Sandhi (संधि)

Prerequisites

You can read Devanagari fluently and know the vowels (स्वर) and the five consonant groups (वर्ग: क, च, ट, त, प) from school.
This is the first topic of Hindi Language (Class X level). Samas (समास) comes next; keep the two apart from day one.
Sandhi also explains many spellings — see Error Correction.

The Hook: Why “हिमालय” and not “हिमआलय”?

Connect

Read the signboard outside any government school in Chhattisgarh: विद्यालय (vidyālaya). Say the two words it is made of — विद्या + आलय — quickly, and the two long “ā” sounds melt into one. Hindi spelling records that melting. The same thing happens in हिमालय, सूर्योदय, जगदीश and मनोबल: two sounds meet, and the meeting point changes.

The question this page answers: what exactly happens at the meeting point, and how do you reverse it (संधि-विच्छेद) in under 20 seconds in the exam hall?

Why it matters for CGPSC: “Knowledge of the Hindi language (Class X level)” is part of Prelims Paper II, and the Hindi questions are set in Hindi — there is no English version to fall back on. Sandhi-vichchhed and “identify the type of sandhi” are standard question formats. Mains Paper I (Language), Part 1 General Hindi, also asks for sandhi-vichchhed with the rule named.

What Sandhi Is

Sandhi (संधि) = the change that occurs when two sounds (वर्ण) meet at the boundary of two words or word-parts. Splitting the joined form back into its parts is sandhi-vichchhed (संधि-विच्छेद).

There are three kinds, named after the first of the two meeting sounds:

Type	First sound	Example
Swar sandhi (स्वर संधि)	vowel + vowel	विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय
Vyanjan sandhi (व्यंजन संधि)	consonant + vowel/consonant	जगत् + ईश = जगदीश
Visarga sandhi (विसर्ग संधि)	visarga (ः) + vowel/consonant	मनः + बल = मनोबल

Sandhi is about sounds, samas is about words

Sandhi joins sounds and changes them. Samas joins words and drops the connecting case-markers (का, के लिए, से …). One word can carry both: विद्यालय is dirgha sandhi (विद्या + आलय) and a samprdan tatpurush samas (विद्या के लिए आलय). The question tells you which one it wants: “संधि-विच्छेद” or “समास-विग्रह”.

Swar Sandhi (स्वर संधि) — Five Sub-types

School grammar divides vowel sandhi into five sub-types. Learn them in this order.

1. Dirgha sandhi (दीर्घ संधि)

Two similar vowels (short or long) merge into the long vowel.

Rule	Examples
अ/आ + अ/आ = आ	धर्म + अर्थ = धर्मार्थ; हिम + आलय = हिमालय; विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय
इ/ई + इ/ई = ई	रवि + इंद्र = रवींद्र; गिरि + ईश = गिरीश; परि + ईक्षा = परीक्षा
उ/ऊ + उ/ऊ = ऊ	भानु + उदय = भानूदय; गुरु + उपदेश = गुरूपदेश; लघु + ऊर्मि = लघूर्मि

2. Gun sandhi (गुण संधि)

अ/आ followed by a different vowel इ, उ or ऋ.

Rule	Examples
अ/आ + इ/ई = ए	देव + इंद्र = देवेंद्र; नर + ईश = नरेश; महा + ईश = महेश
अ/आ + उ/ऊ = ओ	सूर्य + उदय = सूर्योदय; महा + उत्सव = महोत्सव; जल + ऊर्मि = जलोर्मि
अ/आ + ऋ = अर्	देव + ऋषि = देवर्षि; महा + ऋषि = महर्षि; राजा + ऋषि = राजर्षि

3. Vriddhi sandhi (वृद्धि संधि)

अ/आ followed by ए/ऐ or ओ/औ — the result “grows” to ऐ or औ.

Rule	Examples
अ/आ + ए/ऐ = ऐ	एक + एक = एकैक; सदा + एव = सदैव; मत + ऐक्य = मतैक्य; महा + ऐश्वर्य = महैश्वर्य
अ/आ + ओ/औ = औ	वन + औषधि = वनौषधि; जल + ओघ = जलौघ; महा + औषध = महौषध

4. Yan sandhi (यण संधि)

इ/ई, उ/ऊ or ऋ followed by a different vowel: the first vowel turns into its semivowel (य्, व्, र्).

