Endings That Join the Word

FoundationsSounds Like vibhaktī pratyaya

The stem changes before an ending: शाळा becomes शाळेत, and घर becomes घरा- as in घरात.

How It Works

Where English uses small words like in, near and to, Marathi adds an ending to the noun.

NounEndingJoinedMeaning
घर-तघरातin the house
शाळा-जवळशाळेजवळnear the school
सई-लासईलाto Sai
टेबल-वरटेबलावरon the table

The noun often changes its last letters before the ending. Most masculine or neuter nouns that end in a consonant add -ा (newer loanwords like फोन and गॅस often add nothing): घर becomes घरा- (घरात) and टेबल becomes टेबला- (टेबलावर). A feminine noun in -आ changes to -ए: शाळा becomes शाळे- (शाळेत, शाळेजवळ). Most masculine nouns in -आ change to -्या: आंबा becomes आंब्या- (आंब्याला). चहा and राजा do not change: चहाला, राजाला. A feminine noun or name in -ई, like सई, stays the same. A neuter noun in -ई changes: पाणी becomes पाण्या- (पाण्यात). The changed shape is the stem form, and the page सामान्यरूप shows it in full.

Auxiliaries stay separate: घरात आहे has two words.

Examples (5)

  1. आम्ही घरात आहोत.

    We are in the house.

    -त joins घर, which gains ा: घरात.

  2. शाळेजवळ बाग आहे.

    There is a garden near the school.

    -जवळ joins शाळा, which becomes शाळे-: शाळेजवळ.

  3. मी सईला फोन करतो.

    I call Sai. A man is speaking.

    -ला joins सई, which does not change: सईला.

  4. ती पुण्याहून आली.

    She came from Pune.

    -हून joins पुणे, which becomes पुण्याहून.

  5. पुस्तक टेबलावर आहे.

    The book is on the table.

    -वर joins टेबल, which gains ा: टेबलावर.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the ending as its own word.

    मी सई ला फोन करतो.
    मी सईला फोन करतो.

    The ending -ला is part of the word सईला.

  • Adding the ending without changing शाळा.

    मुले शाळात आहेत.
    मुले शाळेत आहेत.

    शाळा becomes शाळे before -त.

How It Connects

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

Endings That Join the WordFoundations

Words in This Pattern

-लामध्येजवळ