Personal Pronouns
Hindi pronouns with 3-tier formality
I can use Hindi pronouns with appropriate formality
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
मैं भारत से हूँ।
I am from India.
आप कैसे हैं?
How are you? (formal)
तुम कहाँ जाते हो?
Where do you go? (informal)
वह मेरा दोस्त है।
He/She is my friend.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
सर्वनाम (Pronouns)
Hindi has a 3-tier formality system for 'you':
| Person | Pronoun | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | मैं (I) | — |
| 1st pl. | हम (we) | — |
| 2nd intimate | तू | Very close/rude |
| 2nd informal | तुम | Friends, younger |
| 2nd formal | आप | Respect, strangers |
| 3rd near | यह (this one) | — |
| 3rd far | वह (that one) | — |
| 3rd pl. | ये/वे | Also respectful sg. |
Key: आप takes plural verb even for one person. वे/ये also used as respectful singular (like French vous).
Common Error Patterns
Wrong pronoun formality for the social context
तू = intimate/rude, तुम = friends, आप = formal/respectful
Using singular verb with आप
आप always takes plural verb: आप हैं (not आप है)
मैं भारत से हूँ।
I am from India.
मैं = I. Always capitalized in English but not in Hindi.
आप कैसे हैं?
How are you? (formal)
आप (formal you) + हैं (plural verb for respect).
तुम कहाँ जाते हो?
Where do you go? (informal)
तुम (informal you) — used with friends, younger people.
वह मेरा दोस्त है।
He/She is my friend.
वह = he/she/that (no gender distinction in pronoun).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises