Hindi pronouns

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The personal pronouns and possessives in Modern Standard Hindi of the Hindustani language displays a higher degree of inflection than other parts of speech. Personal pronouns have distinct forms according to whether they stand for a subject (nominative), a direct object (accusative), an indirect object (dative), or a reflexive object. Pronouns further have special forms used with postpositions.

The possessive pronouns are the same as the possessive adjectives, but each is inflected to express the grammatical person of the possessor and the grammatical gender of the possessed.

Pronoun use displays considerable variation with register and dialect, with particularly pronoun preference differences between the most colloquial varieties of Hindi.

## Postpositions

[edit]

The function of case marking in Hindi is done exclusively by postpositions. The pronouns of Hindi can be declined into three cases, nominative, oblique (and ergative), and dative/accusative. The oblique and ergative case is used with the case marking postpositions to form the ergative, accusative/dative, instrumental/ablative, genitive, inessive, adessive, terminative, and semblative cases. The postpositions are considered to be bound morphemes to the pronouns.[1] The eight primary postpositions of Hindi are mentioned in the table below:

Case Marker  | Postposition  | Explanation  | Example  | English

|
|
|
|

Ergative  | ने (ne)  | marks the subject of the sentence  | इसने (isne)  | he/she
Accusative  | को (ko)  | marks the receiver of an action  | इसको (isko)  | him/her
Dative  | marks the indirect object; can also mark the subject (quirky subject)  | to him/her
Instrumental  | से (se)  | marks the object with/using which the action was done  | इससे (isse)  | with him/her
Ablative  | shows movement away from the object  | from him/her
Genitive  | का (kā)  | shows possession  | इसका (iskā)  | his/her(s)
Inessive  | में (mẽ)  | shows something is in/inside something  | इसमें (ismẽ)  | in him/her
Adessive  | पे / पर (pe / par)  | shows something is on/at something  | इसपे (ispe)  | on him/her
Terminative  | तक (tak)  | shows something is goes up to the object  | इसतक (istak)  | till him/her
Semblative  | सा (sā)  | shows resemblance  | इससा (issā)  | like him/her

Note:

* The pronoun इस (is) which is the oblique case of the nominative demonstrative pronoun यह (yah) can be translated as he, she, it, and this.
* The postpositions which end in the vowel ा (-ā) (which are the genitive and semblative postpositions) can further decline according to gender, number, and grammatical case of the noun it describes. The declension of postpositions follow the following declension by changing their end vowels:

Declension Pattern  Case  | Masculine  | Feminine

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Nominative  | ा

| े

| ी

Oblique  | े

Genitive Marker  Case  | Masculine  | Feminine

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Nominative  | का

| के

| की

Oblique  | के

Semblative Marker  Case  | Masculine  | Feminine

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Nominative  | सा

| से

| सी

Oblique  | से

## Personal pronouns

[edit]

Hindi has personal pronouns in the first and second person, but not the third person, where demonstratives are used instead. They are inflected for case and number (singular, and plural), but not for gender. Pronouns decline for four grammatical cases in Hindi: The nominative case, the accusative/dative case and two postpositional cases, the oblique and ergative cases. The second person pronouns have three levels of formality: intimate, familiar, and formal. As also done in many other Indo-European languages, the plural pronouns are used as singular polite or formal pronouns.[2][3]

Case  | 1st Person  | 2nd Person

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Intimate  | Familiar  | Formal
Singular  | Plural
Nominative  | मैं

mãĩ

| हम

ham

| तू

| तुम

tum

| आप

Oblique  | Ergative
Regular  | मुझ

mujh

| तुझ

tujh

Regular

(Emphatic)

| मुझी

mujhī

| हमीं

hamī̃

| तुझी

tujhī

| तुम्हीं

tumhī̃

| —
Ergative

(Emphatic)

| —  | —
Accusative  | मुझे

mujhe

| हमें

hamẽ

| तुझे

tujhe

| तुम्हें

tumhẽ

| —
Dative
Postpositional Pronouns using the Oblique/Ergative Cases  Case  | 1st Person  | 2nd Person