Rule	Examples
इ/ई + other vowel → य्	इति + आदि = इत्यादि; यदि + अपि = यद्यपि; अति + अधिक = अत्यधिक; प्रति + एक = प्रत्येक; उपरि + उक्त = उपर्युक्त
उ/ऊ + other vowel → व्	सु + आगत = स्वागत; अनु + अय = अन्वय; अनु + एषण = अन्वेषण; मनु + अंतर = मन्वंतर
ऋ + other vowel → र्	पितृ + आज्ञा = पित्राज्ञा

Spot it: a half-letter followed by य or व (त्य, द्य, स्व, न्व) usually signals yan sandhi.

5. Ayadi sandhi (अयादि संधि)

ए, ऐ, ओ, औ followed by a different vowel become अय्, आय्, अव्, आव्.

Rule	Examples
ए + अ → अय	ने + अन = नयन
ऐ + अ → आय	गै + अक = गायक; नै + अक = नायक
ओ + अ/इ → अव	पो + अन = पवन; भो + अन = भवन; श्रो + अन = श्रवण; पो + इत्र = पवित्र
औ + अ → आव	पौ + अक = पावक

Spot it: a word with य or व in the middle and no half-letter (नयन, गायक, पवन, पावक) is the classic ayadi split.

Vyanjan Sandhi (व्यंजन संधि) — Key Rules

The prefix written as उत् below follows Hindi school grammar (Sanskrit grammars write it उद्); exams use the school form.

Rule	Examples
1st letter of a varga (क्, च्, ट्, त्, प्) + vowel or a voiced sound → 3rd letter of the same varga	दिक् + अंबर = दिगंबर; वाक् + ईश = वागीश; षट् + आनन = षडानन; जगत् + ईश = जगदीश; सत् + आचार = सदाचार
1st letter of a varga + न/म → 5th (nasal) letter of the same varga	वाक् + मय = वाङ्मय; जगत् + नाथ = जगन्नाथ; उत् + नति = उन्नति; षट् + मास = षण्मास
त् + च/छ → च्च/च्छ	सत् + चरित्र = सच्चरित्र; उत् + चारण = उच्चारण
त् + ज → ज्ज	सत् + जन = सज्जन; उत् + ज्वल = उज्ज्वल
त् + ल → ल्ल	उत् + लास = उल्लास; तत् + लीन = तल्लीन
त् + श → च्छ	उत् + श्वास = उच्छ्वास
त् + ह → द्ध	उत् + हार = उद्धार; तत् + हित = तद्धित
म् + a consonant from क to म → anusvara (or the matching nasal)	सम् + कल्प = संकल्प; सम् + तोष = संतोष; सम् + पूर्ण = संपूर्ण
म् + य, र, ल, व, श, ष, स, ह → anusvara	सम् + योग = संयोग; सम् + वाद = संवाद; सम् + सार = संसार
म् + म → म्म	सम् + मति = सम्मति; सम् + मान = सम्मान
vowel + छ → च्छ	परि + छेद = परिच्छेद; अनु + छेद = अनुच्छेद; वि + छेद = विच्छेद
न → ण after ऋ, र, ष in the same word	परि + नाम = परिणाम; प्र + मान = प्रमाण; राम + अयन = रामायण
स → ष after इ/उ in a prefix	अभि + सेक = अभिषेक; नि + सिद्ध = निषिद्ध; वि + सम = विषम

