B1 verb_system 3 min de lectura

Reflexive Pronouns:

Always use `अपना` (`apnā`) when the subject and the owner are the same person, otherwise you refer to someone else.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Reflexives reflect the subject.
  • Use `अपना` (`apnā`) for ownership by subject.
  • Use `खुद` (`khud`) for emphasis (myself/himself).
  • `अपना` (`apnā`) agrees with the object, not subject.

Quick Reference

Usage Hindi Word Agreement English Equivalent
Possession (Masc Sing) अपना (apnā) Object my/his/her/our (own)
Possession (Masc Pl/Obl) अपने (apne) Object my/his/her/our (own)
Possession (Fem) अपनी (apnī) Object my/his/her/our (own)
Emphatic खुद (khud) None myself/himself/etc.
Emphatic (Formal) स्वयं (svayam) None myself/himself/etc.
Reflexive Object अपने āp (ko/se) (apne āp (ko/se)) None to/with oneself

Ejemplos clave

3 de 8
1

मैं अपना काम कर रहा हूं

I am doing my (own) work.

2

वह अपनी गाड़ी साफ कर रहा है

He is cleaning his (own) car.

3

हम खुद वहां जाएंगे

We will go there ourselves.

💡

The Mirror Trick

Imagine 'Apnā' is a mirror. If you can see the subject in the reflection of the object, use Apnā!

⚠️

The Third Person Danger

Be extra careful with 'voh' (he/she). Using 'uskā' instead of 'apnā' completely changes who owns the item.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Reflexives reflect the subject.
  • Use `अपना` (`apnā`) for ownership by subject.
  • Use `खुद` (`khud`) for emphasis (myself/himself).
  • `अपना` (`apnā`) agrees with the object, not subject.

Overview

Ever talked about yourself? Of course you have. But in Hindi, if you don't use the right "self" word, you might accidentally say you're washing someone else's face instead of your own! Meet the reflexive pronouns: अपना (apnā) (own), खुद (khud) (self), and अपने आप (apne āp) (by oneself). These are your grammar best friends for claiming ownership and taking credit for your hard work.

How This Grammar Works

Think of reflexive pronouns as a mirror. They reflect the subject of the sentence back onto the object. In English, we say "I do my work" and "He does his work." The word changes from 'my' to 'his'. In Hindi, if the subject is doing the owning, the word stays the same: अपना (apnā). whether it's 'I', 'he', or 'they', if they own it, it's अपना (apnā). It’s like a "one-size-fits-subject" sticker.

Formation Pattern

  1. 1The Owner (अपना (apnā)): This behaves exactly like an adjective ending in -ā. It changes based on the gender and number of the thing being possessed, not the owner.
  2. 2Masculine Singular object: अपना (apnā) (e.g., अपना घर (apnā ghar) - own house)
  3. 3Masculine Plural/Oblique object: अपने (apne) (e.g., अपने dost (apne dost) - own friends)
  4. 4Feminine object: अपनी (apnī) (e.g., अपनी गाड़ी (apnī gāṛī) - own car)
  5. 5The Doer (खुद (khud) / स्वयं (svayam)): These are invariable. They don't change. Ever. You just drop them in to say "myself", "himself", "themselves".
  6. 6मैं खुद (Main khud) (I myself)
  7. 7वह खुद (Voh khud) (He himself)

When To Use It

  • Possession: When the subject possesses the object. "Ram drives his (own) car" → Rām apnī gāṛī chalātā hai.
  • Emphasis: When you want to show you did something without help. "I cooked this myself" → Maine yeh khānā khud banāyā.
  • Reflexive Action: When the action turns back on the subject. "He talks to himself" → Voh apne āp se bāt kartā hai.

When Not To Use It

Do not use अपना (apnā) if the possessor is not the subject of the sentence. If you say "I like his car," the subject is "I" but the owner is "He". They are different people. So you use उसकी (uskī), not अपनी (apnī).

Common Mistakes

  • The "His" Trap: Using uskā when referring to the subject's own thing. If you say Rām uskī jeb mein hāth ḍāltā hai, you are strictly saying Ram put his hand in someone else's pocket. Pickpocket Ram? Probably not what you meant. Use अपनी jeb (apnī jeb).
  • The Gender Trap: Matching अपना (apnā) to the subject (owner) instead of the object (thing owned). If a boy talks about his female friend, it's अपनी dost (apnī dost), not अपना dost (apnā dost). The friend is the boss of the grammar here.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

  • English: "He loves his mom." (Could be his own, could be his friend's). Context clues help.
  • Hindi: Voh apnī mān se pyār kartā hai (His own mom). Voh uskī mān se pyār kartā hai (Someone else's mom). Hindi is precise, no guessing games allowed!

Quick FAQ

Q. Can I use merā instead of अपना (apnā) for "I do my work"?

A. Yes, Main merā kām kartā hūn is understood, but Main apnā kām kartā hūn is the gold standard. Native speakers prefer अपना (apnā).

Q. Is स्वयं (svayam) the same as खुद (khud)?

A. Exact same meaning, but स्वयं (svayam) wears a suit and tie. It's more formal/Sanskritized. खुद (khud) is your everyday jeans-and-t-shirt word.

Reference Table

Usage Hindi Word Agreement English Equivalent
Possession (Masc Sing) अपना (apnā) Object my/his/her/our (own)
Possession (Masc Pl/Obl) अपने (apne) Object my/his/her/our (own)
Possession (Fem) अपनी (apnī) Object my/his/her/our (own)
Emphatic खुद (khud) None myself/himself/etc.
Emphatic (Formal) स्वयं (svayam) None myself/himself/etc.
Reflexive Object अपने āp (ko/se) (apne āp (ko/se)) None to/with oneself
💡

The Mirror Trick

Imagine 'Apnā' is a mirror. If you can see the subject in the reflection of the object, use Apnā!

