-ला सांगणे / -ला विचारणे

Telling and Asking Someone

Level 2Sounds Like lā sāṅgaṇē / -lā vicāraṇē

With only a -ला object, the past verb stays neuter: मी सरांना विचारले. With a second object, the verb matches it: मी सईला गोष्ट सांगितली.

How It Works

VerbPerson with -लाExample
सांगणेसईला, मलाआईने मला सांगितले.
विचारणेसरांना, तिलामी सरांना विचारले.

In the past of सांगणे and विचारणे, when the -ला person is the only object, the verb is neuter singular. That is why the verb ends in -ले: सांगितले, विचारले.

If the sentence also names the thing told, the verb agrees with that thing: मी सईला गोष्ट सांगितली (गोष्ट is feminine). मी सईला पत्ता सांगितला (पत्ता is masculine).

Do not use -शी for a person you only tell or ask. -शी is for a talk that goes both ways: मी सईशी बोललो.

The same rule works in the present: मी सरांना विचारतो (I ask the teacher) and ती आईला सांगते (she tells Mom). The present verb agrees with the doer, because it is not a past action. Add the question word before the verb: तू कोणाला सांगितलेस?

Examples (5)

  1. मी सरांना विचारले.

    I asked the teacher.

    सरांना is सर plus -ला.

  2. आईने मला सांगितले.

    Mom told me.

    मला is the -ला form of मी.

  3. तू सईला काय सांगितलेस?

    What did you tell Sai?

    सईला marks the person told.

  4. ती बाबांना विचारते.

    She asks Dad.

    बाबांना marks the person asked.

  5. आम्ही शिक्षकांना सांगितले.

    We told the teachers.

    शिक्षकांना marks the people told.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -शी for the person asked.

    मी सरांशी विचारले.
    मी सरांना विचारले.

    Marathi uses -ला for the person asked.

  • Making the verb feminine.

    आईने मला सांगितली.
    आईने मला सांगितले.

    With only a -ला object, the verb stays neuter.

How It Connects

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

-ला सांगणे / -ला विचारणेLevel 2Telling and Asking Someone

Learn This First

Tell and ask take the person in -ला.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

सांगणेविचारणे-ला