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Intimate  | Familiar  | Formal
Singular  | Plural
Ergative  | मैंने

mãĩne

| हमने

hamne

| तूने

tūne

| तुमने

tumne

| आपने

āpne

Accusative  | मुझको

mujhko

| हमको

hamko

| तुझको

tujhko

| तुमको

tumko

| आपको

āpko

Dative
Instrumental  | मुझसे

mujhse

| हमसे

hamse

| तुझसे

tujhse

| तुमसे

tumse

| आपसे

āpse

Ablative
Genitive  | —  | —  | —  | —  | आपका

āpkā

Inessive  | मुझमें

mujhmẽ

| हममें

hammẽ

| तुझमें

tujhmẽ

| तुममें

tummẽ

| आपमें

āpmẽ

Adessive  | मुझपे

mujhpe

| हमपे

hampe

| तुझपे

tujhpe

| तुमपे

tumpe

| आपपे

āppe

Terminative  | मुझतक

mujhtak

| हमतक

hamtak

| तुझतक

tujhtak

| तुमतक

tumtak

| आपतक

āptak

Semblative  | मुझसा

mujhsā

| हमसा

hamsā

| तुझसा

tujhsā

| तुमसा

tumsā

| आपसा

āpsā

Note:

* In the eastern dialects of Hindi, the pronoun हम ham is used as both the first person singular and plural pronoun.[4] When plurality is to be implied then words such as लोग log (people), सब sab (all) are added after the pronoun.
* True genitive pronouns exist for the personal pronouns (except आप āp) and they cannot be constructed from the oblique cases, they are discussed in the 'Possessive Pronouns' section below.
* The emphasised oblique case for the pronoun आप (āp) is constructed periphrastically using the exclusive emphatic particle ही (hī) which is आप ही (āp hī). Although pronounced the same as आफी (āphī), it is never written like that.

## Demonstrative, interrogative, and relative pronouns

[edit]

Just like Sanskrit, Hindi does not have true third person pronouns, but its demonstratives play their role when they stand independently of a substantive.[5] The demonstrative pronouns just like the personal pronouns can be declined into the nominative, ergative, accusative/dative and the oblique case.[3]

The relative and the interrogative pronouns can be constructed for the non-nominative cases by just changing the first consonant of the demonstrative pronouns to ज (j) and क (k) respectively.

Case  | Demonstrative  | Interrogative  | Relative

|
|
|

Proximal  | Non-proximal  | Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Nominative  | Literary  | यह

yah

| ये

| वह

vah

| वे

| क्या,कौन

kyā, kaun

| जो

Colloquial  | ये

| वो

Emphatic  | यही

yahī

| वही

vahī

| —  | —  | (जो भी)

(jo bhī)

Accusative  | इसे

ise

| इन्हें

inhẽ

| उसे

use

| उन्हें

unhẽ

| किसे

kise

| किन्हें

kinhẽ

| जिसे

jise

| जिन्हें

jinhẽ

Dative
Oblique  | Regular  | इस

| इन

| उस

| उन

| किस

kis

| किन

kin

| जिस

jis

| जिन

jin

Ergative  | इन्हों

inhõ

| उन्हों

unhõ

| किन्हों

kinhõ

| जिन्हों

jinhõ

Emphatic  | इसी

isī

| इन्हीं

inhī̃

| उसी

usī

| उन्हीं

unhī̃

| किसी

kisī

| किन्हीं

kinhī̃

| —  | —
Postpositional Pronouns using the Oblique & Ergative Cases  Case  | Demonstrative  | Interrogative  | Relative

|
|
|

Proximal  | Non-proximal  | Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Ergative  | इसने

