Hindi Grammar 3 (Adjectives)

Hindi adjectives change according to the nouns they modify. As well as nouns, adjectives can be of two types: those that change their ending (type 1) and those that don’t (type 2).

Madhubani style elephant painting

Type 1 adjectives:

The type 1 adjectives would change their endings into –aa when they precede the singular masculine noun and change into “-e” when they precede a plural masculine noun. Type 1 adjectives would have “-ee” as their ending if they modify a singular feminine noun and they would  keep the same ending in the plural, For example:

काला कुत्ता (kaalaa kutta – black dog, dog is masculine singular that ends in “-aa” so the adjective काला will end in “-aa” too)

काले कुत्ते (kaale kutte – black dogs, masculine plural that ends in “-e” so the adjective काले will end in “-e” too)

काली बिल्ली (kaalee billee – black cat, feminine singular that ends in “-ee” and the adjective काली will have its ending as “-ee” too)

काली बिल्लियाँ (kaalee billiyaan – black cats, feminine plural that ends in “-iyaan”, however adjective would be the same as feminine singular).  So the feminine plural adjective is the same as the feminine singular.

In dictionary, you can easily recognize type adjective because they end in “-aa”, for example: बड़ा (badaa – big), मोटा (moTaa – fat), लंबा (lambaa – tall), सस्ता (sastaa – cheap), नीला (neelaa – blue), पुराना (puraanaa – old), नया (nayaa – new), पतला (patlaa – thin).

Type 1 adjective endings:

When agrees with:	singular nouns	plural nouns
Masculine noun	-aa	-e
Feminine noun	-ee	-ee

Examples of Type 1 adjectives:

M. noun sg	M. noun pl.	F. noun sg.	F. noun pl
बड़ा लड़का barhaa larhkaa big boy	बड़े लड़के barhe larhke big boys	बड़ी लड़की barhee ladkee big girl	बड़ी  लड़कियाँ barhee ladkiyaan big girls
छोटा बेटा chhoTaa beta younger son	छोटे बेटे chhoTe  beTe younger sons	छोटी बिल्ली chhoTee billee little cat	छोटी बिल्लियाँ chhoTee billiyaan little cats
अच्छा सपना acchhaa sapnaa good dream	अच्छे सपने acchhe sapne good dreams	अच्छी किताब acchhee kitaab good book	अच्छी किताबें acchhee kitaaben good books
प्यारा बच्चा pyaaraa bacchaa cute child	प्यारे बच्चे pyaare bacche cute children	प्यारी चिड़िया pyaaree chirhiyaa cute bird	प्यारी चिड़ियाँ pyaaree chirhiyaan cute birds
नया मकान nayaa makaan new house	नए मकान naye makaan new houses	नयी साड़ी nayee sarhee new sari	नयी साड़ियाँ nayee saarhiyaan new saris
पुराना मंदिर puraanaa mandir old temple	पुराने मंदिर puraane mandir old temples	पुरानी कुर्सी puraanee kursee old chair	पुरानी कुर्सियां puraanee kursiyaan old chairs
गंदा हाथ gandaa haath dirty hand	गंदे हाथ gande haath dirty hands	गंदी गली gandee galee dirty street	गंदी गलियाँ gandee galiyaan dirty streets
काला घोड़ा kaalaa ghorhaa black horse	काले घोड़े kaale ghorhe black horses	काली आँख kaalee aankh black eye	काली आँखें kaalee aankhen black eyes
महंगा कपड़ा mahangaa kapdaa expensive cloth	महंगे कपड़े mahange kapde expensive clothes	महंगी घड़ी mahangee gharhee expensive watch	महंगी घड़ियाँ mahangee gharhiyaan expensive watches
सस्ता दुपट्टा sastaa dupaTTa cheap scarf	सस्ते दुपट्टे saste dupaTTe cheap scarves	सस्ती मेज़ sastee mez cheap table	सस्ती मेजें sastee mezen cheap tables

Type 2 adjectives:

Type 2 adjectives keep their endings and therefore are invariable. In dictionary type 2 adjectives can be recognized as having any endings except “-aa”. The only type 2 adjective that has an ending “-aa” and is invariable is बढ़िया (barhiyaa – great). Usually type two adjectives would end in consonants or any vowel but “-aa”, such as: सुन्दर (sundar – beautiful), खुबसूरत (khubsoorat – beautiful), खुश (khush – happy), साफ़ (saaf – clean), सफ़ेद (safed – white), खाली (khaalee – empty), सुस्त (sust – lazy), पागल (paagal –crazy).

No matter which noun are they used with, their ending stays the same:

खाली जगह (khaalee jagah – empty place, “jagah” is the 2^nd type feminine singular noun)

खाली जगहें (khaalee jagahen – empty places, “jagahen” is the 2^nd type feminine, plural noun)

खाली कमरा (khaalee kamraa – empty room, “kamraa” is the 1^st type masculine, singular noun)

खाली कमरे (khaalee kamre – empty rooms, “kamre” is the 1^st type masculine, plural noun)

ख़ूबसूरत आदमी (Khubsoorat aadmee – handsome man, “aadmee” is the 2^nd type masculine singular noun)

ख़ूबसूरत आदमी (Khubsoorat aadmee –handosme men, “aadmee” is the 2^nd type masculine plural noun)

ख़ूबसूरत औरत (Khubsoorat aurat – beautiful woman, “aurat” is the 2^nd type feminine singular noun)

ख़ूबसूरत औरतें (Khubsoorat auraten – beautiful women, “auraten” is the 2^nd type feminine plural noun)

Type 2 adjective endings: 