Visarga Sandhi (विसर्ग संधि) — Key Rules

Rule	Examples
ः + च/छ → श्	निः + चय = निश्चय; निः + छल = निश्छल; दुः + चरित्र = दुश्चरित्र
ः + ट/ठ → ष्	धनुः + टंकार = धनुष्टंकार
ः + त/थ → स्	नमः + ते = नमस्ते; निः + तेज = निस्तेज; दुः + तर = दुस्तर
अः + a voiced consonant (3rd/4th/5th of a varga, य र ल व ह) → ओ	मनः + बल = मनोबल; मनः + योग = मनोयोग; यशः + दा = यशोदा; अधः + गति = अधोगति; मनः + रंजन = मनोरंजन; तपः + बल = तपोबल; सरः + वर = सरोवर
इः/उः + vowel or voiced consonant → र्	निः + आशा = निराशा; दुः + आचार = दुराचार; निः + धन = निर्धन; निः + गुण = निर्गुण; दुः + बल = दुर्बल; आशीः + वाद = आशीर्वाद
इः/उः + क/प/फ → ष्	निः + कपट = निष्कपट; दुः + कर्म = दुष्कर्म; निः + पाप = निष्पाप; निः + फल = निष्फल
इः + र → र् drops, इ lengthens to ई	निः + रस = नीरस
अः + क/प → visarga stays	प्रातः + काल = प्रातःकाल; अंतः + करण = अंतःकरण
Exceptions — पुनः and अंतः take र्	पुनः + जन्म = पुनर्जन्म; पुनः + उत्थान = पुनरुत्थान; अंतः + आत्मा = अंतरात्मा

graph TD
    A[Word to split] --> B{Where is the join?}
    B -->|vowel meets vowel| C[Swar sandhi]
    B -->|half consonant or doubled consonant| D[Vyanjan sandhi]
    B -->|ओ, र्, श्, ष्, स् where a visarga could stand| E[Visarga sandhi]
    C --> C1[Same vowels: Dirgha]
    C --> C2[ए / ओ / अर्: Gun]
    C --> C3[ऐ / औ: Vriddhi]
    C --> C4[य् / व् / र् with half-letter: Yan]
    C --> C5[अय / आय / अव / आव: Ayadi]

Memory Tricks

Anchor these

Order of vowel sandhi: “दी-गु-वृ-य-अ” — दीर्घ, गुण, वृद्धि, यण, अयादि. Read it as “Dee-Goo-Vri-Ya-A”.
Gun = ए, ओ, अर् (“guna gives the middle vowels”); Vriddhi = ऐ, औ (“vriddhi = growth, so the bigger vowel”).
Yan = half-letter + य/व (इत्यादि, स्वागत); Ayadi = full letter + य/व (नयन, पवन). Look for the half-letter first.
Visarga after अ becomes ओ before soft sounds: मनः → मनो- (मनोबल, मनोरंजन, मनोयोग). After इ/उ it becomes र्: निः → निर्- (निर्धन, निराशा).
पुनः and अंतः are rebels — they take र् even after अ: पुनर्जन्म, अंतरात्मा.

Don’t Confuse

This	vs	That
सदैव = सदा + एव — वृद्धि (आ + ए = ऐ)		देवेंद्र = देव + इंद्र — गुण (अ + इ = ए)
महोत्सव = महा + उत्सव — गुण (आ + उ = ओ)		वनौषधि = वन + औषधि — वृद्धि (अ + औ = औ)
स्वागत = सु + आगत — यण (half स् + व)		पवन = पो + अन — अयादि (full प + व)
मनोबल = मनः + बल — विसर्ग		सूर्योदय = सूर्य + उदय — गुण (looks similar: ओ in the middle)
निर्धन = निः + धन — विसर्ग		जगदीश = जगत् + ईश — व्यंजन

Common Mistakes

Trap 1: Every ओ is not visarga sandhi

सूर्योदय (सूर्य + उदय) and महोत्सव (महा + उत्सव) have ओ from gun sandhi; मनोबल and यशोदा have ओ from visarga sandhi. Check whether the first part ends in a visarga word (मनः, यशः, तपः, अधः) or in अ/आ.

Trap 2: Splitting into non-words

“सदैव = सद + ऐव” is a favourite wrong option. Each part of a correct split must be a real word or prefix: सदा (always) + एव (only). Test both halves before you mark.

Trap 3: Calling a samas question a sandhi question

If the stem says समास or asks for विग्रह, it wants the words and the dropped case-marker (विद्या के लिए आलय), not the sound split (विद्या + आलय).

