Hindi pronouns
# Hindi pronouns

The personal pronouns and possessives in Modern Standard Hindi of the Hindustani language display 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

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. The eight primary postpositions of Hindi are mention 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 | को (ko) | marks the indirect object; can also mark the subject (quirky subject) | इसको (isko) | to him/her |
| Instrumental | से (se) | marks the object with/using which the action was done | इससे (isse) | with him/her |
| Ablative | से (se) | shows movement away from the object | इससे (isse) | 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 | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | ा -ā | े -e | ी -ī | ी -ī |
| Oblique | े -e | े -e | | ी -ī | ी -ī |

Genitive Marker :

| Case | Masculine | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | का kā | के ke | की kī | की kī |
| Oblique | के ke | के ke | | की kī | की kī |

Semblative Marker :

| Case | Masculine | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | सा sā | से se | सी sī | सी sī |
| Oblique | से se | से se | | सी sī | सी sī |

## Personal pronouns

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.

| Case | Case | 1st Person | 1st Person | 2nd Person | 2nd Person | 2nd Person |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Case | Singular | Plural | Intimate | Familiar | Formal |
| Case | Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Plural |
| Nominative | Nominative | मैं mãĩ | हम ham | तू tū | तुम tum | आप āp |
| Oblique | Ergative | मैं mãĩ | हम ham | तू tū | तुम tum | आप āp |
| Oblique | Regular | मुझ mujh | हम ham | तुझ tujh | तुम tum | आप āp |
| Oblique | Regular (Emphatic) | मुझी mujhī | हमीं hamī̃ | तुझी tujhī | तुम्हीं tumhī̃ | — |
| Oblique | Ergative (Emphatic) | — | हमीं hamī̃ | — | तुम्हीं tumhī̃ | — |
| Accusative | Accusative | मुझे mujhe | हमें hamẽ | तुझे tujhe | तुम्हें tumhẽ | — |

Postpositional Pronouns using the Oblique/Ergative Cases :

| Case | 1st Person | 1st Person | 2nd Person | 2nd Person | 2nd Person |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Singular | Plural | Intimate | Familiar | Formal |
| Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Plural |
| Ergative | मैंने mãĩne | हमने hamne | तूने tūne | तुमने tumne | आपने āpne |
| Accusative | मुझको mujhko | हमको hamko | तुझको tujhko | तुमको tumko | आपको āpko |
| Dative | मुझको mujhko | हमको hamko | तुझको tujhko | तुमको tumko | आपको āpko |
| Instrumental | मुझसे mujhse | हमसे hamse | तुझसे tujhse | तुमसे tumse | आपसे āpse |
| Ablative | मुझसे mujhse | हमसे hamse | तुझसे tujhse | तुमसे tumse | आपसे āpse |
| 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. 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

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

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 | Case | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Interrogative | Interrogative | Relative | Relative |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Case | Proximal | Proximal | Non-proximal | Non-proximal | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Case | Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | Literary | यह yah | ये ye | वह vah | वे ve | क्या,कौन kyā, kaun | क्या,कौन kyā, kaun | जो jo | जो jo |
| Nominative | Colloquial | ये ye | ये ye | वो vo | वो vo | | क्या,कौन kyā, kaun | क्या,कौन kyā, kaun | जो jo | जो jo |
| Nominative | Emphatic | यही yahī | यही yahī | वही vahī | वही vahī | — | — | (जो भी) (jo bhī) | (जो भी) (jo bhī) |
| Accusative | Accusative | इसे ise | इन्हें inhẽ | उसे use | उन्हें unhẽ | किसे kise | किन्हें kinhẽ | जिसे jise | जिन्हें jinhẽ |
| जिन्हें jinhẽ ||
| Oblique | Regular | इस is | इन in | उस us | उन un | किस kis | किन kin | जिस jis | जिन jin |
| Oblique | Ergative | इस is | इन्हों inhõ | उस us | उन्हों unhõ | किस kis | किन्हों kinhõ | जिस jis | जिन्हों jinhõ |
| Oblique | Emphatic | इसी isī | इन्हीं inhī̃ | उसी usī | उन्हीं unhī̃ | किसी kisī | किन्हीं kinhī̃ | — | — |

Postpositional Pronouns using the Oblique & Ergative Cases :

| Case | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative | Interrogative | Interrogative | Relative | Relative |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Proximal | Proximal | Non-proximal | Non-proximal | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Case | 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 | इसको isko | इनको inko | उसको usko | उनको unko | किसको kisko | किनको kinko | जिसको jisko | जिनको jinko |
| Instrumental | इससे isse | इनसे inse | उससे usse | उनसे unse | किससे kisse | किनसे kinse | जिससे jisse | जिनसे kinse |
| Ablative | इससे isse | इनसे inse | उससे usse | उनसे unse | किससे kisse | किनसे kinse | जिससे jisse | जिनसे kinse |
| 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.
* 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

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).

