अहाँ / तोँ / अपने

Three Ways to Say You

Level 1Sounds Like ahām̐, tōm̐ ā apanē

Use अहाँ for most people, तोँ for close friends and children, and अपने for very formal address.

How It Works

Maithili has three words for you, and the choice shows respect.

WordUseTo be
अहाँeveryday, politeछी
अपनेvery formalछी
तोँclose friends, childrenछह

अहाँ and अपने take exactly the same verb forms: अहाँ कतय छी? and अपने कतय छी? Only the level of formality differs.

For more than one person, add सभ: अहाँ सभ. Before a postposition, अहाँ stays अहाँ: अहाँ केँ, अहाँ लेल. The possessive is अहाँक. The close forms are तोरा (to you) and तोहर (your).

Use तोँ only when you are sure the person is a close friend or much younger. Never use it with a stranger or an elder. When in doubt, say अहाँ.

Examples (5)

  1. अहाँ कोना छी?

    How are you?

    अहाँ with छी is the everyday polite form.

  2. अहाँ चाह पिबैत छी?

    Do you drink tea?

    The verb ending is the same as for हम.

  3. तोँ कतय जाइत छह?

    Where are you going, friend?

    तोँ takes छह, not छी.

  4. अपने कतय सँ छी?

    Where are you from, sir?

    अपने is very formal, and the verb is still छी.

  5. अहाँ सभ घर पर छी?

    Are you all at home?

    सभ makes अहाँ plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Using तोँ for an elder.

    दादी, तोँ चाह पिबैत छह?
    दादी, अहाँ चाह पिबैत छी?

    तोँ is for close friends and children. Use अहाँ with elders.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

अहाँ / तोँ / अपनेLevel 1Three Ways to Say You

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

अहाँअपनेसभअहाँकतोहरछीछह