Bhojpuri Grammar List

Say who, then what, then the action: हम चाय पियत बानी (I am drinking tea). Moving a word to the front gives it more weight.

Most adjectives stay the same. The verb changes: लइका स्कूल जाला (the boy goes to school), लइकी स्कूल जाली (the girl goes).

Hindi है becomes बा or ह, मैं becomes हम, को becomes के, and there is no ने in the past: ऊ खाना खइलस (he ate food).

Put the small word after the noun: घर में (in the house), दुकान पर (at the shop).

Read each consonant with a short a unless a vowel sign changes it. The a at the end of a word is silent: घर is ghar. A final ऽ means the last a is said, as in करऽ, and श and ष sound like स.

-ला is for habits (करेला), -त for actions in progress (करत बा), -ल for the past (कइलस) and -ब or -ई for the future.

Use तें for small children and very close family, तू for friends and family, and रउआ for elders and strangers.

पियेलू can only mean you drink, said to a woman. The ending tells you the doer, so the pronoun is often dropped.

माई खाना बनावत बाड़ी (Mother is cooking). The word बा agrees with the doer.

चाय आ बिस्कुट (tea and biscuits). Put it between the two things you join.

आज means today and अबहीं means right now. काल्ह means both yesterday and tomorrow, and the rest of the sentence shows which.

हम इहाँ बानी (I am here). Both pairs are everyday Bhojpuri; keep one pair for each speaker.

ई का ह? (What is this?) ऊ हमार भाई ह (That is my brother). Before a noun with a postposition they become एह and ओह.

ऊ लोग गाँव में बाड़ें (They are in the village). The verb takes the respectful plural ending.

Two is दू, as in दू गो चाय. Six is छव.

ओहिजा एगो दुकान बा (There is a shop there). Write एगो as one word.

ओकर बहिन means that person's sister. एकर is for someone near, and उनकर for someone you respect.

खाना कइसन बा? (How is the food?) ई कइसे बनेला? (How is this made?)

छठ कब बा? (When is Chhath?) तू कहिया अइबऽ? (On which day will you come?)

With तू, a command is usually the verb stem with ऽ at the end: आवऽ, करऽ, पढ़ऽ.

With रउआ, a request ends in -ईं: बइठीं, दीं, आईं.

तू कहाँ रहेलू? asks a woman where she lives. To a man you say तू कहाँ रहेलऽ?

अमित रोज ऑफिस जाला (Amit goes to the office every day). Add the ending to the verb stem.

कवन asks which one, and it becomes कवना before a postposition.

स्टेशन कहाँ बा? (Where is the station?) Put कहाँ before बा or the verb.

तू का पियत बाड़ऽ? (What are you drinking?) In the answer, the thing you name takes the place of का: हम चाय पियत बानी।

तू आवत बाड़ऽ का? (Are you coming?) A rising voice alone also works.

लइका काहे रोवत बा? (Why is the child crying?) Put it just before the verb.

ऊ के ह? (Who is he?) ई केकर किताब ह? (Whose book is this?)

ऊ हमरा के देखत बा (He is looking at me). Put के after the person, but not after most things.

नेहा के घर (Neha's house), चाय के दुकान (tea shop). The owner comes first, then के, then the thing.

केतना asks how much or how many. It stands where the number or amount will be.

घर becomes घरे, meaning at home or home. बजार becomes बजारे, meaning at the market or to the market.

Put the person in the हमरा form, then the thing, then चाहीं, which never changes.

Most Bhojpuri adjectives do not change for gender or number: छोट घर, छोट गाड़ी.

जी after a name or title shows respect: चाचा जी कहाँ बाड़ें? हँ जी is a polite yes.

रउआ takes its own verb forms: रउआ कइसन बानी? (How are you?) तू shows a man or a woman in the verb.

राउर नाम का ह? (What is your name?) Before a postposition they become तोहरा and रउरा.

दू गो रोटी (two rotis), तीन गो लइका (three children). The noun stays singular.

दुकान में दूध नइखे (There is no milk in the shop). हम थाकल नइखीं (I am not tired).

ऊ चाय ना पियेला (He doesn't drink tea). ना, हम ना जाइब (No, I won't go).

लागल with the हमरा form shows a feeling: हमरा ई गाना नीक लागेला.

