-च

Just and Exactly

Level 2Sounds Like ca

The word with -च is the one that matters in the sentence.

How It Works

-च is a small ending that you attach to any word you want to stress. It joins the word, with no space.

WordWith -चMeaning
आत्ताआत्ताचjust now
इथेइथेचright here
हेहेचthis very one
मीमीचI myself

A word with a case ending takes -च after it: घरातच (inside the house), शाळेतच (in school itself).

Say मीच जातो (a man) or मीच जाते (a woman) for "I'll go myself". The speaker's gender shows only in the verb.

Time words take -च too: आताच (just now), कधीच नाही (never at all). In a past sentence without नाही, कधीच can mean long ago or already: तो कधीच गेला. (He left long ago.)

-च can also point to one person: तूच सांग. (You are the one to say it.)

Examples (5)

  1. मी आत्ताच आले.

    I just came. A woman is speaking.

    -च stresses आत्ता, and आले shows a woman.

  2. हेच माझे घर आहे.

    This is my house, this very one.

    -च picks out this house and no other.

  3. मीच जातो.

    I'll go myself. A man is speaking.

    -च stresses मी, and जातो shows a man.

  4. आम्ही रोज इथेच जेवतो.

    We eat right here every day.

    इथेच stresses the place.

  5. तो आजच पुण्याला गेला.

    He went to Pune just today.

    आजच stresses the day.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing -च as a separate word.

    मी च येते.
    मीच येते.

    -च joins the word it stresses.

How It Connects

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-चLevel 2Just and Exactly

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Only stresses a word.

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Words in This Pattern

-च