Maithili Grammar List

The usual order is subject, then other words, then the verb: हम चाह पिबै छी.

Say नीक बेटा and नीक बेटी: the describing word stays the same.

Use हम छी, not मैं हूँ, and मे and सँ, not में and से. The past has no ने, and verbs show respect more than gender.

Put मे, पर, सँ, केँ and लेल after the noun. The noun does not change.

Read each word as Maithili: घर ends on the r sound, and अहाँ has a nasal vowel. Learn new words with their audio.

Say the short a in कऽ, भऽ, दऽ and लऽ. Without the ऽ the word would end on its consonant.

Use the honorific ending for elders and people you respect, and the plain ending for children, friends and things.

Say चाहक दोकान for the tea shop and रामक बहिन for Ram's sister. The ending never changes.

हम मैथिली पढ़ैत छी means I study Maithili. Use छी, छथि or अछि to match the person.

अहाँ मैथिली बजैत छी? is a yes or no question. Answer with हँ or नहि.

अहाँ is the everyday polite you. तोँ is close and familiar. अपने is very formal. अहाँ and अपने use the same verb forms.

माछ आ भात means fish and rice.

The verb tells you which way काल्हि and परसू point: past or future.

Use ई for what is near and ओ for what is far. The verb shows whether the person gets respect.

एकटा केरा means one banana, and दूटा किताब means two books. एकटा also means a or an.

हम एतय रहैत छी means I live here. ओतय is the word for over there.

गाड़ी कखन अबैत अछि? asks the hour. अहाँ कहिया आएब? asks the day.

अहाँ कतय रहैत छी? means where do you live. Books also spell it कतऽ.

एकर दाम कतेक अछि? means how much does this cost. The same word asks how many.

अहाँ किएक उदास छी? means why are you sad. The answer often uses किएक तँ.

ई की अछि? means what is this. Before a postposition, what becomes कथी.

ओ के छथि? means who is she. ई ककर किताब अछि? means whose book is this.

मौसम केहन अछि? means what is the weather like. The answer is a describing word.

अहाँ कोन गाम सँ छी? means which village are you from.

अहाँ कोना छी? means how are you. Many people say केना in everyday speech.

Say छी with हम and अहाँ, छह with तोँ, छथि for a person you respect, and अछि for anyone else and for things.

Take the verb stem and add -उ after आ, or -ू after most other sounds: आउ, बैसू (Come in, sit down). देब and लेब give दिअ and लिअ.

Use थिक to name or define a thing: ई की थिक? (What is this?). For a respected person use थिकाह. अछि also works in these sentences.

Put नहि before the verb or before छी, छथि and अछि.

नीक लोक means good people, पैघ घर means a big house, and छोट गाम means a small village.

Put the person in the हमरा form, then the thing, then नीक लगैत अछि: हमरा माछ-भात नीक लगैत अछि (I like fish and rice).

हम पढ़ि रहल छी means I am reading. बरखा भऽ रहल अछि means it is raining.

पढ़ै छी and पढ़ैत छी mean the same thing. The short form is the everyday one.

टेबुल पर means on the table, and दोकान पर means at the shop.

ई बड्ड नीक अछि means this is very good.

Add बरखक after the number: हम बीस बरखक छी (I am twenty). Ask अहाँक उमेर कतेक अछि? (How old are you?).

हम थाकल छी, मुदा खुश छी means I am tired, but happy.

घर मे means in the house. Maithili writes मे with no dot on top, unlike Hindi में.

ई चाह अहाँ लेल अछि means this tea is for you.

हम पटना सँ छी means I am from Patna. ई ओहि सँ पैघ अछि means this is bigger than that.

बच्चा सभ means the children. After a number you do not need it: दूटा बच्चा.

हम सेहो मैथिली बजैत छी means I speak Maithili too.

Use हम for I and हम सभ for we. The verb is the same for both.

हमर भाइ, हमर बहिन and हमर किताब all use the same हमर.

हमर नाम सीता अछि means my name is Sita. Careful speech also uses थिक.

हमरा पानि चाही means I need water. चाही never changes.

हमरा लग एकटा साइकिल अछि means I have a bicycle. हमरा एकटा छोट भाइ अछि means I have a little brother.

Use हुनक about elders and respected people. Many speakers also say हुनकर.

