Sandhi — Study Notes for Bihar TET

Overview

Sandhi (संधि) is the process of joining two sounds or words where the meeting point undergoes a phonetic change. The term comes from Sanskrit meaning "joining" or "union." In Bihar TET Language I, Sandhi questions appear regularly and test your ability to identify the type of sandhi, perform sandhi (joining) and do sandhi-vichchhed (separation).

This topic sits at the intersection of grammar and phonetics. You must recognise how vowels merge, how consonants transform, and how visarg changes when words combine. The exam typically presents a compound word and asks you to identify the sandhi type or break it into original components. Mastering the rules for all three categories—swar, vyanjan and visarg sandhi—is essential for scoring full marks in this predictable section.

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Key Concepts

• **Sandhi** = phonetic fusion at the junction of two words or morphemes; the last sound of the first word merges with the first sound of the second word.

• **Sandhi-vichchhed** = the reverse process; breaking a compound back into its original components (e.g., विद्यालय → विद्या + आलय).

• **Three main types based on the sounds involved:**

1. **Swar Sandhi** — vowel + vowel 2. **Vyanjan Sandhi** — consonant + vowel/consonant 3. **Visarg Sandhi** — visarg (ः) + vowel/consonant

• **Swar Sandhi subtypes:** Dirgh, Gun, Vriddhi, Yan and Ayadi sandhi.

• **Vyanjan Sandhi** often involves voicing changes, nasal assimilation or conversion based on the following sound.

• **Visarg Sandhi** changes visarg to a vowel, 'र्', 'स्' or 'श्' depending on what follows.

• Identifying the **type** requires checking what sounds are at the junction before and after combination.

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Formulas / Key Facts

### Swar Sandhi (स्वर संधि) — Vowel + Vowel

| Subtype | Rule | Example | |---------|------|---------| | **Dirgh Sandhi** | Same/similar vowels combine into their long form: अ/आ + अ/आ = आ; इ/ई + इ/ई = ई; उ/ऊ + उ/ऊ = ऊ | विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय; मही + इन्द्र = महीन्द्र | | **Gun Sandhi** | अ/आ + इ/ई = ए; अ/आ + उ/ऊ = ओ; अ/आ + ऋ = अर् | देव + इन्द्र = देवेन्द्र; महा + उत्सव = महोत्सव | | **Vriddhi Sandhi** | अ/आ + ए/ऐ = ऐ; अ/आ + ओ/औ = औ | एक + एक = एकैक; महा + औषध = महौषध | | **Yan Sandhi** | इ/ई + dissimilar vowel = य्; उ/ऊ + dissimilar vowel = व्; ऋ + dissimilar vowel = र् | इति + आदि = इत्यादि; अनु + अय = अन्वय | | **Ayadi Sandhi** | ए + dissimilar vowel = अय्; ऐ + dissimilar vowel = आय्; ओ + dissimilar vowel = अव्; औ + dissimilar vowel = आव् | ने + अन = नयन; पो + अन = पवन |

### Vyanjan Sandhi (व्यंजन संधि) — Consonant-based