Compound Words
Formal Hindi joins words into compounds: पुस्तक + आलय = पुस्तकालय (library).
How It Works
Hindi school grammar sorts compounds into types. You do not need the names to read them, but the patterns help:
| Type | How it works | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| तत्पुरुष | X's Y, or Y for X; the last word is the main one | राष्ट्रपति (president), रसोईघर (kitchen), पुस्तकालय (library) |
| द्वंद्व | X and Y | माता-पिता (parents), भाई-बहन, जलवायु (climate: water and air) |
| कर्मधारय | a describing word plus a noun | महात्मा (great soul), नीलकमल (blue lotus) |
| द्विगु | a number plus a noun | चौराहा (crossroads), सप्ताह (week) |
| बहुव्रीहि | names someone by a feature | दशानन (ten-headed one: Ravan) |
| अव्ययीभाव | works as an adverb | प्रतिदिन (every day), यथासंभव (as far as possible) |
To read an unknown compound, look for words you know inside it, starting from the end. The last part usually tells you what kind of thing it is, and its gender: पुस्तकालय is masculine because आलय is.
Sanskrit-based compounds are typical of formal Hindi, news and official titles: प्रधानमंत्री, स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय. Everyday Hindi has compounds too: रसोईघर, दाल-रोटी.
Examples (5)
- राष्ट्रपति ने आज नए पुल का उद्घाटन किया।
The President opened the new bridge today.
राष्ट्रपति joins राष्ट्र (nation) and पति (head).
- मेरे माता-पिता अगले महीने हमसे मिलने आएँगे।
My parents are coming to see us next month.
माता-पिता is an and compound: mother and father.
- हमारे विद्यालय का पुस्तकालय बहुत बड़ा है।
Our school library is very big.
Both words end in आलय (abode): a place of learning and a place of books.
- बदलती जलवायु का असर खेती पर भी पड़ रहा है।
The changing climate is affecting farming too.
जलवायु joins जल (water) and वायु (air).
- वह प्रतिदिन सुबह योग करती है।
She does yoga every morning.
प्रतिदिन (every day) is a compound that works as an adverb.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Compounds extend the word building learners see with prefixes and suffixes.
Related Patterns
Practice Compound Words in Bubblegum
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