जेना / मानू

As if

Level 5Sounds Like jēnā ā mānū

जेना and मानू compare what is seen with what it looks like.

How It Works

जेना has two uses. In the pair जेना ... तेना it means "in the way that". Used alone after a clause, it means "as if". This entry is about the second use.

WordUseExample
जेनाeveryday "as if"एना बजैत छथि जेना सभ किछु जनैत छथि
मानूvivid, writtenआकाश लाल छल, मानू आगि लागल अछि
  • The first part tells what you see or hear, often with एना ("like this").
  • जेना opens the picture it looks like.
  • मानू stands on its own after a comma and works like "as though".

The verb after जेना can be present or past: the tense shows what the comparison is about. Do not look for a तेना; in this use जेना has no partner. Hindi जैसे does not fit here; Maithili uses जेना.

Examples (4)

  1. ओ एना बजैत छथि जेना सभ किछु जनैत छथि।

    He talks as if he knows everything.

    जेना opens the picture of what he is acting like.

  2. आकाश लाल छल, मानू आगि लागल अछि।

    The sky was red, as if it were on fire.

    मानू gives a vivid comparison in writing.

  3. बच्चा एना कनैत अछि जेना ओकरा चोट लागल अछि।

    The child cries as if he is hurt.

    जेना links the crying to the cause it seems to have.

  4. ओ एना हँसलाह जेना कोनो बात नहि भेल अछि।

    He laughed as if nothing had happened.

    जेना opens the pretend situation.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Hindi जैसे for "as if".

    ओ ऐसे बजैत छथि जैसे सभ किछु जनैत छथि।
    ओ एना बजैत छथि जेना सभ किछु जनैत छथि।

    Maithili uses एना and जेना.

How It Connects

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

जेना / मानूLevel 5As if

Learn This First

This जेना has already appeared in जेना ... तेना, and here it stands alone to mean as if.

Words in This Pattern

जेनामानूएनातेना