मात्र

Only and Just

Level 2Sounds Like mātra

मात्र means only: it follows the word it limits.

How It Works

मात्र means only or just. It follows the word it limits and is written as a separate word.

Where you put it changes the meaning. Compare:

  • म चिया मात्र पिउँछु। I drink only tea.
  • म मात्र चिया पिउँछु। Only I drink tea.

It works with nouns, numbers and time words: मसँग एउटा किताब मात्र छ (I have only one book), कक्षामा पाँच जना विद्यार्थी मात्र आए (only five students came to class) and आज मात्र (only today).

The verb still agrees with the doer, and the other endings stay the same: मात्र does not need a new ending on the noun. When a postposition is needed, it usually follows the noun and then मात्र: साथीसँग मात्र (only with a friend).

Examples (4)

  1. मसँग एउटा किताब मात्र छ।

    I have only one book.

    मात्र follows एउटा किताब.

  2. म चिया मात्र पिउँछु।

    I drink only tea.

    The word before मात्र is the thing that is limited.

  3. कक्षामा पाँच जना विद्यार्थी मात्र आए।

    Only five students came to class.

    मात्र follows the counted group.

  4. मलाई तपाईंको नाम मात्र थाहा छ।

    I know only your name.

    The thing known is limited to the name.

Common Mistakes

  • Learners put मात्र on the wrong word and change the meaning.

    म मात्र चिया पिउँछु।
    म चिया मात्र पिउँछु।

    The first sentence means only I drink tea. To say that tea is all you drink, put मात्र after चिया.

How It Connects

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

मात्रLevel 2Only and Just

Learn This First

मात्र means only.