Possession with 'Ke'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'Ke' to show possession when the object being possessed is masculine plural or oblique.
- Use 'Ka' for masculine singular objects (e.g., 'Mera bhai' - My brother).
- Use 'Ke' for masculine plural objects (e.g., 'Mere dost' - My friends).
- Use 'Ki' for feminine objects (e.g., 'Meri kitab' - My book).
Meanings
The particle 'Ke' is a genitive marker used to indicate possession or relationship, specifically agreeing with masculine plural nouns or nouns in the oblique case.
Masculine Plural Possession
Used when the possessed item is masculine and plural.
“Mere kapray (My clothes)”
“Uske jootay (His shoes)”
Oblique Case Marker
Used when a postposition follows the noun.
“Uske ghar mein (In his house)”
“Mere bhai ke liye (For my brother)”
Possessive Particle Agreement
| Owner | Masculine Singular (Ka) | Masculine Plural (Ke) | Feminine (Ki) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (Main) | Mera | Mere | Meri |
| You (Tum) | Tumhara | Tumhare | Tumhari |
| He/She/It (Yeh/Woh) | Iska/Uska | Iske/Uske | Isi/Uski |
| We (Hum) | Hamara | Hamare | Hamari |
| You (Aap) | Aapka | Aapke | Aapki |
| They (Yeh/Woh) | Inka/Unka | Inke/Unke | Inki/Unki |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Owner + Ke + Obj | Mere dost |
| Negative | Owner + Ke + Nahi | Mere dost nahi |
| Question | Kya + Owner + Ke + Obj | Kya mere dost? |
| Oblique | Noun + Ke + Postposition | Dost ke liye |
| Plural | Owner + Ke + Plural Noun | Mere kapray |
| Formal | Aapke + Noun | Aapke dost |
طیف رسمیت
Mere dost tashreef la chuke hain. (Social)
Mere dost aa gaye hain. (Social)
Mere dost aa gaye. (Social)
Mere dost aa gaye yaar. (Social)
The Ke-Ka-Ki Tree
Masculine Singular
- Ka Brother
Masculine Plural
- Ke Friends
Feminine
- Ki Sister
Examples by Level
Mere dost achay hain.
My friends are good.
Uske jootay naye hain.
His shoes are new.
Hamare bachay khel rahe hain.
Our children are playing.
Tumhare kapray kahan hain?
Where are your clothes?
Mere bhai ke ghar mein.
In my brother's house.
Uske dost ke liye gift.
A gift for his friend.
Mere walid ke paas.
With my father.
Sab ke kapray saaf hain.
Everyone's clothes are clean.
Uske tamam dost wahan gaye.
All his friends went there.
Mere bhai ke mashwaray par.
On my brother's advice.
Unke naye mansoobay.
Their new plans.
Bachay ke khilonay toot gaye.
The child's toys broke.
Uske khilaf koi saboot nahi.
There is no evidence against him.
Mere dost ke mutabiq.
According to my friend.
Unke tajurbaat se seekhein.
Learn from their experiences.
Uske ilawa koi nahi aaya.
Except for him, no one came.
Uske nazariye ke mutabiq.
According to his perspective.
Mere dost ke sath guftagu.
Conversation with my friend.
Unke aala mayarat ke bawajood.
Despite their high standards.
Uske faislay ke natijay mein.
As a result of his decision.
Uske falsafay ke bunyadi usool.
The basic principles of his philosophy.
Mere dost ke kirdar ki akkasi.
Reflection of my friend's character.
Unke iraday ke bar-aks.
Contrary to their intentions.
Uske ilmi mayar ke mutabiq.
According to his academic standard.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up singular and plural.
Learners mix up gender.
Learners forget Ke before postpositions.
اشتباهات رایج
Mera dost (plural)
Mere dost
Mere kitab
Meri kitab
Uska kapray
Uske kapray
Mere ghar mein
Mere ghar mein (Wait, this is correct, but check gender)
Mera bhai ke liye
Mere bhai ke liye
Uske behen
Uski behen
Hamara doston
Hamare dost
Uske ghar ke andar
Uske ghar ke andar
Mere sab dost
Mere sab dost
Unka faisla
Unka faisla
Uske nazariye
Uske nazariye
Mere tajurbaat
Mere tajurbaat
Unke aala mayar
Unke aala mayar
Uske ilawa
Uske ilawa
Sentence Patterns
Mere ___ achay hain.
Uske ___ ke liye.
Mere ___ mein.
Unke ___ ke mutabiq.
Real World Usage
Mere dost aa gaye.
Mere tajurbaat...
Uske do plate.
Mere jootay...
Mere dost!
Mere walid...
Count first!
Don't look at the owner!
Oblique rule
Respect
Smart Tips
Use Ke!
Use Ke!
Use Ki!
Use Ka!
تلفظ
Ke
Pronounced like 'kay' in 'okay'.
Statement
Mere dost hain. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Ka is for One, Ke is for Many, Ki is for She.
Visual Association
Imagine a scale. On one side, you have a single brother (Ka). On the other, a group of friends (Ke). The scale balances perfectly with the right particle.
Rhyme
Ka for one, Ke for many, Ki for her, don't have any doubt!
Story
Ali has one brother (Mera bhai). Ali has many friends (Mere dost). Ali has one sister (Meri behen). He uses the particles to keep his family organized.
Word Web
چالش
Write 5 sentences about your family using Ka, Ke, and Ki.
نکات فرهنگی
Using the correct particle shows respect and education.
Derived from Sanskrit genitive markers.
Conversation Starters
Aapke dost kahan hain?
Kya aapke bhai yahan hain?
Aapke naye mansoobay kya hain?
Aapke nazariye ke mutabiq...
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Mere ___ (dost) achay hain.
___ (My) dost aa gaye.
Find and fix the mistake:
Mera dost (plural) achay hain.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
His shoes are new.
Answer starts with: Usk...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Mere bhai ___ liye gift.
Unke ___ (faisla) ke mutabiq.
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesMere ___ (dost) achay hain.
___ (My) dost aa gaye.
Find and fix the mistake:
Mera dost (plural) achay hain.
dost / Mere / hain / achay
His shoes are new.
Match: I (plural masculine)
Mere bhai ___ liye gift.
Unke ___ (faisla) ke mutabiq.
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
Because the object is plural.
No, only the object's.
Use Ki.
Always, it's the oblique form.
Yes, it is standard.
Only if it's oblique.
Check your object gender.
Very few, follow the rules.
In Other Languages
de
Urdu requires agreement; Spanish does not.
de
Urdu particles agree with the object.
Genitive case
German uses case; Urdu uses postpositional particles.
no
Japanese 'no' never changes.
Idafa
Arabic uses word order; Urdu uses particles.
de
Chinese 'de' is invariant.
