केँ
Marking People with केँ
केँ marks the person who receives something or is told something, and some objects.
How It Works
Use केँ after a person or a particular thing that the action is aimed at. It is the Maithili counterpart of "to" for a receiver.
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नेना केँ दूध दिअ। | Give the child milk. |
| हम बाबू केँ फोन कएलहुँ। | I phoned Father. |
| शिक्षक विद्यार्थी सभ केँ कहलनि। | The teacher told the students. |
The noun stays the same. Hindi changes लड़का to लड़के before a postposition, but Maithili does not.
Most objects need no केँ: हम रोटी खएलहुँ. The pronouns हमरा, ओकरा and हुनका already carry the meaning "to me, to him, to her", so they do not take केँ. अहाँ may be written अहाँ केँ.
Examples (5)
- नेना केँ दूध दिअ।
Give the child milk.
केँ follows नेना.
- हम बाबू केँ फोन कएलहुँ।
I phoned Father.
केँ marks the person called.
- माय बउआ केँ बजौलनि।
Mother called the little boy.
केँ marks the one who is called.
- शिक्षक विद्यार्थी सभ केँ कहलनि।
The teacher told the students.
केँ follows the plural सभ.
- अहाँ केँ के बजौलक?
Who called you?
अहाँ केँ is the object form.
Common Mistakes
Adding केँ to an ordinary thing.
हम रोटी केँ खएलहुँ।हम रोटी खएलहुँ।A general object does not need केँ.
How It Connects
Learn This First
केँ is a postposition, and its main example is a command to give.
Related Patterns
- हमरा / ओकरा / हुनकाMe, Him and Her
Pronouns have their own object forms.
Level 2 - -क for BelongingShowing Possession with -क
The other joined ending.
Level 1 - सँFrom, With and than
सँ marks from and with.
Level 1 - देलियनिShowing Respect to the Receiver
A fuller way to show respect to a receiver.
Level 4 - -लहुँ With हम and अहाँThe Simple Past with हम and अहाँ
The past tense these sentences use.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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