Compound postpositions are multiword units such as के साथ ke sāth, के लिए ke lie, के पास ke pās, के बारे में ke bāre meṃ, and के सामने ke sāmne. Like simple postpositions, they require an oblique complement: लड़के के साथ laṛke ke sāth, लड़कियों के लिए laṛkiyoṃ ke lie, कमरे के सामने kamre ke sāmne.
Their longer shape reveals the layered history of Hindi postpositions. Many contain a genitive linker के followed by a relational noun or adverb, sometimes followed by another simple postposition. For learners, the safest analysis is [oblique complement] + [compound postposition as a learned unit].
The basic construction
| Direct phrase | Compound postpositional phrase | Case change |
|---|---|---|
| लड़का laṛkā | लड़के के साथ laṛke ke sāth | -ā → -e |
| कमरा kamrā | कमरे के सामने kamre ke sāmne | -ā → -e |
| दोस्त dost | दोस्त के लिए dost ke lie | singular noun unchanged |
| लड़कियाँ laṛkiyā̃ | लड़कियों के पास laṛkiyoṃ ke pās | -iyā̃ → -iyoṃ |
| किताबें kitābeṃ | किताबों के बारे में kitāboṃ ke bāre meṃ | -eṃ → -oṃ |
लड़का अकेला आया, लेकिन मैं लड़के के साथ वापस गया।
laṛkā akelā āyā, lekin maĩ laṛke ke sāth vāpas gayā.
The boy came alone, but I went back with the boy.
The first लड़का is direct. In लड़के के साथ, it is oblique singular because the complete compound postposition follows it. The case trigger is not merely the nearest word के; के साथ functions together as the relational unit.
Do not confuse that oblique लड़के laṛke with the identical-looking singular vocative लड़के! laṛke! “boy!” A vocative directly addresses someone and stands outside the clause; once a compound postposition such as के साथ follows, लड़के is an oblique complement, not a vocative.
Frequent के compounds
Many high-frequency units begin with fixed के:
| Compound unit | Typical relation | Example frame |
|---|---|---|
| के साथ ke sāth | accompaniment | दोस्तों के साथ dostoṃ ke sāth |
| के लिए ke lie | beneficiary or purpose | बच्चों के लिए baccoṃ ke lie |
| के पास ke pās | proximity or possession | रीना के पास rīnā ke pās |
| के बारे में ke bāre meṃ | topic | समस्या के बारे में samasyā ke bāre meṃ |
| के सामने ke sāmne | front or confrontation | घर के सामने ghar ke sāmne |
| के बाद ke bād | sequence | बैठक के बाद baiṭhak ke bād |
These glosses orient the form; each unit has its own range of meanings and idioms elsewhere in the Postpositions group.
मैं इस सप्ताहांत अपने दोस्तों के साथ पहाड़ों पर जा रहा हूँ।
maĩ is saptāhānt apne dostoṃ ke sāth pahāṛoṃ par jā rahā hū̃.
I'm going to the mountains with my friends this weekend.
बच्चों के लिए ऊपर वाले कमरे में बिस्तर लगा दिए हैं।
baccoṃ ke lie ūpar vāle kamre meṃ bistar lagā die haiṃ.
Beds have been set up in the upstairs room for the children.
बैठक के बाद इस समस्या के बारे में अलग से बात करेंगे।
baiṭhak ke bād is samasyā ke bāre meṃ alag se bāt kareṅge.
After the meeting, we'll discuss this problem separately.
दोस्तों and बच्चों overtly show oblique plural. Feminine singular बैठक and समस्या remain unchanged, but the following compound postpositions still place them in oblique case.
The whole complement phrase is oblique
As before simple postpositions, the compound unit governs every relevant word in its complement. Direct वह बड़ा कमरा vah baṛā kamrā becomes उस बड़े कमरे के सामने us baṛe kamre ke sāmne. A partial conversion produces an ungrammatical mixture.
उस बड़े कमरे के सामने सब लोग इकट्ठा हो गए।
us baṛe kamre ke sāmne sab log ikaṭṭhā ho gae.
Everyone gathered in front of that large room.
मेरे छोटे भाई के लिए भी एक कुर्सी रख देना।
mere choṭe bhāī ke lie bhī ek kursī rakh denā.
Please put out a chair for my younger brother too.
Although भाई bhāī itself is invariant in singular, मेरा छोटा भाई merā choṭā bhāī becomes मेरे छोटे भाई mere choṭe bhāī. The modifiers reveal the oblique environment.
Some units use की, not के
Not every compound postposition begins with के. Units such as की ओर kī or and की तरफ़ kī taraf contain a feminine relational noun and conventionally use की. Their complement is still oblique: लड़के की ओर laṛke kī or, दरवाज़े की तरफ़ darvāze kī taraf.
वह दरवाज़े की तरफ़ मुड़ा और बाहर चला गया।
vah darvāze kī taraf muṛā aur bāhar calā gayā.
He turned toward the door and went outside.
The की here does not agree freely with दरवाज़ा, which is masculine. It belongs to the conventional unit की तरफ़. Likewise, do not replace fixed के साथ with का साथ merely because its complement is masculine singular.
