Choosing between तत्

Hindi splits the world into "here" and "there." तत् is the "there." It is a shapeshifter. It changes based on the number of people. It changes based on the respect you show. Most importantly, it changes when a postposition follows it. A postposition is a word like को, से, or में. When these words appear, वह cannot stay वह. It must transform into its oblique form. For singular, it becomes उस. For plural or honorific, it becomes उन. This transformation is the heartbeat of Hindi morphology. If you miss this, your whole sentence feels "off."

1. 1Identify the distance. Is the object far from you? Use the तत् base.
2. 2Check the count. Is it one person or many?
3. 3Determine respect. Are you talking to a boss? Use the plural form.
4. 4Look for the postposition. Is there a ने, को, or का coming up?
5. 5Fuse the words. वह + ने becomes उसने. वे + ने becomes उन्होंने.
6. 6For abstract references, use the singular वह or उस.
7. 7Remember: वह (Direct) → उस (Oblique). वे (Direct) → उन (Oblique).

Use it for that biryani you ate last week. Use it for the CEO in a formal meeting. It is perfect for third-person narratives in stories. Use it when referring back to a previous sentence. If you mentioned a "plan" earlier, use वह to keep talking about it. It creates a bridge between ideas. Use it in the जो... वह construction. This is the "He who..." pattern in English. For example, "He who works hard, succeeds." In Hindi, that is जो मेहनत करता है, वह सफल होता है. It is also essential for formal writing. Words like तत्पश्चात (after that) come from this root. It adds a layer of sophistication to your speech.

Don't use it for things you are holding. If it is in your hand, use यह (this). Don't use the singular उस for someone you respect. Your grandmother is always an उन, never an उस. Avoid using it if the subject is yourself. That sounds like you are talking about yourself in the third person. Unless you are a movie villain, don't do that. Don't use it when the subject and object are the same. In that case, use अपना (one's own). For example, "He ate his own food" uses अपना, not उसका. Using उसका would mean he ate someone else's food. That could lead to a very awkward lunch.

The biggest trap is the ने marker. People often say वह ने instead of उसने. That is a classic beginner mistake. Another trap is the honorific plural. If you call your teacher वह, it sounds rude. Always use वे or उन्होंने for elders. Don't forget the न in उन्होंने. Many people say उन्हों ने as two words, but it is one unit. Also, watch out for the उसका vs अपना confusion. If you say उसने उसका बैग लिया, you mean he took someone else's bag. If he took his own bag, it must be उसने अपना बैग लिया. Don't accidentally accuse someone of theft with bad grammar!

Compare वह with यह. वह is for the distant "that." यह is for the close "this." Think of it as a physical circle around you. Inside the circle is यह. Outside is वह. Now, compare उसका with अपना. उसका is possessive for a third party. अपना is reflexive for the subject. Finally, look at वह vs वो. In casual speech, people use वो for everything. But in C1 writing, you must distinguish between singular वह and plural वे. वो is the comfortable sweatpants of Hindi. वह/वे is the tailored suit. Both have their place, but know when to dress up.