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Declensions in short

- The stem or base of a noun is that noun as it stands before any suffix has been added to it.

- Declension is the adding to the stems of Nouns and Adjectives certain suffixes which vary according to case, gender and number.

- Pāli has three genders: the Masculine, the Feminine and the Neuter.

There are eight declension cases:

1. Nominative, showing the subject of the sentence.

2. Vocative, used in addressing persons.

3. Accusative, this is the object of the sentence.

4. Genitive, showing possession (of/'s).

5. Locative, showing place (in, on, at, upon, etc.).

6. Dative, showing the object or person to or for whom something is given or done.

7. Ablative, generally showing separation, expressed by from.

8. Instrumentive, shows the object or person with or by whom something is performed.

General pattern for declensions

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	-s	-yo
Vocative	identical to nominative	identical to nominative
Accusative	-aṃ	-yo
Genitive	-ssa	-naṃ
Locative	-smiṃ	-su
Dative	-ssa	-naṃ
Ablative	-smā	-hi
Instrumental	-ā	-hi

note: this table has been made up for the sake of generalization, but in practice the suffixes differ considerably. The actual suffixes will be given with each declension.

words ending with -a

remark: they are either masculine or neuter

Declension of masculine nouns in -a (ex: deva)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	devo	devā
Vocative	deva / devā	devā
Accusative	devaṃ	deve
Genitive	devassa	devānaṃ
Locative	deve / devasmiṃ / devamhi	devesu
Dative	devassa / devāya	devānaṃ
Ablative	devā / devasmā / devamhā / devato	devebhi
Instrumental	devena	devehi / devebhi

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Declension of neuter nouns in -a (ex: rūpa)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	rūpaṃ	rūpā / rūpāni
Vocative	rūpa	rūpā / rūpāni
Accusative	rūpaṃ	rūpe / rūpāni
Genitive	rūpassa	rūpānaṃ
Locative	rūpe / rūpasmiṃ / rūpamhi	rūpesu
Dative	rūpassa / rūpāya	rūpānaṃ
Ablative	rūpā / rūpasmā / rūpamhā / rūpato	rūpehi / rūpebhi
Instrumental	rūpena	rūpehi / rūpebhi

words ending with -ā

remark: they are always feminine

Declension of feminine nouns in -ā (ex: vijjā - science)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	vijjā	vijjā / vijjāyo / jatyo / jacco
Vocative	vijjā / vijje	vijjā / vijjāyo
Accusative	vijjaṃ	vijjā / vijjāyo
Genitive	vijjāya	vijjānaṃ
Locative	vijjāya/ vijjāyaṃ	vijjāsu
Dative	vijjāya	vijjānaṃ
Ablative	vijjāya / vijjatoā	vijjāhi / vijjābhi
Instrumental	vijjāya	vijjāhi / vijjābhi

words ending with -i

Declension of masculine nouns in -i (ex: kapi - monkey)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	kapi	kapī / kapayo
Vocative	kapi	kapī / kapayo
Accusative	kapiṃ	kapī / kapayo
Genitive	kapissa / kapino	kapīnaṃ
Locative	kapismiṃ / kapimhi	kapīsu
Dative	kapissa / kapino	kapīnaṃ
Ablative	kapinā / kapismā / kapimhā	kapīhi / kapībhi
Instrumental	kapinā	kapīhi / kapībhi

Declension of neuter nouns in -i (ex: vāri - water)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	vāri	vārī / vārini
Vocative	vāri	vārī / vārini
Accusative	vāriṃ	vārī / vārini
Genitive	vārissa / vārino	vārinaṃ (?) vārīnaṃ
Locative	vārismiṃ / vārimhi / vārini	vārīsu
Dative	vārissa / vārino	vārinaṃ (?) vārīnaṃ
Ablative	vārinā / vārismā / vārimhā	vārīhi / vārībhi
Instrumental	vārinā	vārīhi / vārībhi

