जरी … तरी

Although and Even if

Level 4Sounds Like jarī … tarī

The first clause gives the obstacle, and the second says what happened anyway.

How It Works

The pair always has two parts. जरी opens the first clause, and तरी opens the second clause, with a comma between them. Both clauses keep their normal tense.

MeaningExample
a fact (although)जरी पाऊस होता, तरी आम्ही गेलो.
a fact (although)जरी ती थकली आहे, तरी ती काम करते.
a possibility (even if)जरी उशीर झाला, तरी आम्ही जाऊ.

The first clause often ends in a form of असणे (होता, आहे). The second clause says what goes on in spite of it, so it often has a verb of action: गेलो, करते, येईन.

जर … तर means “if … then”, and जरी … तरी says that the result stays the same whatever the first clause says. Keep तरी with जरी and तर with जर.

If the first clause looks ahead, it can use the future: जरी उद्या पाऊस पडेल, तरी आम्ही जाऊ. (Even if it rains tomorrow, we'll go.) The second clause can be negative: जरी तो श्रीमंत आहे, तरी तो आनंदी नाही. (Although he is rich, he is not happy.)

Examples (5)

  1. जरी पाऊस होता, तरी आम्ही गेलो.

    Although it was raining, we went.

    जरी … तरी joins the rain and the trip.

  2. जरी ती थकली आहे, तरी ती काम करते.

    Although she is tired, she keeps working.

    थकली आहे is the obstacle; काम करते is what happens anyway.

  3. जरी मला मराठी कळते, तरी मी बोलायला घाबरते.

    Although I understand Marathi, I'm afraid to speak. A woman is speaking.

    बोलायला घाबरते shows a woman speaking.

  4. जरी मी थकलो आहे, तरी मी आज चालायला जाणार आहे.

    Even though I'm tired, I'm going for a walk today. A man is speaking.

    थकलो आहे shows a man speaking.

  5. जरी उशीर झाला, तरी आम्ही जाऊ.

    Even if we are late, we'll go.

    The first clause is a possibility, so the English says “even if”.

Common Mistakes

  • Using तर where तरी belongs.

    जरी पाऊस होता, तर आम्ही गेलो.
    जरी पाऊस होता, तरी आम्ही गेलो.

    जरी goes with तरी. तर belongs to जर … तर.

How It Connects

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

जरी … तरीLevel 4Although and Even if

Learn This First

Although … still adds a contrast.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.