15A. ka of subject.
In Hindi, if a verb is not finite, that is, if it
is not altered for number, gender or person, then its subject is usually
marked with ka :
kÙC B:Vt: c:aht:ð
hòø ek y:h dðv:t:a p:àTv:i p:r AaO.
kÙC B:Vt: Es: dðv:t:a
ka p:àTv:i p:r Aan:a c:aht:ð hòø.
'Some devotees want this deity to come to
earth.';
In the first sentence the verb AaO
'come' agrees in number and person with its subject y:h dðv:t:a . In the second
sentence Aa- occurs in a non-finite form,
in this case, the infinitive. Its subject, therefore, is marked
with kaH Es: dðv:t:a ka Aan:a ,
literally 'the coming of this deity'. Naturally, if the infinitive of such
a
subject is itself followed by a postposition (see 9B), then we
find kñ of subject:
p:r p:Øj:ari us:kñ
D:rt:i p:r j:nm: l:ðn:ð s:ð Rrt:ð
hòø.
'But the priests are afraid of his being born on
Earth.'
ka of subject is a
very important use of ka in Hindi. It
applies to the subjects of many other non-finite forms besides those of
infinitives in -n:aH see 15B. In Hindi
subject (of the finnte verb) has a two-part definition: 1) Anything
followed by the posposition n:ð is
a subject. 2) If n:ð is absent,
then that with which the verb agrees in number, gender or person is the
subject. In the following, s:Üz:n: is followed by n:ð , so s:Üz:n: is the subject of B:ðj:aH
m:ØJ:ð y:h
p:s:ød n:hiø Aay:a ek s:Üz:n: n:ð v:h p:*:
B:ðj:a.
'I didn't like it that Susan sent the
letter.'
The same thing can be said with a non-finite form of B:ðj:- and ka of subject :
s:Üz:n: ka v:h p:*:
B:ðj:n:a m:ØJ:ð p:s:nd n:hiø Aay:a.
It is important to bear in mind that a subject is not necessarily an
agent, and vice versa. In the following, while Et:n:i b:at:ðø is not the agent
of m:al:Üm: haðn:a it
is the
subject and for that reason gets ka
H
t:Ømhðø Es: um:r
m:ðø Et:n:i b:at:aðø ka m:al:Üm: haðn:a AcCa
n:hiø hò.
'It's not good for you to know so many things at
this age.'
Similarily, g:a_i is the subject, but
not the agent, in :
Es: g:a_i ka s:aðm:v:ar
t:k Yik eky:a j:an:a n:am:Øm:ekn: hò.
'It's impossible for this car to be fixed by
Monday.'
If the subject of an infinitive is the same as the agent of the main verb
it is usually replaced by Ap:n:a H
Ap:n:a Et:n:i j:ldi p:hc:an:a
j:an:a m:ØJ:ð eb:l:kÙl: AcCa n:hiø l:g:a.
'I did not like my being recognized so quickly one
bit.'
Inanimate subjects, especially if they are
intangible ( c:aðX ) or
undifferentiable ( p:an:i ), tend more
often not to get ka of subject
:
Aaj: p:an:i b:rs:n:a
m:Ø¡Skl: hò.
'It's unlikely to rain today.'
b:arh b:j:n:ð ka
Eøt:z:ar krað.
'Wait for it to strike 12.'
unhðø c:aðX
Aan:a s:mB:v: T:a.
'They might have gotten hurt.'
In these cases few speakers would choose to have ka ( or kñ ) follow p:an:i, b:arh or c:aðX . Unfortunately the presence or
absence of ka with such subjects
depends somewhat on the identity of the final expression, too. A rule is
hard to find.
eks:an:
p:an:i ( kñ ) b:rs:n:ð ki )t:ix:a m:ðø
hòø.
'The farmers are waiting for it to rain.'
Es: m:aòs:m:
m:ðø Aadm:i kað z:Økam: hað j:an:ð ka Rr
hò.
'In this weather a body's liable to catch
cold.'
kaðI p:rðS:an:i
n:hiø. kl: D:Üp: ka en:kl:n:a p:Vka hò.
