A2 Devanagari Script 3 دقیقه مطالعه

Conjunct: स्त (sta)

The conjunct **स्त** merges 's' and 't' for a crisp sound, essential for basic words like hello and friend.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Combines half-S (स्) and full-T (त).
  • Pronounced 'sta' as in 'stop' (dental).
  • Used in 'Namaste', 'Dost', 'Sasta'.
  • No vowel sound between S and T.

Quick Reference

Hindi Word Transliteration Meaning Context
नमस्ते Namaste Hello/Greetings Everyday greeting
दोस्त Dost Friend Social / Casual
रास्ता Rasta Path/Way Directions
सस्ता Sasta Cheap Shopping
पुस्तक Pustak Book Education
बिस्तर Bistar Bed Household
अगस्त Agast August Calendar

مثال‌های کلیدی

3 از 10
1

Namaste, aap kaise hain?

Hello, how are you?

2

Yeh rasta band hai.

This path is closed.

3

Mera dost Delhi mein rehta hai.

My friend lives in Delhi.

💡

The Hiss Test

If your 's' sound drags on too long before the 't', you might be accidentally adding a vowel. Make the 's' short and crash it directly into the 't'.

💬

The 'I-School' Phenomenon

In some parts of India, people add an 'i' before 'st' words (calling 'school' -> 'ischool'). Don't do this in formal Hindi writing! Stick to the sharp 'S'.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Combines half-S (स्) and full-T (त).
  • Pronounced 'sta' as in 'stop' (dental).
  • Used in 'Namaste', 'Dost', 'Sasta'.
  • No vowel sound between S and T.

Overview

Meet the linguistic equivalent of a best friend hug: the conjunct स्त (sta). In Hindi, letters love to combine to create specific sounds, and this one is a superstar. You'll see it everywhere—from greeting people to looking for a cheap bargain. Visually, it looks exactly like what it is: the left half of स (sa) leaning comfortably against a full त (ta). It’s the "st" sound in "stop" or "star," but softer because Hindi's 't' is dental (tongue touching teeth).

How This Grammar Works

Hindi script (Devanagari) is phonetic. If you hear two consonants without a vowel in between, you smash them together in writing. Here, we are merging स (s) and त (t). Because 's' is the first sound, it sacrifices its vertical line (the "danda") and glues itself to the 't'. There's no "uh" sound between them. It's not "sa-ta"; it's a crisp, sharp "sta".

Formation Pattern

  1. 1Creating this character is like linguistic Lego:
  2. 2Start with स (sa).
  3. 3Remove the vertical line on the right to make it half: स् (s).
  4. 4Add the full त (ta) immediately after it.
  5. 5Result: स् + त = स्त.

When To Use It

You'll need this for everyday survival Hindi. Seriously. You can't even say "hello" (नमस्ते) or "friend" (दोस्त) without it. It appears in words of Sanskrit origin (like पुस्तक - book) and Persian loanwords (like सस्ता - cheap) alike. Use it whenever you hear that hiss of an 's' stopping abruptly at a 't'.

When Not To Use It

Don't use it if the 't' sound is "retroflex" (curled tongue), like in the English word "start" (with an American accent). That sound usually maps to ष्ट (sh-ta). Also, don't use it if there's clearly a vowel sound between them, like in सतह (satah - surface). If you can hum between the letters, they shouldn't be touching.

Common Mistakes

The biggest rookie error is adding a "phantom vowel." Beginners often say "sa-ta-tion" instead of "station." In Hindi, this changes the meaning or makes you sound like a robot reading a list. Another mistake is mixing it up with थ (tha). स्त (sta) is crisp; स्थ (stha) is breathy. Don't blow air out when saying नमस्ते (Namaste), or people might think you're sneezing.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Compare स्त (sta) with ष्ट (shta).

  • स्त (sta): Tongue touches teeth. Soft, dental. (e.g., नमस्ते - Namaste).
  • ष्ट (shta): Tongue curls back. Hard, retroflex. (e.g., कष्ट - Kasht/Suffering).

Think of स्त as the polite polite sibling, and ष्ट as the one who rides a motorcycle.

Quick FAQ

Q. Can it start a word?

A. Yes! Like in स्थान (sthan - place) or स्थिति (sthiti - situation/position), though these are often more formal.

Q. How do I type it?

A. On most Hindi keyboards, type 's', then the 'halant' (virama) key to cut it in half, then 't'. Ideally, your phone is smart enough to just merge them when you type fast.

Reference Table

Hindi Word Transliteration Meaning Context
नमस्ते Namaste Hello/Greetings Everyday greeting
दोस्त Dost Friend Social / Casual
रास्ता Rasta Path/Way Directions
सस्ता Sasta Cheap Shopping
पुस्तक Pustak Book Education
बिस्तर Bistar Bed Household
अगस्त Agast August Calendar
💡

The Hiss Test

If your 's' sound drags on too long before the 't', you might be accidentally adding a vowel. Make the 's' short and crash it directly into the 't'.

💬

The 'I-School' Phenomenon

In some parts of India, people add an 'i' before 'st' words (calling 'school' -> 'ischool'). Don't do this in formal Hindi writing! Stick to the sharp 'S'.

🎯

Keyboard Shortuct

If you can't find the conjunct key, just type 's' + 'halant' (the little tail stroke) + 't'. The computer will glue them together for you.

⚠️

Don't Retroflex It

English speakers love curling their tongues for 't'. If you do that here, 'Namaste' sounds like you have a hot potato in your mouth. Keep it dental!

مثال‌ها

10
#1 नमस्ते, आप कैसे हैं?

Namaste, aap kaise hain?

Focus: नमस्ते

Hello, how are you?

The most common word with 'sta'.

