Hindi grammar · Beginner · Lesson 2
Hindi Pronouns: Main, Tum, Aap, Yah and Vah
Learn Hindi personal pronouns, the three levels of you, and why aap uses plural agreement even for one person.
Updated October 10, 2026 · Free lesson and exercises
Choose a pronoun by person and relationship
मैं means I and हम means we. Hindi has several ways to say you: आप is respectful, तुम is familiar, and तू is very intimate. As a beginner, आप is a useful choice when you do not know the other person well. Local relationships and family habits may change which form people use.
Use near and far forms for the third person
यह and वह can mean this and that, but they also serve as he, she, or it according to context. Hindi does not encode he versus she in these pronouns. Their plural counterparts ये and वे can also respectfully refer to one person.
Match the verb to the pronoun
आप uses हैं in the present form of to be, even when you address only one person. तुम uses हो. Do not make a respectful sentence by changing the pronoun while leaving an incompatible verb ending behind. In ordinary speech यह and वह often sound like ye and vo; the table retains the written forms.
Pronouns with to be
| Pronoun | Reading aid | Present phrase |
|---|---|---|
| मैं | main | मैं हूँ — I am |
| तू | too | तू है — intimate you are |
| तुम | tum | तुम हो — familiar you are |
| आप | aap | आप हैं — respectful you are |
| यह / वह | yah / vah | यह है / वह है — this / that person is |
| हम | ham | हम हैं — we are |
| ये / वे | ye / ve | ये हैं / वे हैं — they are |
The verb forms हूँ and हैं are nasalized. Romanization here uses hoon and hain as reading aids.
See the pattern in a sentence
आप कैसे हैं?aap kaise hain?
How are you?
A respectful question to a male addressee or a mixed group.
तुम कहाँ हो?tum kahaan ho?
Where are you?
Familiar तुम takes हो.
वह मेरी दोस्त है।vah meri dost hai.
She is my friend.
Context and मेरी identify the feminine referent; वह itself is not gender-specific.
Common mistakes to notice
To fix: आप कैसा है?
Use: आप कैसे हैं?
Use respectful plural agreement for a male addressee; to a woman, आप कैसी हैं is appropriate.
To fix: तुम ठीक हैं।
Use: तुम ठीक हो।
तुम takes हो in this present construction.
Try it yourself
Say or write an answer before opening the explanation.
1. Choose a respectful you for a new adult acquaintance.
Show answer and explanation
आप।aap.
Aap is an appropriate beginner default in a polite encounter.
2. Complete: तुम कहाँ ___?
Show answer and explanation
तुम कहाँ हो?tum kahaan ho?
The matching verb is हो.
3. Say we are students.
Show answer and explanation
हम विद्यार्थी हैं।ham vidyaarthi hain.
हम takes हैं.
Use it in a conversation
Greet someone with aap and ask where they are from. Repeat a simple question with tum to hear the difference in the verb form.
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Practice Hindi out loudFAQ
Questions about this pattern
Does aap always mean several people?
No. आप can address one person respectfully or several people. It uses grammatical plural agreement in either case.
Does vah mean he or she?
It can mean either, as well as that or it. The context and agreement in the sentence show the referent.
Can I use tu with everyone?
No. तू is very intimate and can sound disrespectful in the wrong relationship. Start with आप when unsure.
Keep building your sentences
Words to practice with
References and corrections
Original explanations and practice examples for beginners. References help check the grammar; this page covers the patterns shown rather than every exception.