Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| उसका | uskā | /ʊs.kɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | |
| इसका | iskā | /ɪs.kɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | |
| उनका | unkā | /ʊn.kɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | formal |
The specific form you choose depends on how close the person is to you, how much respect you want to show and the gender or number of the object being possessed.
What does it mean word for word?
The word उसका is a combination of the pronoun उस (meaning 'that' or 'him') and the possessive marker का (meaning 'of').
Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on the physical proximity of the person you are talking about. Use उसका for a person who is at a distance or not physically present. Use इसका if the person is physically close to you or is being introduced in your immediate context. For a formal or respectful tone, use उनका.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use उनका to show respect to the person being referred to, such as a teacher, an elder or a person of superior status.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hindi, the possessive form changes to match the gender and number of the object possessed, rather than the person who owns it. Use उसकी if the possessed noun is feminine. Use उसके if the possessed noun is masculine plural, or if the possessive phrase is followed by a postposition.
How do you pronounce it?
uskā (/ʊs.kɑː/)
Did you know?
- The word उसका is used for 'his', 'her', and 'its'. Hindi pronouns do not distinguish between genders in the third person, so the gender is only revealed by the object being possessed.
- When using the respectful form उनका, you are technically using the plural pronoun 'they' to refer to a single person. This is a common way in Hindi to show high status or honor to an individual.
- The phrase उसका is built from उस, which is the oblique form of the word for 'that'. This means that in the Hindi mindset, 'his' is conceptually closer to 'that person's'.
Examples in context
- उसका नाम बहुत सुंदर है।His name is very beautiful.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of उसका with a noun.Tatoeba #9000946 by AnjaliNoronha, translation #9415358 by abracadebby
- उसका चेहरा मैं अब तक भुला नहीं पाया हूँ।I haven't been able to forget his face.This sentence shows how to use उसका when talking about a person's face.Tatoeba #9678158 by sharmadhruv741, translation #9839022 by anushka
- वह उसका घर है।That is his house.This sentence demonstrates the use of उसका to identify a house.Tatoeba #3788888 by sabretou, translation #67034 by CK
- वह अपने दोस्त का कार्यक्रम आयोजित करेगा।He will organize his friend's program.
- वह अपने दोस्त के घर जा रहा है।He is going to his friend's house.
- उसकी खुशी देखकर हमारी खुशी बढ़ गयी।Seeing her happiness, our joy increased.
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Priya and Amit are looking for a lost item in the living room.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या तुमने उसका बैग देखा?kya tumne uska bag dekha?Have you seen his bag?
- अमित Amitनहीं, मैंने उसका बैग नहीं देखा।nahi, maine uska bag nahi dekha.No, I haven't seen his bag.
- प्रिया Priyaवह शायद उसका लैपटॉप भूल गया है।vah shayad uska laptop bhool gaya hai.Maybe he forgot his laptop.
- अमित Amitचलो, उसका लैपटॉप ढूँढते हैं।chalo, uska laptop dhoondhte hain.Let's find his laptop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “his” translations and entries उसका, इसका, उनका, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