Declension of feminine nouns in -i (ex: jāti - birth)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	jāti	jātī / jātiyo / jatyo / jacco
Vocative	jāti	jātī / jātiyo / jatyo / jacco
Accusative	jātiṃ	jātī / jātiyo / jatyo / jacco
Genitive	jātiyā / jātayā / jaccā	jātīnaṃ
Locative	jātiyā / jātayā / jaccā / jātiyaṃ / jatyaṃ / jaccaṃ	jātīsu
Dative	jātiyā / jātayā / jaccā	jātīnaṃ
Ablative	jātiyā / jātayā / jaccā	jātīhi / jātībhi
Instrumental	jātiyā / jātayā / jaccā	jātīhi / jātībhi

words ending with -ī

remark: they are either masculine or feminine, but never neuter

Declension of masculine nouns in -ī (ex: daṇḍī - mendicant)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	daṇḍī	daṇḍī / daṇḍino
Vocative	daṇḍī	daṇḍī / daṇḍino
Accusative	daṇḍiṃ / daṇḍinaṃ	daṇḍī / daṇḍino
Genitive	daṇḍissa / daṇḍino	daṇḍinaṃ (?) daṇḍīnaṃ
Locative	daṇḍismiṃ / daṇḍimhi / daṇḍini	daṇḍīsu
Dative	daṇḍissa / daṇḍino	daṇḍinaṃ
Ablative	daṇḍinā / daṇḍismā / daṇḍimhā	daṇḍīhi / daṇḍībhi
Instrumental	daṇḍinā	daṇḍīhi / daṇḍībhi

Declension of feminine nouns in -ī (ex: nadī - river)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	nadī	nadī / nadiyo / najjo
Vocative	nadī	nadī / nadiyo / najjo
Accusative	nadiṃ	nadī / nadiyo / najjo
Genitive	nadiyā / nadyā / najjā	nadinaṃ (?) nadīnaṃ
Locative	nadiyā / nadyā / najjā / nadiyaṃ / nadyaṃ / najjaṃ	nadīsu
Dative	nadiyā / nadyā / najjā	nadinaṃ (?) nadīnaṃ
Ablative	nadiyā / nadyā / najjā	nadīhi / nadībhi
Instrumental	nadiyā / nadyā / najjā	nadīhi / nadībhi

words ending with -u

Declension of masculine nouns in -u (ex: bhikkhu)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	bhikkhu	bhikkhū / bhikkhavo
Vocative	bhikkhu	bhikkhū / bhikkhave / bhikkhavo
Accusative	bhikkhu / bhikkhuṃ	bhikkhū / bhikkhavo
Genitive	bhikkhussa / bhikkhuno	bhikkhūnaṃ
Locative	bhikkhumhi / bhikkhusmiṃ	bhikkhūsu
Dative	bhikkhussa / bhikkhuno	bhikkhūnaṃ
Ablative	bhikkhunā / bhikkhusmā / bhikkhumhā	bhikkhūhi / bhikkhūbhi
Instrumental	bhikkhunā	bhikkhūhi / bhikkhūbhi

Declension of neuter nouns in -u (ex: cakkhu - eye)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	cakkhu	cakkhū / cakkhūni
Vocative	cakkhu	cakkhū / cakkhūni
Accusative	cakkhuṃ	cakkhū / cakkhūni
Genitive	cakkhussa / cakkhuno	cakkhūnaṃ / cakkhuno
Locative	cakkhumhi / cakkhusmiṃ	cakkhūsu
Dative	cakkhussa / cakkhuno	cakkhūnaṃ
Ablative	cakkhunā / cakkhusmā / cakkhumhā	cakkhūhi / cakkhūbhi
Instrumental	cakkhunā	cakkhūhi / cakkhūbhi

