Learn Marathi: Marathi alphabet chart and letters
Marathi Characters
Below are some of the Marathi Characters and their pronunciations.
Marathi vowels
| Marathi | Written in English | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| अ | a | 'a' as in 'about' |
| आ | ā (aa) | 'a' as in 'father' |
| इ | i | 'i' as in 'sit' |
| ई | ī (ee) | 'ee' as in 'feet' |
| उ | u | 'u' as in 'put' |
| ऊ | ū (oo) | 'oo' as in 'pool' |
| ऋ | ru | 'ru' as in 'rook' |
| ए | e | 'e' as in 'they' |
| ऐ | ai | 'ai' as in 'aisle' |
| ओ | o | 'o' as in 'go' |
| औ | au | 'ou' as in 'out' |
| अं | am / an | a nasal sound, as in 'hung' (anusvara) |
| अः | ah | a short breath after the vowel, as in 'aha' (visarga) |
| ॲ | ê | 'a' as in 'bat', for English words such as बॅट (bat) |
| ऑ | ô | 'o' as in 'ball', for English words such as बॉल (ball) |
Marathi consonants
- कka
- खkha
- गga
- घgha
- ङṅa
- चcha
- छchha
- जja
- झjha
- ञña
- टṭa
- ठṭha
- डḍa
- ढḍha
- णṇa
- तta
- थtha
- दda
- धdha
- नna
- पpa
- फpha
- बba
- भbha
- मma
- यya
- रra
- लla
- वva
- शsha
- षṣha
- सsa
- हha
- ळḷa
- क्षksha
- ज्ञdnya
The dotted letters are said with the tongue curled back (ṭa, ḍa, ṇa, ḷa). In Marathi च and ज are also said 'tsa' and 'dza' in many words, such as चमचा (chamcha, spoon) and जेवण (jevan, meal); ज्ञ is said 'dnya'.
Vowel signs
After a consonant, each vowel is written as a sign joined to it. Here they are with क:
- कka
- काkā
- किki
- कीkī
- कुku
- कूkū
- कृkru
- केke
- कैkai
- कोko
- कौkau
- कंkam
- कःkah
Everyday Marathi phrases
- नमस्कारnamaskārHello
- तुम्ही कसे आहात?tumhī kase āhāt?How are you?
- मी ठीक आहे, धन्यवाद.mī ṭhīk āhe, dhanyavād.I am fine, thank you.
- माफ कराmāph karāSorry / excuse me
- रेल्वे स्टेशन कुठे आहे?relve sṭeshan kuṭhe āhe?Where is the railway station?
- याची किंमत किती आहे?yāchī kimmat kitī āhe?How much does this cost?
- जेवण खूप छान आहे.jevaṇ khūp chhān āhe.The food is very good.
- मला थोडं मराठी येतं.malā thoḍa marāṭhī yeta.I know a little Marathi.
- हो / नाहीho / nāhīYes / no
- पुन्हा भेटूpunhā bheṭūSee you again
About Marathi
Marathi is one of the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India and the official language of Maharashtra. The 2011 Census counted 8.30 crore people in India whose mother tongue it is. It is written in Devanagari. The Government of India declared it a classical language in 2024.
Links
To go further: Bharatavani, the portal of India's languages run by the Central Institute of Indian Languages, has dictionaries, primers and books in Marathi.
- Marathi Bhasha Vibhag: Marathi Language Department, Government of Maharashtra
- Rajya Marathi Vikas Sanstha: Government of Maharashtra: dictionaries, glossaries and courses for learning Marathi
- Marathi Vishwakosh: Government of Maharashtra: the Marathi encyclopaedia, free to read
- Maharashtra Rajya Sahitya ani Sanskruti Mandal: Government of Maharashtra: Marathi books and literature
- Sahitya Akademi: India's national academy of letters (Ministry of Culture): books, translations and the yearly awards in Marathi and the other languages of India
Sources: Census of India 2011, Language (Paper 1 of 2018), speakers of the scheduled languages; the Constitution of India, Eighth Schedule; classical languages, Ministry of Culture (Press Information Bureau, 3 October 2024).