Samas (समास, Compound Words)
Samas is the process of joining two or more words to form a single, shorter, meaningful word. REET consistently tests this by embedding word-pairs in a passage or giving them directly, and asks you to identify the samas — the trickiest confusion sits between द्वंद्व (dvandva) and कर्मधारय (karmadharay), and between तत्पुरुष (tatpurush) and बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi).
- 4 questions in REET 2024
- Class 6-8 depth
- 9 min read
How REET asks this
All four REET 2024 questions followed the same pattern — identifying the samas in word-pairs given directly or inside a passage (like ‘देवी-देवताओं (devi-devataon)’, ‘फल-फूलों (phal-phoolon)’, ‘जीव-जंतु (jeev-jantu)’, ‘हानि-लाभ (haani-laabh)’), and all four correct answers turned out to be द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas. This shows that recognising word-pairs joined by a hyphen and resolved with ‘and’ is very important in REET, so you must be able to tell द्वंद्व (dvandva) apart cleanly from कर्मधारय (karmadharay) and the other types.
What is samas?
When two or more words combine to form a new, shorter, meaningful word, and the case-marker (vibhakti) between them drops out, this process is called samas (compounding). The resulting new word is called the समस्त पद (samast pad) (compound word), and writing it back out into its separate original words is called समास-विग्रह (samas-vigrah) (dissolution) — for instance, ‘राजपुत्र (rajputra)’ dissolves into ‘राजा का पुत्र (raja ka putra)’ (the king’s son).
A samas generally has two parts — the पूर्वपद (purvapad) (the first word) and the उत्तरपद (uttarapad) (the second word). Hindi grammar recognises six major types of samas: अव्ययीभाव (avyayibhav), तत्पुरुष (tatpurush), कर्मधारय (karmadharay), द्विगु (dvigu), द्वंद्व (dvandva) and बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi).
Samas and sandhi are often confused with each other because both produce shorter, compressed words, but the two processes are quite different. Sandhi is a sound-change that happens when two adjoining letters/sounds merge (for example, vidya + aalay = विद्यालय (vidyalay), where aa+aa becomes aa), whereas samas is simply the dropping of the case-marker between two complete words — no sound changes (राजा का पुत्र (raja ka putra) = राजपुत्र (rajputra)). Some compound words even go through both processes together: in ‘विद्यालय (vidyalay)’, sandhi happens first (vidya+aalay), and the resulting word can also be counted among samas examples once it functions as an independent word — so the exam needs you to keep the two processes clearly apart. REET often blends the two to create confusion, so always check separately whether the change is happening at the level of sound (sandhi) or at the level of the whole word (samas).
The six types of samas
| Type | How to identify | Example & dissolution |
|---|---|---|
| अव्ययीभाव (Avyayibhav) samas | The first part is an avyaya (indeclinable); the compound word itself also functions like an adverb | यथाशक्ति (yathashakti) = according to one’s ability |
| तत्पुरुष (Tatpurush) samas | The second part is the main one; the case-marker in between drops | राजपुत्र (rajputra) = the king’s son |
| कर्मधारय (Karmadharay) samas | One part is an adjective and the other a noun, or one is a comparison and the other the thing compared | नीलकमल (neelkamal) = blue lotus |
| द्विगु (Dvigu) samas | The first part is a number, and the whole compound refers to a group/collection | नवरत्न (navratna) = a group of nine gems |
| द्वंद्व (Dvandva) samas | Both parts carry equal weight; the dissolution uses ‘and/or’, and the parts are usually joined with a hyphen | माता-पिता (mata-pita) = mother and father |
| बहुव्रीहि (Bahuvrihi) samas | The two parts together point to some third meaning (a person or thing they describe) | दशानन (dashanan) = one with ten faces, i.e. Ravana |
Telling कर्मधारय (karmadharay) from द्विगु (dvigu), and तत्पुरुष (tatpurush) from बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi)
कर्मधारय (Karmadharay) and द्विगु (dvigu) both look confusing because the first part in either case can resemble an adjective. The distinguishing test is this: in द्विगु (dvigu), the first part is always a number word (one, two, nine, four…) and the meaning that emerges is of a group or collection (त्रिलोक (trilok) = a group/collection of three worlds). In कर्मधारय (karmadharay), the first part is a quality-adjective, not a number (नीलकमल (neelkamal) = blue lotus, where there is no sense of a ‘group’).
