Sanskrit Pronouns and Key Indeclinables
सर्वनाम और अव्यय शब्द
The Most Frequently Used Words in Sanskrit Sentences · Class 6-8
Key Points to Remember
- ▸Aham (I) ↔ English "I" ↔ Latin "ego" — all from PIE *h₁eǵ-om
- ▸"Ca" (and) is always placed AFTER the word: "rāmaś ca sītā ca" (Rāma and Sītā)
- ▸"Iti" closes a quotation — like ending a quote in writing: "dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ iti"
- ▸"Eva" = indeed/only — "karmaṇyevādhikāraste" contains eva (only in action is your right)
Vocabulary List
Pronouns (sarvānāma) and indeclinables (avyaya) are the glue of Sanskrit sentences. Knowing these 25 words allows you to read and understand most simple Sanskrit sentences.
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| अहम् | aham | I | cognate with English "I" (both from PIE *h₁eǵ-om) |
| त्वम् | tvam | you | cognate with English "thou" (old form of "you") |
| सः | saḥ | he | demonstrative pronoun — this one (masc.) |
| सा | sā | she | demonstrative pronoun — this one (fem.) |
| तत् | tat | it, that | demonstrative pronoun (neut.); also "tat tvam asi" (that thou art) |
| वयम् | vayam | we | first person plural nominative |
| युयम् | yūyam | you (plural) | second person plural |
| ते | te | they (masc.) | third person plural nominative masculine |
| एषः | eṣaḥ | this (masc.) | e + saḥ — near demonstrative |
| कः | kaḥ | who? which? (masc.) | interrogative pronoun |
| किम् | kim | what? (neut.), interrogative particle | also used as "whether?" at start of yes/no question |
| यः | yaḥ | who, which (relative pronoun, masc.) | pairs with "saḥ" — yaḥ...saḥ = he who...that one |
| च | ca | and (always after the word) | cognate with Latin "que" and Greek "te" — all PIE enclitic conjunctions |
| न / न हि | na / na hi | not, no | universal negation particle |
| एव | eva | indeed, only, just (emphatic) | e + va; "evam" = thus/in this way; "eva" alone = indeed |
| तु | tu | but, however (mild contrast) | cognate with Latin "tum" (then) — transition particle |
| अपि | api | also, even, too | ap (water?) + i — going further; also used at start of questions |
| इव | iva | like, as if (comparative particle) | like the English simile marker "like" |
| अत्र | atra | here | a (this) + tra (place suffix) |
| तत्र | tatra | there | ta (that) + tra (place suffix) |
| कुत्र | kutra | where? | ku (interr.) + tra = which place? |
| सह | saha | with, together with (+ Tṛtīyā) | sa (together) + ha (emphatic); always takes Tṛtīyā |
| इति | iti | thus, end-quote marker | marks end of a quotation: "..." iti — like closing quotation marks |
| खलु | khalu | indeed, certainly (emphatic) | seen in "śarīram ādyam khalu dhārma-sādhanam" — indeed the body is... |
| एवम् | evam | thus, in this way | e (here/this) + vam — "in this manner"; starts dialogue replies |
Exercises (2)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Use the correct pronoun or indeclinable
1. "I am a student": _______ छात्रः अस्मि।
Show answer
अहम् (aham)
2. "Who is this?": _______ एषः?
Show answer
कः (kaḥ) — who? (masc.)
3. "Rāma and Sītā": रामः _______ सीता _______।
Show answer
च ... च — rāmaś ca sītā ca
4. The "iti" at the end of a quote does what?
Show answer
Marks the end of a quoted speech — like closing quotation marks
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct indeclinable
1. Which particle means "also/even" in Sanskrit?
Show answer
api
2. Which particle is used after the Tṛtīyā case to mean "together with"?
Show answer
saha
More Sanskrit Worksheets
Related Guides
Are you a Sanskrit teacher?
These worksheets are free for classroom use. VedaLingo also has an interactive app — students learn Sanskrit through stories, audio, and games, not just memorisation.
Contact VedaLingo →