दुकानदार केक बनाता है।

A word-by-word breakdown:

• दुकानदार = shopkeeper
• केक = cake
• बनाता = makes
• है = a form of to be, used here as part of the present habitual structure

So the sentence structure is basically:

shopkeeper + cake + makes + is

That sounds odd in English, but in natural English it comes out as The shopkeeper makes cake / makes a cake / makes cakes, depending on context.

Because Hindi normally follows Subject–Object–Verb word order, while English usually uses Subject–Verb–Object.

So:

• English: The shopkeeper makes cake
• Hindi: दुकानदार केक बनाता है।
  • दुकानदार = subject
  • केक = object
  • बनाता है = verb phrase

Putting the verb at the end is one of the most basic word-order differences between Hindi and English.

In standard Hindi, this kind of present habitual sentence usually uses:

• main verb stem + habitual ending + form of होना

So here:

• बनाता = the habitual participle form
• है = present form of होना (to be)

Together, बनाता है means something like makes / does make / habitually makes.

If you remove है, the sentence sounds incomplete in normal standard Hindi.

This is the present habitual.

It is used for things that happen regularly, usually, or characteristically.

So दुकानदार केक बनाता है। means something like:

• The shopkeeper makes cake
• The shopkeeper makes cakes
• The shopkeeper makes a cake only in some contexts, though habitual usually suggests a repeated or general action

It is not the same as is making right now.
For is making, Hindi would normally use a progressive form, such as बना रहा है.

Because बनाता is the masculine singular habitual form.

Hindi verbs often agree with the subject in sentences like this. Since दुकानदार is being treated as masculine singular here, the verb is:

• बनाता है = masculine singular

If the shopkeeper were female, you would usually say:

• दुकानदार केक बनाती है।

So:

• बनाता है = he makes
• बनाती है = she makes

Grammatically, दुकानदार is commonly treated as a masculine noun, and in many contexts it refers to a male shopkeeper.

If you specifically want to talk about a female shopkeeper, people may still sometimes use दुकानदार from context, but the verb would often show the gender:

• दुकानदार केक बनाती है।

You may also hear more explicitly female phrasing in some contexts, but for learners, the important thing is:

• noun may stay the same
• verb agreement can reveal the gender

Hindi does not have articles like English a/an/the.

So दुकानदार can mean:

• a shopkeeper
• the shopkeeper

And केक can mean:

• a cake
• the cake
• cake in a general sense

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is why a short Hindi sentence can sometimes be translated into English in more than one way.

Because केक here is a direct object, and direct objects in Hindi are not always marked with को.

Hindi often uses को with:

• specific or definite animate objects
• sometimes very specific inanimate objects, depending on context and style

But with a general inanimate object like केक, leaving out को is completely normal:

• दुकानदार केक बनाता है।

If you added को in some contexts, it could sound more specific or marked, but the unmarked form is the basic and natural one here.

केक is a borrowed word, ultimately from English cake.

Hindi uses many loanwords, especially for modern objects, foods, technology, and everyday items. Even though it is borrowed, it behaves like a Hindi noun in the sentence.

Learners should get used to seeing familiar English-origin words written in Devanagari.

In this sentence, the verb agrees with दुकानदार (the subject), not with केक, so the gender of केक does not affect बनाता है here.

That said, nouns in Hindi do have grammatical gender, and loanwords like केक are often treated as masculine in practice. You may notice gender mattering more when adjectives or past/perfective verb agreement comes into play.

For this sentence, the key point is:

• बनाता है matches दुकानदार, not केक

Yes. Hindi often does not mark singular/plural in the same way English does for inanimate mass or count nouns in simple sentences like this.

So depending on context, this sentence could be understood as:

• The shopkeeper makes cake
• The shopkeeper makes cakes
• The shopkeeper makes a cake

In ordinary use, the habitual sense often suggests a general activity, so makes cakes or makes cake may feel more natural in many contexts.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

dukaan-daar kek banaataa hai

More closely:

• दु = du
• का = kaa
• न्दा in दुकानदार gives a nasalized n sound before d
• केक = kek
• बनाता = banaa-taa
• है is often pronounced close to hai

A natural rhythm would be:

dukaandaar kek banaataa hai

In normal neutral word order, दुकानदार comes first:

• दुकानदार केक बनाता है।

But Hindi word order is somewhat flexible for emphasis. You might hear other orders in special contexts, but for a beginner, the safest pattern is:

Subject + Object + Verb

So yes, other orders can exist, but this sentence is the standard and best model to learn first.