Politeness via Plural

01

Third Person: Using "They" for "He/She"

When talking about someone deserving of respect (such as an elder, a teacher, or a superior), you do not use the singular pronouns यह (yah) - he/she/it here or वह (vahwah) - he/she/it there. Instead, you use the plural pronouns ये (ye) - these/they and वे (vewe) - those/they.

Even though you are referring to one specific individual, the grammar treats the sentence as if there were multiple people. This means the verb must also be in the plural form. For the verb "to be," the singular है (hai) - is changes to the plural हैं (haĩ) - are.

• वे मेरे पिता हैं।

  ve mere pitā haĩ.we mere pita haĩ.

  He is my father. (Literally: They are my father.)

• ये डॉक्टर हैं।

  ye ḍŏkṭar haĩ.

  He/She is a doctor. (Literally: These are a doctor.)

02

Second Person: The Polite "You"

When addressing someone directly, Hindi offers different levels of formality. While there is a singular form तू (tūtu), it is very informal and often considered rude. The two common forms taught to learners are तुम (tum) and आप (āpap).

Both तुम (tum) and आप (āpap) are grammatically plural, but they function differently:

• तुम (tum) is the "familiar" plural. It is used for friends and people younger than you. It uses the specific verb ending हो (ho).
• आप (āpap) is the "polite" or "honorific" plural. It is used for elders, strangers, and formal situations. It uses the standard plural verb ending हैं (haĩ).

• तुम खुश हो।

  tum khuś ho.tum khush ho.

  You are happy. (Casual)

• आप खुश हैं।

  āp khuś haĩ.ap khush haĩ.

  You are happy. (Polite)

03

Adjective and Participle Agreement

The rule of "plural for respect" affects more than just the pronoun and the main verb. It also changes adjectives and verb participles that end in -आ (-ā-a).

When referring to a male person politely, any word ending in the masculine singular -आ (-ā-a) must change to the masculine plural -ए (-e). This happens even if there is only one man.

• Singular/Casual: बड़ा (baṛābara) - big/elder, रहा (rahāraha) - -ing
• Plural/Polite: बड़े (baṛebare) - big/elder, रहे (rahe) - -ing

Notice in the examples below how the words change from ending in 'a' to 'e' to show respect:

• लड़का जा रहा है।

  laṛkā jā rahā hai.larka ja raha hai.

  The boy is going. (Casual/Young)

• पिता जी जा रहे हैं।

  pitā jī jā rahe haĩ.pita ji ja rahe haĩ.

  Father is going. (Respectful)

• वह अच्छा आदमी है।

  vah acchā ādmī hai.wah achchha admi hai.

  He is a good man. (Casual)

• वे अच्छे आदमी हैं।

  ve acche ādmī haĩ.we achchhe admi haĩ.

  He is a good man. (Respectful)

04

When to Use the Honorific Plural

You should use the polite plural forms (आप (āpap), वे (vewe), ये (ye)) and the corresponding plural verb agreement in the following situations:

• Elders: Parents, grandparents, and older relatives.
• Professional Contexts: Teachers, bosses, doctors, or officials.
• Strangers: Anyone you do not know well, regardless of age (unless they are very young children).
• Historical/Religious Figures: When discussing famous leaders or deities.

Using the singular forms (वह (vahwah), यह (yah)) for these people can sound uneducated or insulting.

• अध्यापक आ रहे हैं।

  adhyāpak ā rahe haĩ.adhyapak a rahe haĩ.

  The teacher is coming.

• माता जी कैसी हैं?

  mātā jī kaisī haĩ.mata ji kaisi haĩ.

  How is mother?