Masculine : so

Case Singular Plural
Paṭhamā so, syo te, ne
Dutiyā taṃ, naṃ te, ne
Tatiyā tena, nena tehi, tebhi, nehi, nebhi
Catutthī tassa, nassa, assa tesaṃ, nesaṃ, tesānaṃ, nesānaṃ
Pañcamī tasmā, tamhā, namhā, amhā tehi, tebhi, nehi, nebhi
Chaṭṭhī tassa, nassa, assa tesaṃ, nesaṃ, tesānaṃ, nesānaṃ
Sattamī tasmiṃ, nasmiṃ, asmiṃ, tamhi, namhi, amhi tesu, nesu

 

Neuter : taṃ

Case Singular Plural
Paṭhamā taṃ, naṃ te, ne, tāni, nāni
Dutiyā taṃ, naṃ te, ne, tāni, nāni
The declension of neuter pronoun ‘ta’ is similar to that of masculine pronoun ‘ta’ for Instrumental to Locative cases.

 

Feminine :

Case Singular Plural
Paṭhamā sā, syā tā, nā, tāyo, nāyo
Dutiyā taṃ, naṃ tā, nā, tāyo, nāyo
Tatiyā tāya, nāya, tassā, tissā tāhi, tābhi, nāhi, nābhi
Catutthī tāya, tassā, tissā, tissāya, tassāya, assāya tāsaṃ, tāsānaṃ, āsaṃ
Pañcamī tāya, nāya, tassā tāhi, tābhi, nāhi, nābhi
Chaṭṭhī tāya, tassā, tissā, tissāya, tassāya, assāya tāsaṃ, tāsānaṃ, āsaṃ
Sattamī tassaṃ, assaṃ, tissaṃ, tāyaṃ, tassā, tissā tāsu

 

The usage of cases is the same across all the nouns, pronouns etc.

Thus,
him / to him = taṃ (masc. acc. s)
for them (masc.) = tesaṃ / tesānaṃ (dat. p)
with her = tāya saddhiṃ (fem. inst. s)
from them (fem.) = tāhi / tābhi (abl. p)
her son = tassā / tāya putto (fem. gen. s)
his friend = tassa mitto (masc. gen. s)

 

Let us translate a few English sentences into Pali to understand the usage of various declined forms of these pronouns.

1. The king addressed his ministers.
Bhūpālo tassa amacce āmantesi.
(his = tassa – masc. gen. s)

2. The boys call their friend. They wish to play with him.
Kumārā tesaṃ mittaṃ pakkosanti. Te tena saddhiṃ kiḷītuṃ icchanti.
(their = tesaṃ – masc. gen. p,
they = te – masc. nom. p,
with him = tena saddhiṃ – masc. inst. s)

3. The lay devotee approached the monk. He saluted him and asked for teaching from him.
Upāsako bhikkhuṃ upasaṅkami. So taṃ vandi, tasmā dhammaṃ ayāci.
(he = so – masc. nom. s,
him = taṃ – masc. acc. s,
from him = tasmā – masc. abl. s)

4. Mother will cook food for her children.
Mātā tassā dārakānaṃ bhattaṃ pacissati.
(her = tassā – fem. gen. s)

5. Women went to the park along with their daughters to collect flowers.
Vanitāyo tāsaṃ kaññāhi saddhiṃ pupphāni saṃharituṃ uyyānaṃ agamiṃsu.
(their = tāsaṃ – fem. gen. p)

Last modified: Friday, 24 November 2023, 11:20 AM