Postposition Forms — का / की / के
Quick Answer: का/की/के agrees with the POSSESSED noun (the thing owned), not the possessor. का (masc. sing.), की (fem.), के (masc. plural / oblique).
The possessive postposition changes by the FOLLOWING noun's gender
Category: Gender System
The Rule
का/की/के agrees with the POSSESSED noun (the thing owned), not the possessor. का (masc. sing.), की (fem.), के (masc. plural / oblique).
Why This Matters
English 'of/my/his' doesn't change form. Hindi का/की/के changes based on what comes AFTER. 'Ram's book' = राम की किताब (की because किताब is fem.). 'Ram's house' = राम का घर (का because घर is masc.). This backwards agreement is deeply unintuitive for English speakers.
Examples
• Ram's house — "राम का घर" [का because घर (house) is masculine] • Ram's book — "राम की किताब" [की because किताब (book) is feminine] • Ram's friends — "राम के दोस्त" [के because दोस्त (friends) is masculine plural] • my mother — "मेरी माँ" [मेरी (not मेरा) because माँ (mother) is feminine]
Common Mistakes
❌ राम का किताब ✅ राम की किताब → का/की agrees with the following noun; किताब is feminine, so use की ❌ सीता का घर (meaning Sita's house) ✅ सीता का घर → This IS correct! का agrees with घर (masc.), not सीता (fem.). Many learners wrongly use की because Sita is female.
Quick Tip
का/की/के looks at the noun AFTER it, not before. Think: 'What is being possessed? Match its gender.' Owner's gender is irrelevant.
का/की/के looks at the noun AFTER it, not before. Think: 'What is being possessed? Match its gender.' Owner's gender is irrelevant.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: राम का किताब → Correct: राम की किताब. का/की agrees with the following noun; किताब is feminine, so use की
Incorrect: सीता का घर (meaning Sita's house) → Correct: सीता का घर. This IS correct! का agrees with घर (masc.), not सीता (fem.). Many learners wrongly use की because Sita is female.
Quiz
'Sita's car (गाड़ी, fem.)' — which is correct?