-स्तव / -निमित्त

Formal Words for Because of and for

Level 6Sounds Like stava / -nimitta

Both are written as part of the noun and appear in notices, announcements and reports.

How It Works

Two formal endings attach to a noun and answer why.

EndingMeaningExamples
-स्तवfor the reason ofकाही कारणास्तव, तांत्रिक कारणास्तव, सुरक्षिततेस्तव
-निमित्तon the occasion of, for the purpose ofकामानिमित्त, गणेशोत्सवानिमित्त, आजारपणानिमित्त

The noun takes its oblique form before the ending: कारण becomes कारणा-, काम becomes कामा-, सुरक्षितता becomes सुरक्षितते-. The ending is written together with it.

-स्तव is the one to use when a reason is given in a notice: तांत्रिक कारणास्तव सेवा बंद राहील. -निमित्त fits an event or a task: ते कामानिमित्त नागपूरला गेले आहेत.

Both can take the passive from official writing: गणेशोत्सवानिमित्त विशेष गाड्या सोडण्यात येतील.

In speech, -मुळे and -साठी do the same work with less formality: कामासाठी, पावसामुळे. The formal endings appear on boards, in announcements and in news, and they give a notice its official tone.

Keep one ending per phrase. Do not add -मुळे on top of -स्तव, because -स्तव already means because of.

Examples (5)

  1. काही कारणास्तव आजची सभा रद्द करण्यात आली आहे.

    For some reason, today's meeting has been cancelled.

    -स्तव attaches to कारण to give a reason.

  2. तांत्रिक कारणास्तव सेवा बंद राहील.

    The service will stay closed for technical reasons.

    -स्तव is used in a short notice.

  3. ते कामानिमित्त नागपूरला गेले आहेत.

    He has gone to Nagpur on account of work.

    -निमित्त joins काम to give the purpose; ते is a respectful single person.

  4. गणेशोत्सवानिमित्त शहरात विशेष गाड्या सोडण्यात येतील.

    Special trains will be run in the city for Ganeshotsav.

    -निमित्त joins the name of an occasion.

  5. सुरक्षिततेस्तव हा रस्ता बंद ठेवण्यात आला आहे.

    For the sake of safety, this road has been kept closed.

    -स्तव joins सुरक्षितता, which changes to सुरक्षितते-.

Common Mistakes

  • Splitting -निमित्त from the noun.

    ते कामा निमित्त नागपूरला गेले आहेत.
    ते कामानिमित्त नागपूरला गेले आहेत.

    -निमित्त is written together with the noun.

  • Leaving out the oblique -ा before -स्तव.

    काही कारणस्तव सभा रद्द करण्यात आली आहे.
    काही कारणास्तव सभा रद्द करण्यात आली आहे.

    A noun like कारण takes -ा before -स्तव: कारणास्तव.

How It Connects

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-स्तव / -निमित्तLevel 6Formal Words for Because of and for

Learn This First

For the sake of is literary.