Joining "Ram" and "avataar", Tanu writes "ram-avataar" (kept separate), thinking nothing changes…
Joining "Ram" and "avataar", Tanu writes "ram-avataar" (kept separate), thinking nothing changes between two consonant-ending-feel words with "a" between them. Her teacher says the vowels combine here too. Who is right?
Who do you think is right? Pick one.
The answer: Her teacher is right, the correct form is "ramavataar"
Why
Tanu may be hesitating because 'राम' looks like it ends in a consonant sound, making it seem like the sandhi rule shouldn't apply. But every Hindi consonant carries a hidden 'अ' vowel by default unless another vowel-mark is attached — so 'राम' actually ends in 'अ' (र्+आ+म्+अ). 'अवतार' also begins with 'अ'; when 'अ' is followed by 'अ', the two merge into one long 'आ' — so 'राम'+'अवतार' becomes 'रामावतार' (ramavatar), not two separate words. Test it: the same 'अ+अ=आ' rule operates in 'सूर्य'+'अस्त'='सूर्यास्त' (there the final 'य्' carries the merging 'अ'). Her teacher is right: words that look consonant-final in Hindi still carry a hidden 'अ', and it merges with the next 'अ' to form 'आ' — the correct form is 'रामावतार'.
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