तत्पुरुष (Tatpurush) and बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi) create a similar confusion because both involve the dropping of a case-marker. The difference is this — in तत्पुरुष (tatpurush), the meaning of the compound stays confined to its own two parts (राजपुत्र (rajputra) just means the king’s son, no third meaning is involved). In बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi), the compound word becomes an adjective describing some third person or thing — for example, ‘पीतांबर (pitambar)’ literally means ‘yellow clothes’, but in actual use it refers to ‘one who wears yellow clothes’, i.e. Lord Krishna — the third meaning is the real meaning.
Another useful check is to see how the sentence reads once you dissolve the compound. In तत्पुरुष (tatpurush), both parts keep their original meaning even after dissolution (राजा का पुत्र (raja ka putra) = raja + पुत्र (putra), no third sense gets added), whereas in बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi) the dissolved phrase still feels incomplete until you add ‘the one who’ or ‘whose’ to point to a third person (for example, ‘the one whose faces are ten’ = that is Ravana). In the same way, when dissolving द्वंद्व (dvandva) and द्विगु (dvigu), remember that in द्वंद्व (dvandva) every part remains an independent noun, whereas in द्विगु (dvigu) the dissolution necessarily adds a word like ‘group of’ or ‘collection of’.
Using this in the classroom
| Activity | Example |
|---|---|
| Joining two words on the blackboard to build a compound word | ‘raja’ + ‘पुत्र (putra)’ → राजपुत्र (rajputra) (तत्पुरुष (tatpurush)) |
| Finding compound words in newspaper headlines | spotting द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas in ‘माता-पिता (mata-pita) divas’ (Parents’ Day) |
| Building a list of hyphenated words | जीव-जंतु (jeev-jantu), din-raat, सुख-दुख (sukh-dukh) — all द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas |
Two extra examples for each type
| Type | Example 1 | Example 2 |
|---|---|---|
| अव्ययीभाव (Avyayibhav) samas | आजीवन (aajeevan) = for a lifetime | प्रतिवर्ष (prativarsh) = every year |
| तत्पुरुष (Tatpurush) samas | गंगाजल (gangajal) = water of the Ganga | रसोईघर (rasoighar) = a room for cooking |
| कर्मधारय (Karmadharay) samas | महापुरुष (mahapurush) = great man | कमलनयन (kamalnayan) = eyes like a lotus |
| द्विगु (Dvigu) samas | सप्ताह (saptaah) = a group of seven days | चौराहा (chauraha) = a meeting of four roads |
| द्वंद्व (Dvandva) samas | अन्न-जल (anna-jal) = food and water | राजा-रानी (raja-rani) = king and queen |
| बहुव्रीहि (Bahuvrihi) samas | लंबोदर (lambodar) = the one with a large belly, i.e. Ganesha | त्रिनेत्र (trinetra) = the one with three eyes, i.e. Shiva |
REET tends to repeat the same handful 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 dissolution uses ‘and’ (like phal-phool, हानि-लाभ (haani-laabh), जीव-जंतु (jeev-jantu)), assume द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas without a second thought — all four REET 2024 questions on this topic followed exactly this pattern.
Questions asked in REET 2024 (solved)
Question 75
In the word 'देवी-देवताओं' (goddesses-gods) used in the prose passage, which samas (compound) is present?
