Gender, Number, Karak and Tense
Gender, Number, Karak and Tense
This topic supplies two questions and at the qualifying level they ask directly for forms — give the feminine, give the plural, name the karak. The rules are few and the exceptions limited, so preparation here returns quickly and reliably.
Gender
Hindi has only two genders, masculine and feminine. The neuter gender of Sanskrit does not operate in Hindi, and this is asked directly.
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| लड़का | लड़की | राजा | रानी |
| शिक्षक | शिक्षिका | पिता | माता |
| धोबी | धोबिन | देवर | देवरानी |
| नर | नारी | विद्वान | विदुषी |
Remember the exceptions too — सिंधु and ब्रह्मपुत्र are rivers yet masculine, and दही, मोती and पानी end in ई yet are masculine. Questions are usually built from exactly these.
✗ Hindi has three genders | ✓ Hindi has only two, masculine and feminine; the neuter belongs to Sanskrit
Number
| Rule | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| masculine ending in आ: आ becomes ए | लड़का | लड़के |
| feminine ending in ई: takes इयाँ | लड़की | लड़कियाँ |
| feminine ending in आ: takes एँ | माता | माताएँ |
| other feminine: takes एँ | पुस्तक | पुस्तकें |
When forming a plural, keep this order — look at the gender first and the final vowel second. Those two steps answer nearly every question of this kind.
Karak
| Karak | Marker | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Karta | ने | राम ने लिखा |
| Karm | को | श्याम को बुलाओ |
| Karan | से (means) | कलम से लिखा |
| Apadan | से (separation) | पेड़ से पत्ता गिरा |
| Sambandh | का, के, की | राम का घर |
| Adhikaran | में, पर | घर में, मेज़ पर |
At this level the distinction asked most often is between karan and apadan, since both take से. If the sense is of a means it is karan; if it is of separation it is apadan.
Tense
There are three tenses — past, present and future. The qualifying paper does not go into their subdivisions and asks only which tense a given sentence is in. वह गया is past, वह जाता है is present and वह जाएगा is future.
आसान क्रम: लिंग देखिए, फिर वचन, फिर कारक चिह्न, फिर काल। यही क्रम आगे वाक्य शुद्धि में भी काम आता है, इसलिए इसे आदत बना लीजिए।
TRE pointer: Hindi has only two genders is a direct question and three is placed among the options. सिंधु and ब्रह्मपुत्र as masculine and विद्वान giving विदुषी are two settled exceptions. In karak, hold the difference between karan and apadan — means against separation.
60-Second Recap
- Hindi has only two genders, masculine and feminine.
- सिंधु and ब्रह्मपुत्र are rivers but masculine.
- The feminine of विद्वान is विदुषी and of राजा is रानी.
- For plurals, look at the gender first and the final vowel second.
- Karan and apadan both take से; means separates them from separation.
- There are three tenses — past, present and future.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many genders does Hindi have?
Only two, masculine and feminine. Sanskrit has a third, the neuter, but Hindi did not adopt it. The question is asked directly and three is offered among the options, so the answer needs to be held firmly rather than reasoned out in the hall.
How do you separate karan from apadan?
Both take से, so the sense has to be read. If से points to a means or instrument, it is karan, as in कलम से लिखा. If it carries the idea of separating from something, it is apadan, as in पेड़ से पत्ता गिरा.
What is the rule for forming a plural?
Look at the gender of the word first and then its final vowel. A masculine word ending in आ changes आ to ए, as लड़का gives लड़के. A feminine word ending in ई takes इयाँ, as लड़की gives लड़कियाँ. A feminine word ending in आ takes एँ, as माता gives माताएँ.
Which exceptions are asked most often?
सिंधु and ब्रह्मपुत्र, which are rivers yet masculine, and दही, मोती and पानी, which end in ई yet are masculine. Among feminine forms, विद्वान giving विदुषी and कवि giving कवयित्री are the ones that recur most.