Use the verb with -ए and then चाहब: हम घर जाए चाहैत छी (I want to go home). For a thing you want, use चाही: हमरा पानि चाही (I want water).

The dictionary form is already the future for I and polite you: हम काल्हि जाएब (I will go tomorrow), अहाँ कखन आएब? (When will you come?).

Add -हुँ to the past stem, which already ends in -ल: हम बजार गेलहुँ (I went to the market), अहाँ की कएलहुँ? (What did you do?).

Use the -ैत form with the past of to be for habits in the past: हम गाम मे रहैत छलहुँ (I used to live in the village).

Many people say छै where writing has अछि: पानि ठंढा छै (The water is cold). Write अछि, and expect to hear छै.

अपन refers to the person who does the action: हम अपन घर जाइत छी (I'm going to my own house).

Join -क to the noun, then add आगाँ or पाछाँ: घरक आगाँ (in front of the house), गाछक पाछाँ (behind the tree).

Join -क to the noun, then add ऊपर or नीचाँ: टेबुलक नीचाँ (under the table). भीतर (inside) and बाहर (outside) work the same way.

Use एहि for this and ओहि for that when the noun is a time word or is followed by मे, सँ, पर or another postposition: एहि घर मे (in this house), ओहि दिन (that day).

For eat, read, do and see, use -लनि for someone you respect and -लक for anyone else, with no change for gender: काकी चिट्ठी पढ़लनि (Aunt read the letter).

कहियो stands for any time at all: ओ कहियो झूठ नहि बजैत छथि (She never tells lies).

Put किएक तँ before the reason: हम नहि अएलहुँ, किएक तँ बरखा भऽ रहल छल (I didn't come because it was raining).

किछु stands for a thing and कियो for a person: बाहर कियो अछि (Someone is outside). With नहि they mean nothing and nobody.

Put केँ after the noun: नेना केँ दूध दिअ (Give the child milk). हमरा, ओकरा and हुनका do not need it, but अहाँ and plural pronouns can take it: अहाँ केँ, हमरा सभ केँ.

जाएब gives गेल-, करब gives कएल-, and होएब gives भेल-, as in की भेल? (What happened?).

For go, come, arrive and sit, use -लाह for a man you respect, -लीह for a woman you respect, and -ल for anyone else: बाबूजी बजार गेलाह (Father went to the market).

Put a number before गोटे: पाँच गोटे (five people), सभ गोटे (everyone). For things, use -टा: पाँचटा किताब (five books).

Use छलहुँ for हम and अहाँ, छलाह or छलीह for a man or woman you respect, and छल for a plain person or thing: जखन हम छोट छलहुँ (when I was little).

With तोँ, say छह: तोँ कोना छह? (How are you, buddy?). Use it only with people you would call तोँ.

Use -त for a plain person or thing and -ताह for a respected person: बस दस बजे जाएत (The bus will leave at ten), काका काल्हि जेताह (Uncle will go tomorrow).

जुनि + the command means don't: जुनि डेराउ (Don't be afraid). In speech you may also hear नै जो (don't go).

With तोँ, use the verb with -ह: पढ़ह (read). With very close family and small children, use the bare stem: कर (do it). जो (go) is the close form of जाउ.

Say the reason first, then तेँ and the result: बरखा भऽ रहल छल, तेँ हम घर मे रहलहुँ (It was raining, so I stayed home).

Use them like सभ for a small number: दुनू बहिन एतय छथि (Both sisters are here).

धरि means until or as far as: साँझ धरि (until evening). Pair it with सँ for a range: भोर सँ साँझ धरि (from morning to evening).

Use the verb with -ए, then पड़ब: हमरा काल्हि जाए पड़त (I will have to go tomorrow).

Use रहल with छलहुँ, छलाह or छल for an action in progress in the past: हम भात खा रहल छलहुँ (I was eating).

Put the time or event with -क before बाद, and with सँ before पहिने: भोजनक बाद (after the meal), साँझ सँ पहिने (before evening).

Use them before a noun for first, second and third: ई हमर पहिल नोकरी अछि (This is my first job).

Join -क to the noun and add बारे मे: ओ अपन गामक बारे मे गप्प करैत छथि (She talks about her village).

Put बिना before the noun, which takes -क: बिना दूधक चाह (tea without milk).