'Don't worry. The sun's bound to come out
tomorrow.
The same rules for ka of subject apply to infinitive followed by
postpositions like m:ðø,
p:r, t:k,
kñ b:ad, kñ p:hl:ð, etc.
n:I v:ðsp:a kñ )apt:
eky:ð j:an:ð m:ðø kI p:rðS:aen:y:aú
AaIø.
'Many difficulties attended the acquisition of a
new Vespa.'
m:ðrð
em:*:aðø kñ Aan:ð kñ p:hl:ð hi eb:skÙX
Q:tm: eky:ð j:a c:Økñ T:ð.
'By the time my friends arrived the cookies had
already been finished off.'
b:cc:i kñ p:tT:r
en:g:l:n:ð s:ð m:aú kñ p:ðX m:ðø
ddü haðn:ð l:g:a.
'The mother got a stomachache from her daughter's
having swallowed a stone.
Coloquial speech tends to avoid constructions requiring ka of subject in favor of ek -clauses or j:b:-clauses
Drill 15A. ka of
subject.
Vocab. s:mB:v: 10 -- possible
As:mB:v: 13 -- impossible
uec:t: 2 -- fitting, proper,
best
Aen:v:ay:ü 2 --
inevitable;
compulsory
keYn: 17 -- difficult;
unlikely
n:am:Øm:ekn: 1 --
impossible
V-
n:a Yik rhn:a -- to be ok
to
V
V-
n:ð kñ hq m:ðø
haðn:a -- to be in favor of
V-ing
Answer the following questions either positively
or negatively using an infinitive and the governing expressions presented
in parentheses.
Example:
Vy:a b:fý
eg:rðg:i ? ( s:mB:v: / As:mB:v: )
'Will it snow ?'
s:mB:v: hò.
haú, b:fý eg:rn:i
As:mB:v: n:hiø hò.
'Yes,
possibly' 'It's not
impossible.'
s:mB:v: n:hiø hò.
n:hiø, b:fý eg:rn:i
As:mB:v: hò.
'It's not
possible.' 'No,
impossible.'
1 Vy:a s:ðn:a hX
j:aO ? ( uec:t: )
2 Vy:a m:ØJ:ð
p:rix:a dðn:i
p:_ðg:i ? ( Aen:v:ay:ü )
3 Vy:a AcCi p:tn:i
em:l:ðg:i ? ( keYn: )
4 Vy:a m:òø
Aap:kñ p:as: b:òYÜø, dadaj:i ? ( z:-ri )
5 Vy:a unhðø
Afs:aðs: hò ? ( m:Øm:ekn: or n:am:Øm:ekn: )
6 Vy:a eb:j:l:i
y:haú
p:hØúc:ðg:i ? ( p:Vka )
7 Vy:a m:òø
ep:t:a kað b:t:aUú ? ( Yik rhn:a )
8 Vy:a c:aðr
p:k_ð j:aOøg:ð ? ( s:øB:v: )
9 Vy:a eb:ll:i m:r
j:aOg:i ? ( V-n:ð ka Rr )
10 Vy:a b:cc:ð y:h eflm:
dðK: s:kt:ð
hòø ? ( m:n:a )
11 Vy:a ( hm: ) l:hraðø
m:ðø
K:ðl:ðø ? ( AcCa )
12 ( Aap:kñ Qy:al:
m:ðø ) Vy:a ran:i v:haú
rhðø ? ( V-n:ð kñ hq m:ðø )
Drill 15A. Key.
1 haú,
s:ðn:a ka hX j:an:a uec:t:
hò.
n:hiø,
s:ðn:a ka hX j:an:a uec:t: n:hiø
hò.
2 haú,
t:Ømhara p:rix:a dðn:a Aen:v:ay:ü
hò.
n:hiø,
t:Ømhara p:rix:a dðn:a Aen:v:ay:ü
n:hiø hò.
3 haú,
AcCi p:tn:i em:l:n:i keYn: n:hiø
hò.
n:hiø,
AcCi p:tn:i em:l:n:i keYn: hò.
