The Family ✨
a-stem masculine
The 8-Case System — Vibhakti
bālakaḥ
boy / child — the classic first Sanskrit noun taught in every textbook
Stem: बालक (bālaka)
Sanskrit is a fully inflected language. Word order is free — "the boy sees the fruit" and "the fruit sees the boy" use the same words but different ENDINGS to show who does what. The ending system has 8 cases (vibhakti) × 3 numbers (singular, dual, plural) = 24 forms per noun stem. We use बालकः (bālakaḥ, boy) — the classic first noun every Sanskrit student learns.
| Case | Singular | Dual | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
🎯 Nominative प्रथमा Subject — who/what performs or is | बालकः bālakaḥ | बालकौ bālakau | बालकाः bālakāḥ |
🎯 Accusative द्वितीया Object — whom/what the action is done to | बालकम् bālakam | बालकौ bālakau | बालकान् bālakān |
🔧 Instrumental तृतीया By/with — the means or agent | बालकेन bālakena | बालकाभ्याम् bālakābhyām | बालकैः bālakaiḥ |
🎁 Dative चतुर्थी For/to — the beneficiary or purpose | बालकाय bālakāya | बालकाभ्याम् bālakābhyām | बालकेभ्यः bālakebhyaḥ |
↩️ Ablative पञ्चमी From — source, separation, comparison | बालकात् bālakāt | बालकाभ्याम् bālakābhyām | बालकेभ्यः bālakebhyaḥ |
🔗 Genitive षष्ठी Of/whose — possession, relation | बालकस्य bālakasya | बालकयोः bālakayoḥ | बालकानाम् bālakānām |
📍 Locative सप्तमी In/at/on — location or context | बालके bālake | बालकयोः bālakayoḥ | बालकेषु bālakeṣu |
📣 Vocative संबोधन O! — direct address | बालक bālaka | बालकौ bālakau | बालकाः bālakāḥ |