Awadhi Grammar List

Say who or what, then the other parts, then the verb: नेहा चाय पियत अहै (Neha is drinking tea). Words like मा and पर come after the noun.

Watch for अहै instead of है, मा instead of में, का instead of को, and हम for I. Awadhi has no ने, so ऊ कहिस means he said.

The past of go and come shows the gender of the subject: ऊ गवा (he went), ऊ गई (she went). Adjectives like नवा become नई for a feminine noun.

Read left to right. A consonant carries a short a unless a vowel sign changes it, and the last a of a word is usually silent, so घर is one syllable.

तू is for close friends and children, तुम for ordinary friendly talk, and आप for elders and strangers. A respected person gets a plural verb: चाचा जी आवत अहैं.

Today's Awadhi around Lucknow and Ayodhya is what you will speak. Poems like Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas use older words such as मोहि (me), which you meet at Level 6.

Drop -ब to get the stem: कर from करब, खा from खाब. Add endings to the stem to say who does what.

कर becomes करत, and करत अहै means is doing: पानी बरसत अहै (It is raining), हम लखनऊ मा रहत अही (I live in Lucknow).

Take the -त form and add हौ: तुम चाय पियत हौ? (Are you having tea?)

Use अउर between two words or two sentences: नेहा अउर अमित (Neha and Amit).

अही goes with हम for I and we: हम ठीक अही (I am fine). Around Lucknow you will also hear हन, and in some villages अहन.

Use अहै with ऊ, ई or a single noun, and अहैं with a group or an elder: नेहा चाय कै दुकान पर अहै (Neha is at the tea shop).

Say these words at the start of the sentence: आजु बजार बंद अहै (The market is closed today). The verb shows which काल्हि is meant.

Use आपन when the owner is the person doing the action: ऊ आपन किताब पढ़त अहै (She is reading her own book).

Use इहाँ for near and उहाँ for far: इहाँ बइठौ (Sit here).

Awadhi does not have separate words for he and she. ऊ covers both, and ई points to someone or something close: ई हमार बहिन अहै (This is my sister).

Say the number first: एक भाई, दुइ भाई (one brother, two brothers). The noun does not add a plural ending.

Use ओकर for one person and उनकर for a group or an elder: ओकर बहिन कविता अहै (His sister is Kavita).

Use कइसे to ask in what way or what state: ई कइसे बनत अहै? (How is this made?)

Put कब where the time would go: बस कब आवत अहै? (When does the bus come?)

Put कहाँ where the place would go: तुम कहाँ से हौ? (Where are you from?)

Put का where the answer would be: ई का अहै? (What is this?). It stays inside the sentence.

Put का after a person: अम्मा का फोन करौ (Call Mom).

Say a statement with a rising voice, or add का after the verb: ई तुम्हार घर अहै का? (Is this your house?)

Put काहे just before the verb: तुम काहे हँसत हौ? (Why are you laughing?)

Use के or कउन for a person and कउन for a choice: ऊ कउन अहै? (Who is he?)

Put केतना before the thing you count or measure: चाय मा केतना चीनी? (How much sugar in your tea?)

Write the owner first, then कै, then the thing: अमित कै बहिन (Amit's sister). In postpositions built with के (के बाद, के बारे मा) and phrases with बेरा or दिन, it becomes के.

Put का after the person, then the thing, then चाही. The word चाही does not change.

छोट घर (small house) and पुरान किताब (old book) stay as they are. नवा becomes नई for a feminine noun: नई साइकिल (new bicycle).

Use तुम्हार with तुम and तोहार with तू: तुम्हार फ्लैट बहुतै खुला अहै (Your flat is really airy).

तू is for close friends and children, तुम for ordinary friendly talk, and आप for elders and strangers. Each takes its own helper: तुम कहाँ हौ? (Where are you?)

Say नाहीं alone for no. Put it before the verb to say not: ऊ घरे नाहीं अहै (He is not at home).

Put का after the person, then the thing, then नीक लागत अहै. The thing liked is the grammatical subject.

Put पर after the thing or place: छत पर (on the roof), दुकान पर (at the shop).

Use पै between two parts of a sentence: फ्लैट नीक अहै, पै हल्ला बहुत अहै (The flat is nice, but it is noisy).

Put भी after the person or thing you add: हम भी लखनऊ से अही (I am from Lucknow too).

Put मा after the place or thing: घर मा (in the house), लखनऊ मा (in Lucknow).

Put से after the noun: लखनऊ से (from Lucknow), पेन से लिखौ (Write with a pen).

Awadhi says हम for both one person and a group: हम अमित अही (I am Amit). Add लोग to make we clear: हम लोग.

