से (se) — From, By, With (instrument)
Quick Answer: से (se) covers 'from' (source/origin), 'by' (means/instrument), and 'than' (comparison). One postposition, three English prepositions.
Source, instrument, and comparison marker
Category: Postpositions
The Rule
से (se) covers 'from' (source/origin), 'by' (means/instrument), and 'than' (comparison). One postposition, three English prepositions.
Why This Matters
English uses different prepositions for source ('from Delhi'), instrument ('by train'), and comparison ('taller than him'). Hindi से handles all three, which is simpler but initially confusing because English speakers must unlearn their instinct to reach for different words.
Examples
• I came from Delhi. — "मैं दिल्ली से आया।" [दिल्ली + से = from Delhi (source)] • Cut with a knife. — "चाकू से काटो।" [चाकू + से = with a knife (instrument)] • Ram is taller than Shyam. — "राम श्याम से लंबा है।" [श्याम + से = than Shyam (comparison)]
Common Mistakes
❌ मैं से दिल्ली आया ✅ मैं दिल्ली से आया → से comes after the noun, not before ❌ राम श्याम से ज़्यादा से लंबा है ✅ राम श्याम से लंबा है → Don't add extra से; one is sufficient for comparison
Quick Tip
से = the 'Swiss Army knife' postposition. Source? से. Tool? से. Comparison? से. Context makes it clear.
से = the 'Swiss Army knife' postposition. Source? से. Tool? से. Comparison? से. Context makes it clear.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: मैं से दिल्ली आया → Correct: मैं दिल्ली से आया. से comes after the noun, not before
Incorrect: राम श्याम से ज़्यादा से लंबा है → Correct: राम श्याम से लंबा है. Don't add extra से; one is sufficient for comparison
Quiz
Which correctly says 'I go to school by bus'?