Written and Spoken Marathi

FoundationsSounds Like pramāṇa bhāṣā āṇi bōlī

The standard is the Marathi of Pune and Mumbai, and regional dialects stay in speech.

How It Works

Marathi has a written standard, which is the Marathi of Pune and Mumbai. It is what schools teach and newspapers print. Each region also speaks its own dialect, such as Varhadi, Malvani or Ahirani.

WritingSpeech and chats
करत आहेकरतोय, करतेय
तो जेवण करत आहे.तो जेवण करतोय.
मी चाललो आहे.मी चाललोय.

People also write the ending -े as -ं when they write speech, so a chat can say केलं where a book says केले. The page केलं / केले explains this.

Lessons and news use the written forms. Learn the spoken forms so you understand friends and films. Konkani is a separate language.

Examples (5)

  1. आई स्वयंपाक करत आहे.

    Mom is cooking.

    करत आहे is the written form.

  2. आई स्वयंपाक करतेय.

    Mom is cooking.

    करतेय is the spoken form.

  3. मी आत्ता घरी जात आहे.

    I am going home now. A man is speaking.

    जात आहे is the written form.

  4. मी आत्ता घरी चाललोय.

    I am going home now. A man is speaking.

    चाललोय is the spoken form of चाललो आहे.

  5. बाबा ऑफिसला गेले आहेत.

    Dad has gone to the office.

    This is a full written form.

Common Mistakes

  • Making a Hindi form from the Marathi verb.

    तो जेवण करता आहे.
    तो जेवण करत आहे.

    Marathi writes करत आहे, and speech shortens it to करतोय.

How It Connects

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

Written and Spoken MarathiFoundations

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Patterns that build on this one.