Join two choices with वा or कि: चाह लेब कि कॉफी? (Will you have tea or coffee?).

Put सँ after the person or thing you compare with: राम सीता सँ पैघ छथि (Ram is older than Sita). सँ बेसी means more than and सँ कम means less than.

संग follows the person you are with: हम अपन संगी संग गेलहुँ (I went with my friend). For a tool, use सँ.

Use the joining form of the verb, which usually ends in -ि, then सकब: हम मैथिली पढ़ि सकैत छी (I can read Maithili).

सभ सँ plus a describing word gives the top of the group: ई सभ सँ नीक दोकान अछि (This is the best shop).

Put बजे after the number to say at that hour: हम सात बजे उठैत छी (I get up at seven).

हमरा means me or to me, ओकरा means him or her (plain), and हुनका means him or her (respected): हमरा देखू (Look at me), हुनका फोन करू (Call her).

Say हमरा बुझल अछि (I know) and हमरा भूख लागल अछि (I am hungry). The person is not the subject; the thing known or felt is.

हमहूँ आएब (I will come too). ओहो एतय छथि (She is here too). The हमरा forms take -ओ: हमरो मोन अछि (I remember too).

Add -ए or -हि at the end of a word for emphasis: हम आइए जाएब means "I'll go this very day," and ओ ओतहि छथि means "She's right there."

Use the -ए form of the verb and then देब: हमरा जाए दिअ means "Let me go."

Use the -ए form of the verb and then लागब: बच्चा कानए लागल means "The child began to cry."

Use the dictionary form as a noun: पढ़ब नीक बात अछि means "Studying is a good thing."

Add -आ to the -ब verb and then सँ पहिने (जाएब gives जेबा): जेबा सँ पहिने हमरा फोन करू means "Call me before you go."

Add -बाक to the -ब verb before a noun: पढ़बाक समय means "time to study" and जेबाक इच्छा means "the wish to go".

Put -बाक लेल after the verb: नेहा सखी सँ भेंट करबाक लेल गेलीह means "Neha went to meet her friend."

Add -आक to the past stem, which ends in -ल, and then बाद: काज कएलाक बाद हम घर गेलहुँ means "After doing the work, I went home."

Put the joining form and कऽ after the first verb: बैसि कऽ चाह पिबैत छथि means "They sit and drink tea."

Join the first verb with -ि and add गेल: हम मानि गेलहुँ means "I gave in." बहस मे अझुरा गेलाह means "They got caught up in an argument."

Join the first verb with -ि and add देब: हम चिट्ठी लिखि देलहुँ means "I've written the letter."

Join the first verb with -ि and add लेब: हम भात खा लेलहुँ means "I have eaten." The result stays with the doer.

Put काल after the -ैत form: सिनेमाघर सँ बहराइत काल means "while coming out of the cinema."

Put एको before a noun and नहि before the verb: हमरा लग एको पाइ नहि अछि means "I don't have a single paisa."

Put एहन or ओहन before a noun to say what kind it is: एहन रीमेक बनाएब सेहो एकटा कला अछि means "Making such a remake is an art too."

Put की नहि after a statement to ask whether it is true: अहाँ आएब की नहि? means "Will you come or not?"

For verbs like go, come and sit, add the -ल form to छी, छथि or अछि: ओ दिल्ली गेल छथि means "She has gone to Delhi."

Use छलहुँ, छलाह or छल after the -ल or -ने form: हम ई फिल्म पहिने देखने छलहुँ means "I had seen this film before."

Put जँ at the start of the condition and तँ at the start of the result: जँ बरखा होएत, तँ हम नहि आएब means "If it rains, I won't come."

Put जकाँ after a noun or pronoun: ओ अपन माय जकाँ गबैत छथि means "She sings like her mother."

Start the first clause with जखन and the result with तखन: जखन हम छोट छलहुँ, तखन बरखा मे नाचैत छलहुँ means "When I was little, I used to dance in the rain."

Put जे between the main verb and what is said or known: हमरा बुझल अछि जे अहाँ व्यस्त छी means "I know that you are busy."

जे means "who" or "which": जे काल्हि आएल छल, से हमर भाइ अछि means "The one who came yesterday is my brother."

