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Marathi basics — the script, sounds and first steps
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The starting point: the Devanagari (Balbodh), your first words, and the honest answer to where to begin. The SAME script as Hindi — if you read Hindi, you can sound out Marathi on day one. Only two surprises wait: ळ (retroflex L, unknown in Hindi) and a few spelling habits of its own.
The alphabet at a glance
The Devanagari (Balbodh) script has 13 vowels and 36 consonants. The full tables with sounds are on the pronunciation page — learn to recognise them before you memorise any words.
Your first five words
| English | Hindi | Marathi | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | नमस्ते | नमस्कार | namaskār |
| Good day (all-day greeting) | शुभ दिन | शुभ दिवस | śubh divas |
| Maharashtra's all-day greeting — use it everywhere | |||
| How are you? (formal) | आप कैसे हैं? | तुम्ही कसे आहात? | tumhī kase āhāt? |
| How are you? (familiar, to a man) | तुम कैसे हो? | तू कसा आहेस? | tū kasā āhes? |
| How are you? (familiar, to a woman) | तुम कैसी हो? | तू कशी आहेस? | tū kaśī āhes? |
The order to learn in
- Script + sounds — Marathi is phonetic: learn the letters and you can read anything.
- Greetings + pronouns — say hello, introduce yourself, ask where.
- Numbers 1–20 — prices, time and quantities unlock immediately.
- Word order + present tense — one pattern (मी भात खातो) builds a thousand sentences.
- Topics (food, travel, shopping) — learn what your life needs first.