Everyday and Written Maithili
Writing keeps the full forms, and speech uses shorter ones.
How It Works
Maithili has a written form and a spoken form. The written form keeps full endings; the spoken form shortens them. Both are correct, but they belong in different places.
| Written | Spoken | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पढ़ैत अछि | पढ़ैए | reads |
| नहि | नै | not |
| अछि | छै | is |
| गेल | गेलै | went |
| बड्ड | बड़ | very |
- The short forms sound friendly and quick. In stories, they appear in dialogue.
- The full forms fit books, news, forms and letters.
- The spoken forms can differ by region. गेलै and छै are strongest in the east.
When you write for others, use the written forms. When you copy dialogue, use what the speaker would say. Do not write the spoken forms in narration, and do not put the spoken forms into formal letters. Hindi forms such as है are not part of either.
Examples (5)
- ओ घर मे नहि अछि।
He is not at home.
The written form uses नहि and अछि.
- ओ घर मे नै छै।
He isn't home.
The spoken form uses नै and छै.
- ओ मैथिली पढ़ैत अछि।
She reads Maithili.
The written form keeps पढ़ैत अछि.
- ओ मैथिली पढ़ैए।
She reads Maithili.
The spoken form shortens it to पढ़ैए.
- बाहर बरखा भऽ रहल छै।
It is raining outside.
In casual talk, छै replaces अछि.
How It Connects
Learn This First
This overview contrasts full and spoken forms, so those forms come first.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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