Let us translate a few Pali sentences into English to revise the nouns (cases) and verbs learnt so far.

1. Purisā ca itthiyo ca gāmasmā vihāraṃ gacchanti.

Purisa (masc) = man,
purisā (nominative plural – subject) = men,
ca (indeclinable) = and,
itthī (fem) = woman,
itthiyo (nominative plural – subject) = women,
gāma (masc) = village,
gāmasmā (ablative singular) = from the village,
vihāra (masc) = monastery,
vihāraṃ (accusative singular) = to the monastery,
gacchati (verb) = goes,
gacchanti (third person plural) = (they) go

Translation : Men and women go from the village to the monastery.

2. Brāhmaṇī bhaginiyā saddhiṃ nadiṃ upasaṅkamati.

Brāhmaṇī (fem, nominative singular – subject) = brahmin woman,
bhaginī (fem) = sister,
bhaginiyā (instrumental singular) = by / with / through the sister,
saddhiṃ (indeclinable) = with,
bhaginiyā saddhiṃ = with / along with the sister,
nadī (fem) = river,
nadiṃ (accusative singular) = (to) the river,
upasaṅkamati (verb) = approaches

Translation : The brahmin woman approaches the river along with (her) sister.

3. Upāsikā samaṇassa yāguṃ dadāti.

upāsikā (fem, nominative singular – subject) = female lay devotee / follower,
samaṇa (masc) = monk,
samaṇassa (dative singular – recipient / indirect object) = to the monk,
yāgu (fem) = rice gruel,
yāguṃ (accusative singular – direct object) = rice gruel,
dadāti (verb) = gives, offers

Translation : The female lay devotee offers rice gruel to the monk.

4. Kassakassa bhariyā rajjuyā dhenuṃ bandhati.

kassaka (masc) = farmer,
kassakassa (genitive singular) = of the farmer, farmer’s,
bhariyā (fem, nominative singular – subject) = wife,
rajju (fem) = rope,
rajjuyā (instrumental singular) = by / with a rope,
dhenu (fem) = cow,
dhenuṃ (accusative singular –object) = the cow,
bandhati (verb) = ties, binds

Translation : The farmer’s wife ties the cow with (with the help of / using) a rope.

5. Kumārī bhaginiyā sassuyā saha sallapati.

kumārī (fem, nominative singular – subject) = girl,
bhaginī (fem) = sister,
bhaginiyā (genitive singular) = of the sister / sister’s,
sassu (fem) = mother-in-law,
sassuyā (instrumental singular) = with the mother-in-law,
saha (indeclinable) = with,
sallapati (verb) = converses

Translation : The girl converses with (her) sister’s mother-in-law.

• Please note : As the word ‘sassuyā’ is followed by a ‘saha’, we interpret it as an instrumental case and translate ‘sassuyā saha’ as ‘with the mother-in-law’. However, the word ‘bhaginiyā’ precedes ‘sassu’. Hence, we take it as a genitive case showing relation – thus, bhaginiyā sassuyā saha = with the sister’s mother-in-law

6. Kassakā gāvīhi khīraṃ labhanti.

kassaka (masc) = farmer,
kassakā (nominative plural – subject) = farmers,
gāvī (fem) = cow,
gāvīhi (ablative plural) = from the cows (indicating source),
khīra (neuter) = milk,
khīraṃ (accusative singular – object) = milk,
labhati (verb) = gets, obtains;
labhanti (third person plural) = (they) get / obtain

Translation : The farmers obtain milk from the cows.

7. Nadiyā tīre bhūpālassa pāsādo atthi.

nadī (fem) = river,
nadiyā (genitive singular) = of the river,
tīra (neuter) = bank, shore;
tīre (locative singular) = on the bank,
bhūpāla (masc) = king,
bhūpālassa (genitive singular) = of the king, king’s;
pāsāda (masc) = palace,
pāsādo (nominative singular – subject) = palace,
atthi (verb) = is

Translation : The king’s palace is on the bank of the river.

