The nouns expressing relationship – like mother, father, brother, daughter – have a unique declension pattern, and hence are classified under a separate category of ‘nouns indicating relation’. Let us study the declension of these nouns.

Masculine noun : pitu

pitu = father

Case Singular Plural
Paṭhamā pitā pitaro
Dutiyā pitaraṃ pitaro
Tatiyā pitarā pitūhi, pitūbhi, pitarehi, pitarebhi
Catutthī pitu, pituno, pitussa pitūnaṃ, pitarānaṃ
Pañcamī pitarā pitūhi, pitūbhi, pitarehi, pitarebhi
Chaṭṭhī pitu, pituno, pitussa pitūnaṃ, pitarānaṃ
Sattamī pitari pitūsu, pitaresu
Ālapana pita, pitā pitaro

The masculine noun bhātu (= brother) also declines like pitu.


Feminine noun : mātu

mātu = mother

Case Singular Plural
Paṭhamā mātā mātaro
Dutiyā mātaraṃ mātaro
Tatiyā mātarā, mātuyā mātūhi, mātūbhi, mātarehi, mātarebhi
Catutthī mātu, mātuyā mātūnaṃ, mātarānaṃ, mātānaṃ
Pañcamī mātarā, mātuyā mātūhi, mātūbhi, mātarehi, mātarebhi
Chaṭṭhī mātu, mātuyā mātūnaṃ, mātarānaṃ, mātānaṃ
Sattamī mātari, mātuyā, mātuyaṃ mātūsu, mātaresu
Ālapana māta, mātā, māte mātaro

The feminine nouns dhītu and duhitu (both the nouns mean ‘a daughter’) decline like mātu.

Please Note : The above nouns are classified as ‘consonant ending nouns’ by some grammarians. Hence, in some of the grammar books and dictionaries we come across these words written as pitar (= pitu), bhātar (= bhātu), mātar (= mātu) etc.

Last modified: Friday, 22 September 2023, 4:07 PM