In this lesson, you'll learn to describe people's physical appearance in Hindi. You'll discover adjectives like लंबा [lambā] (tall), सुंदर [sundar] (beautiful), and हँसमुख [hãsmukh] (cheerful). The key grammar point is that most Hindi adjectives change their ending based on the gender and number of the noun they describe. Let's learn to paint word pictures of our family members!
Learning tips
- Most Hindi adjectives ending in -आ [-ā] change for gender: लंबा [lambā] (masc.) → लंबी [lambī] (fem.). Adjectives NOT ending in -आ [-ā], like सुंदर [sundar], stay the same for all genders.
- In Hindi, you 'wear glasses' differently: चश्मा लगाना [caśmā lagānā] literally means 'to apply glasses.' The verb लगाना [lagānā] (to apply/attach) is used for glasses, not 'to wear.'
- गोरा [gorā] means 'fair-skinned' — in India, this is commonly used as a descriptive term. Indian culture has complex attitudes toward skin color that are worth understanding.
- हँसमुख [hãsmukh] is a beautiful compound: हँस [hãs] (laugh/smile) + मुख [mukh] (face) = 'one whose face is always smiling.' Many Hindi adjectives are poetic compounds like this.
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In Lesson 2.3, you learned to express age with मेरी उम्र ... साल है [merī umr ... sāl hai] and practiced Hindi numbers 21-50.
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| उम्र [umr] | age | |
| साल [sāl] | year | |
| जन्मदिन [janmadin] | birthday | |
| पार्टी [pārṭī] | party | |
| केक [kek] | cake | |
| तोहफ़ा [tohfā] | gift | |
| मुबारक [mubārak] | congratulations | |
| बीस [bīs] | twenty | |
| तीस [tīs] | thirty | |
| चालीस [cālīs] | forty |
Dialog
Sita is describing her family members' appearance for wedding invitation photos. In Indian culture, weddings are massive family affairs, and personalized wedding cards (शादी के कार्ड [śādī ke kārḍ]) often include family photos. Notice how adjectives change: लंबे [lambe] (plural/respectful for पापा), गोरी [gorī] (feminine for माँ), मोटा [moṭā] (masculine singular for भाई). The word सुंदर [sundar] is special — it never changes regardless of gender or number!
📷 शाम — सीता का PG रूम, शादी के कार्ड की तैयारी
śām — sītā kā PG rūm, śādī ke kārḍ kī taiyārī
Sita
रवि जी, शादी के कार्ड के लिए सबकी फ़ोटो चाहिए। मेरे पापा लंबे हैं और चश्मा लगाते हैं।
ravī jī, śādī ke kārḍ ke lie sabkī foṭo cāhie. mere pāpā lambe haĩ aur caśmā lagāte haĩ.
(Ravi ji, wedding card for everyone's photo needed. My father tall is and glasses wears.)
Ravi ji, we need everyone's photos for the wedding card. My father is tall and wears glasses.
Ravi
अच्छा! और माँ कैसी दिखती हैं?
acchā! aur mā̃ kaisī dikhtī haĩ?
(I see! And mother how looks?)
I see! And what does your mother look like?
Sita
माँ छोटी हैं, गोरी हैं और बहुत सुंदर हैं। उनके बाल लंबे और काले हैं।
mā̃ choṭī haĩ, gorī haĩ aur bahut sundar haĩ. unke bāl lambe aur kāle haĩ.
(Mother short is, fair is and very beautiful is. Her hair long and black is.)
Mother is short, fair-skinned, and very beautiful. Her hair is long and black.
📱 फ़ोन पर फ़ोटो देखते हुए
fon par foṭo dekhte hue
Ravi
ये कौन हैं? बहुत हँसमुख दिखते हैं!
ye kaun haĩ? bahut hãsmukh dikhte haĩ!
(This who is? Very cheerful looks!)
Who is this? Looks very cheerful!
Sita
ये मेरे भाई राहुल हैं। थोड़ा मोटा है लेकिन बहुत अच्छा इंसान है!
ye mere bhāī rāhul haĩ. thoṛā moṭā hai lekin bahut acchā insān hai!
(This my brother Rahul is. A little fat is but very good person is!)
This is my brother Rahul. A little chubby but a very good person!
Ravi
और बहन? क्या वो भी लंबी है?
aur bahan? kyā vo bhī lambī hai?
(And sister? Is she also tall?)
And your sister? Is she also tall?
Sita
नहीं, प्रिया पतली है और उसकी आँखें बड़ी हैं। बहुत सुंदर है!
nahī̃, priyā patlī hai aur uskī ā̃khẽ baṛī haĩ. bahut sundar hai!
(No, Priya thin is and her eyes big are. Very beautiful is!)
No, Priya is slim and has big eyes. Very beautiful!
🫖 चाय पीते हुए
cāy pīte hue
Ravi
मेरे पापा भी चश्मा लगाते हैं — और दादा जी भी! परिवार की पहचान है!
mere pāpā bhī caśmā lagāte haĩ — aur dādā jī bhī! parivār kī pahcān hai!