छत पर (on the roof), दुकान पर (at the shop). Use it for surfaces and for being at a place.

बहुत means very or a lot, and तनी means a little. तनी also softens a request.

Pick by who you mean: प्रिया स्कूल में बाड़ी (Priya is at school), ऊ लोग गाँव में बाड़ें (they are in the village).

साड़ी नीक बा, बाकिर महँग बा (The sari is nice, but it is expensive). Put a comma before it.

तू कहाँ बाड़ू? asks a woman where she is. To a man, say तू कहाँ बाड़ऽ?

Use बानी with हम (I) and with रउआ (you, respectful) to say where or how someone is: हम घरे बानी (I am at home).

Put मत before the command: हल्ला मत करऽ means don't make noise.

झोला में (in the bag), पटना में (in Patna). Use it for places, containers and seasons.

लगे after the owner means have: हमरा लगे एगो साइकिल बा.

Say the hour with बजे, and add साढ़े for half past: साढ़े सात बजे.

पटना से (from Patna), कलम से (with a pen). It also means than, with someone, and since.

ई हमार घर ह (This is my house). ना ह means is not. In writing you will also see हवे.

हमनी ठीक बानी जा (We are fine). हम always means I, never we.

हम रोज भोजपुरी पढ़ीले (I read Bhojpuri every day). हम सबेरे जाइले (I go in the morning).

हमरा से बात करऽ (Talk to me). Ask yourself: is there a postposition after the pronoun? If yes, use the changed form.

They do not change for the thing owned. Before a postposition हमार becomes हमरा: हमरा घर में (in my house).

Say हमार नाम नेहा ह and ask तोहार नाम का ह? The word ह links the name to the person.

Add -ओ or -हूँ to a word for also: हमहूँ चलब means I'll come too.

-त with रहे, रहली or रहनी describes an action in progress or a habit in the past.

Add -लस to a verb that takes an object for he did (a woman takes -ली): राहुल चिट्ठी लिखलस.

-वा or -या points to someone or something both speakers know, like the.

Put the person in the हमरा form and add the -े form with के बा.

The -े form plus खातिर means in order to: हम पढ़े खातिर पटना गइनी.

Bhojpuri never adds ने to the subject, and the past verb follows the subject, not the object: नेहा चिट्ठी लिखली.

आपन means one's own and points back to the subject, and it becomes अपना before a postposition.

Before a noun that has a postposition, ई becomes एह and ऊ becomes ओह.

With तू, the past ends in -लऽ for a man and -लू for a woman.

For a respected man or for they, the past ends in -लें, and a woman takes -ली.

ना goes before the verb: ऊ कबो झूठ ना बोलेला (He never lies).

With हम and रउआ, the future ends in -ब: हम काल्ह आइब.

With तू, the future ends in -बऽ for a man and -बू for a woman.

For he or she the future ends in -ई, and for a respected person or they in -िहें.

Use केहू for people, कुछ for things and कवनो in front of a noun to mean any one: घर में केहू बा?

खातिर means for: तोहरा खातिर (for you), माई खातिर साड़ी (a sari for Mother).

With हम and रउआ, the past ends in -नी: हम काल्ह पटना गइनी.

Verbs without an object end in -ल for a man or a thing and -ली for a woman in the past.

चाहल after the -े form of a verb means want to: हम घरे जाए चाहत बानी.

पहिला, दोसर and तीसर mean first, second and third: पहिला दिन. दोसर also means other.

भइल is the past of होखल (to be or happen): का भइल?

भा and चाहे mean or: चाय भा कॉफी?

The past of बा is रहे for a man or a thing, रहली for a woman, रहनी for हम and रहलें for respected men and groups.

Before a postposition, plural nouns can take -न: लइकन के मिठाई दऽ.

Most nouns stay the same in the plural; add लोग for people or सब for all of them.

Put ले or तक right after the end point: साँझ ले (until evening), स्टेशन तक (as far as the station).

संगे or साथे means together with: हम माई के संगे बजार गइनी.

Stem plus सकल means can: ऊ भोजपुरी बोल सकेला.

सबसे before an adjective means the most: ई सबसे नीक दुकान ह.

Put से after the one you compare against: राहुल अमित से लमहर बा.

ए before a name calls someone, हो makes a greeting friendly, and रे is only for close friends and children.

