Matras and Word Building

Now that you know the vowels, consonants, and conjuncts, it is time to put them all together. This lesson focuses on how matras (vowel signs) combine with consonants to form syllables, and how syllables combine to form complete words.

---

Review: Matra Positions

Position	Matra	Sound	Example with न
Inherent	(none)	a	न (na)
Right	ा	aa	ना (naa)
Left	ि	i	नि (ni)
Right	ी	ee	नी (nee)
Below	ु	u	नु (nu)
Below	ू	oo	नू (noo)
Below	ृ	ri	नृ (nri)
Above	े	e	ने (ne)
Above	ै	ai	नै (nai)
Right	ो	o	नो (no)
Right	ौ	au	नौ (nau)

---

Building Syllables

Every Devanagari syllable follows one of these patterns:

Pattern	Structure	Example	Reading
V	Vowel alone	अ	a
CV	Consonant + Vowel	का	kaa
CCV	Conjunct + Vowel	प्रा	praa
CVC	Consonant + Vowel + Consonant	कम	kam
CCVC	Conjunct + Vowel + Consonant	प्रेम	prem

Tip: When reading a Devanagari word, break it into syllables. Each consonant (or conjunct) with its matra forms one syllable. A consonant with a halant at the end of a word closes the final syllable.

---

Word Building: Step by Step

Let us build the word हिन्दुस्तान (Hindustaan — India) step by step:

Step	Character(s)	Sound	Running Total
1	हि	hi	hi
2	न्	n (halant — no vowel)	hin
3	दु	du	hindu
4	स्	s (halant — no vowel)	hindus
5	ता	taa	hindustaa
6	न	n	hindustaan

Result: हिन्दुस्तान = Hindustaan

---

Practice: Breaking Words into Syllables

Word	Syllable Breakdown	Transliteration	Meaning
नमस्ते	न + म + स्ते	na-mas-te	hello/greetings
भारत	भा + र + त	bhaa-ra-t	India
विद्यालय	वि + द्या + ल + य	vi-dyaa-la-y	school
अध्यापक	अ + ध्या + प + क	a-dhyaa-pa-k	teacher
परिवार	प + रि + वा + र	pa-ri-vaa-r	family
समझना	स + म + झ + ना	sa-ma-jh-naa	to understand
सरकार	स + र + का + र	sa-r-kaa-r	government

---

Anusvara (ं) and Chandrabindu (ँ) in Words

Two important marks modify vowel sounds in words:

Anusvara (ं)

The anusvara adds a nasal consonant sound. Its exact pronunciation depends on the consonant that follows: