जो … तो
Relative Clauses with जो
Both words match the gender and number of the noun they point to.
How It Works
जो … तो works like "who" or "that" in English, with an echo in the main clause: जो मुलगा वाचतो, तो माझा भाऊ आहे. (The boy who reads is my brother.)
| Noun | Pair |
|---|---|
| masculine singular | जो … तो |
| feminine singular | जी … ती |
| neuter singular | जे … ते |
| masculine plural | जे … ते |
| feminine plural | ज्या … त्या |
| neuter plural | जी … ती |
In these present-tense sentences the verb in each clause agrees with the noun: जी मुलगी गाते, ती माझी मैत्रीण आहे.
The जो clause usually comes first. Put a comma between the clauses, and put the noun right after जो.
An easy way to build the sentence: say what the person or thing does in a short clause with जो, and then say who or what it is with तो. If you can answer "who?" or "which?" with the first clause, the pattern fits.
जो can also describe an object. In the past, the verb then follows the object when that object has no -ला: जे पुस्तक तू वाचलेस, ते मला दे. (Give me the book that you read.) Here तू वाचलेस ends in -ले because पुस्तक is neuter, with -स for तू.
Examples (5)
- जो मुलगा वाचतो, तो माझा भाऊ आहे.
The boy who reads is my brother.
जो … तो matches the masculine मुलगा.
- जी मुलगी गाते, ती माझी मैत्रीण आहे.
The girl who sings is my friend.
जी … ती matches the feminine मुलगी.
- जे पुस्तक तू वाचलेस, ते मला दे.
Give me the book that you read.
जे … ते matches the neuter पुस्तक.
- जो मोदक सगळ्यांना आवडतो, तो बनवायला खूप वेळ लागतो.
The modak that everyone loves takes a long time to make.
जो … तो matches the masculine मोदक.
- जी भाजी आईने केली, ती मला खूप आवडली.
I liked the vegetable that Mom made very much.
जी … ती matches the feminine भाजी.
Common Mistakes
Not matching जो to the noun.
जो मुलगी गाते, ती माझी मैत्रीण आहे.जी मुलगी गाते, ती माझी मैत्रीण आहे.मुलगी is feminine, so the pair is जी … ती.
Using the Hindi word वो.
जो मुलगा वाचतो, वो माझा भाऊ आहे.जो मुलगा वाचतो, तो माझा भाऊ आहे.Marathi uses तो, ती and ते.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Who … he joins two clauses, so the answer words come first.
Related Patterns
- ज्याला / ज्याचा / ज्यानेRelative Words with Endings
These are the forms of जो with an ending.
Level 4 - जिथे … तिथे / जेव्हा … तेव्हाMatching Places and Times
These pairs work the same way for places and times.
Level 4 - जसा … तसाJust as … So
This pair compares how things are.
Level 4 - -णाराThe Person or Thing That Does Something
This ending is a shorter way to describe a noun.
Level 4 - -लेलाThe Person or Thing That Has Done Something
This ending also describes a noun.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice जो … तो in Bubblegum
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