(My father also glasses wears — and grandfather also! Family's identity is!)
My father also wears glasses — and grandfather too! It's a family trademark!
Sita
हा हा! मेरे दादा गोरे और लंबे थे — बिलकुल पापा जैसे!
hā hā! mere dādā gore aur lambe the — bilkul pāpā jaise!
(Ha ha! My grandfather fair and tall was — exactly like father!)
Ha ha! My grandfather was fair and tall — exactly like father!
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| लंबा | lambā | /ləm.baː/ | tall, long | Changes with gender: लंबा [lambā] (masc.), लंबी [lambī] (fem.), लंबे [lambe] (masc. pl.). |
| छोटा | choṭā | /t͡ʃʰo.ʈaː/ | short, small | Same as 'small/younger' from Lesson 2.1. Context tells you 'short' vs. 'younger.' |
| मोटा | moṭā | /mo.ʈaː/ | fat, chubby | Changes: मोटा/मोटी/मोटे [moṭā/moṭī/moṭe]. Can also mean 'thick' for objects. |
| पतला | patlā | /pət̪.laː/ | thin, slim | Changes: पतला/पतली/पतले [patlā/patlī/patle]. Also used for thin objects. |
| बाल | bāl | /baːl/ | hair | Masculine PLURAL noun — always takes plural adjectives: लंबे बाल [lambe bāl], not लंबा बाल. |
| आँखें | ā̃khẽ | /aː̃.kʰẽ/ | eyes | Feminine plural form of आँख [ā̃kh] (eye). बड़ी आँखें [baṛī ā̃khẽ] (big eyes). |
| चश्मा | caśmā | /t͡ʃəʃ.maː/ | glasses, spectacles | Masculine noun. चश्मा लगाना [caśmā lagānā] = to wear glasses (lit. 'apply glasses'). |
| सुंदर | sundar | /sʊn.d̪ər/ | beautiful, pretty, handsome | Does NOT change for gender — always सुंदर [sundar]. Works for all genders. |
| गोरा | gorā | /go.raː/ | fair-skinned, light-complexioned | Changes: गोरा/गोरी/गोरे [gorā/gorī/gore]. Very common descriptive term in India. |
| हँसमुख | hãsmukh | /hə̃s.mʊkʰ/ | cheerful, smiling | Compound: हँस [hãs] (smile) + मुख [mukh] (face). Doesn't change for gender. |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| दाढ़ी | dāṛhī | /d̪aː.ɽʰiː/ | beard | Feminine noun. दाढ़ी रखना [dāṛhī rakhnā] = to keep/have a beard. |
| मूँछ | mū̃ch | /muː̃t͡ʃʰ/ | moustache | Feminine noun. Very common in India — traditionally a sign of masculinity and pride. |
| गोल | gol | /gol/ | round | Doesn't change for gender. गोल चेहरा [gol cehrā] = round face. |
| नाक | nāk | /naːk/ | nose | Feminine noun. लंबी नाक [lambī nāk] = long nose. |
| काला | kālā | /kaː.laː/ | black | Changes: काला/काली/काले [kālā/kālī/kāle]. काले बाल [kāle bāl] = black hair. |
| भूरा | bhūrā | /bʰuː.raː/ | brown | Changes: भूरा/भूरी/भूरे [bhūrā/bhūrī/bhūre]. भूरी आँखें [bhūrī ā̃khẽ] = brown eyes. |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| कैसा दिखता है? | kaisā dikhtā hai? | What does he/she look like? |
| चश्मा लगाते हैं | caśmā lagāte haĩ | wears glasses |
| लंबे बाल | lambe bāl | long hair |
Pronunciation: The nasalized vowel in हँसमुख [hãsmukh] is important — the हँ [hã] has air flowing through both nose and mouth. Also note the retroflex ड़ in बड़ा [baṛā] and the aspirated भ [bh] in भूरा [bhūrā] — remember, aspirated means with a puff of air, like saying 'abhor' quickly.