Put तँ right after the word you want to highlight: अहाँक फ्लैट तँ बड़ खुलल-खुलल अछि! means "Your flat really is open and airy!"

Add -ने to the verb stem and then छी, छथि or अछि: हम ई फिल्म देखने छी means "I have seen this film."

Put the noun first and add देखाइ पड़ैत अछि: एतय सँ पहाड़ देखाइ पड़ैत अछि means "You can see the mountain from here."

Put नहि तँ after a command or a statement to say what happens if it is not followed: जल्दी चलू, नहि तँ गाड़ी छूटि जाएत means "Hurry, or we'll miss the train."

Add ने after a statement or a request: अहाँ आएब ने? means "You will come, won't you?" and चलू ने! means "Come on!"

Use the -ल form with छी, छथि or अछि for a lasting state: हम बैसल छी means "I am sitting." बउआ सुतल अछि means "The little boy is asleep."

Put भरि after a word for a period of time: दिन भरि means "all day" and राति भरि means "all night".

Put the one who receives in the object form and the thing received as the subject: हमरा अहाँक चिट्ठी भेटल means "I got your letter."

Say यौ to get a man's attention and यै for a woman: सुनू यौ! means "Excuse me, sir!" and सुनू यै! means "Excuse me, ma'am!"

Use the first-person wish form with हम to ask "What should I do?" or to suggest something: चलू, चाह पिबी means "Come on, let's have tea."

पढ़निहार means "reader" and देखनिहार means "viewer". The ending turns an action into the doer.

Put -ितहि on the verb stem: फिल्म खतम होइतहि हम घर गेलहुँ means "As soon as the film ended, I went home." Speech often shortens it to -िते.

Say the -ैत form of the main verb, then रहब: पढ़ैत रहू means "keep reading". The रहब part carries the tense and the respect.

Repeat the -ैत form of a verb: चलैत-चलैत means "while walking and walking". Something else then happens, often a change or a surprise.

एतेक means "so much" and जे introduces the result: एतेक गर्मी छल जे हम सुति नहि सकलहुँ means "It was so hot that I could not sleep".

Use the -ल form with गेल, जाइत अछि or जाएत: ई काज काल्हि कएल गेल means "This work was done yesterday."

Put जे after कहलनि or कहलक and then say what was said in the speaker's own words: ओ कहलनि जे हम काल्हि आएब means "He said he would come tomorrow."

खाएब (eat) gives खुआएब (feed), and देखब (see) gives देखाएब (show). The person who receives the action takes केँ.

Say who wants it, add चाहैत छी जे, and end with the wish form: माय चाहैत छथि जे हम डाक्टर बनी means "Mother wants me to become a doctor."

Put -ितहुँ on the verbs of both clauses: जँ हम जनितहुँ, तँ पहिने अबितहुँ means "If I had known, I would have come earlier."

जतेक names an amount in the first part and ततेक answers it in the second: जतेक पढ़ब, ततेक सीखब means "the more you read, the more you learn".

जेना names a way in the first part and तेना repeats it in the second: जेना अहाँ कहब, तेना हम करब means "I will do it the way you say".

जेहन names a kind and तेहन answers it: जेहन बीज बोएब, तेहने फल पाएब means "As you sow, so shall you reap".

Put तैयो in the second part after a first part that would stop the action: बरखा भऽ रहल छल, तैयो ओ अएलाह means "It was raining, and still he came".

When you ask someone to give something to a third person, use दियौ for a plain receiver: बउआ केँ दूध दियौ. Use दियौन for a respected one: बाबा केँ चाह दियौन.

Add -यनि to देब when the receiver is respected: हम दादी केँ चाह देलियनि means "I gave Grandma tea."

Use देलियै when the person who receives something is a child, a friend or an animal: हम बउआ केँ बिस्कुट देलियै means "I gave the little boy a biscuit."

Put the -ल form before the noun: पाकल आम means "a ripe mango" and खुजल केबाड़ means "an open door". It shows the result of the action.

बनाएब becomes बनबाएब, and करब becomes करबाएब. Use सँ for the person who does the work: हम नव घर बनबाएब means "I will have a new house built".

Put the -ैत form before the noun: बहैत धार means "a flowing river" and कनैत बच्चा means "a crying child". The action is going on.

