बहुवचन (bahuvchan)

noun A grammatical term meaning 'plural.' It is used almost exclusively in a grammar-classroom context, paired against एकवचन (ekavchan, 'singular').
Sense 1 : plural (grammatical number)
noun, masculine
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This word belongs squarely to the language classroom -- you will meet it in Hindi grammar books and school lessons where teachers explain how nouns and verbs change for singular versus plural. Its natural partner is एकवचन (ekavchan, 'singular'), and the two are almost always taught side by side.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use बहुवचन (bahuvchan) in everyday speech to mean 'many' or 'a lot' -- it is strictly a grammar-textbook term for the plural number, not a general quantity word; for 'many,' use बहुत (bahut) or कई (kaii) instead.
Sample Sentences:
बहुवचन में संज्ञा का रूप बदल जाता है। In the plural, the form of the noun changes.
(bahuvchan men sangyaa kaa roop badal jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अध्यापिका ने बच्चों को एकवचन और बहुवचन का अंतर समझाया। The teacher explained to the children the difference between singular and plural.
(adhyaapikaa ne bachchon ko ekavchan aur bahuvchan kaa antar samjhaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस शब्द का बहुवचन क्या होगा? What will the plural of this word be?
(is shabd kaa bahuvchan kyaa hogaa?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
कृपया इस वाक्य में क्रिया को बहुवचन में लिखिए। Please write the verb in this sentence in the plural.
(kripyaa is vaaky men kriyaa ko bahuvchan men likhie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर संज्ञा बहुवचन होती, तो क्रिया भी बहुवचन में होती। If the noun were plural, the verb would also be in the plural.
(agar sangyaa bahuvchan hotii, to kriyaa bhii bahuvchan men hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हिंदी व्याकरण में बहुवचन बनाने के कई नियम हैं। In Hindi grammar, there are several rules for forming the plural.
(hindii vyaakran men bahuvchan banaane ke kaii niyam hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
परीक्षा में पूछा गया कि 'लड़का' का बहुवचन क्या है। In the exam it was asked what the plural of 'ladka' (boy) is.
(pariikshaa men poochhaa gayaa ki 'ladkaa' kaa bahuvchan kyaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
शायद वह बहुवचन और एकवचन में भ्रमित हो जाए। Perhaps he might get confused between plural and singular.
(shaayad vah bahuvchan aur ekavchan men bhramit ho jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पुस्तक में हर पाठ के अंत में बहुवचन के अभ्यास दिए गए हैं। At the end of every lesson in the book, exercises on the plural have been given.
(pustak men har paath ke ant men bahuvchan ke abhyaas die gae hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): बहुवचन (bahuvchan)
(sg.m.oblique): बहुवचन (bahuvchan)
(pl.m.direct): बहुवचन (bahuvchan)
(pl.m.oblique): बहुवचनों (bahuvachnon)