Pronouns / सर्वनाम / ಸರ್ವನಾಮ

Sources:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmeaj8qcUIE
2. https://kannadakalike.org/grammar/pronoun
3. https://www.learncbse.in/cbse-class-8-hindi-grammar-sarvanaam/

Personal pronouns / पुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम

We use different personal pronouns in Kannada depending on person (first, second, third), number (singular, plural), gender (male, female, neuter), and distance (near, far).

Only third person pronouns have gender associated with them. Verb conjugations depend on person, number, and gender (but not distance). Sometimes we address a single person as plural to show respect.

Here's how to apply ವಿಭಕ್ತಿ to pronouns: (For 3rd person pronouns, I'll only mention far versions. Near versions are similar.)

Others:

• ಆತ = ಅವನು
• ಆಕೆ = ಅವಳು
• ತಾವು: extremely respectful form of ನೀವು

Reflexive pronouns / निजवाचक सर्वनाम

These roughly mean 'oneself' or 'खुद' or 'अपने आप'.

Possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives

In Hindi, both possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns are constructed by applying संबंध कारक to personal pronouns (पुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम) and reflexive pronouns (निजवाचक सर्वनाम). In Kannada and English, these are different.

Examples:

• Possessive adjective: This is my book. - यह मेरी पुस्तक है। - ಇದು ನನ್ನ ಪುಸ್ತಕ.
• Possessive pronoun: This book is mine. - यह पुस्तक मेरी है। - ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ನನ್ನದು.

Just like in Hindi, the possessive pronoun in Kannada depends on both the subject and the object. To construct a possessive pronoun, take the संबंध कारक form of the possessor, and append the following suffix:

• ದು (for neuter (singular or plural) possessee)
• ವನು (for singular male possessee)
• ವಳು (for singular female possessee)
• ವರು (for plural person possessee)

Examples:

• He is mine. - यह मेरा है। - ಇವನು ನನ್ನವನು.
• She is mine. - यह मेरी है। - ಇವಳು ನನ್ನವಳು.
• They are mine. - ये मेरे हैं। - ಇವರು ನನ್ನವರು.
• This is mine. - यह मेरा है। - ಇದು ನನ್ನದು.

Demonstrative pronouns (निश्चयवाचक सर्वनाम) and demonstrative adjectives

In Hindi, यह and वह are both demonstrative adjectives (निश्चयवाचक सार्वनामिक विशेषण) and demonstrative pronouns (निश्चयवाचक सर्वनाम). In Kannada, demonstrative adjectives are ಈ and ಆ for near and far, respectively, and demonstrative pronouns are the same as neuter personal pronouns.

• Demonstrative adjective: This book is mine. - यह पुस्तक मेरी है। - ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ನನ್ನದು.
• Demonstrative pronoun: This is my book. - यह मेरी पुस्तक है। - ಇದು ನನ್ನ ಪುಸ್ತಕ.

Interrogative pronouns (प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम)

1. ಯಾರು - कौन - who
2. ಏನು - क्या - what