Neuter Nouns

Neuter Nouns

These are very common, more than 17000 words in the current DPD database²¹.

Relevant for 2025 year

citta	mind
rūpa	matter; form
maraṇa	death
saṃyojana	fetter; chain
viññāṇa	consciousness
sacca	truth
āsana	seat
pahāna	giving up; letting go
sīla	virtue; behaviour
agāra	dwelling; house
cīvara	robe; cloth
dāna	giving; offering

Declension of Neuter Nouns ending in -a

1.nom	cittaṃ	cittā cittāni
2.acc	cittaṃ	citte cittāni
3.inst	cittena	cittehi
4.dat	cittāya cittassa	cittānaṃ
5.abl	cittā cittamhā cittasmā	cittehi
6.gen	cittassa	cittānaṃ
7.loc	citte cittamhi cittasmiṃ	cittesu
8.voc	citta cittā	cittāni

What do you notice in regard to the declension of neuter nouns?

Comparison between Masculine and Neuter Nouns -a

	Masc sing	Neuter Sing	Masc plural	Neuter Plural
1.nom	naro	cittaṃ	narā	cittā cittāni
2.acc	naraṃ	cittaṃ	nare	citte cittāni
3.inst	narena	cittena	narehi	cittehi
4.dat	narāya narassa	cittāya cittassa	narānaṃ	cittānaṃ
5.abl	narā naramhā narasmā	cittā cittamhā cittasmā	narehi	cittehi
6.gen	narassa	cittassa	narānaṃ	cittānaṃ
7.loc	nare naramhi narasmiṃ	citte cittamhi cittasmiṃ	naresu	cittesu
8.voc	nara narā	citta cittā	narā	cittāni

Neuter Nouns ending in -i

These are very rare, there are only few of them in the Tipiṭaka.

ādi	beginning, and so on, etc
akkhi	eye
aṭṭhi	bone
dadhi	curd
sappi	ghee, clarified butter
suci	purity
asuci	impurity
vāri	water
byanti	end

Declension of Neuter Nouns ending in -i

1.nom	aṭṭhi	aṭṭhī aṭṭhīni
2.acc	aṭṭhiṃ	aṭṭhī aṭṭhīni
3.inst	aṭṭhinā	aṭṭhīhi
4.dat	aṭṭhino aṭṭhissa	aṭṭhīnaṃ
5.abl	aṭṭhinā aṭṭhimhā aṭṭhismā	aṭṭhīhi
6.gen	aṭṭhino aṭṭhissa	aṭṭhīnaṃ
7.loc	aṭṭhini aṭṭhimhi aṭṭhismiṃ	aṭṭhisu aṭṭhīsu
8.voc	aṭṭhi	aṭṭhī aṭṭhīni

Comparison between Masculine and Neuter Nouns -i

	Masc sing	Neuter Sing	Masc plural	Neuter Plural
1.nom	aggi	aṭṭhi	aggī aggayo	aṭṭhī aṭṭhīni
2.acc	aggiṃ	aṭṭhiṃ	aggī aggayo	aṭṭhī aṭṭhīni
3.inst	agginā	aṭṭhinā	aggīhi	aṭṭhīhi
4.dat	aggino aggissa	aṭṭhino aṭṭhissa	aggīnaṃ	aṭṭhīnaṃ
5.abl	agginā aggimhā aggismā	aṭṭhinā aṭṭhimhā aṭṭhismā	aggīhi	aṭṭhīhi
6.gen	aggino aggissa	aṭṭhino aṭṭhissa	aggīnaṃ	aṭṭhīnaṃ
7.loc	aggimhi aggismiṃ	aṭṭhini aṭṭhimhi aṭṭhismiṃ	aggisu aggīsu	aṭṭhisu aṭṭhīsu
8.voc	aggi	aṭṭhi	aggī aggayo	aṭṭhī aṭṭhīni

Neuter Nouns ending in -u

These are also rare, at most 400 in the current DPD database²².

Relevant for 2025 year

vatthu	ground, land, case
cakkhu	eye
āyu	long life, age
massu	beard
ahu	day
pheggu	fibre; sapwood
madhu	honey
āgu	crime; offence
dāru	wood
dhanu	bow
sādu	delicious food; tasty food

Declension of Neuter Nouns ending in -u

1.nom	āyu āyuṃ	āyū āyūni
2.acc	āyuṃ	āyū āyūni
3.inst	āyunā	āyūhi
4.dat	āyuno āyussa	āyūnaṃ
5.abl	āyunā āyumhā āyusmā	āyūhi
6.gen	āyuno āyussa	āyūnaṃ
7.loc	āyumhi āyusmiṃ	āyūsu
8.voc	āyu	āyū āyūni

Comparison between Masculine and Neuter Nouns -u

	Masc sing	Neuter Sing	Masc plural	Neuter Plural
1.nom	bhikkhu	āyuṃ āyu	bhikkhū bhikkhavo	āyū āyūni
2.acc	bhikkhuṃ	āyuṃ	bhikkhū bhikkhavo	āyū āyūni
3.inst	bhikkhunā	āyunā	bhikkhūhi	āyūhi
4.dat	bhikkhuno bhikkhussa	āyuno āyussa	bhikkhūnaṃ	āyūnaṃ
5.abl	bhikkhunā bhikkhumhā bhikkhusmā	āyunā āyumhā āyusmā	bhikkhūhi	āyūhi
6.gen	bhikkhuno bhikkhussa	āyuno āyussa	bhikkhūnaṃ	āyūnaṃ
7.loc	bhikkhumhi bhikkhusmiṃ	āyumhi āyusmiṃ	bhikkhūsu	āyūsu
8.voc	bhikkhu	āyu	bhikkhū bhikkhavo bhikkhave	āyū āyūni