युष्मद् (Yuṣmad) Pronoun:
Sanskrit’s second-person pronoun युष्मद् (Yuṣmad) is equivalent to “you” in English. Unlike nouns, it doesn’t change based on gender (masculine/feminine/neuter), but it does decline based on case (vibhakti) and number (singular/dual/plural).
Below is the full declension table, followed by real-life examples, common mistakes, and usage tips.
Full Declension Table of युष्मद् (Yuṣmad)
| Case (विभक्ति) | Singular (एकवचन) | Dual (द्विवचन) | Plural (बहुवचन) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (प्रथमा) | त्वम् (You) | युवाम् (You two) | यूयम् (You all) |
| Accusative (द्वितीया) | त्वाम् / त्वा (You) | युवाम् / वाम् (You two) | युष्मान् / वः (You all) |
| Instrumental (तृतीया) | त्वया (By you) | युवाभ्याम् (By you two) | युष्माभिः (By you all) |
| Dative (चतुर्थी) | तुभ्यम् / ते (To you) | युवाभ्याम् / वाम् (To you two) | युष्मभ्यम् / वः (To you all) |
| Ablative (पञ्चमी) | त्वत् (From you) | युवाभ्याम् (From you two) | युष्मत् (From you all) |
| Genitive (षष्ठी) | तव / ते (Your) | युवयोः / वाम् (Your two) | युष्माकम् / वः (Your) |
| Locative (सप्तमी) | त्वयि (In you) | युवयोः (In you two) | युष्मासु (In you all) |
Real-Life Examples for Each Case
1. Nominative (प्रथमा) – Subject of the Sentence
- Singular: त्वम् पठसि। (You read.)
- Dual: युवाम् गच्छथः। (You two go.)
- Plural: यूयम् लिखथ। (You all write.)
2. Accusative (द्वितीया) – Object of the Verb
- Singular: अहं त्वाम् पश्यामि। (I see you.)
- Dual: सः युवाम् आनयति। (He brings you two.)
- Plural: गुरुः युष्मान् पृच्छति। (The teacher asks you all.)
3. Instrumental (तृतीया) – “By/With You”
- Singular: गीतं त्वया गीयते। (The song is sung by you.)
- Dual: कथा युवाभ्याम् कथ्यते। (The story is told by you two.)
- Plural: कार्यं युष्माभिः क्रियते। (The work is done by you all.)
4. Dative (चतुर्थी) – “For/To You”
- Singular: मम पुस्तकं तुभ्यम् अस्ति। (My book is for you.)
- Dual: फलानि युवाभ्याम् ददामि। (I give fruits to you two.)
- Plural: धन्यवादः युष्मभ्यम्। (Thanks to you all.)
5. Ablative (पञ्चमी) – “From You”
- Singular: अहं त्वत् ज्ञानं प्राप्नोमि। (I receive knowledge from you.)
- Dual: सः युवाभ्याम् शिक्षते। (He learns from you two.)
- Plural: शुभकामनाः युष्मत् आगच्छन्ति। (Good wishes come from you all.)
6. Genitive (षष्ठी) – “Your/Yours”
- Singular: ते नाम किम्? (What is your name?)
- Dual: वाम् गृहं कुत्र अस्ति? (Where is your [two’s] house?)
- Plural: युष्माकम् देशः भारतः अस्ति। (Your country is India.)
7. Locative (सप्तमी) – “In/On You”
- Singular: त्वयि विश्वासः अस्ति। (There is trust in you.)
- Dual: युवयोः शक्तिः अस्ति। (There is strength in you two.)
- Plural: युष्मासु आशा अस्ति। (There is hope in you all.)
Common Mistakes & Tips
- त्वम् vs. यूयम्:
- Use त्वम् for one person, यूयम् for many.
- ❌ त्वम् सर्वे आगच्छथ → ✅ यूयम् सर्वे आगच्छथ (You all come.)
- ते vs. तव:
- ते is the short form (used in spoken Sanskrit).
- तव is the full form (used in formal writing).
- Dual Forms Are Rare:
- In modern usage, dual (युवाम्) is often replaced by plural (यूयम्).
- Short Forms in Conversations:
- माम् → मा, त्वाम् → त्वा, युष्मान् → वः (e.g., अहं वः पश्यामि = I see you all.)
Quiz Time! (Answers at Bottom)
- How do you say “Your book” in singular?
- Which case is त्वया in?
- Translate: “I am giving this to you all.”
Conclusion
Mastering युष्मद् is essential for everyday Sanskrit—whether reading scriptures, composing sentences, or speaking. Practice with the examples above, and soon you’ll use “you” like a pro!
Quiz Answers:
- ते पुस्तकम् / तव पुस्तकम्
- Instrumental (तृतीया)
- अहम् इदं युष्मभ्यम् ददामि।