
१	1
२	2
३	3
४	4
५	5
६	6
७	7
८	8
९	9
१०	10

If you have any questions or want correction of your mistakes, please post a comment or send a message.