Use हमका or the shorter हमैं for to me: हमका जाड़ लागत अहै (I feel cold).

Put the owner before पास, then the thing, then अहै. After a name use के पास.

Put हमार before the noun: हमार नाँव नेहा अहै (My name is Neha). When a postposition follows the noun, it becomes हमरे.

हौ goes with तुम and nothing else: तुम कइसे हौ? (How are you?)

Add -इन to the stem: ऊ लोग फिलिम देखिन. Use it for one respected person too.

Add -इस to the stem when one person did something to an object: ऊ फिलिम देखिस.

Add -इहैं to the stem: चाचा जी काल्हि अइहैं.

Add -इहौ to the stem after तुम: तुम कब अइहौ?

Add -एन to the stem after हम: हम कहेन, हम देखेन.

Add -एव to the stem after तुम: आजु तुम का किहेव?

Add -त to the stem and then रहा, रही, रहे or रहेन: हम छत पर नाचत रहेन.

Add -ई to the stem: अमित काल्हि बजार जाई.

Add -ब to the stem after हम: हम काल्हि लखनऊ जाब.

The subject stays plain, and the verb ending shows who did it: अमित किताब पढ़िस.

Add -न to the noun before का, से, मा and the like: परिवारन का, लरिकन से.

When a noun after ई or ऊ takes a postposition, use एहि or ओहि: एहि बात पर, ओहि घर मा.

Put कइसन before अहै: मौसम कइसन अहै?

Use the stem alone with तू: जल्दी कर, सोइ जा.

Add -औ to a stem that ends in a consonant, and -व to a stem that ends in a vowel: इहाँ बइठौ, घर जाव.

Put कि नाहीं after the question: तुम चलिहौ कि नाहीं?

Use किह-, दिह- and लिह- before the ending: किहिस, दिहिस, लिहिस.

Put के बाद or से पहिले after the thing or the time: खाए के बाद, सात बजे से पहिले.

Put केकर before the thing owned: ई केकर किताब अहै?

Put खातिर after the person or thing: तुम्हरे खातिर, अम्मा के खातिर.

Use गवा for one man or masculine noun, गई for one woman or feminine noun and गए for several people or someone you respect.

Add -े to a few place words: घरे, गाँवे.

Put the -ई form after चलौ: चलौ, बजार चली.

Add जी after a name or a family word: चाचा जी, मास्टर जी.

Put तक after a place or time: स्टेशन तक, साँझ तक.

Add का to a pronoun to say to or for that person: तुमका, ओका, उनका.

Put पहिला, दूसर or तीसर before the noun: पहिला दिन, दूसर घर.

Add -इए to the stem: बइठिए, आइए.

Put बजे after the number: सात बजे. Ask the time with केतना बजा?

Put के बिना after the thing: चीनी के बिना चाय.

Put मत in front of the command: उहाँ मत जाव.

Use रहा for one man or masculine noun, रही for one woman or feminine noun and रहे for several people or a man you respect. A woman you respect takes रहीं.

Say हम … रहेन and तुम … रहेव: जब हम छोट रहेन.

Put संग after the person: हमरे संग चलौ.

Use से after the comparison thing and add the adjective: अमित नेहा से लंबा अहै.

When a possessive is followed by a noun and a postposition, it ends in -े: ओकरे फ्लैट पर.

Put सकब after the -इ form of the main verb. सकब changes for the person: सकत अहै, सकत हौ, सकब.

For close friends and children, add -इबे to the stem: तू करिबे, तू जइबे. The stem in -आ shortens: जा becomes जइबे.

Use the -ए form of the verb and अहै: ऊ चीठी लिखे अहै.

Add रहा, रही, रहे or रहेन after the -ए form to say had done. The helper shows who and how many.

Add रहत अहै (or रहत हौ, रहत अहैं) after the -त form. It shows an action that keeps happening again and again.

The dictionary form in -ब can be the subject or the object of a sentence: पढ़ब-लिखब (studying), बनाउब (making).

Add -हूँ to a pronoun or a time word to mean too, also or ever: हमहूँ (me too), कबहूँ (ever). भी works the same way.

To say you know how to do something, use the person with का, the purpose form (-ै) and आवत अहै. The person is not the subject.

Put the purpose form (-ै, or -य after a vowel) before लाग, लागी, लागे or लागेन. It says the action has begun.

With go, come and similar verbs, put the past form before अहै or अहैं. The ending agrees with the person who moved.

Use कउनो before a noun for any, and कछू on its own or before a noun for some or anything. नाहीं makes them none.

Put देब (past: दिहिस, दिहेन, दिहेव) after the -इ form of another verb. It means do it through, or do it for someone.