⚠️

The Third Person Danger

Be extra careful with 'voh' (he/she). Using 'uskā' instead of 'apnā' completely changes who owns the item.

🎯

Formal Writing

In essays or formal speeches, swap 'khud' for 'svayam'. It instantly upgrades your Hindi level.

💬

Apnā Time Aayega

You might know the song 'Apnā Time Aayega' (Our/My time will come). It uses 'apnā' because the time belongs to the singer!

Ejemplos

8
#1 Main apnā kām kar rahā hūn.

मैं अपना काम कर रहा हूं

Focus: अपना (apnā)

I am doing my (own) work.

Standard usage with 'I'.

#2 Voh apnī gāṛī sāf kar rahā hai.

वह अपनी गाड़ी साफ कर रहा है

Focus: अपनी (apnī)

He is cleaning his (own) car.

Agrees with 'gāṛī' (feminine).

#3 Ham khud vahān jāenge.

हम खुद वहां जाएंगे

Focus: खुद (khud)

We will go there ourselves.

Emphatic usage of 'khud'.

#4 Rāj ne apne bhāī ko phone kiyā.

राज ने अपने भाई को फोन किया

Focus: अपने (apne)

Raj called his (own) brother.

'apne' is oblique because of 'ko'.

#5 Kyā tum yeh svayam kar sakte ho?

क्या तुम यह स्वयं कर सकते हो?

Focus: स्वयं (svayam)

Can you do this yourself?

Formal context using 'svayam'.

#6 Voh uskā ghar jātā hai (Wrong context)

वह उसका घर जाता है

Focus: uskā

He goes to his (someone else's) house.

Mistake if you meant 'his own'.

#7 Voh apnā ghar jātā hai (Correct)

वह अपना घर जाता है

Focus: अपना (apnā)

He goes to his (own) house.

Correct usage for 'his own'.

#8 Bachā apne āp khā letā hai.

बच्चा अपने आप खा लेता है

Focus: अपने आप (apne āp)

The child eats by himself.

Action done independently.

Ponte a prueba

Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.

Sītā ___ kitāb paṛh rahī hai. (Sita is reading her [own] book)

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: अपनी (apnī)

Because Sita (subject) owns the book, we use a reflexive. 'Kitāb' is feminine, so 'apnī'.

Select the right emphatic pronoun.

Main yeh kām ___ karūngā. (I will do this work myself)

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: खुद (khud)

We need the emphatic 'myself', which is 'khud'. 'Apnā' shows possession, which doesn't fit here.

Fix the possessive error.

Rām ne ___ kapṛe dhoye. (Ram washed his [own] clothes)

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: अपने (apne)

Subject is Ram. Clothes (kapṛe) are masculine plural. So we use 'apne'.

🎉 Puntuación: /3

Ayudas visuales

Whose is it?

Subject's Own
Apnā Ram -> Ram's car
Someone Else's
Uskā Ram -> Ravi's car

Which Word Do I Use?

1

Does the Subject own the Object?

YES ↓
NO
Use Uskā/Merā/Unkā
2

Is the Object Feminine?

YES ↓
NO
Use Apnā/Apne

Forms of Apnā

👦

Masc. Singular

  • • apnā ghar
  • • apnā kām
👨‍👨‍👦

Masc. Plural

  • • apne dost
  • • apne jūte
👧

Feminine

  • • apnī kitāb
  • • apnī bāt

Preguntas frecuentes

20 preguntas

Apnā means "one's own". It replaces my, your, his, her, etc., when the subject is the owner.

Yes! But it changes for the **object's** gender, not the owner's. Rām apnī kitāb paṛhtā hai (Ram reads his book - kitāb is fem).

You can, and people will understand, but Main apnā kām kartā hūn is grammatically superior.

They are very similar. Khud is often used for emphasis (I did it myself), while अपने आप (apne āp) often implies "automatically" or "by oneself".

You say खुद (khud). For example, मैं खुद karūngā (Main khud karūngā) (I will do it myself).

Not really. It's used in news, literature, or formal speeches. Stick to खुद (khud) for chatting with friends.

No, खुद (khud) is indeclinable. It stays the same for males, females, singular, or plural.

You would say Voh apne āp se pyār kartā hai or Voh khud se pyār kartā hai.

Yes. Hum apnā kām karte hain (We do our work).

Because the subject is 'I' (Maine), so you should use the reflexive अपनी (apnī) instead of merī.

Then अपना (apnā) becomes अपने (apne) (masc) or अपनी (apnī) (fem). E.g., Apne jūte (Own shoes).

Absolutely. Kyā tumne apnā kām kiyā? (Did you do your work?)

Yes. Gāṛī ne apnā rang kho diyā (The car lost its color).

That means "amongst ourselves/themselves". It comes from the same root but is used for reciprocity.

Yes, if the subject is 'We'. Hum apnā ghar sāf kar rahe hain (We are cleaning our house).

People might look for a third person you are talking about. It creates confusion about ownership.

Sometimes अपना (apnā) is used to mean "our guy" or someone close. Yeh apnā ādmī hai (He's our man).

Even with आप (Aap), you use अपना (apnā). Aap apnā kām kījiye (Please do your work).

It means "for oneself". Main apne liye khānā banā rahā hūn (I am making food for myself).

Many languages have this (like Russian or Romance languages), but English is looser with 'his/her'. Hindi is stricter.

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