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

4. SYNTAX

56a. maasTr nao laD,ko kao @yaa krnao ko ilae kha?
ma:star ne larke ko kya: karne ke liye kaha:?
What did the teacher ask his student to do?

56b. maasTr nao laD,ko kao @yaa ilaKnao ko ilae kha?
ma:star ne larke ko kya: likhne ke liye kaha:?
What did the father ask his son to write?

Different constituents of a noun phrase can be questioned. A noun
phrase may be made up of any of the following: (a) demonstrative
pronoun, (b) quantifier, (c) intensifier, (d) descriptive adjective, (e)
classifier/specifier, (f) possessive adjective, (g) possessor, (h)
particle and a noun. Nouns may also modify relative clauses and
objects of comparison.

Demonstrative pronoun
57a. yah CaoTI laD,kI Gar jaaegaI.
yeh choti: larki: ghar ja:yegi:.
this little girl home go-3s-fut
This little girl will go home.

57b. kaOna saI CaoTI laD,kI Gar jaaegaI?
køn si: choti: larki: ghar ja:yegi:?
Which little girl will go home?

Quantifier (cardinal number)
58a. maaohna ko tIna daost kla AaeÐgao.
mohan ke ti:n dost kal a:yẽge.
Mohan-gen three friends tomorrow come-3p-fut
Mohans three friends will come tomorrow.

58b. maaohna ko tIna daost kla AaeÐgao?
mohan ke kitne dost kal a:yẽge?
How many friends of Mohan will come tomorrow?

Quantifier (ordinal number)
59a. ]saka tIsara baoTa idllaI maoM hO.
uska: ti:sra: beta: dilli: mẽ h ́.
he-gen third son Delhi in is
His third son is in Delhi.