Sangya (Noun): Definition, Types and Forming Abstract Nouns — Patwari Hindi Grammar Notes
This page gives the definition of Sangya, its five types, the rules for forming abstract nouns, and how one type of noun can be used as another, with examples.
- Class 1–8 level
- 7 min read
What is Sangya (a noun)?
The name of any person, living being, object, place, feeling, or state is called a sangya (noun). For example — मीरा, गाय, पुस्तक, जयपुर, प्रेम, बचपन. A noun is a vikari (inflected) word, meaning its form changes due to gender, number and case: लड़का → लड़की (gender), लड़का → लड़के (number), लड़का → लड़के ने (case).
Hindi recognises eight word classes — sangya (noun), sarvanam (pronoun), visheshan (adjective), kriya (verb) — all inflected (vikari) — and kriyavisheshan (adverb), sambandhbodhak (postposition), samuchchayabodhak (conjunction), vismayadibodhak (interjection) — all uninflected (avikari/avyay). For a 'which word class is this' question, first ask yourself: is it the name of a thing or a feeling? 'कृपा', 'प्रकृति', 'सैंधव' — all three are names, so all three are nouns.
Keep in mind that a word's class is decided by how it is used in the sentence. 'मीठा' is usually an adjective (मीठा आम — a sweet mango), but in 'मुझे मीठा पसंद है' ("I like sweet things") it is used as a noun. Likewise, 'सैंधव' can mean either rock salt or a resident of the Sindh region — in both senses it is still a name, i.e., a noun.
Types of Sangya (nouns)
| Type | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| व्यक्तिवाचक — Proper noun | The name of one particular person, place, object, or living being | मीराबाई, जयपुर, चंबल, गीता, अरावली, चेतक |
| जातिवाचक — Common noun | Denotes every member of an entire class or category | कृषक, लड़का, नदी, पर्वत, शहर, पुस्तक, भाषा |
| भाववाचक — Abstract noun | The name of a quality, state, feeling, or action that cannot be touched or seen | कृपा, उदारता, अभिमान, दुःख, बचपन, मिठास, दौड़ |
| समूहवाचक — Collective noun | The name of a group of people/things treated as a single unit | सेना, कक्षा, सभा, भीड़, गुच्छा, दल |
| द्रव्यवाचक — Material noun | Substances that are weighed or measured, not counted | सोना, पानी, दूध, घी, गेहूँ, लोहा |
Traditionally, three main types of noun are recognised (proper, common, abstract); collective and material nouns are also taught as sub-types of the common noun. That's why both 'five types' and 'three types' are considered correct answers.
Tests for identifying each type
Proper vs. common: if a word names just one specific thing, it's a proper noun (गंगा); if it applies to any member of that whole category, it's a common noun (नदी — river). 'कृषक' (farmer) applies to every farmer, so it's a common noun. 'भाषा' (language) also denotes the whole category covering Hindi, Rajasthani, English, and every other language, so it too is treated as a common noun.
Identifying an abstract noun: something that cannot be touched or seen by the senses, only experienced — प्रेम, क्रोध, कृपा, उदारता, थकान (love, anger, grace, generosity, tiredness). Such words are usually formed with suffixes like ता, त्व, पन, पा, आस, आहट, आई. 'दुःख' and 'अभिमान' are abstract nouns even without a suffix, since they are names for states of mind.
How usage changes the type: a proper noun can become a common noun when it is used, because of some quality, for an entire category — 'इस गाँव में कई हरिश्चंद्र हैं' ('there are many Harishchandras in this village', meaning truthful people). A common noun can become a proper noun when it comes to be fixed for one particular person — 'पंडित जी ने बच्चों को गुलाब भेंट किए' (referring to Jawaharlal Nehru), 'गोस्वामी जी ने रामचरितमानस लिखा' (referring to Tulsidas). An abstract noun becomes a common noun when used in the plural — 'बुराइयों से बचो' ('stay away from vices').
Identifying collective and material nouns: a collective noun refers to many members as a single unit, so 'सेना आई' ('the army arrived') is said in the singular, even though there may be thousands of soldiers. A material noun cannot be counted — you don't say 'दो पानी' ('two waters'), you say 'दो गिलास पानी' ('two glasses of water'). This is the simplest exam test: if you can count it, it's a common noun; if it's one name for a group, it's a collective noun; and if it can only be measured or weighed, it's a material noun.
Forming abstract (bhavvachak) nouns
| Formed from | Examples |
|---|---|
| From a common noun | बच्चा → बचपन, मित्र → मित्रता, मनुष्य → मनुष्यता, पशु → पशुता, दास → दासता |
| From a pronoun | अपना → अपनापन, मम → ममता/ममत्व, निज → निजता, सर्व → सर्वस्व |
| From an adjective | मीठा → मिठास, बूढ़ा → बुढ़ापा, सुंदर → सुंदरता, चतुर → चतुराई, लाल → लालिमा, गर्म → गर्मी |
| From a verb | लिखना → लिखावट, हँसना → हँसी, पढ़ना → पढ़ाई, घबराना → घबराहट, चढ़ना → चढ़ाई |
| From an indeclinable (avyay) | दूर → दूरी, निकट → निकटता, शीघ्र → शीघ्रता, धिक् → धिक्कार |
When forming an abstract noun from an adjective, the first long vowel often shortens: मीठा → मिठास, बूढ़ा → बुढ़ापा, मोटा → मुटापा.
Memory trick / exam tip
'One — all — felt': the name of one specific thing = proper noun; the name of a whole category = common noun; something that can only be felt = abstract noun. If a word ends in 'ता, त्व, पन, पा, आस, आहट', consider abstract noun first — but a doer-word ending in 'अक', like 'कृषक', is a common noun.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of Sangya are there?+
Mainly three — proper, common, and abstract. Adding collective and material gives five types, which is also taught.
Which type of noun is 'कृपा'?+
'कृपा' is the name of a feeling, so it is an abstract (bhavvachak) noun.
When does a proper noun become a common noun?+
When a person's name, because of their quality, comes to be used for an entire category — as in 'देश को आज भी भगतसिंहों की ज़रूरत है' ('the country still needs more Bhagat Singhs').
Which type of noun is 'सेना'?+
'सेना' (army) is the name for a group of soldiers, so it is a collective noun (also considered a sub-type of common noun).