Grammar: Descriptive adjectives and gender/number agreement
| Adjective | Masc. Sg. — पुं. एक. [puṃ. ek.] | Masc. Pl. — पुं. बहु. [puṃ. bahu.] | Fem. — स्त्री. [strī.] | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tall/long — लंबा [lambā] | लंबा [lambā] | लंबे [lambe] | लंबी [lambī] | लंबा भाई / लंबे बाल / लंबी बहन [lambā bhāī / lambe bāl / lambī bahan] |
| short — छोटा [choṭā] | छोटा [choṭā] | छोटे [choṭe] | छोटी [choṭī] | छोटा बच्चा / छोटे बच्चे / छोटी लड़की [choṭā baccā / choṭe bacce / choṭī laṛkī] |
| fat — मोटा [moṭā] | मोटा [moṭā] | मोटे [moṭe] | मोटी [moṭī] | मोटा आदमी / मोटी किताब [moṭā ādmī / moṭī kitāb] |
| thin — पतला [patlā] | पतला [patlā] | पतले [patle] | पतली [patlī] | पतला लड़का / पतली लड़की [patlā laṛkā / patlī laṛkī] |
| fair — गोरा [gorā] | गोरा [gorā] | गोरे [gore] | गोरी [gorī] | गोरा आदमी / गोरी औरत [gorā ādmī / gorī aurat] |
| beautiful — सुंदर [sundar] | सुंदर [sundar] | सुंदर [sundar] | सुंदर [sundar] | Does not change! |
Adjective agreement is one of the most important grammar rules in Hindi. There are two types of adjectives:
Type 1: Variable adjectives (ending in -आ [-ā]):
These change based on gender and number:
- Masculine singular: लंबा [lambā]
- Masculine plural: लंबे [lambe]
- Feminine (all): लंबी [lambī]
Examples: लंबा भाई [lambā bhāī] (tall brother), लंबे बाल [lambe bāl] (long hair — plural!), लंबी बहन [lambī bahan] (tall sister)
Type 2: Invariable adjectives (NOT ending in -आ [-ā]):
These NEVER change:
- सुंदर भाई [sundar bhāī] = handsome brother
- सुंदर बहन [sundar bahan] = beautiful sister
- सुंदर बच्चे [sundar bacce] = beautiful children
The key: if an adjective ends in -आ [-ā], it changes. If it ends in anything else (like -र [-r], -ख [-kh]), it stays the same. This simple rule covers almost all cases!
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing Hindi word.
- मेरे पापा हैं और चश्मा लगाते हैं।(tall — masculine plural for respectful पापा)
- माँ बहुत हैं।(beautiful — invariable adjective)
- उसके लंबे और काले हैं।(a body part — masculine plural)
- प्रिया है और उसकी आँखें बड़ी हैं।(slim — feminine for बहन)
- दादा जी बहुत दिखते हैं — हमेशा हँसते रहते हैं!(cheerful — invariable adjective)
Grammar Application
Change the adjective to match the required gender/number.
- लंबा → feminine? [lambā → strīliṅg?](-आ → -ई for feminine)
- मोटा → masculine plural? [moṭā → puṃ. bahuvacān?](-आ → -ए for masculine plural)
- गोरा → feminine? [gorā → strīliṅg?](-आ → -ई for feminine)
- छोटा → feminine plural? [choṭā → strī. bahuvacān?](-आ → -ई for feminine — plural stays -ई)
- सुंदर → masculine plural? [sundar → puṃ. bahuvacān?](invariable — no change!)
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each sentence into Hindi.
- My father is tall and fair.
- His/her hair is short and black.
- My sister is beautiful.
- Grandfather wears glasses.
- Who is that cheerful man?
Creative Construction
Describe a family member's appearance in 2-3 sentences using adjectives from this lesson.
Writing: Conjuncts and special characters (संयुक्ताक्षर [saṃyuktākṣar])
क्ष
kṣa
त्र
tra
ज्ञ
jña
श्र
śra
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| क्षमा | kṣamā |
| त्रिकोण | trikoṇ |
| श्रीमान | śrīmān |
संयुक्ताक्षर दो या अधिक व्यंजनों के मेल से बनते हैं। इनमें हलन्त (्) का प्रयोग होता है।
saṃyuktākṣar do yā adhik vyañjanõ ke mel se bante haĩ. inmẽ halant (्) kā prayog hotā hai.
Today we learn conjuncts (संयुक्ताक्षर [saṃyuktākṣar]) — special combined consonant forms:
- क्ष [kṣa] — a combination of क [ka] + ष [ṣa]. Found in words like क्षमा [kṣamā] (forgiveness) and शिक्षा [śikṣā] (education).
- त्र [tra] — a combination of त [ta] + र [ra]. Found in words like त्रिकोण [trikoṇ] (triangle) and मित्र [mitr] (friend).
- ज्ञ [jña] — a combination of ज [ja] + ञ [ña]. In modern Hindi, pronounced as 'gya'. Found in ज्ञान [gyān] (knowledge) and विज्ञान [vigyān] (science).
- श्र [śra] — a combination of श [śa] + र [ra]. Found in श्रीमान [śrīmān] (Mr./Sir) and श्री [śrī] (honorific).
Conjuncts are formed using the halant (्) mark, which removes the inherent 'a' vowel from a consonant, allowing it to join with the next consonant.
Takeaway
Hindi adjectives ending in -आ [-ā] change for gender and number: लंबा भाई [lambā bhāī], लंबी बहन [lambī bahan], लंबे बाल [lambe bāl]. Adjectives NOT ending in -आ [-ā] (like सुंदर [sundar]) never change!
Culture note: Indian weddings are grand family celebrations that can last 3-7 days with multiple ceremonies. The wedding invitation card (शादी का कार्ड [śādī kā kārḍ]) is a big deal — families often hand-deliver them with a box of sweets. Modern families include family photos in elaborate wedding cards. The elder members of the family are listed first on the card, reflecting the deep respect for seniority in Indian culture.
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