| Person | Person | Nominative | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Person | Person | Nominative | Masculine | Masculine | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine | Feminine |
| Person | Person | Nominative | Singular | Plural | Oblique | Singular | Plural | Oblique |
| 1st Person | 1st Person | मैं mãĩ | मेरा merā | मेरे mere | मेरे mere | मेरी merī | मेरी merī | मेरी merī |
| 1st Person | 1st Person | हम ham | हमारा hamārā | हमारे hamāre | हमारे hamāre | हमारी hamārī | हमारी hamārī | हमारी hamārī |
| 2nd Person | Intimate | तू tū | तेरा terā | तेरे tere | तेरे tere | तेरी terī | तेरी terī | तेरी terī |
| 2nd Person | Familiar | तुम tum | तुम्हारा tumhārā | तुम्हारे tumhāre | तुम्हारे tumhāre | तुम्हारी tumhārī | तुम्हारी tumhārī | तुम्हारी tumhārī |
| 2nd Person | Formal | आप āp | आपका āpkā | आपके āpke | आपके āpke | आपकी āpkī | आपकी āpkī | आपकी āpkī |
| Person | Person | Person | Nominative | Nominative | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive | Genitive |
| Person | Person | Person | Nominative | Nominative | Masculine | Masculine | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine | Feminine |
| Person | Person | Person | Nominative | Nominative | Singular | Plural | Oblique | Singular | Plural | Oblique |
| Demonstrative | Proximal | Singular | यह yah | ये ye | इसका iskā | इसके iske | इसके iske | इसकी iskī | इसकी iskī | इसकी iskī |
| Demonstrative | Proximal | Plural | ये ye | ये ye | इनका inkā | इनके inke | इनके inke | इनकी inkī | इनकी inkī | इनकी inkī |
| Demonstrative | Distal | Singular | वह vah | वो vo | उसका uskā | उसके uske | उसके uske | उसकी uskī | उसकी uskī | उसकी uskī |
| Demonstrative | Distal | Plural | वे ve | वो vo | उनका unkā | उनके unke | उनके unke | उनकी unkī | उनकी unkī | उनकी unkī |
| Interrogative | Singular | Singular | कौन, क्या kaun, kyā | कौन, क्या kaun, kyā | किसका kiskā | किसके kiske | किसके kiske | किसकी kiskī | किसकी kiskī | किसकी kiskī |
| Interrogative | Plural | Plural | कौन, क्या kaun, kyā | कौन, क्या kaun, kyā | किनका kinkā | किनके kinke | किनके kinke | किनकी kinkī | किनकी kinkī | किनकी kinkī |
| Relative | Singular | Singular | जो, सो jo, so | जो, सो jo, so | जिसका jiskā | जिसके jiske | जिसके jiske | जिसकी jiskī | जिसकी jiskī | जिसकी jiskī |
| Relative | Plural | Plural | जो, सो jo, so | जो, सो jo, so | जिनका jinkā | जिनके jinke | जिनके jinke | जिनकी jinkī | जिनकी jinkī | 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

There are a number of words in Hindi that function as reflexive pronouns. 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—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 | Case | Case | Masculine | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Case | Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Declinable | Nominative | Nominative | अपना apnā | अपने apne | अपनी apnī | अपनी apnī |
| Declinable | Oblique | with noun | अपने apne | अपने apne | | अपनी apnī | अपनी apnī |
| Declinable | Oblique | sans noun | अपने apne | अपनों apnõ | अपनी apnī | अप्नियों apniyõ |
| Undeclinable | Nominative | Nominative | ख़ुद khud | ख़ुद khud | ख़ुद khud | ख़ुद khud |
| ख़ुद khud ||
| Undeclinable | Nominative | Nominative | स्वयं svayam | स्वयं svayam | स्वयं svayam | स्वयं svayam |
| स्वयं svayam ||

## Indefinite pronouns

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:

| Case | Case | Animate | Inanimate | Animate | Inanimate | Animate | Inanimate |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Case | Singular | Singular | Plural (some) | Plural (some) | Plural (several) | Plural (several) |
| Nominative | Nominative | कोई koī | कुछ kuch | कुछ kuch | कुछ kuch | कई kaī | कई kaī |
| Oblique | with noun | किसी kisī | किसी kisī | कुछ kuch | कुछ kuch | | कई kaī | कई kaī |
| Oblique | sans noun | किसी kisī | किसी kisī | किन्हीं kinhī̃ | कुछों kuchõ | कइयों kaīyõ | कइयों kaīyõ |

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

## Adverbial pronouns

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

| | | Interrogative | Relative | Demonstrative | Demonstrative |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | Interrogative | Relative | Proximal | Non-proximal |
| Undeclinable | Time | कब kab | जब jab | अब ab | तब tab |
| Undeclinable | Direction | किधर kidhar | जिधर jidhar | इधर idhar | उधर udhar |
| Undeclinable | Place | कहाँ kahā̃ | जहाँ jahā̃ | यहाँ yahā̃ | वहाँ vahā̃ |
| Undeclinable | Manner | कैसे kaise | जैसे jaise | ऐसे aise | वैसे vaise |
| Declinable | Quantity | कितना kitnā | जितना jitnā | इतना itnā | उतना utnā |
| Declinable | Quality | कैसा kaisā | जैसा jaisā | ऐसा aisā | वैसा vaisā |

Declension Pattern :

| Case | Case | Masculine | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | Nominative | ा -ā | े -e | ी -ī | ी -ī |
| Oblique | with noun | े -e | े -e | | ी -ī | ी -ī |
| Oblique | sans noun | े -e | ों -õ | ी -ī | ियों -iyõ |

Declension for कितना (kitnā) [how much?] :

| Case | Case | Masculine | Masculine | Feminine | Feminine |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Case | Case | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | Nominative | कितना kitnā | कितने kitne | कितनी kitnī | कितनी kitnī |
| Oblique | with noun | कितने kitne | कितने kitne | | कितनी kitnī | कितनी kitnī |
| Oblique | sans noun | कितने kitne | कितनों kitnõ | कितनी kitnī | कितनियों kitniyõ |
