Direct, Oblique and Vocative Forms

Foundations

A basic noun form, a form before a postposition and a form used when calling someone can differ. Read the surrounding phrase before deciding which role a form has.

How It Works

The dictionary form لڑکا means boy. Before سے, it becomes لڑکے: لڑکے سے means from or with the boy, depending on the sentence.

The same spelling لڑکے is also the direct plural boys and the singular address form used in اے لڑکے. A highlighted dictionary form may therefore belong to more than one cell. Context chooses the reading.

In the plural, compare لڑکوں سے with اے لڑکو: the form before the postposition has ں, while this address form does not.

These changes belong to this noun's pattern. Other nouns can keep their spelling in the singular oblique. For example, کتاب remains کتاب in کتاب میں. A case label tells you the grammatical role even when no new ending appears.

Calling someone اے لڑکے can sound abrupt. It illustrates an address form; it is not a general recommendation for speaking to an unfamiliar person.

Examples (6)

  1. لڑکا ہنس رہا ہے۔

    The boy is laughing.

    لڑکا is a direct singular form.

  2. میں لڑکے سے بات کر رہی ہوں۔

    I am talking to the boy.

    لڑکے is oblique singular before سے; the speaker is feminine.

  3. لڑکے ہنس رہے ہیں۔

    The boys are laughing.

    لڑکے is direct plural here, despite matching the preceding example’s noun spelling.

  4. اے لڑکے، سنو!

    Hey boy, listen!

    لڑکے is a singular vocative. This direct address can sound abrupt.

  5. اے لڑکو، رکو!

    Hey boys, stop!

    The plural vocative لڑکو does not end in ں.

  6. میں لڑکوں سے بات کر رہی ہوں۔

    I am talking to the boys.

    The plural oblique لڑکوں is required before سے.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating every لڑکے as plural.

    میں لڑکا سے بات کر رہی ہوں۔
    میں لڑکے سے بات کر رہی ہوں۔

    A singular لڑکا changes to لڑکے before سے. That ending does not make this phrase plural.

How It Connects

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Direct, Oblique and Vocative FormsFoundations

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