के (ke)
postposition
The oblique/masculine-plural form of का (kaa), Hindi's genitive ('of') postposition; it also shows up fixed inside several common conjunctive/pattern expressions like के बाद (ke baad) and के लिए (ke lie).
Sense
1
:
possessive/genitive marker (before masc. plural or oblique nouns)
postposition Agrees with the following noun: का (kaa) before masc. singular, की (kii) before feminine, के (ke) before masc. plural or when the following noun is in the oblique case (e.g. before another postposition).
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of का/के/की (kaa/ke/kii) as one team: के (ke) is simply the form that shows up when the 'owned' noun is masculine plural, like मेरे बच्चे (mere bachche, 'my children'), or whenever the possessive phrase itself needs to be in the oblique to host a further postposition, as in लड़के के घर में (ladke ke ghar men, 'in the boy's house').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use के (ke) generically instead of switching to का (kaa) or की (kii) depending on the noun that follows it -- the choice depends on the noun owned, not the owner. 2) Because के (ke) also appears frozen inside के लिए (ke lie, 'for') and के बाद (ke baad, 'after'), learners sometimes wrongly assume it can be swapped for का (kaa) or की (kii) inside those fixed expressions -- it cannot.
Sample Sentences:
ये मेरे बच्चे हैं।
These are my children.
(ye mere bachche hain।)
लड़के के घर में सब लोग बैठे थे।
Everyone was sitting in the boy's house.
(ladke ke ghar men sab log baithe the।)
उसके भाई बहुत मेहनती हैं।
His brothers are very hardworking.
(uske bhaaii bahut mehantii hain।)
अपने माता-पिता के दोस्तों का सम्मान करो।
Respect your parents' friends.
(apne maataa-pitaa ke doston kaa sammaan karo।)
मास्टर जी के छात्र परीक्षा में अव्वल आए।
The teacher's students topped the exam.
(maastar jii ke chhaatr pariikshaa men avval aae।)
अगर उसके बेटे मेहनत करते तो कामयाब होते।
If his sons had worked hard, they would have succeeded.
(agar uske bete mehnat karte to kaamyaab hote।)
क्या तुम्हें यकीन है कि उसके सारे कागज़ात सही हैं?
Are you sure that all his documents are correct?
(kyaa tumhen yakiin hai ki uske saare kaagzaat sahii hain?)
शायद उसके दादा के जमाने की बातें अब भी याद की जाती हों।
Perhaps things from his grandfather's era are still remembered.
(shaayad uske daadaa ke jamaane kii baaten ab bhii yaad kii jaatii hon।)
उसके सपने बहुत बड़े थे, पर हालात छोटे।
His dreams were very big, but the circumstances were small.
(uske sapne bahut bade the, par haalaat chhote।)
नेता जी के समर्थकों के बीच नारे लगाए जा रहे थे।
Slogans were being raised among the leader's supporters.
(netaa jii ke samarthkon ke biich naare lagaae jaa rahe the।)
मेरे दोस्तों के मोबाइल सब नए हैं।
My friends' mobiles are all new.
(mere doston ke mobaail sab nae hain।)
Sense
2
:
compound-postposition base ('to', 'for', 'like', etc., inside fixed frames)
postposition Functions as the connecting piece in a large family of compound postpositions -- के लिए (ke lie, 'for'), के पास (ke paas, 'near/has'), के बाद (ke baad, 'after'), के सामने (ke saamne, 'in front of'), के बिना (ke binaa, 'without') -- where के (ke) itself contributes no separate meaning but glues the noun to the second element.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the same के (ke) as the possessive sense -- these compound postpositions are literally built as 'of + noun', e.g. के पास (ke paas) is historically 'in the vicinity of', which is why को-marked or possessive logic (जैसे मेरे पास है (mere paas hai, 'I have')) keeps surfacing in Hindi's way of expressing possession and location.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop के (ke) and use only the second word (e.g. साथ (saath) alone instead of के साथ (ke saath)), which sounds incomplete or overly clipped in most contexts. 2) Mixing up which compound postpositions take के (ke) versus की (kii) (e.g. की तरफ़ (kii taraf) but के सामने (ke saamne)) is a common source of error, since it is not always predictable from meaning alone.
Sample Sentences:
मैं तुम्हारे लिए एक तोहफा लाया हूँ।
I have brought a gift for you.
(main tumhaare lie ek tohphaa laayaa hoon।)
स्टेशन के पास एक अच्छा ढाबा है।
There is a good roadside eatery near the station.
(steshan ke paas ek achchhaa dhaabaa hai।)
खाने के बाद हम टहलने जाएँगे।
After eating, we will go for a walk.
(khaane ke baad ham tahalne jaaenge।)
मेरे पास अभी पैसे नहीं हैं।
I don't have money right now.
(mere paas abhii paise nahiin hain।)
कृपया मीटिंग के दौरान अपना फ़ोन बंद रखें।
Please keep your phone switched off during the meeting.
(kripyaa miiting ke dauraan apnaa fon band rakhen।)
अगर उसके पास वक़्त होता, तो वह ज़रूर आता।
If he had had time, he would surely have come.
(agar uske paas vaqt hotaa, to vah zaroor aataa।)
यह चिट्ठी उसके नाम के आगे रख दो।
Put this letter in front of his name.
(yah chitthii uske naam ke aage rakh do।)
बच्चों के लिए यह किताब बहुत उपयोगी है।
This book is very useful for children.
(bachchon ke lie yah kitaab bahut upyogii hai।)
स्कूल के सामने एक बड़ा पार्क बनाया जा रहा है।
A big park is being built in front of the school.
(skool ke saamne ek badaa paark banaayaa jaa rahaa hai।)
उम्मीद है कि सब कुछ हमारे पक्ष के मुताबिक होगा।
Hopefully, everything will turn out according to our side.
(ummiid hai ki sab kuchh hamaare paksh ke mutaabik hogaa।)
घर के भीतर इतना अंधेरा क्यों है?
Why is it so dark inside the house?
(ghar ke bhiitar itnaa andheraa kyon hai?)