Exercises on forming English compounds that mimic Samāsa

Warm-Up: What is a Compound?

A compound is a word made by joining two or more words together to form a new meaning. In Sanskrit, this is called Samāsa.

✳ 1. Tatpuruṣa Samāsa (Determinative Compound)

English Equivalent: Noun + Noun, where one noun qualifies the other.

Sanskrit Example: राजपुरुषः (rāja-puruṣaḥ) → "king’s man"

English Example: school bag, water bottle, kitchen sink

Practice Exercise:

Combine the two nouns to form a Tatpuruṣa-style compound.

Word 1	Word 2	Compound Word
police	station
book	shelf
car	key
garden	hose
milk	bottle

✅ View Answer Key

police station, bookshelf, car key, garden hose, milk bottle

✳ 2. Dvandva Samāsa (Coordinative Compound)

English Equivalent: Two equal nouns combined.

Sanskrit Example: रामलक्ष्मणौ → “Rama and Lakshmana”

English Example: writer-director, doctor-teacher, boy-girl school

Practice Exercise:

Write compounds using both nouns as equals (joined by a hyphen if needed).

Word 1	Word 2	Dvandva Compound
singer	songwriter
parent	teacher
friend	philosopher
cook	cleaner
guide	interpreter

✅ View Answer Key

singer-songwriter, parent-teacher, friend-philosopher, cook-cleaner, guide-interpreter

✳️ 3. Bahuvrīhi Samāsa (Exocentric Compound)

📌 English Equivalent: Describes someone/something by characteristic, not literal meaning.

Sanskrit Example: पितामहः = “He whose father is great”

English Example: redhead, loudmouth, highbrow

🧩 Practice Exercise:

🖊️ Combine a characteristic + noun to describe a third person or object.

Descriptive Word	Noun Word	Bahuvrīhi Compound
cold	heart
lazy	bones
big	shot
clean	hands
light	sleeper

✅ View Answer Key

cold-hearted, lazybones, big-shot, clean-hands, light-sleeper
(Note: Some may be idiomatic or metaphorical.)

✳ 4. Avyayībhāva Samāsa (Adverbial Compound)

English Equivalent: Preposition + noun, forming an adverbial phrase.

Sanskrit Example: उपगृहं = "near the house"

English Example: overboard, upstairs, in-flight

Practice Exercise:

Combine the preposition and noun to form a compound with adverbial meaning.

Preposition	Noun/Verb	Avyayībhāva Compound
out	break
in	house
on	board
off	shore
under	ground

✅ View Answer Key

outbreak, in-house, onboard, offshore, underground

Extension Activity: Creative Samāsa Builder

For each Samāsa type, invent one original English compound of your own:

Samāsa Type	Your New Compound Word	Meaning/Explanation
Tatpuruṣa
Dvandva
Bahuvrīhi
Avyayībhāva

Teaching Tip:

Use visuals or flashcards with the two base words and ask students to:

• Combine them into a compound
• Define the new word
• Match it to the Samāsa type

Compound-Building Worksheet

Inspired by Sanskrit Samāsa System – For English Learners

✳ Part A: Match and Build (Tatpuruṣa Style)

Instructions: Match a word from column A with a word from column B to form a determinative compound noun. Write the compound in the blank, then use it in your own sentence.

A (Modifier)	B (Head Word)	Compound Word	Your Sentence
coffee	table
rain	coat
school	bus
water	bottle
fire	alarm

✅ Show Answer Key for Part A

• coffee table
• raincoat
• school bus
• water bottle
• fire alarm

✳ Part B: Combine and Explain (Dvandva Style)

Instructions: Combine the following word pairs into a coordinative compound with equal importance and write what it refers to.

Word 1	Word 2	Compound Word	What it means / refers to
singer	actor
buyer	seller
poet	thinker
brother	sister
teacher	leader

✅ Show Answer Key for Part B

• singer-actor: A person who is both a singer and an actor.
• buyer-seller: The two parties involved in a transaction.
• poet-thinker: A person who is both a poet and a deep thinker.
• brother-sister: Referring to the sibling pair.
• teacher-leader: A person who fulfills both roles.

✳ Part C: Clue Me In (Bahuvrīhi Style)

Instructions: Read the description and guess the exocentric compound word. The person is described by a feature they possess.

Clue / Description	Compound Word
Someone who talks loudly and annoys others
A person with red hair
Someone with a sweet tongue (deceitful or charming)
A person who’s big in status or influence
A lazy person who avoids effort

✅ Show Answer Key for Part C

• loudmouth
• redhead
• sweet-talker
• big-shot
• lazybones

✳ Part D: Build an Adverb (Avyayībhāva Style)

Instructions: Form an adverbial compound from the preposition and the word. Then describe its use in a sentence.

Preposition	Word	Compound Word	Your Sentence
over	board
under	ground
out	break
on	going
in	house

✅ Show Answer Key for Part D

• overboard
• underground
• outbreak
• ongoing
• in-house

✳ Part E: Creative Samāsa Builder

Instructions: Use your imagination! Create your own compound word for each type and explain its meaning.

Type	Your Compound Word	Meaning / Context
Tatpuruṣa
Dvandva
Bahuvrīhi
Avyayībhāva

Bonus Challenge

Translate these Sanskrit-style compound meanings into an English compound word:

• A book for teaching grammar:
• Someone who is both a mother and a teacher:
• A person who talks too much:
• An office that is inside a house:

✅ Show Answer Key for Bonus Challenge

• grammar book
• mother-teacher
• chatterbox / motormouth
• home office