Marathi Grammar

Welcome to the 8th lesson about Marathi grammar. We will first learn about prepositions, negation, questions, adverbs, and pronouns including: personal, object and possessive pronouns. To hear the pronunciation, just click on the sound icon.

We will start with prepositions. In general, they are used to link words to other words. For example: I speak Marathi and English the preposition is [and] because it connects both words Marathi and English. The following is a list of the most used prepositions in Marathi.

Prepositions - Marathi - Pronunciation
and आणि [aaNi]
above वर [var]
under खाली [khaali]
before आधी [aadhi]
after नंतर [nantar]
in front of च्या समोर [chyaa samor]
behind मागे [maage]
far from पासून खूपच दूर [paasun khoopach door]
near जवळ [javaL]
in आत [aat]
inside आतल्या बाजूला [aatlyaa baajulaa]
outside बाहेरच्या बाजूला [baaherchyaa baajulaa]
with सोबत [sobat]
without शिवाय, वगळून [shivaay, vagaLoon]
about विषयी [viShayi]
between मध्ये [madhye]
but पण, परंतु [paN, parantu]
for साठी [saaThi]
from पासून [paasun]
to कडे [kaDe]

Preposition Grammar Rules

The following examples use prepositions in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence.

Prepositions + Rules - Marathi + Pronunciation
I eat without a knife [preposition + noun] मी सुरीशिवाय खातो [mi surishivaay khaato]
she lives near the church [verb + preposition] ती चर्चच्या जवळ राहाते [ti charchachyaa javaL raahaate]
he is taller than her [adjective + preposition] तो तिच्यापेक्षा उंच आहे [to tichyaapekShaa unch aahe]
he came with his small dog [preposition + pronoun] तो त्याच्या छोट्या कुत्र्यासोबत आला [to tyaachyaa chhoTyaa kutryaasobat aalaa]
can you come with me? [preposition + pronoun] तुम्ही माझ्यासोबत येऊ शकाल काय? [tumhi maajhyaasobat yeoo shakaal kaay?]

Negation in Marathi

Now let's learn how to make a negative sentence (negation). For example: Saying no, I can't, I don't ... The following examples use negation in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence.

Negation + Rules - Marathi + Pronunciation
I understand you [affirmative form] तुम्ही काय म्हणता ते मला समजते [tumhi kaay mhaNataa te malaa samajte]
I don't understand you [negation + verb] तुम्ही काय म्हणता ते मला समजत नाही [tumhi kaay mhaNataa te malaa samjat naahi]
this is not the correct word [negation + adjective] हा अचूक शब्द नाही [haa achook shabda naahi]
don't leave me [imperative negation] मला सोडून जाऊ नका [malaa sodoon jaaoo nakaa]
no problem [negation + noun] कांही हरकत नाही [kaanhi harkat naahi]

Negative Sentences - Marathi + Pronunciation
I don't speak French [negation + present tense] मला फ्रेन्च बोलता येत नाही [malaa french boltaa yet naahi]
she didn't visit Germany [negation + past tense] ती जर्मनीला गेली नाही [ti jarmanilaa geli naahi]
he cannot see us [negative modal verb] तो आपल्याला पाहू शकत नाही [to aaplyaalaa paahoo shakat naahi]
can't she play chess? [interrogative negation] ती बुद्धिबळ खेळू शकत नाही काय? [ti buddhibaL kheLoo shakat naahi kaay?]
we will not come late [negation + future tense] आम्हाला उशीर होणार नाही [aamhaalaa usheer hoNaar naahi]

Questions in Marathi

Now let's learn how to ask questions (interrogative). Such as: what, why, can you ...? Here are some common examples:

English - Marathi - Pronunciation
how? कसे? [kase?]
what? काय? [kaay?]
who? कोण? [koN?]
why? का? [kaa?]
where? कुठे? [kuThe?]

More of the interrogative form, now in a sentence:

Questions + Rules - Marathi + Pronunciation
where do you live? [interrogative + verb] तुम्ही कुठे राहाता? [tumhi kuThe raahaataa?]
does she speak Chinese? [interrogative verb] तिला चिनी बोलता येते काय? [tilaa chini boltaa yete kaay?]
how much is this? [interrogative preposition] याची किंमत किती? [yaachi kimmat kiti?]
can I help you? [interrogative modal verb] मी तुम्हाला मदत करू शकतो काय? [mi tumhaalaa madat karu shakto kaay?]
what is your name? [interrogative preposition] तुमचे नांव काय? [tumche naanv kaay?]

Adverbs in Marathi

It's time to learn the adverbs in Marathi. But what is an adverb? In general, adverbs modify verbs and adjectives. For example: You speak fast. The adverb is [fast] because it describes the verb and answers the question how do you speak?. Here is a list of the most common ones:

Adverbs - Marathi - Pronunciation
now आता [aataa]
yesterday काल [kaal]
today आज [aaj]
tonight आज रात्री [aaj raatri]
tomorrow उद्या [udyaa]
soon लवकरच [lavakarach]
quickly त्वरेने [tvarene]
slowly सावकाश [saavkaash]
together एकत्र [ekatra]
very अत्यंत [atyant]
almost जवळजवळ [javaLjavaL]
always नेहमी [nehmi]
usually सामान्यत: [saamaanyatahaa]
sometimes कधीकधी [kadhikadhi]
rarely क्वचित [kvachit]
never कधीच नाही [kadhich naahi]

The following examples use the adverbs in different ways and places to demonstrate how it behaves in a sentence.