Pronouns use special linked forms
Personal pronouns do not normally combine as bare मैं के साथ or वह के लिए. They use possessive-shaped oblique forms: मेरे साथ mere sāth “with me,” तुम्हारे लिए tumhāre lie “for you,” उसके पास uske pās “with/near him or her,” उनके बारे में unke bāre meṃ “about them.”
मेरे साथ कौन आएगा, और तुम्हारे पास गाड़ी है क्या?
mere sāth kaun āegā, aur tumhāre pās gāṛī hai kyā?
Who will come with me, and do you have a car? (informal)
The exact pronoun paradigms deserve separate treatment, but the architectural principle is the same: the complement appears in the form selected by the postpositional expression.
Nested layers are normal
In किताब के बारे में kitāb ke bāre meṃ, the historical relational element बारे is itself followed by में. A learner need not reconstruct that history each time. Synchronically, के बारे में is best learned as a three-word compound postposition meaning “about.”
इन किताबों के बारे में तुम्हें किसने बताया?
in kitāboṃ ke bāre meṃ tumheṃ kisne batāyā?
Who told you about these books?
The outer structure is transparent: direct plural किताबें becomes oblique plural किताबों, followed by the intact unit के बारे में. This is layered case: noun inflection signals the oblique complement, while the postpositional unit supplies the fuller relation.
A natural exchange
तुम किसके साथ जा रहे हो? — नेहा के साथ; उसके पास गाड़ी है।
tum kiske sāth jā rahe ho? — nehā ke sāth; uske pās gāṛī hai.
Who are you going with? — With Neha; she has a car. (informal)
Interrogative किसके साथ kiske sāth and pronoun उसके पास uske pās show special pronominal forms. The proper name नेहा has no visible singular change, but it is the oblique complement of के साथ.
Compound postpositions versus ordinary possession
The sequence के + noun can sometimes be an ordinary genitive phrase rather than a grammaticalized postposition. Compare लड़के के दोस्त laṛke ke dost “the boy's friends,” where दोस्त is an ordinary possessed noun, with लड़के के साथ laṛke ke sāth “with the boy,” where के साथ functions as a relational unit.
The complement लड़के is oblique in both constructions, but their larger syntax differs. Meaning and the lexical item after के tell you whether you have possession or a compound postposition.
Common Mistakes
1. Keeping masculine -ā direct before a compound postposition
❌ मैं लड़का के साथ आया।
Incorrect: लड़का must become oblique लड़के before के साथ.
✅ मैं लड़के के साथ आया।
maĩ laṛke ke sāth āyā.
I came with the boy.
2. Using a direct plural as the complement
❌ हमने किताबें के बारे में बात की।
Incorrect: plural किताबें becomes oblique किताबों before के बारे में.
✅ हमने किताबों के बारे में बात की।
hamne kitāboṃ ke bāre meṃ bāt kī.
We talked about the books.
3. Building a pronoun phrase from the citation form
❌ वह मैं के साथ जाएगा।
Incorrect: use the linked pronoun form मेरे साथ.
✅ वह मेरे साथ जाएगा।
vah mere sāth jāegā.
He will go with me.
4. Making a fixed linker agree with the complement
❌ वह कमरे का सामने खड़ा है।
Incorrect: the compound postposition is fixed के सामने.
✅ वह कमरे के सामने खड़ा है।
vah kamre ke sāmne khaṛā hai.
He is standing in front of the room.
5. Ignoring modifier case
❌ उस बड़ा कमरे के पास रुकना।
Incorrect: masculine adjective बड़ा must be oblique बड़े.
✅ उस बड़े कमरे के पास रुकना।
us baṛe kamre ke pās ruknā.
Stop near that large room.
Key Takeaways
- Compound postpositions take oblique complements just as simple postpositions do.
- Learn frequent units whole: के साथ, के लिए, के पास, के बारे में, के सामने.
- Oblique marking applies throughout the complement noun phrase.
- Some conventional units use की, notably की ओर and की तरफ़.
- Personal pronouns use linked forms such as मेरे साथ and उसके लिए, not bare citation forms.
Related Topics
- The oblique before simple postpositionsA2 — Apply oblique case consistently to complete noun phrases before simple Hindi postpositions such as को, ने, से, में, पर, and तक.
- Oblique singular formationA2 — Form the singular case used before Hindi postpositions and recognize when that case is overt or hidden on the noun.
- Oblique plural formationA2 — Build the plural noun forms required before postpositions across the major Hindi declension classes.
- Postpositions and oblique complementsA1 — Build Hindi relational phrases by placing a postposition after an oblique noun or special pronoun form instead of translating English prepositions word for word.
- के लिए purpose and beneficiaryA2 — Use के लिए for intended beneficiaries, purposes, suitability, viewpoints, and bounded temporary periods, with correct noun and pronoun forms.
- के साथ accompanimentA2 — Use के साथ for accompaniment, association, and parallel development while keeping its complement oblique and its pronoun forms conventional.