Trap 4: Naming the type from the result alone

Type is decided by the first sound at the join: if it is a consonant, it is vyanjan sandhi even when a vowel follows (जगत् + ईश). If it is a visarga, it is visarga sandhi even when the result looks like a vowel change (मनः + बल).

Practice

Level 1: Foundation

Split (संधि-विच्छेद) and name the type.

रवींद्र
इत्यादि
गायक
उल्लास
निष्फल

Answers

रवि + इंद्र — दीर्घ (इ + इ = ई)
इति + आदि — यण (इ + आ → या)
गै + अक — अयादि (ऐ + अ → आय)
उत् + लास — व्यंजन (त् + ल → ल्ल)
निः + फल — विसर्ग (इः + फ → ष्)

Level 2: Prelims MCQs

All questions are original practice items in CGPSC style, set in Hindi as in Paper II.

प्रश्न 1. ‘सदैव’ का सही संधि-विच्छेद है:

(a) सद + ऐव (b) सदा + एव (c) सदा + ऐव (d) सद् + एव

Answer: (b) सदा + एव

सदा (always) + एव (only): आ + ए = ऐ, which is vriddhi sandhi. Options (a) and (c) produce “ऐव”, which is not a word; (d) gives सद्, which cannot yield the ऐ sound.

प्रश्न 2. ‘महोत्सव’ में कौन-सी संधि है?

(a) दीर्घ संधि (b) गुण संधि (c) वृद्धि संधि (d) विसर्ग संधि

Answer: (b) गुण संधि

महा + उत्सव: आ + उ = ओ, the second gun rule. It is not vriddhi (that would need ओ/औ as the second vowel) and not visarga (महा has no visarga).

प्रश्न 3. निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए:

‘स्वागत’ में यण संधि है।
‘नयन’ में अयादि संधि है।
‘निर्धन’ में व्यंजन संधि है।

उपर्युक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं?

(a) केवल 1 (b) केवल 1 और 2 (c) केवल 2 और 3 (d) 1, 2 और 3

Answer: (b) केवल 1 और 2

Statement 1 is correct: सु + आगत, उ + आ → वा (yan). Statement 2 is correct: ने + अन, ए + अ → अय (ayadi). Statement 3 is wrong: निर्धन = निः + धन, a visarga sandhi (इः + voiced consonant → र्). The र् tempts students to call it a consonant sandhi.

प्रश्न 4. सूची-I को सूची-II से सुमेलित कीजिए:

सूची-I (शब्द)	सूची-II (संधि)
A. जगदीश	1. गुण
B. मनोबल	2. यण
C. इत्यादि	3. विसर्ग
D. देवेंद्र	4. व्यंजन

(a) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1 (b) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3 (c) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1 (d) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4

Answer: (a) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1

जगत् + ईश (त् → द्, vyanjan); मनः + बल (अः → ओ, visarga); इति + आदि (इ → य्, yan); देव + इंद्र (अ + इ = ए, gun). Option (b) wrongly treats मनोबल’s ओ as gun sandhi — Trap 1 above.

प्रश्न 5. निम्नलिखित में से किस शब्द में विसर्ग संधि नहीं है?

(a) निश्चय (b) नमस्ते (c) सूर्योदय (d) पुनर्जन्म

Answer: (c) सूर्योदय

सूर्य + उदय is gun sandhi (अ + उ = ओ). The others are all visarga: निः + चय (ः → श्), नमः + ते (ः → स्), पुनः + जन्म (पुनः takes र्).

Level 3: Speed Drill — Solve in 60 Seconds

Paper II gives you about 72 seconds a question on average, and grammar items should take far less so that passages get more. Split all eight words and name the sandhi in under 60 seconds total. In Mains Paper I, write the split and the rule (for example “आ + उ = ओ, गुण संधि”) — the rule earns the marks.

हिमालय 2. महर्षि 3. एकैक 4. पवित्र 5. सज्जन 6. संयोग 7. निराशा 8. अंतरात्मा