Postpositions & the Oblique Case — Hindi Grammar

Postpositions are small words that indicate relationships between nouns, such as location, direction, or possession. They function exactly like English prepositions (in, on, to, from, with), but they are placed after the noun or pronoun they modify.

घर पर
ghar par
at home (literally: home at)
भारत में
bhārat meṃbharat meṃ
in India (literally: India in)
राम के साथ
rām ke sāthram ke sath
with Ram (literally: Ram with)

When a postposition is added to a noun or pronoun, that word must change into a form called the Oblique Case. If the word is not followed by a postposition, it remains in the Direct Case (the dictionary form).

Masculine Nouns in the Oblique Case

The most common change occurs with masculine nouns that end in -ā. In the singular oblique case, the final -ā changes to -e.

Direct: (laṛakālaraka) - boy → Oblique: (laṛakelarake)
Direct: (kamarākamara) - room → Oblique: (kamare)
Direct: (beṭābeṭa) - son → Oblique: (beṭe)

लड़का कमरे में है।
laṛkā kamre meṃ hai.larka kamre meṃ hai.
The boy is in the room.
पिता जी बेटे से बात करते हैं।
pitā jī beṭe se bāt karte haiṃ.pita ji beṭe se bat karte haiṃ.
The father talks to the son.

Masculine nouns that do not end in -ā (such as those ending in consonants, -ī, or -ū) do not change their form in the singular oblique case.

Direct: (ghara) - house → Oblique: (ghara)
Direct: (bhāībhai) - brother → Oblique: (bhāībhai)
Direct: (dosta) - friend → Oblique: (dosta)

वह घर पर है।
vah ghar par hai.wah ghar par hai.
He is at home.
मैं दोस्त के साथ हूँ।
maiṃ dost ke sāth hūṃ.maiṃ dost ke sath huṃ.
I am with a friend.

Feminine Nouns in the Oblique Case

Feminine nouns never change form in the singular oblique case, regardless of their ending.

Direct: (meza) - table → Oblique: (meza)
Direct: (laṛakīlaraki) - girl → Oblique: (laṛakīlaraki)
Direct: (mātāmata) - mother → Oblique: (mātāmata)

किताब मेज़ पर है।
kitāb mez par hai.kitab mez par hai.
The book is on the table.
लड़की को पानी दो।
laṛkī ko pānī do.larki ko pani do.
Give water to the girl.

Plural Nouns in the Oblique Case

When a noun is plural and followed by a postposition, it takes a specific ending: -oṃ. This rule applies to all nouns, regardless of gender or their original ending.

Masculine Plural: (laṛakelarake) - boys → Oblique: (laṛakoṃlarakoṃ)
Feminine Plural: (laṛakiyāṃlarakiyaṃ) - girls → Oblique: (laṛakiyoṃlarakiyoṃ)
Masculine Plural: (ghara) - houses → Oblique: (gharoṃ)

लड़कों से पूछो।
laṛkoṃ se pūcho.larkoṃ se puchho.
Ask the boys.
इन किताबों में बहुत ज्ञान है।
in kitāboṃ meṃ bahut jñān hai.in kitaboṃ meṃ bahut jnan hai.
There is much knowledge in these books.

Pronouns in the Oblique Case

Pronouns also change form when followed by a postposition. These changes are irregular and must be memorized.

Singular Pronouns

(maiṃ) - I → (mujha)
(tūtu) - you [intimate] → (tujha)
(yaha) - this/he/she → (isa)
(vahawaha) - that/he/she → (usa)
(kauna) - who → (kisa)
(kyākya) - what → (kisa)

Plural Pronouns

(hama) - we → (hama) [No change]
(tuma) - you [informal] → (tuma) [No change]
(āpaapa) - you [formal] → (āpaapa) [No change]
(ye) - these/they → (ina)
(vewe) - those/they → (una)
(kauna) - who [plural] → (kina)

मुझ पर भरोसा करो।
mujh par bharosā karo.mujh par bharosa karo.
Trust me. (literally: me on trust do)
उस को बुलाओ।
us ko bulāo.us ko bulao.
Call him/her.
उन से बात मत करो।
un se bāt mat karo.un se bat mat karo.
Do not talk to them.

Adjectives and the Oblique Case

If a noun is in the oblique case, any adjective modifying that noun must also be in the oblique case. This primarily affects adjectives ending in -ā, which change to -e. Adjectives ending in other letters usually do not change.

(baṛā kamarābara kamara) - big room → (baṛe kamare meṃbare kamare meṃ) - in the big room
(acchā laṛakāachchha laraka) - good boy → (acche laṛake koachchhe larake ko) - to the good boy

Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her) follow the same rule.

(merā beṭāmera beṭa) - my son → (mere beṭe ke sāthamere beṭe ke satha) - with my son

छोटे बच्चे को दूध चाहिए।
choṭe bacce ko dūdh cāhie.chhoṭe bachche ko dudh chahie.
The small child needs milk.
अपने गंदे जूतों को बाहर उतारो।
apne gande jūtoṃ ko bāhar utāro.apne gande jutoṃ ko bahar utaro.
Take off your dirty shoes outside.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Hindi course

222 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 8. A few of them, with the words “Postpositions & the Oblique Case” is about in bold:

मेरे पास दो कार, दो साइकिल, और तीन मोटरबाइक हैं।
mere pās do kār, do sāikil, aur tīn moṭarbāik ha͠i.mere pas do kar, do saikil, aur tin moṭarbaik hain.
I have two cars, two bicycles, and three motorbikes.
Lesson 33
मैंने तुम्हारे लिए भी एक दर्ज़न अंडे और एक कैंडी बार ख़रीदा था।
ma͠ine tumhāre lie bhī ek darzan aṇḍe aur ek kaiṇḍī bār xarīdā thā.mainne tumhare lie bhi ek darzan anḍe aur ek kainḍi bar kharida tha.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47
उसके पास एक धीमी, सस्ती कार है।
uske pās ek dhīmī, sastī kār hai.uske pas ek dhimi, sasti kar hai.
She has a slow, cheap car.
Lesson 110

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