Sangya & Sarvanam (संज्ञा-सर्वनाम) — Study Notes

Overview

Sangya (संज्ञा/Noun) and Sarvanam (सर्वनाम/Pronoun) form the foundational building blocks of Hindi grammar. In UP Police Constable exams, expect 2–4 direct questions testing your ability to identify noun types, substitute pronouns correctly, and spot grammatical errors in sentences. These topics appear in sentence correction, blank-filling, and classification questions.

Mastering this topic requires understanding how words function in sentences — which words name entities (sangya) and which words replace those names to avoid repetition (sarvanam). Strong command here directly improves your performance in vakya shuddhi (sentence correction) and general comprehension passages. Questions often present sentences where you must identify the noun type or choose the appropriate pronoun based on gender, number, and case.

The key to success is recognizing patterns: proper vs. common nouns, material vs. collective nouns, and the six pronoun categories with their contextual usage. Focus on examples from everyday Hindi usage, as exam questions favor practical application over theoretical definitions.

Key Concepts

• **Sangya (Noun)** is any word that names a person, place, thing, quality, state, or action. It answers "कौन?" (who?) or "क्या?" (what?). Example: राम, दिल्ली, पुस्तक, सुंदरता।
• **Sarvanam (Pronoun)** replaces a noun to avoid repetition and maintain sentence flow. It refers back to a previously mentioned noun (antecedent). Example: वह, मैं, कोई, जो।
• Sangya has **five main types**: Vyakti-vachak (व्यक्तिवाचक/Proper), Jativachak (जातिवाचक/Common), Bhav-vachak (भाववाचक/Abstract), Dravya-vachak (द्रव्यवाचक/Material), and Samuh-vachak (समूहवाचक/Collective).
• Sarvanam has **six main types**: Purush-vachak (पुरुषवाचक/Personal), Nishchay-vachak (निश्चयवाचक/Demonstrative), Anishchay-vachak (अनिश्चयवाचक/Indefinite), Sambandh-vachak (संबंधवाचक/Relative), Prashna-vachak (प्रश्नवाचक/Interrogative), and Nij-vachak (निजवाचक/Reflexive).
• Gender (ling), number (vachan), and case (karak) affect both sangya and sarvanam forms. Pronouns must agree with the noun they replace in all three aspects.
• **Purush-vachak sarvanam** has three persons: Uttam Purush (first person — मैं, हम), Madhyam Purush (second person — तू, तुम, आप), Anya Purush (third person — वह, वे, यह, ये).
• Abstract nouns (bhav-vachak) are typically derived from adjectives or verbs using suffixes like -ता, -पन, -आई, -आवट. Example: मीठा → मिठास, बूढ़ा → बुढ़ापा।

Formulas / Key Facts

**Sangya Types and Recognition:**

• **Vyakti-vachak (Proper Noun)**: Names specific individuals, places, months, days — राम, गंगा, दिल्ली, सोमवार, दिवाली
• **Jativachak (Common Noun)**: Names general class or category — लड़का, नदी, शहर, त्योहार, पुस्तक
• **Bhav-vachak (Abstract Noun)**: Names qualities, states, feelings — सुंदरता, ईमानदारी, बचपन, थकावट, मिठास
• **Dravya-vachak (Material Noun)**: Names substances or materials — सोना, दूध, तेल, लोहा, घी
• **Samuh-vachak (Collective Noun)**: Names groups or collections — सेना, भीड़, कक्षा, पुस्तकालय, परिवार

**Sarvanam Types and Usage:**

• **Purush-vachak**: मैं, हम (Uttam); तू, तुम, आप (Madhyam); वह, वे, यह, ये (Anya)
• **Nishchay-vachak**: यह, वह, ये, वे (pointing to definite person/thing)
• **Anishchay-vachak**: कोई, कुछ, कई (indefinite reference — someone, something)
• **Sambandh-vachak**: जो-सो, जैसा-वैसा (relative clauses connecting two parts)
• **Prashna-vachak**: कौन, क्या, किसका, किसे (question words)
• **Nij-vachak**: आप, अपना, स्वयं, खुद (reflexive — self-reference)

