Brief Review of Postpositions

This is a simple review of postpositions in Hindi. If you are learning them for the first time, a more comprehensive reference with detailed explanations may be more useful to you. First, let's review how to form the oblique case:

MasculineFeminine
SingularPluralSingularPlural
आ becomes ए
ए becomes ओं
Does not change
इयाँ becomes इयों
Others do not change
Others append ओं/यों
एँ becomes ओं

Adjectives must be put in the oblique case as well. However, the shift to the oblique case for adjectives is easy. The only change is in the masculine singular, and only for adjectives that inflect. In these cases, आ becomes ए. Invariable adjectives, like साफ़ never change, and plural inflecting adjectives also stay as they are.

Here is a table of some common postpositions, followed by their closest English prepositional equivalent.

को
to/at
से
from/by
में
in
पर
on
तक
up to/until
का*
of
के ऊपर
above
के नीचे
below
के आगे
in front of
के पीछे
behind
के पहले
before
के बाद
after
के अंदर
inside
के बाहर
outside
के लिये
for
के साथ
with


*Note that का functions like the English 's, not the preposition "of." It also inflects as an adjective when used for possession, agreeing with the thing possessed, with the possessor in the oblique case. Thus, its form is का before a masculine singular noun, के before a masculine plural or oblique noun, and की before any feminine noun.

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