-सा / -सी / -से

Somewhat or -ish

Level 4Sounds Like sā, -sī aura -sē

-सा means a bit, -ish or like. It agrees with the noun: सा, सी, से.

How It Works

-सा has two main uses.

After an adjective, it softens the quality or makes it sound friendly: छोटा-सा घर (a small little house), थोड़ी-सी चाय (just a little tea), अजीब-सा (kind of strange). English often uses little, a bit or kind of.

After a noun, it means like or as ... as: फूल-सा चेहरा (a face like a flower), बर्फ़-सा ठंडा (as cold as ice).

-सा changes like an adjective ending in -आ, and so does the adjective before it:

NounForm
Masculine: कमराछोटा-सा कमरा
Feminine: चायथोड़ी-सी चाय
Masculine plural: कमरेछोटे-से कमरे
Before a postpositionछोटे-से कमरे में

The -से in छोटे-से कमरे में is not the postposition से (from, with). It is just -सा in its plural or before-postposition form.

With लगना, -सा describes a vague feeling: मुझे अजीब-सा लग रहा है (I feel kind of strange).

Examples (5)

  1. यह छोटा-सा कमरा मुझे पसंद है।

    I like this cozy little room.

    छोटा-सा agrees with masculine कमरा and adds warmth.

  2. हम छोटे-से कमरे में बैठे हैं।

    We're sitting in a small room.

    Before में, both parts take the -ए form: छोटे-से.

  3. मुझे बस थोड़ी-सी चाय दीजिए।

    Just a little tea for me, please.

    थोड़ी-सी agrees with feminine चाय.

  4. यह पानी तो बर्फ़-सा ठंडा है।

    This water is as cold as ice.

    After a noun, -सा means like.

  5. आज मुझे कुछ अजीब-सा लग रहा है।

    I feel kind of strange today.

    अजीब-सा softens the feeling.

Common Mistakes

  • Not matching -सा to the noun.

    मुझे थोड़ी-सा चाय दीजिए।
    मुझे थोड़ी-सी चाय दीजिए।

    -सा agrees with the noun as अच्छा does. चाय is feminine, so both words end in -ई: थोड़ी-सी.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-सा / -सी / -सेLevel 4Somewhat or -ish

Learn This First

-सा softens or compares, building on like and on a little.

Words in This Pattern

सा