ऊ दिन भर गावत रहेला (He keeps singing all day).

खइला के बाद हम सुत गइनी (After eating, I fell asleep).

A verb with an object takes -ले and then बा: हम ई फिलिम देखले बानी (I have seen this film).

Change बा to a past form of रहल: हम पहिले खइले रहनी (I had eaten earlier).

लइका रोवे लागल (The child started crying).

चाय बेचे वाला (the tea seller), गाड़ी छूटे वाला बा (The train is about to leave).

सुते से पहिले दाँत साफ करऽ (Brush your teeth before bed).

अगर (or जदि) opens the if-clause and त opens the result: अगर बरखा होई, त हम ना आइब.

Join -ए, -ही or -हीं to the word you want to point at. हम इहे कहत रहनी means that's exactly what I was saying.

बरखा होत रहे, एहसे हम घरे रहनी (It was raining, so I stayed home).

काल्ह जरूर अइहऽ (Do come tomorrow), पहुँच के फोन करिहऽ (Call when you get there).

हम ना अइनी, काहे कि हमार तबीयत ठीक ना रहे (I didn't come because I wasn't well).

Put कि before the content: हमरा बुझाता कि ऊ ना आई (I think he won't come).

तोहरा डॉक्टर से मिले के चाहीं (You should see a doctor).

ऊ बइठ के चाय पियत बा (He is sitting and drinking tea), खाना खा के सुतऽ (Eat, then sleep).

ऊ सुत गइल (He fell asleep).

ऊ आ गइल बा (He has arrived), लइका सुतल बा (The child is asleep).

फूल नियर सुन्नर (as pretty as a flower).

जब हम पहुँचनी, त ऊ सुतल रहे (When I arrived, he was asleep).

जवन किताब तू दिहलऽ, ऊ बढ़िया बा (The book you gave me is great).

Put जे right after the person and before the describing clause: ऊ लइकी, जे गावत बाड़ी, हमार बहिन ह.

हम त जाइब (I, for one, will go).

ऊ हमरा के सब बता दिहलस (He told me everything).

तू अइबऽ नू? (You will come, right?)

हमरा पैदल जाए के पड़ल (I had to walk).

बड़का भाई (the eldest brother), छोटकी बहिन (the youngest sister).

बिना चीनी के चाय (tea without sugar).

हमरा ना बुझाइल (I didn't understand). हमरा बुझाता कि means it seems to me that.

हमरा पहाड़ लउकत बा (I can see the hills).

पहिले खाना खा लऽ (Eat first).

हम का करीं? asks What should I do? With जा it invites others: चलीं जा (Let's go).

Add घरी after the -त form to say while: बजार जात घरी हमरा नेहा से भेंट भइल. The verb in the second half tells what happened.

Add जाइल after the -त form to say something keeps changing step by step: पानी बढ़त जात बा.

Put -त होई after the verb stem to guess: ऊ अबहीं खाना खात होई. For रउआ, use होखब.

Add -ते to the verb stem to say as soon as: घरे पहुँचते फोन करिहऽ. The verb in the second half tells what follows.

Add -ला to the verb stem and then से (by), में (in) or के (of). रोज पढ़ला से भाषा आवेला.

हम नया घर बनवावत बानी (I am having a new house built).

उहाँ के काल्ह अइनी (He came yesterday).

ऊ कहलस कि हम काल्ह आइब (He said he would come tomorrow).

मेला के आयोजन कइल गइल (The fair was organized).

भोजपुरी में अइसे कहल जाला (That's how you say it in Bhojpuri).

Put के अलावे after a noun to leave it out or add to it: हमरा अलावे सभे जानेला. Pronouns take their हमरा form.

Put के चलते after the noun that causes something: बरखा के चलते मेला ना लागल. It names the cause.

माई लइका के दूध पिआवत बाड़ी (Mother is giving the child milk).

Use चाहल कि when the wanted action belongs to another person: माई चाहत बाड़ी कि हम डॉक्टर बनीं. The verb after कि takes the subjunctive.

Add -ए to the future verb and follow it with the future of करल: हम जइबे करब means I will definitely go. -बो instead adds also or even.

Say the way in the first half with जइसे and the matching way in the second with ओइसे: जइसे माई बनावेली, ओइसे बनावऽ.

Put a would-have ending on both verbs, each matching its own subject, to talk about something that did not happen: हम जनतीं त बता देतीं.