Declension of feminine nouns in -u (ex: dhātu - element)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	dhātu	dhātū / dhātuyo
Vocative	dhātu (?) dhātū	dhātū / dhātuyo
Accusative	dhātuṃ	dhātū / dhātuyo
Genitive	dhātuyā	dhātūnaṃ
Locative	dhātuyā/ dhātuyaṃ	dhātūsu
Dative	dhātuyā	dhātūnaṃ
Ablative	dhātuyā	dhātūhi / dhātūbhi
Instrumental	dhātuyā	dhātūhi / dhātūbhi

words ending with -ū

remark: they are either masculine or feminine, but never neuter

Declension of masculine nouns in -ū (ex: vidū - wise man)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	vidū	vidū / viduvo (?) viduno
Vocative	vidū	vidū / viduvo (?) viduno
Accusative	viduṃ	vidū / viduvo (?) viduno
Genitive	vidussa / viduno	vidūnaṃ
Locative	vidumhi / vidusmiṃ	vidū (?) vidūsu
Dative	vidussa / viduno	vidūnaṃ
Ablative	vidunā / vidusmā / vidumhā	vidūhi / vidūbhi
Instrumental	vidunā	vidūhi / vidūbhi

Declension of feminine nouns in -ū (ex: vadhū - widow)

case	SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nominative	vadhū	vadhū / vadhuyo
Vocative	vadhū	vadhū / vadhuyo
Accusative	vadhuṃ	vadhū / vadhuyo
Genitive	vadhuyā	vadhūnaṃ
Locative	vadhuyā / vadhuyaṃ	vadhūsu
Dative	vadhuyā	vadhūnaṃ
Ablative	vadhuyā	vadhūhi / vadhūbhi
Instrumental	vadhuyā	vadhūhi / vadhūbhi

Consonantal Declension

(a) The Consonantal Declension includes all nouns and adjectives whose stem ends in a consonant.

(b) Nouns the stem of which ends in a consonant, are rather few and special, the majority of the words included in this declension being adjectives ending in vat or mat, and all words ending in a nasal (n) being considered as belonging to the Vowel Declension, by native grammarians.

(c) Most of the words of the Consonantal Declension seem to follow two declensions; some suffixes belong to the vowel, and others to the Consonantal Declension.

words whose stem ends with -n

Declension of Attā (Stem Attan, Masc.), Self

Like attā (stem: attan) are declined:
ātumā, self. muddhā, head.
asmā, stone. addhā, road, distance, time.



Declension of Brahmā (Stem Brahman, Masc.), Brahma

Remark: In the Loc. Sing. we meet with the forms in - smiṃ, mhi: brahmasmiṃ, brahmamhi.



Declension of Rājā (Stem Rājan, Masc.), a King

Remarks:

(a) When the word rājā is used by itself in a sentence, it follows the above declension, but when it forms the last part of a compound as for instance in dhammarājā, mahārājā, etc., it follows the declension of Masculine nouns in a, like deva.

(b) The forms of the plural seem to point to a base or stem in u: rāju.

(c) A few nouns the stem of which ends in an, follow the a declension of Masc. nouns like deva; they are:
vissakamma, the architect of the gods.
vivattacchaddo, He by whom the veil (of ignorance) is rolled back (from this world).
puthuloma, a fish.
yakana, the liver.
athabbana, the fourth veda
and some others.

Declension of Pumā (Stem Puman, Masc.), a Man

Remarks:

(a) The influence of the a declension Masculine, is clearly discernible throughout.

(b) The word sā a dog, given at (128), properly belongs to this declension; this gives the stem, san, from Sanskrit •van. The declension of nouns the stem of which ends in -in, has already been given (130); these words declined like daṇḍi, (stem daṇḍin) and rather numerous, form the transition between the pure vowel declension and the declension of consonantal-stems.

words whose stem ends with -s

Declension of Mano (Stem Manas, Masc.), the Mind

Remarks:

(a) It should be borne in mind that mano is never used in the plural, although the forms are given by some grammarians.

(b) The influence of the a declension is here also clearly seen, principally in the plural, of which in fact, all the forms are after the a declension.

(c) There is also a Neuter form in ni in the plural: manāni.

