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

2. PHONOLOGY

The second syllable is stressed when the first syllable has a short
vowel and the second has a long vowel.

nasaIba nasi:b fate
iktaba kita:b book

In tri-syllable words, the first syllable is stressed if the first syllable
has a long vowel, the second has a short vowel, and the third has a
long vowel.

baohyaa behaya: shameless
baovakUf bevaku:ph stupid

The last syllable is stressed if the first syllable has a short vowel and
the last two have long vowels.

ihMdustana hindusta:n India
banajaara banja:ra: nomad

In words of more than three syllables, the stress is always on the
penultimate syllable.

samaJadarI samajhda:ri: understanding

2.3.4. Intonation

There are four major types of intonational patterns: (1) high-fall,
(2) high-rise, (3) rise-and-fall, (4) mid-level. Intonations have
syntactic rather than emotional content. Statements have a high-fall
intonation pattern. Intonation peaks are generally positioned on the
penultimate word or on the negative particle if there is one.

1. vah iktaba pZ, rha hO.
   vah kita:b parh raha: h ́.
   he book read-pr is
   He is reading a book.


2. kagaja, AlamaarI maoM nahIM hMO.
   ka:gaz alma:ri: mẽ nahĩ: h ́~
   papers almirah in neg are
   The papers are not in the almirah.