- Aअव्ययीभाव समास
- Bद्विगु समास
- Cबहुव्रीहि समास
- Dद्वंद्व समास
Explanation
‘देवी-देवताओं’ का विग्रह है — देवी और देवता। जिस समास में दोनों पद प्रधान हों और विग्रह में ‘और/या’ आता हो, वह द्वंद्व समास होता है। इसलिए यहाँ द्वंद्व समास है।
Question 36
In 'फल-फूलों' (fruits-flowers), the samas (compound) is –
- Aतत्पुरुष समास
- Bकर्मधारय समास
- Cद्वन्द्व समास
- Dद्विगु समास
Explanation
‘फल-फूल’ का विग्रह है ‘फल और फूल’। जिस समास में दोनों पद प्रधान हों और विग्रह में ‘और/या’ आता हो, वह द्वन्द्व समास होता है। प्रायः द्वन्द्व समास के पदों के बीच योजक चिह्न (-) लगता है।
Question 85
The samas in the word 'जीव-जंतु' is-
- Aअव्ययीभाव समास
- Bकर्मधारय समास
- Cतत्पुरुष समास
- Dद्वंद्व समास
Explanation
‘जीव-जंतु’ का विग्रह है ‘जीव और जंतु’। दोनों पद प्रधान हैं और विग्रह में ‘और’ आता है, इसलिए यहाँ द्वंद्व समास है।
Question 32
The samas (compound) in 'हानि-लाभ' is
- Aतत्पुरुष समास
- Bअव्ययीभाव समास
- Cकर्मधारय समास
- Dद्वन्द्व समास
Explanation
‘हानि-लाभ’ का विग्रह ‘हानि और लाभ’ होता है। जिस समास में दोनों पद प्रधान हों और विग्रह में ‘और/या’ आता हो, वह द्वन्द्व समास होता है। अतः यहाँ द्वन्द्व समास है।
Practice questions
Question 1
Which samas is present in the word 'चतुर्भुज'?
- Aद्वंद्व समास
- Bद्विगु समास
- Cबहुव्रीहि समास
- Dकर्मधारय समास
Explanation
The literal dissolution of ‘चतुर्भुज (chaturbhuj)’ is ‘one with four arms’, but the word is actually used for a third meaning — Lord Vishnu. Whenever a compound word points to some other (third) meaning, it is बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi) samas, not द्विगु (dvigu).
Question 2
The samas in the word 'यथाशक्ति' is
- Aअव्ययीभाव समास
- Bतत्पुरुष समास
- Cद्वंद्व समास
- Dकर्मधारय समास
Explanation
‘यथाशक्ति (Yathashakti)’ dissolves as ‘according to one’s ability’, and the whole word functions as an adverb. When the first part of a samas is an avyaya (indeclinable) and the whole compound also behaves like an avyaya, it is called अव्ययीभाव (avyayibhav) samas.
Question 3
The correct vigraha (break-up) of the word 'राजपुत्र' is
- Aराजा और पुत्र
- Bराजा का पुत्र
- Cराजा जैसा पुत्र
- Dराजाओं का समूह
Explanation
In ‘राजपुत्र (rajputra)’, the second part ‘पुत्र (putra)’ (son) is dominant and the case-marker ‘ka’ (of) in between has dropped — this is an example of तत्पुरुष (tatpurush) samas, dissolving as ‘राजा का पुत्र (raja ka putra)’ (the king’s son).
Question 4
Which samas is present in 'पंचवटी'?
- Aद्वंद्व समास
- Bद्विगु समास
- Cबहुव्रीहि समास
- Dअव्ययीभाव समास
Explanation
‘पंचवटी (Panchvati)’ dissolves as ‘a group of five banyan trees’. The first part is a number (पंच (panch) = five) and the meaning that emerges is of a group, so this is द्विगु (dvigu) samas.
Question 5
The samas in the word 'नीलकमल' is
- Aद्विगु समास
- Bद्वंद्व समास
- Cकर्मधारय समास
- Dतत्पुरुष समास
Explanation
‘नीलकमल (Neelkamal)’ dissolves as ‘blue lotus’ — here ‘नीला (neela)’ (blue) is the adjective and ‘कमल (kamal)’ (lotus) is the noun it describes. When one part is an adjective and the other a noun, it is कर्मधारय (karmadharay) samas; there is no sense of number or group here, so it is not द्विगु (dvigu).
