The Genitive Marker 'No/Ni/Nu'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Gujarati, possessive markers (no, ni, nu) change to match the gender and number of the object being possessed, not the owner.
- Use 'no' for masculine singular objects (e.g., 'maro bhai' -> 'bhai no ghar').
- Use 'ni' for feminine singular objects (e.g., 'mari bahen' -> 'bahen ni pen').
- Use 'nu' for neuter singular objects (e.g., 'maru pustak' -> 'pustak nu pan').
Genitive Marker Agreement Table
| Object Gender/Number | Marker | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Masculine Singular
|
no
|
Ram no bhai
|
|
Feminine Singular
|
ni
|
Ram ni pen
|
|
Neuter Singular
|
nu
|
Ram nu ghar
|
|
Plural (All Genders)
|
na
|
Ram na pustako
|
Meanings
These particles indicate possession or relationship between two nouns, functioning like the English apostrophe-s or 'of'.
Direct Possession
Indicating ownership of an object or relationship to a person.
“Mara pita no ghar.”
“Tari mata ni car.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Owner + Marker + Object
|
Ram no bhai
|
|
Negative
|
Owner + Marker + Object + nathi
|
Ram no bhai nathi
|
|
Question
|
Owner + Marker + Object + che?
|
Ram no bhai che?
|
|
Plural
|
Owner + na + Objects
|
Ram na bhaiyo
|
|
Possessive Pronoun
|
Pronoun + Marker
|
Maru ghar
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Mara bhrata nu ghar. (General)
Mara bhai nu ghar. (General)
Mara bhai nu ghar. (General)
Mara bhai nu ghar. (General)
Genitive Marker Logic
Masculine
- no Marker
Feminine
- ni Marker
Neuter
- nu Marker
Beispiele nach Niveau
Ram no bhai.
Ram's brother.
Sita ni pen.
Sita's pen.
Ghar nu darvaju.
The house's door.
Mara pita no mitr.
My father's friend.
Amara mitra na pustako.
Our friend's books.
Tari mata ni car.
Your mother's car.
School nu canteen.
The school's canteen.
Bhai na kapda.
Brother's clothes.
Aa company ni policy che.
This is the company's policy.
Temna pita no vyavasay.
His father's profession.
Shahar nu vatavaran.
The city's environment.
Mara mitra na vicharo.
My friend's thoughts.
Sarkar ni navi yojana.
The government's new scheme.
Kavi ni kavita no bhav.
The poet's poem's emotion.
Ghar na badha sadasyo.
All members of the house.
Pustak nu mukhaprusth.
The book's cover.
Aa sanskruti ni parampara.
The tradition of this culture.
Itihas na pana.
Pages of history.
Jivan nu satya.
The truth of life.
Vigyan no siddhant.
The principle of science.
Sahitya ni anokhi shaili.
The unique style of literature.
Samaj na niyam.
Rules of society.
Manav man nu rahasya.
The mystery of the human mind.
Kala no anand.
The joy of art.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners confuse personal pronouns with genitive markers.
Forgetting that plural objects always use 'na'.
Matching the marker to the owner.
Häufige Fehler
Ram ni bhai
Ram no bhai
Sita no pen
Sita ni pen
Ghar no darvaju
Ghar nu darvaju
Ram na bhai
Ram no bhai
Ram ni pens
Ram na pens
Tari mata no car
Tari mata ni car
School no canteen
School nu canteen
Temna pita ni vyavasay
Temna pita no vyavasay
Shahar ni vatavaran
Shahar nu vatavaran
Mara mitra ni vicharo
Mara mitra na vicharo
Sarkar no yojana
Sarkar ni yojana
Itihas ni pana
Itihas na pana
Jivan no satya
Jivan nu satya
Satzmuster
___ no/ni/nu ___ che.
Aa ___ ni ___ che.
___ na ___ kya che?
___ nu ___ sundar che.
Real World Usage
Mara bhai no msg.
Mari car no photo.
Company ni policy.
Restaurant nu menu.
Station no rasto.
Order nu status.
Check the Object
Don't match the owner
Plural is easy
Respectful usage
Smart Tips
Default to the most common gender if you are a beginner, but always check your dictionary.
Stop thinking about gender and just use 'na'.
Focus on the object noun first, then pick the marker.
Ensure your markers match the formal register of the nouns.
Aussprache
Vowel length
The 'o' in 'no' is long, 'i' in 'ni' is short, 'u' in 'nu' is short.
Statement
Ram no bhai che. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
No is for boys, Ni is for girls, Nu is for the neutral world.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a boy holding a 'no' sign, a girl holding a 'ni' sign, and a neutral box labeled 'nu'.
Rhyme
Masculine no, feminine ni, neuter nu, plural na, that's the key!
Story
Ram (masculine) has a brother (no). Sita (feminine) has a pen (ni). The house (neuter) has a door (nu). They all have many books (na).
Word Web
Herausforderung
Label 5 items in your room with their correct genitive marker in 5 minutes.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Possessive markers are essential for showing respect. Using the plural 'na' for elders is common.
Derived from Sanskrit genitive inflections.
Gesprächseinstiege
Tamara bhai nu naam shu che?
Aa pen koni che?
Tamara ghar nu address shu che?
Aa company ni policy shu che?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Ram ___ bhai.
Sita ___ pen.
Find and fix the mistake:
Ram ni ghar.
Ram / no / bhai.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Ram ___ pustako.
Ghar ___ darvaju.
Find and fix the mistake:
Sita no car.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesRam ___ bhai.
Sita ___ pen.
Find and fix the mistake:
Ram ni ghar.
Ram / no / bhai.
Match: Masculine -> ?
Ram ___ pustako.
Ghar ___ darvaju.
Find and fix the mistake:
Sita no car.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It changes to agree with the gender and number of the object being possessed.
Always use 'na' for plural objects.
No, 'no' is for masculine objects, regardless of who owns them.
No, 'ghar' (house) is neuter, so you must use 'nu'.
Yes, it is used in all forms of written and spoken Gujarati.
You have to learn the gender when you learn the vocabulary.
Some loanwords might have flexible gender, but the rule remains.
It is very similar, but Gujarati has a distinct neuter gender.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ka/ki/ke
Gujarati uses 'nu' for neuter, while Hindi uses 'ke' for plural/oblique.
de
Spanish 'de' is static; Gujarati markers are dynamic.
Genitive case
German changes the article; Gujarati adds a particle.
no
Japanese 'no' never changes for gender or number.
Idafa construction
Arabic has no particle; Gujarati requires one.
de
Chinese 'de' is invariant.