Add जाउ to the -ल form for a request that is gentle and formal: आउ, बैसल जाउ means "Please come in and be seated."

Use हिनका and हिनक for a respected person who is right here: ई हिनक घर अछि means "This is his house," said about the man beside you.

When the owner is a respected person, use छनि instead of अछि: हुनका दूटा बेटी छनि means "She has two daughters."

Use the -ल form plus होएत for a guess: बच्चा केँ भूख लागल होएत means "The child must be hungry". For a respected person, say होएताह.

कहलनि and कहलन्हि both mean "he or she said". Today's standard is -नि, and you will meet -न्हि in older books.

Writing says पढ़ैत अछि and नहि, while speech says पढ़ैए and नै. Both are right; choose by who is talking and where.

मुँह मे पानि आबि गेल means "My mouth watered". Learn each idiom as a whole phrase, because the body word does not mean its usual thing.

Formal writing says जल for पानि (water) and वर्ष for बरख (year), as in 600 वर्ष पहिने. You will see these words in books and news.

In अहाँक बाबूजी घर पर छथिन?, the extra -न on छथि shows respect for the listener as well as for Father. You will understand these forms long before you need to use them.

अनचिन्हार means "a stranger, someone you do not know", and बेकार means "useless". Add the prefix before the word.

अपनेक पत्र भेटल means "I received your letter". अपने is the very formal "you", and it takes the same verb as अहाँ.

एतबे नहि means "not only that". Follow it with the next point and सेहो: ओ गबैत छथि, एतबे नहि, नाचैत सेहो छथि.

भगवान अहाँक रक्षा करथु means "May God protect you". Add -थु to the verb stem for a wish about someone who is not the listener.

Use कहल जाइत अछि जे before a clause to say "it is said that". It is common in stories, news and sayings.

In बउआ बाबा केँ सभ बात कहलकनि, the little boy is plain (-लक) and Grandpa, the listener, is respected (-नि). You will hear this form before you need to say it.

बाबूजी काका केँ सभ बात कहलथिन means "Father told Uncle everything". Both Father and Uncle are respected, so the verb shows both.

सुख के नहि चाहैत अछि? does not ask for a name. It says "Everyone wants happiness". These questions are common in speeches and sayings.

Put जे before कियो or किछु to say "anyone who" or "anything that": जे किछु भेल, नीके भेल means "Whatever happened was for the best".

ओ एना बजैत छथि जेना सभ किछु जनैत छथि means "He talks as if he knows everything". मानू gives a lively comparison.

सरकार द्वारा नव सड़क बनाओल गेल means "A new road was built by the government". द्वारा follows the doer.

नेना (child) gives नेनपन (childhood), and मीठ (sweet) gives मिठास (sweetness). The new word is a noun.

यद्यपि ओ थाकल छलाह, तथापि काज पूरा कएलनि means "Although he was tired, he finished the work". The pair is common in books and news.

शिक्षाक हेतु means "for education". Put the joined -क on the noun, then the formal word. In daily talk, use लेल.

बरखाक कारणेँ means "because of the rain", and हाथेँ means "with the hand". Learn these as whole phrases.

मिथिलावासी means "a person of Mithila", and भाषा-साहित्य means "language and literature". Joined words are common in writing.

ओ घर मे छै means "He is at home". The Darbhanga standard says ओ घर मे अछि. Both are Maithili.

You will see में for मे and है for अछि in posts and messages. Spot them when you read, and keep to Maithili in your own writing: घर मे अछि, not घर में है.

Words like गाउँपालिका (rural municipality) appear in news from Janakpur. The verbs and endings are mostly the same as in India.

सरकार द्वारा कएल गेल घोषणा means "an announcement made by the government". The whole description comes before the noun.

Vidyapati wrote about 600 years ago. His songs are still sung at weddings and festivals. They use older forms such as मोर (my) and many Sanskrit words.

You still see it on signs and in old manuscripts, but books and schools use Devanagari. मिथिलाक्षर is the other name for the script.

बिहार एवं नेपाल means "Bihar and Nepal". अतः starts a sentence that gives a result.

मिथिला केर धरती means "the land of Mithila". In today's writing, use मिथिलाक धरती.

In speech people say हमर and तोहर, but songs say मोर and तोर: मोर मन means "my heart". They are old words that sound lyrical.