Question 6
The samas in the word 'सुख-दुख' is
- Aद्वंद्व समास
- Bतत्पुरुष समास
- Cबहुव्रीहि समास
- Dद्विगु समास
Explanation
‘सुख-दुख (Sukh-dukh)’ dissolves as ‘joy and sorrow’. Both parts carry equal weight and the dissolution uses ‘and’, so this is द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas.
Question 7
In samas, what is elided (lopped) between the two words?
- Aस्वर का
- Bविभक्ति (कारक-चिह्न) का
- Cमात्रा का
- Dउपसर्ग का
Explanation
When two or more parts combine to form a new samas word, the case-marker (vibhakti such as ka, se, ke liye) between them drops — for example, in ‘राजा का पुत्र (raja ka putra)’ becoming ‘राजपुत्र (rajputra)’, the ‘ka’ disappears.
Question 8
The samas in 'गिरिधर' (one who holds the mountain, i.e. Shri Krishna) is
- Aतत्पुरुष समास
- Bबहुव्रीहि समास
- Cद्विगु समास
- Dअव्ययीभाव समास
Explanation
The literal meaning of ‘गिरिधर (giridhar)’ is ‘one who holds up a mountain’, but the word actually points to a third person — Lord Krishna. When a compound word becomes an adjective describing some other (third) meaning, it is बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi) samas.
Question 9
Students often confuse dvandva samas and dvigu samas. The most suitable way to clear this confusion in class is
- Aकेवल परिभाषा दोहराते रहना
- Bयोजक चिह्न वाले बनाम संख्यावाची शब्दों की अलग-अलग सूची बनवाकर तुलना कराना
- Cविद्यार्थियों को परीक्षा में सीधे रटने को कहना
- Dइस भेद को पढ़ाना ही छोड़ देना
Explanation
In द्विगु (dvigu), the first part is always a number word, whereas in द्वंद्व (dvandva), both parts are equal and independent nouns joined by ‘and’. Building two separate lists — one of hyphenated word-pairs and one of number-based compounds — and comparing them side by side makes this distinction stick permanently.
Question 10
The samas in the word 'हाथोंहाथ' is
- Aअव्ययीभाव समास
- Bद्वंद्व समास
- Cद्विगु समास
- Dकर्मधारय समास
Explanation
‘हाथोंहाथ (Hathonhath)’ dissolves as ‘from hand to hand, right away’, and the whole word is used as an adverb (for example, ‘the goods were distributed हाथोंहाथ (hathonhath)’ — immediately). Reduplicated word-pairs like this that function as an adverb fall under अव्ययीभाव (avyayibhav) samas.
Frequently asked questions
How many types of samas are there?+
Hindi grammar recognises six major types of samas — अव्ययीभाव (avyayibhav), तत्पुरुष (tatpurush), कर्मधारय (karmadharay), द्विगु (dvigu), द्वंद्व (dvandva) and बहुव्रीहि (bahuvrihi).
How many REET questions come from samas?+
REET 2024 had 4 questions from samas, all based on identifying द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas. Getting 1-3 questions from this topic every year in Bhasha-I/II is normal.
What is the difference between samas and sandhi?+
Sandhi is a sound-change produced when two letters/sounds meet, whereas samas creates a new word by joining two or more complete words and dropping the case-marker between them.
How do you recognise a द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas?+
If both parts of the compound word carry equal weight and the dissolution uses ‘and’, ‘or’ or ‘either’ in between, it’s a द्वंद्व (dvandva) samas — for example माता-पिता (mata-pita) (mother and father), सुख-दुख (sukh-dukh) (joy and sorrow).
What are पूर्वपद (purvapad) and उत्तरपद (uttarapad) in a samas?+
The word that comes first in a compound word is called the पूर्वपद (purvapad), and the second word is the उत्तरपद (uttarapad). Which part is dominant — the पूर्वपद (purvapad) or the उत्तरपद (uttarapad) — helps decide the type of samas.
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Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked