Free CBSE guide · Class 6–8 Vyakaran
Sandhi and Samas in Hindi grammar
संधि और समास
Sandhi and Samas are two of the highest-scoring grammar topics in CBSE Class 6, 7 and 8 Hindi exams. Learn how letters combine in sandhi, how words compress in samas, and how to spot every type quickly.
Sandhi: joining two sounds (संधि)वर्णों का मेल · संधि के भेद
When the last sound of one word meets the first sound of the next word, they blend into a new sound. This is called Sandhi, and breaking it back apart is Sandhi-Vicched (संधि-विच्छेद).
Three branches of Sandhi
- स्वर संधि (Swar Sandhi): Vowel + Vowel — e.g. हिम + आलय = हिमालय
- व्यंजन संधि (Vyanjan Sandhi): Consonant + Vowel/Consonant — e.g. जगत् + नाथ = जगन्नाथ
- विसर्ग संधि (Visarg Sandhi): Visarg (ः) + Vowel/Consonant — e.g. निः + छल = निश्छल
| Type | Hindi Name | Core Rule | Solved Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirgha Sandhi | दीर्घ संधि | Same vowel (short or long) combines into the long form (अ/आ + अ/आ = आ; इ/ई + इ/ई = ई). | विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय · रवि + इंद्र = रवींद्र · गुरु + उपदेश = गुरूपदेश |
| Guna Sandhi | गुण संधि | अ/आ followed by इ/ई becomes ए; followed by उ/ऊ becomes ओ; followed by ऋ becomes अर्. | सुर + इंद्र = सुरेंद्र · सूर्य + उदय = सूर्योदय · महा + ऋषि = महर्षि |
| Vriddhi Sandhi | वृद्धि संधि | अ/आ followed by ए/ऐ becomes ऐ; followed by ओ/औ becomes औ. | एक + एक = एकैक · सदा + एव = सदैव · महा + औषध = महौषध |
| Yan Sandhi | यण् संधि | इ/ई + different vowel → य्; उ/ऊ + different vowel → व्; ऋ + different vowel → र्. | अति + अधिक = अत्यधिक · सु + आगत = स्वागत · प्रति + एक = प्रत्येक |
| Ayadi Sandhi | अयादि संधि | ए/ऐ/ओ/औ + another vowel turns into अय्, आय्, अव्, आव् respectively. | ने + अन = नयन · गै + अक = गायक · पो + अन = पवन |
Samas: all 6 types with Vigrah (समास)शब्दों का संक्षिप्तीकरण · समास के ६ भेद
Samas combines two or more words into a single compact word (समस्त पद). Expanding it back to show its meaning is called Samas-Vigrah (समास-विग्रह).
| Samas | Hindi Name | How to Spot It | Example | Samas-Vigrah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avyayibhava Samas | अव्ययीभाव समास | First word is an indeclinable prefix (आ, प्रति, यथा, भर). | यथाशक्ति / प्रतिदिन | शक्ति के अनुसार / प्रत्येक दिन |
| Tatpurush Samas | तत्पुरुष समास | Case sign (कारक चिह्न: का, के, को, से, में, लिए) is hidden between words. | रसोईघर / राजपुत्र | रसोई के लिए घर / राजा का पुत्र |
| Karmadharaya Samas | कर्मधारय समास | Adjective–noun or comparison ('है जो' or 'के समान'). | नीलकमल / महात्मा | नीला है जो कमल / महान है जो आत्मा |
| Dvigu Samas | द्विगु समास | First word is always a number showing a group. | त्रिलोक / चौराहा | तीन लोकों का समूह / चार राहों का समूह |
| Dvandva Samas | द्वंद्व समास | Both words carry equal weight, joined by 'और', 'या', 'एवं'. | माता-पिता / दिन-रात | माता और पिता / दिन और रात |
| Bahuvrihi Samas | बहुव्रीहि समास | Combined word points to a third special meaning/person ('जिसका… वह'). | दशानन / लंबोदर | दस हैं आनन जिसके (रावण) / लंबा है उदर जिसका (गणेश) |
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Questions about Sandhi and Samas
- What is the main difference between Sandhi and Samas?
- Sandhi joins two adjacent sounds/letters (वर्णों का मेल, like विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय). Samas joins two or more meaningful words by dropping connecting words (शब्दों का मेल, like राजा का पुत्र = राजपुत्र).
- What are the three main categories of Sandhi?
- The three categories are Swar Sandhi (vowel + vowel), Vyanjan Sandhi (consonant + vowel or consonant), and Visarg Sandhi (ः visarg + vowel or consonant, like मनः + बल = मनोबल).
- How do I avoid confusing Karmadharaya and Bahuvrihi Samas in exams?
- In Karmadharaya, one word simply describes the other (नीलकंठ = नीला है जो कंठ). In Bahuvrihi, the phrase points to a specific third entity (नीला है कंठ जिसका अर्थात् शिवजी).
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