WACE Hindi Second Language ATAR key terms

A naming word for a person, place, thing, or idea. In Hindi it carries gender and number, which decide how verbs and adjectives agree with it.

The grammatical gender of a noun, either masculine or feminine. Gender affects verb endings, adjective forms, and pronouns, so learners must record it with every new noun.

Grammatical number, singular or plural. Hindi nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs all change form to show whether one or more than one is meant.

A pronoun that stands in for a noun, such as मैं, तुम, वह, or हम. Choosing the right pronoun signals formality, number, and the relationship between speakers.

A verb, the word expressing an action or state. Hindi verbs agree with the subject in person, number, and gender, and also change for tense and aspect.

Tense, the time reference of a verb: past, present, or future. Hindi marks tense through verb endings and sometimes auxiliary words placed after the main verb.

Aspect, which shows whether an action is habitual, ongoing, or completed, independent of tense. Hindi combines aspect with tense, as in करता है or कर रहा है.

An adjective, a word describing a noun. In Hindi many adjectives change ending to match the gender and number of the noun they modify.

An adverb, a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, telling how, when, or where something happens, for example धीरे or कल.

The grammatical case role a noun plays in a sentence, such as doer, object, or recipient. Hindi shows case mainly through postpositions rather than by changing the noun itself.

A postposition, a small word placed after a noun or pronoun to show its relationship, such as में, पर, से, or के लिए. It follows the word, unlike an English preposition.

The postposition marking the doer in transitive sentences in the perfective past, as in मैंने खाया. Its presence changes the verb's agreement pattern.

A transitive verb, one that takes a direct object. Transitive verbs in the perfective past often require the postposition ने with the subject.

An intransitive verb, one that does not take a direct object, such as सोना or जाना. Such verbs never take the postposition ने with their subject.

The formal pronoun for you, used with elders, strangers, and people in authority. It takes plural verb forms even when addressing one person, showing respect.

The familiar pronoun for you, used with friends, peers, and children. It sits between the intimate तू and the respectful आप on the politeness scale.

The most intimate pronoun for you, used with very close friends, children, or in prayer. Used wrongly with a stranger or elder, it can sound rude or insulting.

The possessive case, showing that one thing belongs to another. Hindi forms it with का, के, or की, which agree in gender and number with the thing possessed.

The joining of sounds at the boundary of two words or morphemes, often changing their form, as when a vowel meets another vowel. It appears in formal and literary Hindi.

A prefix added to the front of a root word to change its meaning, such as अन- in अनुचित or प्र- in प्रस्थान. Recognising prefixes helps guess unfamiliar words.

A suffix added to the end of a root word to form a new word or change its grammatical role, such as -ता in सुंदरता or -वाला in दिलवाला.

The root or base word from which related words are built by adding prefixes and suffixes. Identifying it helps a reader work out the meaning of longer derived words.

An idiom whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as आँखों का तारा. Idioms make writing vivid and often appear in comprehension passages.

A proverb or popular saying that expresses folk wisdom, such as जैसा देश वैसा भेष. It is quoted to support a point and reflects cultural values.

A synonym, a word with a similar meaning to another, such as पानी and जल. Knowing synonyms helps avoid repetition and answer vocabulary questions.

An antonym, a word with the opposite meaning to another, such as अच्छा and बुरा. Exams often ask candidates to supply opposites of words from a text.

The meaning of a word or sentence. Working out meaning from context, rather than dictionary translation alone, is a core reading skill in this exam.

The surrounding words or situation that help a reader infer meaning. Context clues let candidates understand unknown vocabulary without stopping to look it up.

The main idea or central point of a text. Identifying it is usually the first step in summarising a passage or answering a comprehension question.

A summary that restates the key points of a text briefly and in the candidate's own words, keeping the original meaning and order of ideas.

The purpose or aim behind a text or a speaker's words, such as to persuade, inform, or entertain. Recognising purpose guides interpretation of tone and content.

Tone of voice or the attitude conveyed through word choice, such as humour, anger, or politeness. Tone clues help listeners judge a speaker's real intention.

The listener or audience a spoken text is aimed at. Knowing the intended audience helps candidates judge register, formality, and the level of detail expected.

The reader, the audience a written text addresses. Writers adjust vocabulary, format, and tone depending on who they expect to read the text.

The feeling or emotional quality conveyed by a text or speech, such as joy, sorrow, or nostalgia. Naming the भाव accurately earns marks in response questions.

Poetry or verse, a literary form valued for rhythm, imagery, and condensed meaning. Poetry extracts in exams test interpretation of emotion and figurative language.

The shared beliefs, customs, festivals, food, and values of a community. Understanding Hindi-speaking cultures helps candidates interpret references that a literal translation would miss.

A festival or celebration, such as दिवाली, होली, or ईद. Festivals often appear in listening and reading texts, so their names and customs should be familiar.

A tradition or long-established custom passed down through generations, such as a wedding ritual or a style of music. Texts often contrast tradition with modern life.

Formal in register, suitable for letters to officials, job applications, news reports, or speeches. Formal Hindi avoids slang and uses respectful pronouns and complete sentences.

Informal in register, suited to messages to friends, personal notes, or casual conversation. It allows shortened forms, slang, and familiar pronouns such as तुम.