Keeping Marathi
🎯 Turn this into daily practice, and find the exams.
🗣️ Say these out loud
- मराठीत याला काय म्हणतात? — Marathit yaala kaay mhanataat? 🔊 ma-RAA-theet YAA-la kye mha-na-TAAT What is this called in Marathi? म्हणणे = to say. The mh is one sound, breathed.
- हळू बोला ना — halu bola na 🔊 ha-LOO BO-la na Please speak slowly. हळू has the ळ — practise it here.
- सराव — saraav 🔊 sa-RAAV practice सरावाने माणूस शिकतो — a person learns by practice.
- प्रयत्न करत रहा — prayatna karat raha 🔊 pra-YAT-na KA-rat ra-HAA Keep making the effort. प्रयत्न, from Sanskrit, is the Marathi word for effort.
- केल्याने होत आहे रे, आधी केलेची पाहिजे 🔊 kel-YAA-nay hot aa-hay ray, AA-dhee ke-LAY-chee PAA-hee-jay It happens by doing — but first you must do it. Samarth Ramdas, 17th century. Perhaps the most quoted line in Maharashtra, and the best advice in this whole course.
- शुभेच्छा — shubhechchha 🔊 shoo-BHECH-chha Best wishes! Said before exams and journeys.
Read every line aloud twice before moving on. The mouth learns a language, not the eye.
🔍 Where to go after these six lessons
Marathi surrounds anyone in Maharashtra, so the fastest route is deliberate exposure rather than more grammar.
- Read the Marathi headlines of a newspaper each morning — five minutes.
- Watch one Marathi film a week with Marathi subtitles.
- Learn one abhang or one Bahinabai poem by heart.
- Speak first in Marathi at the vegetable stall. You will be corrected kindly and remember forever.
🌍 Among the people
The Maharashtra State Board offers Marathi at every level, and the Maharashtra Rajya Marathi Vikas Sanstha runs recognised courses for non-native learners. Marathi is also a mandatory subject in state schools.
🔁 Practise today
- Read Lesson 1 aloud in Devanagari.
- Write five sentences a day, watching all three genders.
- Teach somebody the difference between आपण and आम्ही.