Native grammarians give the following nouns as belonging to the manas declension, their stems ending in as:
vaco, discourse. tejo, power.
vayo, age. tapo, heat.
ceto, thought. tamo, darkness.
yaso, glory, fame. ayo, iron.
payo, a beverage. siro, the head.
chando, metrics, prosody. saro, a lake.
uro, breast. raho, solitude, privacy.
aho, day. rajo, dust, passion.
ojo, splendour; strength. thāmo, strength, vigour.
vāso, cloth, clothing.

Remarks:

(a) aha, day, in the Loc. sing. has the following forms: ahasmiṃ, ahamhi, ahe, ahu, ahasi, ahuni.

(b) The words: rajo, ojo, thāmo and vāso are included in the manas declension by the Sinhalese grammarians.

(c) The comparative adjectives ending in yo, iyyo, as for instance seyyo, gariyo, follow the manas declension.

Declension of āyu (Stem āyus), Life

words whose stem ends with -ar

Declension of Satthā (Stem Satthar, Sansk Castr), the Teacher (Buddha)



Remarks:

(a) The form of the Gen. sing. in u: satthu, is the base employed in the formation of compound words.

(b) Stems ending in ar (Sansk. ¨) have their Nom. sing. in ā as pitar (=Sansk. pit¨), Nom. sing. pitā; so mātar (=māt¨), Nom. sing. mātā. Their base in composition is generally in u.

(c) Before suffix to of the Abl. sing. stems in ar often take the vowel i; as pitito, mātito, and sometimes a base piti, māti is used in composition: pitipakkhe.

(d) Some words whose stem is in ar, follow the a declension (of deva), for instance: sallakatta (stem sallakattar), a physician; kattara (stem kattarar), a weak person; sota (stem sotar), a hearer.

Declension of Mātā (Stem Mātar, Sansk. Māt¨), Mother


Remarks:

(a) In the oblique cases of the singular, the student will readily recognize the influence of the Feminine declension in the suffixes ā and ṃ.

(b) There is also found, rarely, a Gen. sing. in ssa: mātussa.

Declension of Pitā (Stem Pitar, Sansk. Pit¨), Father


Remarks: In the Dat. and Gen. plur. of mātā and pitā the n is doubled to compensate for the shortening of ū (long); hence: mātunnaṃ, māt ū naṃ and pitunnaṃ, pit ū naṃ.

Declension of some words in -at or -ant

Declension of Bhavaṃ (Stem in at, or ant), Sir

SINGULAR	PLURAL
Nom. bhavaṃ, bhanto	bhavanto, bhavantā, bhonto
Gen. bhavantassa, bhavato, bhoto	bhavataṃ, bhavantānaṃ
Dat. bhavantassa, bhavato, bhoto	bhavataṃ, bhavantānaṃ
Acc. bhavantaṃ, bhotaṃ	bhavante, bhonte
Ins. bhavantena, bhavatā, bhotā	bhavantehi, bhavantebhi
Abl. bhavatā, bhavantā, bhotā	bhavantehi, bhavantebhi
Loc. bhavati, bhavante	bhavantesu
Voc. bho, bhonta, bhante	bhavanto, bhonto, bhante, bhavantā

Remarks:

(a) Bhavaṃ is a polite term of address, and it may be translated by "Your Honour."

(b) Native grammarians invariably use it as the sign of the Vocative case.

(c) The Feminine, bhotī, "madam" is regularly declined after the ī declension Feminine, (adī).

Declension of Arahaṃ (Stem in at, or ant)

Singular	Plural
Nom. arahaṃ, arahā	arahanto, arahā
Gen. arahato, arahantassa	arahataṃ, arahantānaṃ
Dat. arahato, arahantassa	arahataṃ, arahantānaṃ
Acc. arahantaṃ	arahante
Ins. arahatā, arahantena	arahantehi, arahantebhi
Abl. arahatā, arahantā, arahantasmā, arahantamhā	arahantehi, arahantebhi
Loc. arahati, arahante, arahantasmiṃ, arahantamhi	arahantesu
Voc. arahanta	arahanto

Similarly is declined santa, meaning a good man.

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Adapted from A Practical Grammar of the Pāli Language by Charles Duroiselle