isne

| इन्होंने

inhõne

| उसने

usne

| उन्होंने

unhõne

| किसने

kisne

| किन्होंने

kinhõne

| जिसने

jisne

| जिन्होंने

jinhõne

Accusative  | इसको

isko

| इनको

inko

| उसको

usko

| उनको

unko

| किसको

kisko

| किनको

kinko

| जिसको

jisko

| जिनको

jinko

Dative
Instrumental  | इससे

isse

| इनसे

inse

| उससे

usse

| उनसे

unse

| किससे

kisse

| किनसे

kinse

| जिससे

jisse

| जिनसे

kinse

Ablative
Genitive  | इसका

iskā

| इनका

inkā

| उसका

uskā

| उनका

unkā

| किसका

kiskā

| किनका

kinkā

| जिसका

jiskā

| जिनका

jinkā

Inessive  | इसमें

ismẽ

| इनमें

inmẽ

| उसमें

usmẽ

| उनमें

unmẽ

| किसमें

kismẽ

| किनमें

kinmẽ

| जिसमें

jismẽ

| जिनमें

jinmẽ

Adessive  | इसपे

ispe

| इनपे

inpe

| उसपे

uspe

| उनपे

unpe

| किसपे

kispe

| किनपे

kinpe

| जिसपे

jispe

| जिनपे

jinpe

Terminative  | इसतक

istak

| इनतक

intak

| उसतक

ustak

| उनतक

untak

| किसतक

kistak

| किनतक

kintak

| जिसतक

jistak

| जिनतक

jintak

Semblative  | इससा

issa

| इनसा

insa

| उससा

ussa

| उनसा

unsa

| किससा

kissa

| किनसा

kinsa

| जिससा

jissa

| जिनसा

jinsa

Notes:

* The ergative case is predominantly used with animate nouns.[6]
* कौन kaun is the animate interrogative and क्या kyā is the inanimate interrogative.
* जो is used as both the animate and inanimate relative pronoun.
* The genitive and semblative postpositions decline to agree with the number, gender, and case of the object it possesses or describes respectively.

## Possessive pronouns

[edit]

The possessive pronouns are the same as the possessive adjectives, but each is inflected to express the grammatical person of the possessor and the grammatical gender of the possessed. Unlike the personal pronouns (except for आप), there are no true possessive pronoun forms for the demonstrative pronouns. So, the demonstrative, interrogative, and relative possessive pronouns are formed using oblique case with the postposition का (kā).[2][7]

Person  | Nominative  | Genitive

|
|

Masculine  | Feminine
Singular  | Plural  | Oblique  | Singular  | Plural  | Oblique
1st Person  | मैं

mãĩ

| मेरा

merā

| मेरे

mere

| मेरी

merī

ham

| हमारा

hamārā

| हमारे

hamāre

| हमारी

hamārī

2nd Person  | Intimate  | तू

| तेरा

terā

| तेरे

tere

| तेरी

terī

Familiar  | तुम

tum

| तुम्हारा

tumhārā

| तुम्हारे

tumhāre

| तुम्हारी

tumhārī

Formal  | आप

| आपका

āpkā

| आपके

āpke

| आपकी

āpkī

Person  | Nominative  | Genitive

|
|

Masculine  | Feminine
Singular  | Plural  | Oblique  | Singular  | Plural  | Oblique
Demonstrative  | Proximal  | Singular  | यह

yah

| ये

| इसका

iskā

| इसके

iske

| इसकी

iskī

Plural  | ये

| इनका

inkā

| इनके

inke

| इनकी

inkī

Distal  | Singular  | वह

vah

| वो

| उसका

uskā

| उसके

uske

| उसकी

uskī

Plural  | वे

| उनका

unkā

| उनके

unke

| उनकी

unkī

Interrogative  | Singular  | कौन, क्या

kaun, kyā

| किसका

kiskā

| किसके

kiske

| किसकी

kiskī

Plural  | किनका

kinkā

| किनके

kinke

| किनकी

kinkī

Relative  | Singular  | जो, सो

jo, so

| जिसका

jiskā

| जिसके

jiske

| जिसकी

jiskī

Plural  | जिनका

jinkā

| जिनके

jinke

| जिनकी

jinkī

* The possessive pronouns and the genitive postposition का (kā) decline to agree with the number, gender, and case of the possessed object.
* In colloquial usage जो (jo) functions as both animate and inanimate relative pronoun. सो (so) (inanimate relative pronoun) also sometimes used but in a limited manner.

## Reflexive pronouns

[edit]

There are a number of words in Hindi that function as reflexive pronouns.[8][7] The indeclinable स्वयं (svayam) can indicate reflexivity pertaining to subjects of any person or number, and—since subjects in Hindi can appear in the nominative, or dative cases[9]—it can have the sense of any of these two cases.

* ख़ुद (khud) and स्वयं (svayam) are indeclinable reflexive pronouns.
* अपना (apnā) is a declinable reflexive pronoun.