#2 यह रास्ता बंद है।

Yeh rasta band hai.

Focus: रास्ता

This path is closed.

Essential for navigation.

#3 मेरा दोस्त दिल्ली में रहता है।

Mera dost Delhi mein rehta hai.

Focus: दोस्त

My friend lives in Delhi.

Used constantly in conversation.

#4 यह बहुत सस्ता है।

Yeh bahut sasta hai.

Focus: सस्ता

This is very cheap.

Key vocabulary for bargaining.

#5 कृपया (Pustak) खोलें। (Correction)

Kripya pustak kholein.

Focus: पुस्तक

Please open the book.

Formal/Educational context.

#6 ✗ यह बहुत (sasata) है। → ✓ यह बहुत सस्ता है।

Yeh bahut sasta hai.

Focus: सस्ता

This is very cheap.

Mistake: Pronouncing the vowel between s and t.

#7 ✗ मेरा (dosat) आ रहा है। → ✓ मेरा दोस्त आ रहा है।

Mera dost aa raha hai.

Focus: दोस्त

My friend is coming.

Mistake: Breaking the conjunct.

#8 उसकी स्थिति ठीक नहीं है।

Uski sthiti theek nahi hai.

Focus: स्थिति

His condition/situation is not good.

Advanced usage starting a word.

#9 सूरज अस्त हो रहा है।

Suraj ast ho raha hai.

Focus: अस्त

The sun is setting.

Edge case: 'Ast' means set (sunset).

#10 हमें इस नियम का इस्तेमाल करना चाहिए।

Humein is niyam ka istemal karna chahiye.

Focus: इस्तेमाल

We should use this rule.

Urdu/Persian loanword usage.

خودت رو بسنج

Complete the greeting.

___, आप कैसे हैं? (Nama__)

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: स्ते (ste)

Hello is 'Namaste', so you need the conjunct 'sta' combined with the vowel 'e'.

Choose the correct spelling for 'Friend'.

मेरा ___ बहुत अच्छा है।

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: दोस्त (Dost)

Dost uses the dental 's' and 't' conjunct, not the full letters or the 'sh' sound.

Select the word for 'Cheap'.

यह बाज़ार बहुत ___ है।

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: सस्ता (Sasta)

Cheap is 'Sasta'. It uses the simple 'sa' and the 'sta' conjunct. No aspiration (h).

🎉 امتیاز: /3

ابزارهای بصری یادگیری

Dental vs Retroflex

स्त (Sta) - Dental
नमस्ते Soft T
रास्ता Soft T
ष्ट (Shta) - Retroflex
कष्ट Hard T
नष्ट Hard T

Which Conjunct to Write?

1

Do you hear an 'S' + 'T' sound?

YES ↓
NO
Different rule
2

Does your tongue touch your teeth?

YES ↓
NO
Use ष्ट (Retroflex)
3

Is there a vowel in between?

YES ↓
NO
Write स्त (Conjunct)
4

Write full स and त

Common 'Sta' Words

🗣️

Daily Use

  • • Namaste
  • • Dost
🗺️

Navigation

  • • Rasta
  • • Sthan
📦

Items

  • • Pustak
  • • Bistar
🏷️

Quality

  • • Sasta
  • • Mast

سوالات متداول

20 سوال

**स्त (sta)** is soft and dental (tongue on teeth), like in Namaste. **ष्ट (shta)** is retroflex (tongue curled back), like in Kasht. The 'sh' sound in the latter is a big clue.

Not really. In standard handwriting and typing, they should touch. Writing them separately looks like you just learned the alphabet yesterday!

Yes, it's very consistent. It's always a crisp unvoiced 'st' sound. No vibrations, no buzzing.

Break it as Pus-tak. Don't let a vowel sneak in between 's' and 't'. It's not Pu-sa-tak.

That's the long 'a' vowel (**ा**) at the end. The **स्त** part is just the consonant cluster in the middle.

Usually, English loanwords starting with 'st' use half-sa + ta (स्ट) if the 't' is hard (retroflex). So 'Station' is actually स्टेशन. But 'Sthal' (place) is स्थल (soft th).

Good catch! That ends in **स्थ** (stha), which is aspirated. It's breathable. **स्त** (sta) is not aspirated.

Plenty! **स्न** (sna in Snan/Bath), **स्म** (sma in Smaran/Memory), and **स्व** (swa in Swagat/Welcome).

It's the main one! But you might hear Namaskar too, which uses **स्क** (ska). Same logic, different second letter.

It is written as अगस्त (Agast). It ends perfectly with our star conjunct **स्त**.

Yes, like in Stree (Woman) or Sthapana (Establishment), though often these use the aspirated sth variant.

In rapid speech, vowel lengths can vary, but the spelling सस्ता implies a long 'a' at the end.

Yes! It's **स्त्र**. You see it in Stree (Woman) or Astra (Weapon). It adds a 'r' line below the **स्त**.

Since 'Master' is English and has a hard 't', it's usually मास्टर using the retroflex **स्ट**.

Extremely common. You literally cannot have a conversation about friends (Dost) or prices (Sasta) without it.

No, it always looks like a 'sa' with the right leg cut off. It just cozies up to whatever letter follows it.

For the English word 'Stop', we use the retroflex version: स्टॉप. Remember, English 't' is usually hard/retroflex to Hindi ears.

Masti (Fun/Frolic). It uses **स्त** perfectly!

Just remember Namaste. It's the most famous Hindi word globally, and it anchors this rule perfectly.

Rarely. The dental 'st' is quite stable across Hindi dialects compared to vowels which might shift.

مفید بود؟
قبلی
Conjunct: श्र (shra)
بعدی
Conjunct: ह्म (hma) and ह्न (hna)

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