When agrees with:	Singular	Plural
Masculine noun	Other than “-aa” endings	Don’t change
Feminine noun	Other than “-aa” endings	Don’t change

Examples of type 2 adjectives:

M. noun sg.	M. noun pl.	F. noun sg.	F. noun pl.
सुन्दर लड़का sundar larhkaa beautiful boy	सुन्दर लड़के sundar larhke beautiful boys	सुन्दर लड़की sundar larhkee beautiful girl	सुन्दर लड़कियाँ  sundar larhkiyan beautiful girls
खाली पर्स khaalee pars empty purse	खाली पर्स khaalee pars empty purses	खाली जगह khaalee jagaah empty place	खाली जगहें khaalee jagahen ampty places
हवादार घर havaadaar ghar airy house	हवादार घर havaadaar ghar airy houses	हवादार रसोई havaadaar rasoee airy kitchen	हवादार रसोइयाँ havadaar rasoiyaan airy kitchens
होशियार आदमी hoshiyaar aadmee clever man	होशियार आदमी hoshiyaar aadmee clever men	होशियार औरत hoshiyaar aurat clever woman	होशियार औरतें hoshiyaar auraten clever women
अमीर परदेशी ameer pardeshee rich foreigner	अमीर परदेशी ameer pardeshee rich foreigners	अमीर महिला ameer mahilaa rich woman	अमीर महिलाएं  ameermahilaaen rich women
गरीब मजदूर gareeb majdoor poor worker	गरीब मजदूर gareeb majdoor poor workers	गरीब नौकरानी gareeb naukraanee poor maid	गरीब नौकरानियाँ  gareeb naukraaniyan poor maids
अद्भुत नाटक adbhut naaTak amazing play	अद्भुत नाटक adbhut naaTak amazing plays	अद्भुत कहानी adbhut kahaanee amazing story	अद्भुत कहानीyan adbhut kahaniyaan amazing stories
साफ़ कमरा saaf kamraa clean room	साफ़ कमरें saaf kamren clean rooms	साफ़ अलमारी saaf almaaree clean wardrobe	साफ़ अलमारियाँ saaf almaariyaan clean wardrobes
लाल जूता laal jootaa red shoe	लाल  जूते laal joote red shoes	लाल साड़ी laal sarhee red sari	लाल साड़ियाँ laal saarhiyaan red saris

EXCEPTION:  बढ़िया (barhiya - excellent) is an adjective that ends with "-aa" but never changes its ending:

बढ़िया खाना    barhiya khaanaa    excellent food

बढ़िया फिल्म    barhiya film    excellent film

Please read this short hotel description. It illustrates the usage of adjectives.

*ताज होटल*

ताज होटल बहुत अच्छा और प्रसिद्ध है। कमरे काफ़ी हवादार और साफ़ हैं।

सारी दीवारें बिलकुल सफ़ेद हैं।

कमरे में एक बढ़ा पलंग है, एक लकड़ी की कुर्सी, एक नया दूरदर्शन, एक काला फ़ोन, एक छोटा मेज़ और एक अच्छा- सा बाथरूम है।

पंखा और ए.सी. भी हैं।

ताज होटल में बहुत विभिन्न रेस्टोरेंट हैं: हिन्दुस्तानी, चीनी और यूरोपीय।

खाना बहुत स्वादिष्ट और काफी सस्ता है।

Taj HoTal

Taj hoTal bahut achchhaa aur prasiddh hai. Kamre kaafee havaadaar aur saaf hain.

Saare deevaaren bilkul safed hain.

Kamre mein ek barhaa palang hai, ek lakrhee kee kursee, ek nayaa doordarshan, ek kaalaa fon, ek chhoTaa mez aur ek achchhaa-sa bathroom hai.

Pankhaa aur esee bhee hain.

Taj hoTal mein bahut vibhinn restorenT hain: hindustaanee, cheenee aur yuuropeey.

Khaanaa bahut svaadiSht aur kaafee sastaa hai.

Taj Hotel

Taj hotel is very good and famous. The rooms are quite airy and clean.

All the walls are completely white.

In a room there is a big bed, a wooden chair, a new TV, a black phone, a small table and a good bathroom.

A fan and an A.C. are also there.

In Taj hotel, there are many various restaurants: Indian, Chinese and European.

The food is very tasty and quite cheap.

Text’s vocabulary:

ताज	taaj	crown
होटल	hoTal	hotel
बहुत	bahut	very
अच्छा	achchhaa	good
और	aur	and
प्रसिद्ध	prasiddh	famous
है	hai	is
काफी	kaafee	quite; enough
हवादार	havaadaar	airy
साफ़	saaf	clean
हैं	hain	are
सारे	saare	all
दीवारें	deevaaren	walls
बिलकुल	bilkul	completely
सफ़ेद	safed	white
में	men	in
एक	ek	a; an; one
बढ़ा	barhaa	big
पलंग	palang	bed
लकड़ी की	lakrhee kaa	wooden; of wood
कुर्सी	kursee	chair
नया	nayaa	new
दूरदर्शन	doordarshan	TV
काला	kaalaa	black
फ़ोन	fon	phone
छोटा	choTaa	small
मेज़	mez	table
अच्छा- सा	achchhaa-saa	goodish
बाथरूम	baathroom	toilet; bathroom
पंखा	pankhaa	fan
ए.सी.	esee	A.C.
भी	bhee	also; too
विभिन्न	vibhinn	various
रेस्टोरेंट	restorenT	restaurant
हिन्दुस्तानी	hindustaanee	Indian
यूरोपीय	yooropeey	European
खाना	khaanaa	food
स्वादिष्ट	svaadiShT	tasty
सस्ता	sastaa	cheap