With हम use the short form in -ई (करी, जाई) for shall I and let us. With ऊ use -ै (करै, जाय) for might or let him.

Put the person with का, then the verb in the -ै form (or -य after a vowel), then का चाही. It means should.

Put कि after verbs like know, say, think or see, and then the content. कि also joins two choices, as in कि नाहीं questions.

Put के बारे मा after the topic noun. After a pronoun use the form before a postposition: हमरे बारे मा.

Add a form of लेब (लिहिस, लिहेन, लेब) after the -इ form. It points the action back to the doer.

Add a form of परब (परा, परी, परे) after the -इ form. The action starts quickly and without warning.

Say who wants it with चाहत अहै कि, then the other person and a short verb form (हम पढ़ी, तुम रहौ, ऊ आवै).

Put जब at the start of the clause that gives the time, and तब at the start of the clause that follows. Both clauses have their own verb.

Put जवन after the noun it describes, and then the description. It means who, which or that.

Say जौ and the condition, a comma, then तौ and the result. जौ can also be अगर.

Put तौ right after the word you want to highlight. It can mean as for this one, or really, or then.

Repeat the -त form, joined by a hyphen, to say that something else happens during that action.

Add a form of जाब (गवा, गई, गए) after the -इ form. It stresses that the change is complete.

Put के after the -इ form to say after doing or having done. Usually the same person does both actions.

Add -ै to words like बहुत, ऊ and ई. The word becomes stronger: बहुतै, उहै, इहै.

Add -ै to the verb stem and put गवा, गई, आवा or a similar verb after it. It means go or come in order to.

Add वाला (वाली for a woman or feminine thing, वाले for several) after a noun. It names the person or thing linked to that word.

Use होइ (the -इ form of होब) with जाब (गवा, गई, गए). The result means became, got, turned.

Add -आउब to the stem: पढ़ब (read) gives पढ़ाउब (teach). The -त form keeps the व: पढ़ावत.

Use the joining form and पाउब: हम काल्हि नाहीं आइ पाएन (I couldn't come yesterday). It speaks about something that worked or didn't.

Add होई after a -त form for a guess about now (ऊ सोवत होई), and after a past form for a guess about before (ऊ पहुँचि गवा होई).

Add -ै to the -त form (होतै, आवतै, पहुँचतै). The result says what happened right after.

Add -वाउब to the stem. The person who does the job takes से, and the person who benefits is the subject.

Add -वा to a noun, dropping a final -आ: लरिका becomes लरिकवा. It points to a person or thing both speakers know, and it often sounds familiar.

For a grandparent, uncle, teacher or other elder, use the plural verb: अहैं, आवत अहैं, कहिन, अइहैं, रहे.

Add -एव to the present stem for a polite request about later: काल्हि जरूर आएव. Go gives जाएव, never the past गएव.

Use the -आ form of the verb and then जाब: गावा जात अहै (is sung), बनावा गवा (was made). The doer is left out.

Put the -त form in both halves of a जौ ... तौ sentence. With हम or a woman the ending is -इत, and with तुम it is -तेव.

Put अइसन or वइसन before a noun to say what kind it is: अइसन फ्लैट कहाँ मिली? (Where would you find a flat like this?)

Say who spoke, कहिस or कहिन, कि, and then the words the way they were said. The person in the quote usually stays the same.

Say what happened, then काहे से कि and the reason: हम नाहीं आएन, काहे से कि पानी बरसत रहा (I didn't come because it was raining).

Put the cause before के मारे: डर के मारे (out of fear), भूख के मारे (from hunger). The rest of the sentence tells what happened because of it.

Use जइसे to compare how things happen: ऊ अइसे बोलत अहै जइसे सब जानत होय (He talks as if he knew everything).

Use जब तक for the time condition and तब तक for what holds during it: जब तक पानी बरसत अहै, तब तक इहाँ रुकौ (Stay here as long as it rains).

Say the place condition with जहाँ, then name what happens there with उहाँ: जहाँ चाय मिली, उहाँ बइठब (We'll sit wherever there's tea).

Use the purpose form of the verb, then देव: हमका जाय देव (Let me go), ओका खेलै देव (Let him play). The person you let takes का.

Name the person or thing first, then जेकर and the owned noun: ऊ मनई जेकर दुकान अहै (the man whose shop it is).

देखाउब means show and सुनाउब means tell or sing to someone. The person who sees or hears takes का.

Say what to do, then नाहीं तौ and the result: जल्दी चलौ, नाहीं तौ ट्रेन छूटि जाई (Hurry, or we'll miss the train).

Put बिना before the -ए form: बिना बताए (without telling), बिना पूछे (without asking). The rest of the sentence says what happened.

