Hindi Matra

In this lesson, we will focus on Hindi Matra, which are vowel diacritics used in the Hindi language. 

What are Hindi Matra?

Hindi Matra are special symbols or marks that are used with consonants to represent different vowel sounds. They change the way the consonants are pronounced. In Hindi, there are mainly three types of Matra: Swar Matra, Vyanjan Matra, and Anuswar Matra.

1. Swar Matra: These Matras represent vowel sounds and are used with consonants. Some common Swar Matras include:

   • ा (Aa Matra): This Matra makes the "aa" sound. For example, क + ा = का (Ka + Aa = Ka).

   • ि (I Matra): This Matra makes the short "i" sound. For example, क + ि = कि (Ka + I = Ki).

   • ी (Ee Matra): This Matra makes the long "ee" sound. For example, क + ी = की (Ka + Ee = Kee).

   • ु (U Matra): This Matra makes the short "u" sound. For example, क + ु = कु (Ka + U = Ku).

   • ू (Uu Matra): This Matra makes the long "oo" sound. For example, क + ू = कू (Ka + Uu = Koo).

2. Vyanjan Matra: These Matras modify the consonant sounds in Hindi. Some common Vyanjan Matras include:

   • क्‍ (Halant): This Matra is used to mute the inherent vowel sound of the consonant. For example, क + ् = क् (Ka + Halant = K).

   • अं (Anuswar): This Matra represents the nasal sound "an." For example, क + अं = कं (Ka + Anuswar = Kang).

3. Anuswar Matra: This Matra is used to represent the nasal sound at the end of a word or syllable. It looks like a dot above a consonant. For example, क + ं = कं (Ka + Anuswar = Kang).

Practice Activity:

Now it's time for a practice activity. Write down the following words by adding the appropriate Matra to the given consonants:

1. र + ा = ___ (Ra + Aa = ___)
2. प + ि = ___ (Pa + I = ___)
3. ट + ी = ___ (Ta + Ee = ___)
4. ख + ु = ___ (Kha + U = ___)
5. ग + ू = ___ (Ga + Uu = ___)

Take your time and fill in the blanks with the correct words.