Case  | Masculine  | Feminine

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Declinable  | Nominative  | अपना

apnā

| अपने

apne

| अपनी

apnī

Oblique  | with noun  | अपने

apne

sans noun  | अपने

apne

| अपनों

apnõ

| अपनी

apnī

| अप्नियों

apniyõ

Undeclinable  | Nominative  | ख़ुद

khud

Oblique
Nominative  | स्वयं

svayam

Oblique

## Indefinite pronouns

[edit]

There are two indefinite pronouns in Hindi: कोई koī (someone, somebody) and कुछ kuch (something). कुछ kuch is also used as an adjective (numeral and quantitative) and as an adverb meaning ‘some, a few, a little, partly.’ Similarly, कोई koī can be used as an adverb in the sense of ‘some, about.’ When it is used with the semblative postposition सा sā the pronoun कोई सा koī sā (of some kind, some, something) is formed. The indefinite pronouns of Hindi are mentioned in the table below:[7]

Case  | Animate  | Inanimate  | Animate  | Inanimate  | Animate  | Inanimate

|
|
|
|
|
|

Singular  | Plural (some)  | Plural (several)
Nominative  | कोई

koī

| कुछ

kuch

| कई

kaī

Oblique  | with noun  | किसी

kisī

| कुछ

kuch

sans noun  | किन्हीं

kinhī̃

| कुछों

kuchõ

| कइयों

kaīyõ

Note: The animate plural forms are also used as formal animate singular forms.

## Adverbial pronouns

[edit]

Adverbial pronouns of Hindi and the declension pattern of the declinable pronouns are mentioned in the table below:[7]

| Interrogative  | Relative  | Demonstrative

|
|
|

Proximal  | Non-proximal
Undeclinable  | Time  | कब

kab

| जब

jab

| अब

| तब

tab

Direction  | किधर

kidhar

| जिधर

jidhar

| इधर

idhar

| उधर

udhar

Place  | कहाँ

kahā̃

| जहाँ

jahā̃

| यहाँ

yahā̃

| वहाँ

vahā̃

Manner  | कैसे

kaise

| जैसे

jaise

| ऐसे

aise

| वैसे

vaise

Declinable  | Quantity  | कितना

kitnā

| जितना

jitnā

| इतना

itnā

| उतना

utnā

Quality  | कैसा

kaisā

| जैसा

jaisā

| ऐसा

aisā

| वैसा

vaisā

Declension Pattern  Case  | Masculine  | Feminine

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Nominative  | ा

| े

| ी

Oblique  | with noun  | े

sans noun  | े

| ों

| ी

| ियों

-iyõ

Declension for कितना (kitnā) [how much?]  Case  | Masculine  | Feminine

|
|

Singular  | Plural  | Singular  | Plural
Nominative  | कितना

kitnā

| कितने

kitne

| कितनी

kitnī

Oblique  | with noun  | कितने

kitne

sans noun  | कितने

kitne

| कितनों

kitnõ

| कितनी

kitnī

| कितनियों

kitniyõ

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Schmidt (2003:293)
2. ^ a b http://www.koausa.org/iils/pdf/ModernHindiGrammar.pdf [bare URL PDF]
3. ^ a b Spencer, Andrew (2020-08-20). "CASE IN HINDI". `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
4. ^ Snell & Weightman (1989:106)
5. ^ Shapiro, Michael C. (2003). A Primer of Modern Standard Hindi. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd. pp. 264–265\. ISBN 81-208-0508-9.
6. ^ Hoop, H.; Narasimhan, Bhuvana (2007-12-04), Ergative Case-marking in Hindi, vol. 72, pp. 63–78, retrieved 2020-08-20
7. ^ a b c d N. Koul, Omkar (2008). Modern Hindi Grammar. United States of America: McNeil Technologies, Inc. pp. 75–81\. ISBN 978-1-931546-06-5.
8. ^ "Reflexive Pronouns". hindilanguage.info. 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
9. ^ Bhatt, Rajesh (2003). Experiencer subjects. Handout from MIT course “Structure of the Modern Indo-Aryan Languages”.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Schmidt, Hans (2003). "Temathesis in Rotuman" (PDF). In John Lynch (ed.). Issues in Austronesian Historical Phonology. Pacific Linguistics Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. pp. 175–207\. ISBN 978-0-85883-503-0.
* Shapiro, Michael C. (2003). "Hindi". In Cardona, George; Jain, Dhanesh (eds.). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Routledge. pp. 250–285\. ISBN 978-0-415-77294-5.
* Snell, Rupert; Weightman, Simon (1989). Teach Yourself Hindi (2003 ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-142012-9.