**Common Bhav-vachak Formation Rules:**

• Adjective + ता/पन → Abstract: मीठा → मिठास, बड़ा → बड़ाई, अपना → अपनापन
• Verb + आवट/आहट → Abstract: घबराना → घबराहट, लिखना → लिखावट

Worked Examples

**Example 1: Identifying Sangya Types** **Question**: वाक्य में रेखांकित शब्द किस प्रकार की संज्ञा है? "राम की *ईमानदारी* सबको पसंद है।"

**Solution**:

• Step 1: Identify the word — ईमानदारी
• Step 2: Determine what it names — a quality (not a person, place, or thing)
• Step 3: Qualities and feelings are Bhav-vachak sangya (abstract nouns)
• **Answer**: भाववाचक संज्ञा

**Example 2: Choosing Correct Sarvanam** **Question**: रिक्त स्थान भरें: "मोहन आया था। ___ मुझसे मिलना चाहता था।"

**Solution**:

• Step 1: Antecedent is मोहन (male, singular, third person)
• Step 2: Need Anya Purush (third person) pronoun — वह, यह, वे, ये
• Step 3: Singular required — वह or यह
• Step 4: "वह" is standard for distant third person reference
• **Answer**: वह मुझसे मिलना चाहता था।

**Example 3: Converting Jativachak to Vyakti-vachak** **Question**: जातिवाचक को व्यक्तिवाचक में बदलें: नदी, पर्वत

**Solution**:

• Step 1: Jativachak names general class; Vyakti-vachak names specific member
• Step 2: नदी (common) → गंगा, यमुना, नर्मदा (specific rivers)
• Step 3: पर्वत (common) → हिमालय, विंध्याचल, अरावली (specific mountains)
• **Answer**: नदी → गंगा; पर्वत → हिमालय

Common Mistakes

**Mistake 1**: Confusing Nishchay-vachak and Purush-vachak pronouns

• **Wrong thinking**: यह and वह are only demonstrative pronouns
• **Correct approach**: यह/वह can function both as Purush-vachak (personal — he, she, this one) AND Nishchay-vachak (demonstrative — this, that). Context determines usage. "यह मेरा घर है" (demonstrative); "यह आया" (personal).

**Mistake 2**: Treating material nouns as countable

• **Wrong thinking**: Writing "दो दूध" or "तीन सोना"
• **Correct approach**: Dravya-vachak sangya (material nouns) are uncountable — use measurement units instead: दो गिलास दूध, तीन तोला सोना.

**Mistake 3**: Misidentifying abstract nouns derived from verbs

• **Wrong thinking**: Treating लिखावट, सजावट, घबराहट as common nouns
• **Correct approach**: These are Bhav-vachak sangya — they name actions/states, not concrete things. Pattern: verb root + आवट/आहट = abstract noun.

**Mistake 4**: Using wrong pronoun for respect/formality

• **Wrong thinking**: Using तू or तुम with elders or in formal contexts
• **Correct approach**: आप is always respectful (Madhyam Purush); तुम is informal/familiar; तू is intimate/disrespectful in modern usage.

**Mistake 5**: Ignoring gender-number agreement between noun and pronoun

• **Wrong thinking**: "लड़की खेल रहा है। वह तेज़ है।" (incorrect gender match)
• **Correct approach**: Pronoun must match antecedent's gender/number — "लड़की खेल रही है। वह तेज़ है।" (feminine agreement).

Quick Reference

• **Five Sangya types**: Vyakti-vachak (proper), Jativachak (common), Bhav-vachak (abstract), Dravya-vachak (material), Samuh-vachak (collective)
• **Six Sarvanam types**: Purush-vachak (personal), Nishchay-vachak (demonstrative), Anishchay-vachak (indefinite), Sambandh-vachak (relative), Prashna-vachak (interrogative), Nij-vachak (reflexive)
• **Purush-vachak three persons**: Uttam (मैं, हम), Madhyam (तू, तुम, आप), Anya (वह, वे, यह, ये)
• **Abstract noun suffixes**: -ता, -पन, -आई, -आहट, -आवट convert adjectives/verbs to Bhav-vachak sangya
• **Material nouns are uncountable** — always use measurement units (गिलास दूध, किलो चावल)
• **Pronouns must agree** with their antecedent noun in gender, number, and person — check every replacement carefully in sentence correction questions