Put जबले in the first half and तबले in the second. The two halves share one time: जबले तू ना अइबऽ, तबले हम इहें रहब.

Use जेतना for the first amount and ओतना for the second: जेतना पढ़बऽ, ओतना सीखबऽ.

तबो links a surprise to what came before it: बरखा होत रहे, तबो ऊ आइल. It means the same thing happened anyway.

तें (with तोर for your) is for small children and very close family. To anyone else it sounds rude, so learn it to understand it, not to use it.

Say a word twice to stress it: धीरे-धीरे means slowly or little by little, and घरे-घरे means in every home.

Put a verb in its -ल form before a noun to describe it: पकल आम is a ripe mango and टूटल गिलास is a broken glass.

पढ़ल (to read) gives पढ़ावल (to teach). रंजना स्कूल में पढ़ावेली (Ranjana teaches at a school).

Put पावल after the verb stem to say you managed or could not manage to do it: हम रात भर सुत ना पवनी.

बाबूजी आवत बाड़ें (Father is coming), माई कहली (Mother said).

घर बेचा गइल (The house got sold), चोर धरा गइल (The thief got caught).

Put सन after the verb when the subject is plural and not someone you respect: लइका खेलत बाड़न सन. The verb takes its -न form (or -ी for girls).

A कहाउत is a short saying that teaches a lesson. Many pair two halves: जइसन करनी, ओइसन भरनी.

Say what happened with अइसे and what it looked like with जइसे: ऊ अइसे बोलत रहे जइसे सब जानत होखे.

Idioms use a body word with a verb for a feeling or action: कपार खपावल means rack your brains, and मुँह फुलावल means sulk.

Put the verb stem, then रहल, then बा: पुल बनावल जा रहल बा. Everyday speech says -त बा instead.

Open a sentence with कहल जात बा कि to say "it is said that". The claim follows in a normal clause.

Put के बदउलत after the person or thing that made something possible: रउरा सभे के बदउलत मेला सफल भइल.

Name two options, each after चाहे, and then give the result that holds either way: चाहे बरखा होखे चाहे घाम, हम आइब.

Use जवना with से, में, के बारे में and other postpositions: ऊ दुकान, जवना से हम साड़ी कीननी, बंद हो गइल.

Open with जे केहू, then use ओकरा (or ओकर) in the main clause: जे केहू आई, ओकरा के खाना मिली.

Speeches and letters use रउआ सभे for "all of you". Before के it becomes रउरा सभे: रउरा सभे के प्रणाम.

Add -स to the verb stem to wish good: भगवान रउरा के खुश राखस. The actor is God or a respected person.

In books and posts, a first-person past ends in -लीं: हम एगो किताब लिखलीं. In speech around Ara it ends in -नी.

Banarasi Bhojpuri has its own "is", हउवे, and counts with ठो: ई के हउवे? The rest is close to Ara speech.

Nepal's Bhojpuri shares the core grammar, adds some Nepali words and uses Devanagari: बीरगंज में भोजपुरी बोलल जाला.

कजरी is for the rains, फगुआ for Holi, चइता for spring and बिरहा for longing. Their language keeps older forms such as मोर and -इ endings.

Writers often use Hindi words like भी and लेकिन, where speech says -ओ and बाकिर. Reading it, you will meet both in one article.

Writers use का where speech has के: खाना का बाद (after the meal). The meaning is the same.

जनि means don't, and नाहीं means no or not. Ara speech says मत and ना: जनि जाईं is मत जाईं in Ara.

Put ठो or ठे after a number: दू ठो रोटी (two rotis). In Ara, say दू गो रोटी.

Some writers add -इ to the stem before के or at the end of a verb: देखि के, चलि गइल. Speech around Ara says देख के.

In eastern Uttar Pradesh the "is" has a ट: बाटे, बाटीं, बाटऽ. Ara says बा, बानी and बाड़ऽ.

In songs you will hear मोर and तोर where speech says हमार and तोहार: मोरा पिया परदेस गइलें.

Songs add -वा or -इया to nouns of love and home: सजनवा (my sweetheart), पियवा (my beloved), नगरिया (the town).

Refrains such as हो रामा, रे and हो sit at the end of a line and keep the rhythm: बरसे बदरिया हो रामा.