Modern Hindi Grammar - Indian Institute of Language Studies (IILS)

3. MORPHOLOGY

Quantity may be expressed either by numerals or by the adjectives
of quantity like bahut bahut / AiQak adhik ‘a lot,’ kaf,I ka:fi: ‘sufficient,’
kma kam ‘less,’ qaaoD,a thora: ‘a little.’

Co iktabaoM che kita:bẽ six books
bahut laoga bahut log many people
qaaoD,a dUQa thora: du:dh a little milk

Adjectives of quantity may also be formed by the combination of
numeral + unit of measure + (classifier (terms of weight,
length))/genitive postposition) (+ the particle vaalaa va:la:) + noun.

dao saaO gaja, laMbaI ³vaalaI ́ rssaI.
do sø gaz lambi: (va:li:) rassi:
two hundred yards long (gen.) rope
the two-hundred-yard long rope

dao iklaao vaja,na vaalaa p%qar.
do kilo vazan va:la: patthar
two kilo weight-gen stone
the stone weighing two kilograms

The postposition sao se is used in the formation of reduplicated
adjectival phrases.

AiQak sao AiQak adhik se adhik at most
kma sao kma kam se kam at least
AcCo sao AcCa acche se accha: the best of all
bauro sao baura bure se bura: worst of all
maIzo sao maIza mi:the se mi: tha: very sweet

Almost all pronouns can function as adjectives. The demonstrative
adjectives that point out persons or things yah - yeh ‘this,’ ye ‘these’
vah vah ‘that,’ ve ‘those’ - are used in the initial position.

yah Gar yeh ghar this house
yao iktabaoM ye kita:bẽ these books
vah laD,ka vah larka: that boy
vao baccao ve bacce those children