Kriya & Visheshan (क्रिया-विशेषण) — Study Notes

Overview

Kriya (क्रिया) and Visheshan (विशेषण) form the backbone of Hindi sentence construction and are critical for the General Hindi section of UP Police Constable exam. Kriya refers to verbs — words that express action, state, or occurrence. Visheshan includes both adjectives (विशेषण) that describe nouns and adverbs (क्रिया-विशेषण) that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Understanding these elements is essential for sentence correction (vakya shuddhi), comprehension passages, and grammar-based MCQs. Expect 4-6 direct questions from this topic. Mastery involves recognizing verb forms across tenses, identifying adjective-noun agreement, and distinguishing between adverbs and adjectives in context.

The exam tests your ability to spot incorrect verb-noun agreement, improper adverb placement, and misused adjective forms. A solid grasp of kriya and visheshan types will help you quickly eliminate wrong options and identify grammatically sound sentences.

Key Concepts

• **Kriya (क्रिया)** is any word that shows action (गया, खाया), state (है, था), or occurrence (हुआ). Without kriya, a Hindi sentence is incomplete.

• **Kriya ke bhed**: Sakarmak kriya (सकर्मक — transitive, requires object: "मैंने खाना खाया") and Akarmak kriya (अकर्मक — intransitive, no object needed: "वह सोता है").

• **Visheshan (विशेषण)** qualifies or describes a noun (visheshya/विशेष्य). Example: "अच्छा लड़का" — 'अच्छा' is visheshan, 'लड़का' is visheshya.

• **Four types of Visheshan**: Gunvachak (qualitative: सुंदर, बुद्धिमान), Sankhyavachak (numerical: दो, कई), Parimāṇvachak (quantitative: थोड़ा, अधिक), Sārvanamik (pronominal: यह, वह, कोई).

• **Kriya-visheshan (क्रिया-विशेषण)** or adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They answer how, when, where, and to what extent. Example: "वह तेज़ दौड़ता है" — 'तेज़' modifies the verb 'दौड़ता'.

• **Four main types of Kriya-visheshan**: Kālvāchak (time: आज, कल), Sthānvāchak (place: यहाँ, वहाँ), Rītivāchak (manner: धीरे, अचानक), Parimāṇvāchak (degree: बहुत, थोड़ा).

• **Agreement rules**: Visheshan must agree with the visheshya in gender (ling) and number (vachan). Example: "सुंदर लड़की" (feminine singular) vs "सुंदर लड़के" (masculine plural).

• **Verb conjugation**: Kriya changes form based on subject's gender, number, tense, and respect level. Recognizing root verb (dhatu) and auxiliary verbs (सहायक क्रिया) is essential for identifying tense and voice.

Formulas / Key Facts

1. **Sakarmak Kriya**: Requires karma (object). Test: Ask "किसको/क्या?" after verb. Example: "मैंने पत्र लिखा" (लिखा — what? पत्र).

2. **Akarmak Kriya**: No object needed. Example: "बच्चा रोता है" (रोता — complete without object).

3. **Gunvachak Visheshan**: Describes quality — सुंदर, काला, मीठा, बुद्धिमान, ईमानदार.

4. **Sankhyavachak Visheshan**: Two subtypes — Niśchayvāchak (definite: एक, दो, तीन) and Aniśchayvāchak (indefinite: कुछ, अनेक, थोड़े).

5. **Kālvāchak Kriya-visheshan**: Time adverbs — अब, तब, आज, कल, परसों, सदा, कभी, हमेशा.

6. **Sthānvāchak Kriya-visheshan**: Place adverbs — यहाँ, वहाँ, कहाँ, जहाँ, सामने, पीछे, ऊपर, नीचे.

7. **Rītivāchak Kriya-visheshan**: Manner adverbs — धीरे, तेज़, सहसा, अचानक, ध्यानपूर्वक, शीघ्र.

8. **Parimāṇvāchak Kriya-visheshan**: Degree adverbs — बहुत, थोड़ा, अत्यधिक, काफ़ी, केवल, मात्र.

9. **Tulanātmak visheshan**: Comparative and superlative forms — सुंदर (positive), अधिक सुंदर/सुंदरतर (comparative), सबसे सुंदर/सुंदरतम (superlative).

10. **Compound verbs (संयुक्त क्रिया)**: Main verb + helping verb. Example: "पढ़ लेना", "खा चुकना", "सो जाना".

Worked Examples

**Example 1: Identifying Kriya type**

**Question**: "राम ने रोटी खाई।" — Identify the type of kriya.

**Solution**:

• Kriya is "खाई" (ate)
• Ask: किसने? राम ने। क्या? रोटी।
• Since there is an object (रोटी), this is **Sakarmak Kriya**.

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**Example 2: Visheshan-Visheshya agreement**

**Question**: Choose the correct sentence: (a) सुंदर लड़की गई। (b) सुंदर लड़के गई।

**Solution**:

• "गई" is feminine singular verb form
• "लड़की" is feminine singular; "लड़के" is masculine plural
• Agreement must match: सुंदर (feminine) + लड़की (feminine) + गई (feminine)
• **Correct answer: (a)**

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**Example 3: Kriya-visheshan identification**

**Question**: "वह बहुत तेज़ दौड़ता है।" — Identify kriya-visheshan and its type.

**Solution**:

• Main kriya: "दौड़ता है"
• Words modifying the verb: "बहुत" and "तेज़"
• "तेज़" tells *how* he runs (manner) → **Rītivāchak kriya-visheshan**
• "बहुत" modifies "तेज़" (degree) → **Parimāṇvāchak kriya-visheshan**

Common Mistakes

**Mistake 1: Confusing Visheshan with Kriya-visheshan** Wrong thinking: "अच्छा" always modifies verbs. Correct fix: "अच्छा लड़का" — अच्छा is visheshan (modifies noun लड़का). "अच्छा लिखता है" — अच्छा is kriya-visheshan (modifies verb लिखता).

**Mistake 2: Gender-number mismatch in adjectives** Wrong: "अच्छे लड़की आई।" Correct fix: Adjectives must agree with noun gender/number — "अच्छी लड़की आई।" (feminine singular agreement).

**Mistake 3: Misidentifying Sakarmak vs Akarmak** Wrong thinking: All verbs need objects. Correct fix: Test with "क्या/किसको" — if no sensible answer, it's akarmak. "वह हँसता है" (हँसता — akarmak, no object).

**Mistake 4: Placing kriya-visheshan incorrectly** Wrong: "वह दौड़ता धीरे है।" Correct fix: Kriya-visheshan generally comes before the verb — "वह धीरे दौड़ता है।"

**Mistake 5: Using wrong comparative/superlative forms** Wrong: "वह सबसे अधिक सुंदर है।" (redundant) Correct fix: Either "सबसे सुंदर" or "अत्यधिक सुंदर", but not both together. Superlative = सबसे + positive form.

Quick Reference

• **Kriya = action/state word; no kriya = incomplete sentence**
• **Sakarmak kriya needs object; Akarmak doesn't — test with "क्या/किसको?"**
• **Visheshan describes noun; Kriya-visheshan modifies verb/adjective/adverb**
• **Four visheshan types: Gunvachak, Sankhyavachak, Parimāṇvachak, Sārvanamik**
• **Four kriya-visheshan types: Kāl (time), Sthān (place), Rīti (manner), Parimāṇ (degree)**
• **Adjectives must match noun gender and number — agreement is non-negotiable**