Adjectives: Declension — Hindi Grammar

Hindi adjectives are categorized into two main groups based on their endings: those that change form (inflected) and those that remain constant (uninflected). The form of the adjective depends on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Adjectives Ending in -ā (Variable)

Most adjectives ending in the long vowel -ā are variable. They change their endings to agree with the noun.

Masculine Singular

The base form ends in -ā. This is used with masculine singular nouns in the direct case (no postposition attached).

यह मेरा छोटा बेटा है।
yah merā choṭā beṭā hai.yah mera chhoṭa beṭa hai.
This is my small son.
कमरा गंदा है।
kamrā gaṃdā hai.kamra gaṃda hai.
The room is dirty.

Masculine Plural

For masculine plural nouns, the ending changes from -ā to -e.

वे मेरे छोटे बेटे हैं।
ve mere choṭē beṭē haiṃ.we mere chhoṭē beṭē haiṃ.
Those are my small sons.
जूते गंदे हैं।
jūtē gaṃdē haiṃ.jutē gaṃdē haiṃ.
The shoes are dirty.

Feminine (Singular and Plural)

For feminine nouns, the ending changes to -ī. This form is used for both singular and plural feminine nouns.

यह मेरी छोटी बेटी है।
yah merī choṭī beṭī hai.yah meri chhoṭi beṭi hai.
This is my small daughter.
कुर्सियाँ गंदी हैं।
kursiyā̃ gaṃdī haiṃ.kursiyan gaṃdi haiṃ.
The chairs are dirty.

Adjectives in the Oblique Case

When a noun is followed by a postposition (such as (kāka), (se), (meṃ), or (par)), the noun is in the oblique case. Variable adjectives modifying these nouns must also change.

Masculine Oblique

If a masculine singular noun is in the oblique case, the adjective ending changes from -ā to -e. Note that this looks identical to the masculine plural form, but the meaning is singular.

मोटे आदमी ने खाना खाया।
moṭē ādmī ne khānā khāyā.moṭē admi ne khana khaya.
The fat man ate food.
ठंडे पानी में
ṭhaṃḍē pānī meṃṭhaṃḍē pani meṃ
In cold water.

Feminine Oblique

Feminine adjectives ending in -ī do not change in the oblique case. They remain -ī regardless of postpositions.

छोटी लड़की से पूछो।
choṭī laṛkī se pūcho.chhoṭi larki se puchho.
Ask the small girl.

Invariant Adjectives

Adjectives that do not end in -ā generally do not change form. They remain the same regardless of the gender, number, or case of the noun. This group includes adjectives ending in consonants or other vowels (like -ī, -u, or -iyā).

Common invariant adjectives include colors like (lālalala) - red and (safeda) - white, and descriptors like (suṃdara) - beautiful or (sāphasapha) - clean.

यह घर सुंदर है।
yah ghar suṃdar hai.
This house is beautiful.
वह लड़की सुंदर है।
vah laṛkī suṃdar hai.wah larki suṃdar hai.
That girl is beautiful.
लाल सेब मेज पर है।
lāl seb mez par hai.lal seb mez par hai.
The red apple is on the table.
मुझे लाल किताबें चाहिए।
mujhe lāl kitābeṃ cāhie.mujhe lal kitabeṃ chahie.
I want the red books.

Exceptions

There are a few adjectives that end in -ā but are of foreign origin (often Persian or Arabic) which do not change. However, these are less common in basic vocabulary. The most important rule for beginners is: if it ends in a consonant, it stays the same; if it ends in -ā, it usually declines.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Hindi course

223 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 1. A few of them, with the words “Adjectives: Declension” is about in bold:

तुम कैसा महसूस कर रही हो? अच्छा या बुरा?
tum kaisā mahsūs kar rahī ho? acchā yā burā?tum kaisa mahsus kar rahi ho? achchha ya bura?
How are you feeling? Good or bad?
Lesson 61
मुझे बहुत अच्छा महसूस हो रहा है! मैं बीमार नहीं हूँ। मैं स्वस्थ हूँ।
mujhe bahut acchā mahsūs ho rahā hai! ma͠i bīmār nahī̃ hū̃. ma͠i svasth hū̃.mujhe bahut achchha mahsus ho raha hai! main bimar nahin hun. main swasth hun.
I feel great! I am not sick. I am healthy.
Lesson 64
यह पानी ठंडा है। वह पानी गर्म है।
yah pānī ṭhaṇḍā hai. vah pānī garm hai.yah pani ṭhanḍa hai. wah pani garm hai.
This water is cold. That water is hot.
Lesson 68

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