जे

Who or Which: जे

Level 3Sounds Like jē

जे starts a clause that describes a person.

How It Works

There are two common word orders.

  • Person first: ऊ लइकी, जे गावत बाड़ी, हमार बहिन ह (The girl who is singing is my sister).
  • जे first: जे मेहनत करेला, ओकरा सफलता मिलेला (Whoever works hard gets success).

In the second order, the main clause uses a form of ऊ, such as ऊ, ओकर or ओकरा, to point back to the person.

जे is mostly for people and जवन mostly for things, though writers cross over: एगो बात, जेकरा पर… जे does not change for gender or number; the verb after it does: जे चाचा जी काल्ह आइल रहलें, ऊ आज फेर आवत बाड़ें.

Do not use जो; that is Hindi.

Examples (5)

  1. ऊ लइकी, जे गावत बाड़ी, हमार बहिन ह।

    The girl who is singing is my sister.

    जे describes the girl.

  2. जे मेहनत करेला, ओकरा सफलता मिलेला।

    Whoever works hard finds success.

    ओकरा points back to the person.

  3. जे लइका अबहीं आइल बा, ऊ हमार भतीजा ह।

    The boy who just came is my nephew.

    जे opens the describing clause.

  4. जे चाचा जी काल्ह आइल रहलें, ऊ आज फेर आवत बाड़ें।

    The uncle who came yesterday is coming again today.

    The verb रहलें shows respect.

  5. हम ओह आदमी के जानत बानी, जे चाय बेचेला।

    I know the man who sells tea.

    जे follows the person it describes.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Hindi जो.

    ऊ लइकी, जो गावत बाड़ी, हमार बहिन ह।
    ऊ लइकी, जे गावत बाड़ी, हमार बहिन ह।

    Bhojpuri uses जे.

How It Connects

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जेLevel 3Who or Which: जे

Learn This First

जे is the partner of question के and opens a whole clause as कि does.

Words in This Pattern

जे