आठवणे / कळणे
Remembering and Understanding
The verb matches the thing remembered or understood.
How It Works
Marathi says "your name comes to my mind": मला तुझे नाव आठवते. The same shape works for understanding: मला हे कळले. (I understood this.) The person takes -ला, and the verb follows the thing.
| Thing | आठवणे | कळणे (past) |
|---|---|---|
| नाव (neuter) | आठवते | कळले |
| गोष्ट (feminine) | आठवते | कळली |
| नंबर (masculine) | आठवतो | कळला |
The negative puts नाही after the present stem: मला आठवत नाही. (I don't remember.) In the past, the verb ends in -ले, -ली or -ला, as with the thing: मला काहीच कळले नाही. (I didn't understand anything.)
कळणे also means to find out something. Then की follows: मला कळले की ती आली आहे. (I found out that she has come.)
A man and a woman both say मला आठवते and मला कळले, because the verb follows the thing and not the person.
आठवणे can also have a doer who calls something to mind on purpose, mostly in the -ून and -ावे forms: ते दिवस आठवून ती हसली. (Remembering those days, she smiled.) To say “I remember”, still say मला आठवते.
Examples (5)
- मला तुझे नाव आठवते.
I remember your name.
नाव is neuter, so the verb is आठवते.
- मला त्याचा फोन नंबर आठवत नाही.
I don't remember his phone number.
आठवत नाही is the negative.
- मला काहीच कळले नाही.
I didn't understand anything.
कळले is the neuter past, as काहीच has no gender.
- तिला ही गोष्ट कळली.
She understood this matter.
गोष्ट is feminine, so the verb is कळली.
- आजीला सगळे आठवते.
Grandma remembers everything.
आजीला takes -ला, and सगळे is neuter.
Common Mistakes
Using मी as the subject.
मी तुझे नाव आठवते.मला तुझे नाव आठवते.The person who remembers takes -ला.
Not matching the verb to the thing.
तिला ही गोष्ट कळला.तिला ही गोष्ट कळली.गोष्ट is feminine, so the verb ends in -ली.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Remembering and understanding are said as coming to the person, with -ला on that person.
Related Patterns
- माहीत आहे / माहीत नाहीKnowing a Fact
These say you know a fact.
Level 2 - … की …Joining a Clause with की
Use की after कळले for what you found out.
Level 3 - मिळणेGetting Something
This verb has the same person-in--ला pattern.
Level 3 - -ला / -नाTo Someone and to a Place
The ending that marks the person.
Level 1 - मला वाटते कीSaying What You Think
Use this for an opinion.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice आठवणे / कळणे in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Marathi lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