Put भर after the noun: दिन भर (all day), रात भर (all night), गाँव भर (the whole village). With पेट (stomach) it means as much as fills you.

Say लागत अहै कि and then a clause: लागत अहै कि पानी बरसी. It is the way to say what things look or feel like.

Sohar are sung by women when a baby is born, and kajri in the rainy months. Their words stretch with -वा endings, like बलमवा (my beloved), and they use older present forms.

Words like स्कूल, अस्पताल and फोन are normal in Awadhi. Put them in an Awadhi frame: ऊ अस्पताल गवा अहै (He has gone to the hospital).

Proverbs are fixed sayings of two short halves. They keep older forms like जानै and बदलै, so learn each one whole: जइसन करनी, तइसन भरनी (As you act, so you receive).

तुम is the friendly everyday you. तू is for very close people, and also for a sharp tone. Switching shows a change in feeling: तू चुप रह! (You, be quiet!) is much sharper than तुम चुप रहौ.

Tell a story in the past, then switch to the present at the key moment: रामू घर पहुँचि गवा, अउर का देखत अहै कि दरवाजा खुला अहै (Ramu got home, and what does he see but the door open).

Start with अरे to get someone's attention or to show surprise, and end a call with हो to stretch it: अरे भइया, सुनौ हो! (Hey brother, listen!)

Say का बात अहै with a falling voice to praise or to show surprise: का बात अहै, बहुतै नीक खाना! (Wow, really good food!) With a rising voice it means what's the matter?

Say the word twice and change the start of the second one to व-: चाय-वाय (tea or something), रोटी-वोटी (bread or the like). It is friendly and relaxed.

तनिक before a request makes it gentle: तनिक रुकौ (Wait a moment). Before a thing it means a little: तनिक चीनी (a little sugar).

Add ना after a command or request: चलौ ना, देर होत अहै (Come on, it's getting late). It sounds like "please" or "come on" between friends and family.

नाक कटि गई literally means the nose got cut. It means someone was shamed in public. Learn it as one phrase and change its ending like any verb.

Use भइया, दीदी, चाचा, मौसी and similar words to call someone, family or not: भइया, स्टेशन कहाँ अहै? (Brother, where is the station?)

Use भले for the point you grant and तबहूँ for the point that stays: भले हाथ कै काम सुंदर होय, तबहूँ बजट देखै का चाही (Even if handwork is lovely, you still have to watch the budget).

मुला works like पै: it joins two clauses that pull against each other. ऊ आवा, मुला देर से (He came, but late). It sounds village-like and a little old-fashioned.

Put a person's word in the -े form before इहाँ to mean at their place: हमरे इहाँ आजु बियाह अहै (There's a wedding at our place today).

Speakers, in Lucknow above all, often move between Awadhi and Hindi within a single talk: हम कहेन, ठीक है, कल मिलते हैं (I said, fine, see you tomorrow). It is normal.

-न्ह in old verse makes a noun or pronoun plural: कपिन्ह (the monkeys), तिन्ह (them). Today's speech uses -न, as in परिवारन. The lines below are new, written in the old style.

Padmavat is a long love story in Awadhi verse. Its language is older than speech today, but forms such as अहै (is) are still alive in villages.

Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi in the 1570s. Its pronouns and verb endings are older than today's speech, but many words are unchanged: राम (Ram) and बन (forest) read the same.

A चौपाई has four short lines, usually rhymed in pairs. A दोहा is a two-line couplet that closes a group. Knowing the shape helps you see where words were shortened to fit.

In Kheri and Sitapur, western Awadhi says मैं and है where the Ayodhya side says हम and अहै: ऊ घर पर है and ऊ घरे अहै mean the same. In parts of the east, such as Sultanpur, तुम takes -ब in the future: तुम जाबौ.

Old verse says the present with one word: करउँ (I do), करहिं (they do). Speech adds a helper: करत अही and करत अहैं. The lines below are new, written in the old style.

Add -हु to the verb stem for a command in old verse: करहु (do), सुनहु (listen), आवहु (come). Speech uses -औ, as in करौ and सुनौ. The lines below are new, written in the old style.

In old verse, करिहि means he will do and करिहहिं means they will do. Today's speech says करी and करिहैं. The lines below are new, written in the old style.

In poetry, कहँ means to, महँ means in and सन means with. Today's speech says का, मा and से: मोहि कहँ (to me). The lines below are new, written in the old style.

कीन्ह means did, दीन्ह means gave and लीन्ह means took. They are the old past forms of करब, देब and लेब, and they are the same for one person or for a respected person. The lines below are new, written in the old style.

मोहि means to me, तोहि to you and तेहि to him or that. They mark the receiver or the thing pointed at. The lines below are new, written in the old style.