Samas: Types, Identification and Vigrah (Breakdown) — Patwari Notes
Samas is the process of combining two or more words into a new, shortened word. Exams often ask you to identify the type of samas, either tied to a passage or by giving the word directly, and the most common confusion is between Dvandva and Karmadharaya, and between Tatpurush and Bahuvrihi.
- Class 6-8 depth level
- 9 min read
What is Samas?
When two or more words combine to form a new, shortened, meaningful word, with the case marker (vibhakti) between them dropped, the process is called samas. The resulting word is called a samast pad or samasik word, and writing it back out as separate words is called samas-vigrah (breakdown) — for example, the vigrah of 'राजपुत्र' is 'राजा का पुत्र' (the king's son).
A samas generally has two parts — the purvapad (first word) and the uttarapad (second word). Hindi grammar recognises six main types of samas: Avyayibhav, Tatpurush, Karmadharaya, Dvigu, Dvandva, and Bahuvrihi.
Samas and sandhi are often linked in people's minds because both produce shorter, compressed words, but the two processes are different. In sandhi, a sound-change happens where two sounds (varns) meet (as in विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय, where आ+आ becomes आ); in samas, only the case marker (vibhakti) between two whole words (pad) is dropped — the sound itself does not change (राजा का पुत्र = राजपुत्र). In some compound words, both sandhi and samas can happen together — for instance, 'विद्यालय' first undergoes sandhi (विद्या+आलय), and as an independent word it can also be counted among samas examples — so being clear on the difference matters for the exam. Exams often blend the two to create confusion, so always check sound-level change (sandhi) and word-level dropping (samas) separately.
The six types of Samas
| Type | How to identify it | Example and vigrah (breakdown) |
|---|---|---|
| अव्ययीभाव समास (Avyayibhav) | The first word (purvapad) is an avyay (indeclinable); the whole compound is also used as an avyay (adverb) | यथाशक्ति = शक्ति के अनुसार (according to one's ability) |
| तत्पुरुष समास (Tatpurush) | The second word (uttarapad) is the main one; the case marker between the two is dropped | राजपुत्र = राजा का पुत्र (the king's son) |
| कर्मधारय समास (Karmadharaya) | One word is an adjective and the other the noun it qualifies, or one is the thing compared to and the other the thing being compared | नीलकमल = नीला कमल (a blue lotus) |
| द्विगु समास (Dvigu) | The first word is a number, and the whole compound denotes a group/collection | नवरत्न = नौ रत्नों का समूह (a group of nine gems) |
| द्वंद्व समास (Dvandva) | Both words are equally important; the breakdown includes 'and/or'; usually joined with a hyphen (-) | माता-पिता = माता और पिता (mother and father) |
| बहुव्रीहि समास (Bahuvrihi) | Together, the two words point to some third (different) meaning | दशानन = दस मुखों वाला अर्थात् रावण ("ten-faced" — i.e., Ravana) |
How to tell Karmadharaya from Dvigu, and Tatpurush from Bahuvrihi
In both Karmadharaya and Dvigu, the first word looks like an adjective, which causes confusion. The distinguishing test: in Dvigu, the first word is always a number (one, two, nine, four...), and the meaning works out to a group/collection (त्रिलोक = a group of three worlds). In Karmadharaya, the first word is a qualitative adjective, not a number (नीलकमल = a blue lotus, with no sense of 'a group' here).
A similar confusion arises between Tatpurush and Bahuvrihi because both show the case marker dropped. The difference: in Tatpurush, the meaning of the whole compound stays limited to its own two words (राजपुत्र simply means the king's son, with no third meaning). In Bahuvrihi, the whole compound becomes a descriptor for some third person/thing — for instance, 'पीतांबर' literally means 'yellow clothes', but in practice it refers to 'the one wearing yellow clothes', i.e., Shri Krishna — that third meaning is the real meaning.
Another useful check is how the sentence completes once you do the vigrah. In Tatpurush, both words keep their original meaning even after the breakdown (राजा का पुत्र = राजा + पुत्र, with no third sense added), whereas in Bahuvrihi the sentence still feels incomplete after the breakdown unless you add 'the one who' or 'whose', pointing at a third person (e.g., 'the one who has ten faces' = Ravana). Likewise, when breaking down Dvandva versus Dvigu, note that in Dvandva each word stays an independent noun, while in Dvigu the breakdown necessarily adds a word like 'a group of' or 'a collection of'.
Two more examples for each type
| Type | Example 1 | Example 2 |
|---|---|---|
| अव्ययीभाव (Avyayibhav) | आजीवन = जीवन भर (lifelong) | प्रतिवर्ष = हर वर्ष (every year) |
| तत्पुरुष (Tatpurush) | गंगाजल = गंगा का जल (water of the Ganga) | रसोईघर = रसोई के लिए घर (a room for cooking) |
| कर्मधारय (Karmadharaya) | महापुरुष = महान पुरुष (a great man) | कमलनयन = कमल जैसे नयन (eyes like a lotus) |
| द्विगु (Dvigu) | सप्ताह = सात दिनों का समूह (a group of seven days) | चौराहा = चार राहों का समूह (a crossing of four roads) |
| द्वंद्व (Dvandva) | अन्न-जल = अन्न और जल (food and water) | राजा-रानी = राजा और रानी (king and queen) |
| बहुव्रीहि (Bahuvrihi) | लंबोदर = लंबा है उदर जिसका, अर्थात् गणेश ("long-bellied" — i.e., Ganesha) | त्रिनेत्र = तीन नेत्रों वाला, अर्थात् शिव ("three-eyed" — i.e., Shiva) |
Exams often repeat the same kind of examples, so memorising 2–3 examples per type is enough.
Memory trick / exam tip
If two words are joined by a hyphen (-) and the breakdown includes 'and' (as in फल-फूल, हानि-लाभ, जीव-जंतु), assume Dvandva samas without a second thought — this pattern repeats again and again in exams.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of Samas are there?+
Hindi grammar recognises six main types of samas — Avyayibhav, Tatpurush, Karmadharaya, Dvigu, Dvandva, and Bahuvrihi.
What is the difference between Samas and Sandhi?+
In sandhi, a sound-change occurs where two sounds meet; in samas, two or more whole words combine to form a new word, and the case marker is dropped.
How do I identify Dvandva samas?+
A compound whose two words carry equal weight, and whose breakdown inserts 'and' or 'or', is Dvandva samas — for example, माता-पिता, सुख-दुख.
What are purvapad and uttarapad in samas?+
In a compound word, the word that comes first is the purvapad, and the second word is the uttarapad. Which of the two is the dominant one (purvapad or uttarapad) helps decide the type of samas.