Case use: what each case does in a sentence
A case (vibhakti) tells the job of a word in the sentence. The job words are called karakas. Learn them with questions:
| Case | Job | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | doer (कर्ता) | who does it? | बालकः पठति |
| 2nd | thing acted on (कर्म) | what/whom? | बालकः फलं खादति |
| 3rd | tool (करण) | with what? | छुरिकया छिनत्ति |
| 4th | receiver (सम्प्रदान) | to/for whom? | गुरवे फलं ददाति |
| 5th | source (अपादान) | from where? | वृक्षात् पतति |
| 7th | place/time (अधिकरण) | where/when? | उद्याने खेलति |
The 6th case shows a relation (of): रामस्य पुस्तकम्. It is not a karaka, because it does not join to the verb.
Small words that demand a case (upapada vibhakti)
Some small words (like "with", "without", "around") force the word next to them into a fixed case. This is called upapada vibhakti. Keep this short list:
- नमः (salute), स्वस्ति (good wishes) + 4th case: गुरवे नमः, बालकाय स्वस्ति.
- सह (with) + 3rd case: रामेण सह गच्छति.
- विना (without) + 3rd case (2nd or 5th also allowed): जलेन विना जीवनं नास्ति.
- अभितः, परितः, सर्वतः (on all sides) + 2nd case: ग्रामम् अभितः वनम् अस्ति.
- धिक् (shame on) + 2nd case: धिक् असत्यम्.
- कृते (for the sake of) + 6th case: विद्यायाः कृते परिश्रमः.
Voice change: active to passive
Active voice (कर्तृवाच्य): the doer is the star. The doer is in the 1st case, the thing in the 2nd case, and the verb agrees with the doer: बालकः मोदकं खादति.
Passive voice (कर्मवाच्य): the thing is the star. Follow three steps:
- Doer: 1st case becomes 3rd case (बालकः becomes बालकेन).
- Thing: 2nd case becomes 1st case (मोदकम् becomes मोदकः).
- Verb: add -य- to the root, use atmanepada endings, and match the thing in number: खादति becomes खाद्यते.
Result: बालकेन मोदकः खाद्यते.
Common passive verbs (present, 3rd person singular): पठति to पठ्यते, लिखति to लिख्यते, पश्यति to दृश्यते, करोति to क्रियते, ददाति to दीयते, नयति to नीयते.
If the thing is plural, the verb is plural: छात्रेण पत्राणि लिख्यन्ते.
Correcting errors: the five checks
To correct a wrong sentence, ask five questions, one at a time:
- Gender (लिङ्ग): does the word match its gender? सा बालकः is wrong. A boy is masculine: सः बालकः.
- Number (वचन): do noun and verb match? बालकाः पठति becomes बालकाः पठन्ति.
- Person (पुरुष): does the verb match the doer? अहं गच्छति becomes अहं गच्छामि.
- Case (विभक्ति): is each word in the case its job needs? बालकः विद्यालयः गच्छति becomes बालकः विद्यालयं गच्छति (the place we go to is the 2nd case).
- Tense (लकार): does the time word match the verb? श्वः रामः अगच्छत् (tomorrow, past) becomes श्वः रामः गमिष्यति.
Try it
Predict, then check. Say each sentence in your head with the case numbers: "बालकः(1) उद्याने(7) फलं(2) खादति". In the 3D, pick Eating, tick passive voice and watch the doer and the laddu swap places. At home, write one sentence about your day. Then change it to passive voice using the three steps, and run the five checks on your own sentence.
Key formulas and definitions
- Doer 1 | Thing 2 | Tool 3 | Receiver 4 | Source 5 | Of 6 | Place 7
- नमः, स्वस्ति + 4th | सह, विना + 3rd | अभितः, परितः, सर्वतः, धिक् + 2nd | कृते + 6th
- Passive: doer to 3rd case + thing to 1st case + verb with -य- (atmanepada) agreeing with the thing
- Five checks: gender, number, person, case, tense
Worked examples
1. Fill the case: ___ सह गच्छति (with Rama).
रामेण सह गच्छति. The word सह demands the 3rd case.
2. Change to passive: बालकः पुस्तकं पठति.
Doer: बालकेन. Thing: पुस्तकम् (neuter, same in 1st case). Verb: पठ्यते. Answer: बालकेन पुस्तकं पठ्यते.
3. Change to passive: छात्रः पत्राणि लिखति.
छात्रेण पत्राणि लिख्यन्ते. The thing is plural, so the verb is plural (लिख्यन्ते).
4. Correct the error: अहं विद्यालयं गच्छति.
The doer is अहम् (1st person), so the verb must be 1st person: अहं विद्यालयं गच्छामि.
5. Correct the error: बालिका फलं खादति सः.
A girl is feminine: सा. Correct: सा बालिका फलं खादति (the pronoun must match the gender of बालिका).
6. Choose the case: गुरवे ___ (salute to the teacher).
नमः. The word नमः goes with the 4th case: गुरवे नमः.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the doer in the 1st case in the passive. In passive the doer must go to the 3rd case: बालकेन, not बालकः.
- Making the passive verb agree with the doer. It must agree with the thing: बालकेन पत्राणि लिख्यन्ते.
- Using the 2nd case with सह. सह needs the 3rd case: रामेण सह.
- Fixing only the verb and forgetting gender or case errors. Always run all five checks.