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

4. SYNTAX

4.3. Sentence Construction

Here we will discuss the different types of sentence constructions:
copular, verbal, negation, interrogatives, imperatives, anaphora,
reflexives, reciprocals, equatives, comparison, superlatives, and
coordination.

4.3.1. Copular Sentences

The verb haonaa hona: ‘to be’ is employed in copular sentences. The
copula may take a predicate noun, predicate adjective, participle, or
a predicate adverb as a complement.

Predicate noun

1. vah vakIla hO.
   vah vaki:l h ́.
   he lawyer is
   He is a lawyer.

Predicate adjective

2. sauYamaa laMbaI hO.
   sušma: lambi: h ́.
   Sushma tall is
   Sushma is tall.

Predicate adverbial (participle)

3. maaohna KD,a hO.
   mohan khara: h ́.
   Mohan stand is
   Mohan is standing.

Predicate adverbial

4. ]sakI Aavaaja, maIzI hO.
   uski: a:va:z mi:thi: h ́.
   his/her voice sweet is
   His/her voice is sweet.

The unmarked order of constituents in the examples given above is
subject - complement - copula.