Based on grammatical gender rules in languages like Hindi, the word 'Pani' (water) is considered male (masculine).
While many words ending with an 'ee' sound are typically feminine, as noted in the reference provided, Paani [water] is explicitly listed as an exception to this general rule.
Understanding Grammatical Gender
Grammatical gender is a system of noun classification. In many languages, nouns are assigned genders, such as masculine, feminine, or neuter, which affect the forms of accompanying words like adjectives, articles, and pronouns. It's important to remember that grammatical gender does not necessarily correspond to biological sex.
The Rule vs. The Exception
The reference highlights a common pattern:
- General Rule: Words ending in the 'ee' sound are usually feminine.
- Exceptions: Several words defy this rule and are masculine despite the 'ee' ending.
The provided text specifically lists several exceptions:
- Paani [water]
- Haathi [elephant]
- Saathi [companion]
- Kavi [poet]
- Jee [heart]
- Dahi [curd]
- Ghee [clarified butter]
- Moti [pearl]
- Other obviously male words ending in 'ee'.
As you can see, Paani is included in this list of exceptions. Therefore, according to this grammatical rule and exception, 'Pani' is masculine.
Why is this important?
Knowing the grammatical gender of a noun like 'Pani' is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences in languages where gender agreement is required. For example, adjectives modifying 'Pani' would need to take their masculine form.