4 haú,
t:Ømhara m:ðrð p:as: b:òYn:a
z:-ri hò.
n:hiø,
t:Ømhara m:ðr( p:as: b:òYn:a
z:-ri n:hiø &r.
5 haú,
un:kað Afs:aðs:
haðn:a /
m:Øm:ekn: hò. / n:am:Øm:ekn: n:hiø hò.
n:hiø,
un:kað Afs:aðs:
haðn:a / m:Øm:ekn:
n:hiø hò. / n:am:Øm:ekn: hò.
6 haú,
eb:j:l:i ka y:haú p:hØúc:n:a p:Vka
hò.
n:hiø,
eb:j:l:i ka y:haú p:hØúc:n:a p:Vka
n:hiø hò.
7 haú,
Aap:ka ep:t:a kað b:t:an:a Yik
rhðg:a.
n:hiø,
Aap:ka ep:t:a kað b:t:an:a Yik n:hiø
rhðg:a.
8 haú,
c:aðraðø ka p:k_a j:an:a s:mB:v:
hò.
n:hiø,
c:aðraðø ka p:k_a j:an:a s:mB:v:
n:hiø hò.
9 haú,
eb:ll:i kñ m:r j:an:ð ka Rr
hò.
n:hiø,
eb:ll:i kñ m:r j:an:ð ka Rr n:hiø
hò.
10 haú, b:cc:aðø kað ( or ka ) y:h eflm:
dðK:n:a m:n:a n:hiø hò.
n:hiø,
b:cc:að
kað ( or ka ) y:h eflm:
dðK:n:a m:n:a hò.
11 haú, l:hraðø m:ðø K:ðl:n:a AcCa
hò.
n:hiø,
l:hraðø m:ðø K:ðl:n:a
AcCa n:hiø hò.
12 haú, m:òø ran:i kñ v:haú rhn:ð kñ hq
m:ðø hÜú.
n:hiø,
m:òø ran:i kñ v:haú
rhn:ð kñ hq m:ðø n:hiø hÜú.
n:hiø,
m:òø ran:i kñ v:haú n:
rhn:ð kñ hq m:ðø hÜú.
Exercise 15A. ka of
subject
Translate into Hindi, using ka of subject.
1. Her girlfriend is unlikely to have matches.
2. The tourists are waiting ( )t:ix:a m:ðø ) for the sun to come
out.
3. People here won't like ( p:s:nd ) your burping after eating.
4. Actually it's always possible for accidents to
happen.
5. If you spit in the bus the conductors liable to
get mad..
6. You are sure to be implicated in this
affair.
7. It's essential ( z:-ri ) for the yogurt to set.
Key.
1 us:ki s:hðl:i
kñ p:as: m:aec:s: ( ka ) haðn:a
m:Ø¡Skl: or keYn: ) hò.
2 XÜersX
D:Üp: ( kñ ) en:kl:n:ð
ki )t:ix:a m:ðø hòø.
3 y:haú kñ
l:aðg: t:Ømhara K:an:ð kñ b:ad Rkar m:arn:a
p:s:ød n:hiø krðøg:ð.
y:haú kñ
l:aðg:aðø kað t:Ømhara K:an:ð kñ b:ad
Rkar m:arn:a p:s:ød n:hiø AaOg:a.
4 v:òs:ð
t:að dØG:üXn:a / ka
haðn:a / haðn:i hm:ðS:a
s:mB:v: ( or m:Øm:ekn: ) hò.
5 t:Ømharð b:s:
m:ðø T:Ükn:ð s:ð kNRVXr kað g:Øss:a
Aan:ð ka Rr hò.
Ag:r t:Øm:
b:s:
m:ðø T:Ükað( g:ð ) t:að
kNRVXr kñ n:araz: haðn:ð ka Rr hò.
6 Es: m:am:l:ð
m:ðø t:Ømharð n:am: ka el:y:a j:an:a
p:Vka / Aen:v:ay:ü hò.
7 dhi ka j:m:n:a z:-ri
hò.