Adverbs + Rules - Marathi + Pronunciation
do you understand me now? [pronoun + adverb] मी काय म्हणतो ते आता तुम्हाला समजते काय? [mi kaay mhaNato te aataa tumhaalaa samajte kaay?]
I need help immediately [noun + adverb] मला मदतीची ताबडतोब आवश्यकता आहे [malaa madatichi taabaDtob aavashyakataa aahe]
she is very intelligent [adverb + adjective] ती खूप बुद्धिमान आहे [ti khoop buddhimaan aahe]
I will always love you [verb + adverb] माझे तुमच्यावर नेहमीच प्रेम असेल [maajhe tumchyaavar nehmich prem asel]
can we learn German together? [adverb in a question] आपण एकत्र जर्मन शिकू शकू काय? [aapaN ekatra jarman shikoo shakoo kaay?]

Pronouns in Marathi

We're almost done! This time we will learn the pronouns in Marathi. In general, a pronoun can be used instead of a noun. For example instead of saying my teacher speaks 3 languages, you can use the pronoun he, and say he speaks 3 languages. Here is a list of the most common ones:

Personal Pronouns - Marathi - Pronunciation
I मी [mi]
you तू / तुम्ही [too / tumhi]
he तो [to]
she ती [ti]
we आम्ही / आपण [aamhi / aapaN]
they ते, त्या, ती [te, tyaa, ti]

Object Pronouns - Marathi - Pronunciation
me मला [malaa]
you तुला / तुम्हाला [tulaa / tumhaalaa]
him त्याला [tyaalaa]
her तिला [tilaa]
us आम्हाला / आपल्याला [aamhaalaa / aaplyaalaa]
them त्यांना [tyaannaa]

Possessive Pronouns - Marathi - Pronunciation
my माझा, माझे, माझी [maajhaa, maajhe, maajhi]
your तुझा,तुझी, तुझे, तुमचे, तुमची, तुमचा [tujhaa,tujhi, tujhe, tumche, tumchi, tumchaa]
his त्याचे, त्याचा, त्याची [tyaache, tyaachaa, tyaachi]
her तिचा, तिचे, तिची [tichaa, tiche, tichi]
our आमचे, आमचा, आमची, आपले, आपला, आपली [aamche, aamchaa, aamchi, aaple, aaplaa, aapli]
their त्यांचे, त्यांचा, त्यांची [tyaanche, tyaanchaa, tyaanchi]

I think it's better to put the above example in a sentence to better assist you. The following examples use pronouns in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence. We will start with the personal pronouns.

Personal Pronouns - Marathi + Pronunciation
I am your friend [1st pronoun + verb] मी तुमचा मित्र आहे [mi tumchaa mitra aahe]
you speak very fast [2nd pronoun + adverb] तुम्ही खूपच जलद बोलता [tumhi khoopach jalad boltaa]
he has three dogs [3rd pronoun + verb] त्याच्याकडे तीन कुत्रे आहेत [tyaachyaakaDe teen kutre aahet]
she can speak German [3rd pronoun + verb] ती जर्मन बोलू शकते [ti jarman boloo shakte]
we will not come late [1st plural pronoun] आम्हाला उशीर होणार नाही [aamhaalaa ushir hoNaar naahi]
they bought milk and bread [3rd plural pronoun] त्यांनी दूध आणि ब्रेड विकत घेतले [tyaanni doodh aaNi breD vikat ghetle]

The object pronoun is used as a target by a verb, and usually come after that verb. For example: I gave him my book. The object pronoun here is him. Here are more examples:

Object Pronouns - Marathi + Pronunciation
can you tell me your name? [1st object pronoun] तुम्ही मला तुमचे नांव सांगू शकाल काय? [tumhi malaa tumche naanv saangoo shkaal kaay?]
I will give you money [2nd object pronoun] मी तुम्हाला पैसे देईन [mi tumhaalaa paise dein]
she wrote him a letter [3rd object pronoun] तिने त्याला पत्र लिहिले [tine tyaalaa patra lihile]
they visited her yesterday [3rd object pronoun] ते तिच्याकडे काल गेले होते [te tichyaakaDe kaal gele hote]
can she help us? [1st pl. object pronoun] ती आम्हाला मदत करू शकेल काय? [ti aamhaalaa madat karoo shakel kaay?]
he gave them food [3rd pl. object pronoun] त्याने त्यांना अन्न दिले [tyaane tyaannaa anna dile]

Possessive Pronouns - Marathi + Pronunciation
my name is Maya [1st possessive pronoun] माझे नांव माया आहे [maajhe naanv maayaa aahe]
your brother lives here [2nd possessive pronoun] तुमचा भाऊ इथे राहातो [tumchaa bhaaoo ithe raahaato]
her mother cooks for us [3rd possessive pronoun] तिची आई आमच्यासाठी स्वयंपाक करते [tichi aai aamchyaasaaThi svayampaak karte]
his hobby is reading books [3rd possessive pronoun] पुस्तके वाचणे हा त्याचा छंद आहे [pustake vaachNe haa tyaachaa chhand aahe]
our dream is to visit Paris [1st pl. possessive pronoun] पॅरिसला भेट देणे हे आमचे स्वप्न आहे [parislaa bheT deNe he aamche svapna aahe]
their house is not far [3rd pl. possessive pronoun] त्यांचे घर फार दूर नाही [tyaanche ghar phaar door naahi]

One more thing you need to know is the demonstrative pronouns. They're very easy to learn.

Demonstrative Pronouns - Marathi - Pronunciation
this is my house हे माझे घर आहे [he maajhe ghar aahe]
that restaurant is far ते उपाहारगृह दूर आहे [te upaahaargruh door aahe]
these apples are delicious ही सफरचंदे छान आहेत [hi sapharchande chahan aahet]
those stars are shiny ते तारे चमकदार आहेत [te taare chamakdaar aahet]

I hope you learned a lot about the Marathi grammar in this lesson. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. The next lesson is below, have fun!