Feminine plural: -ई/-ी ending nouns take -याँ or -इयाँ

In Hindi, the ending of a noun tells you a lot. It tells you if the noun is singular or plural. For feminine nouns ending in i or ī, the plural form uses a special suffix: yā̃ (याँ). This suffix adds a nasalized 'ya' sound to the end. It is a very distinct sound in Hindi. Imagine you are saying 'yarn' but stopping halfway and sending the sound through your nose. That is the nasalization! When you add this to a word, the whole vibe of the sentence changes. The verb usually changes to match it too. For example, 'is' becomes 'are'. It is a team effort between the noun and the verb. This rule is very consistent. Unlike English, where 'mouse' becomes 'mice' and 'house' becomes 'houses', Hindi is quite logical here. If it ends in that 'i' sound and it is feminine, you usually know exactly what to do. It is like a grammar traffic light. When you see that 'i' ending, the green light tells you to go straight to the yā̃ ending. Even native speakers might slip up on rare words, but for the common ones, this rule is your best friend. It makes your Hindi sound polished and correct.

1. 1Ready to build some plurals? Follow these three simple steps.
2. 2Identify the ending. Look at your feminine noun. Does it end in a short i (like shakti) or a long ī (like laṛkī)?
3. 3The Shortening Trick. If the word ends in a long ī, you must shorten it to a short i first. This is the part most people forget! So, laṛkī becomes laṛki-.
4. 4Add the Magic Suffix. Now, just attach yā̃ (याँ) to the end.
5. 5Let's see it in action. Take the word laṛkī (girl).
6. 6Step 1: It ends in long ī.
7. 7Step 2: Shorten it to laṛki.
8. 8Step 3: Add yā̃ to get laṛkiyā̃ (girls).
9. 9What if the word already ends in a short i? Even easier! Take shakti (power).
10. 10Step 1: It ends in short i.
11. 11Step 2: No shortening needed!
12. 12Step 3: Add yā̃ to get shaktiyā̃ (powers).
13. 13It is like a simple math equation: Noun + yā̃ = Plural. Just remember that 'long to short' vowel shift. It keeps the word easy to say quickly. If we kept the long vowel, the word would feel too heavy. Hindi likes to keep things moving fast!

You will use this rule constantly in real-world scenarios.

• At a Restaurant: You want to order more than one roṭī. You ask for roṭiyā̃.
• In a Classroom: You see many laṛkiyā̃ (girls) studying.
• Telling Stories: You are sharing many kahāniyā̃ (stories) with friends.
• Talking about Home: You mention the kurtsiyā̃ (chairs) in your living room.
• In the City: You are looking at different bastiyā̃ (settlements/neighborhoods).
• At Work: You are checking your chiṭṭhiyā̃ (letters/mails).

Basically, any time you have more than one of a feminine 'i' noun, this rule is your go-to. It applies to people, objects, and abstract concepts. If you are describing a scene with multiple feminine items, you will be using this pattern over and over. It is the bread and butter of Hindi conversation. Imagine you are in a job interview and talking about your 'responsibilities' (zimmedāriyā̃). Using the correct plural shows you have a great handle on the language. It makes you sound professional and attentive to detail.

There are a few 'no-go' zones for this rule.

• Masculine Nouns: This is the biggest trap! Some masculine nouns end in ī. For example, pānī (water), hāthī (elephant), and ādmī (man). These do NOT take yā̃. They usually stay exactly the same in the plural. Don't say ādmīyā̃ unless you want to sound like a confused toddler!
• Feminine Nouns ending in 'ā': Words like mātā (mother) follow a different rule. They take ẽ (माताएँ).
• Oblique Case: If a preposition like 'in', 'on', or 'from' follows the noun, the ending changes to yõ. For example, 'in the stories' is kahāniyõ mẽ. We are only focusing on the standard plural today.
• Adjectives: Adjectives don't take this yā̃ ending. Only the nouns do.

Think of these as the boundaries of our grammar playground. Stay within the feminine 'i' nouns, and you are safe. If you accidentally use it on pānī, just laugh it off. Even native speakers have a 'wait, is that word feminine?' moment sometimes. It is all part of the journey.

Let's talk about the 'oops' moments.

• Forgetting the Nasalization: If you say laṛkiyā instead of laṛkiyā̃, it sounds incomplete. That little 'n' sound at the end is crucial.
• Keeping the Long Vowel: Writing लड़कीयाँ instead of लड़कियाँ is a very common spelling mistake. Remember: the 'tail' of the ī must flip to the left to become i.
• Gender Confusion: Using this rule for masculine words like mālī (gardener). mālī stays mālī even if there are ten of them.
• Over-applying the rule: Trying to add yā̃ to every feminine word. mez (table) becomes mezẽ, not meziyā̃.

Think of these mistakes like a grammar speed bump. They might slow you down, but they won't stop you. The most important thing is to keep talking. If you forget to shorten the vowel, people will still understand you. But if you want to hit that 'A1' excellence, keep an eye on that vowel flip!

How does this compare to other plurals?

• Masculine -ā nouns: These change to -e. laṛkā (boy) becomes laṛke (boys). Notice how much more dramatic the feminine change is!
• Feminine consonant nouns: Words like kitāb (book) end in a consonant. They take ẽ to become kitābẽ.
• Feminine -iyā nouns: Some words already end in iyā, like chiṛiyā (bird). For these, you just add the nasalization: chiṛiyā̃.

It is helpful to see these side-by-side. The -i/-ī to -iyā̃ rule is unique because of that vowel shortening step. It is the only one that forces the word to change its internal spelling slightly. Think of it as the most 'active' plural rule in Hindi. It requires a little more work, but it sounds much more melodic.