8. Kaññā rattiyaṃ ākāse vijjuṃ passati.

kaññā (fem, nominative singular – subject) = girl,
ratti (fem) = night,
rattiyaṃ (locative singular) = in the night, at night;
ākāsa (masc) = sky,
ākāse (locative singular) = in the sky,
vijju (fem) = lightning,
vijjuṃ (accusative singular – object) = lightning,
passati (verb) = sees

Translation : The girl sees lightning in the sky at night.

• The above sentence uses locative case for indicating time (rattiyaṃ) as well as place (ākāse)

9. Uyyānamhi pokkharaṇiyaṃ padumāni santi. Kumāriyo pokkharaṇiyā padumāni ocinanti.

uyyāna (neuter) = park, garden;
uyyānamhi (locative singular) = in the park,
pokkharaṇī (fem) = pond, lake;
pokkharaṇiyaṃ (locative singular) = in the pond / lake;
paduma (neuter) = lotus flower,
padumāni (first sentence : nominative plural – subject) = lotus flowers,
santi (verb, √as, third person plural) = are,
kumārī (fem) = girl,
kumāriyo (nominative plural – subject) = girls,
pokkharaṇiyā (ablative singular) = from the pond / lake,
padumāni (second sentence – accusative plural – object) = lotus flowers,
ocināti (verb) = picks, plucks;
ocinanti (third person plural) = (they) pick / pluck

Translation : There are lotus flowers in a pond in the park. Girls pick lotus flowers from the pond.

• Please note : ‘padumāni’ is the subject of the first sentence, as the sentence gives certain information about the lotus flowers. While in the second sentence, the girls are picking lotus flowers. Thus, ‘padumāni’ becomes the object of this sentence.

10. Yācako brāhmaṇiyā gehaṃ upasaṅkamati, gehadvāre tiṭṭhati. So brāhmaṇiyā saddhiṃ bhāsati, brāhmaṇiyā bhattaṃ yācati. Brāhmaṇī yācakassa bhattaṃ dadāti, brāhmaṇiyā bhaginī tassa mūlaṃ deti.

yācaka (masc) = beggar,
yācako (nominative singular - subject) = the beggar,
brāhmaṇī (fem) = brahmin woman,
brāhmaṇiyā (genitive singular) = brahmin woman’s,
geha (neuter) = house,
gehaṃ (accusative singular) = (to) house,
upasaṅkamati (verb) = approaches,
gehadvāra (neuter) = door of the house,
gehadvāre (locative singular) = at the door of the house / in front of the house,
tiṭṭhati (verb) = stands,
so (pronoun, nominative singular – subject) = he,
brāhmaṇiyā (instrumental singular) = with the brahmin woman,
saddhiṃ (indeclinable) = with,
bhāsati (verb) = speaks,
brāhmaṇiyā (ablative singular) = from the brahmin woman,
bhatta (neuter) = rice, food;
bhattaṃ (accusative singular – object) = rice, food;
yācati (verb) = begs, asks for;
brāhmaṇī (nominative singular – subject) = brahmin woman,
yācakassa (dative singular – recipient) = to the beggar,
dadāti (verb) = gives,
brāhmaṇiyā (genitive singular) = brahmin woman’s,
bhaginī (fem, nominative singular – subject) = sister,
tassa (pronoun, dative singular) = to him,
mūla (neuter) = money,
mūlaṃ (accusative singular – object) = money,
deti (verb) = gives

Translation : The beggar approaches the brahmin woman’s house, stands in front of (at the door of) the house. He speaks with the brahmin woman (and) asks for food from the brahmin woman. The brahmin woman gives food to the beggar. The sister of the brahmin woman gives him money (to the beggar).

• Please note the use of the word ‘brāhmaṇiyā’ in the above passage. Though this word indicates various cases – such as instrumental, ablative, genitive – in different places, we can identify the case quite easily from the context, and translate the sentence accordingly.